Environment
THE Lagos State Government on Saturday hinted of an end of year completion of work on a Transfer Loading Station at Olusosun that will transfer about 2,500 metric tons of waste a day to the Material Recovery Site at ikorodu.
The hint was given by the State Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Mr Tokunbo Wahab when he led State top officials on an inspection of the extent of work at the Olusosun dumpsite after monitoring the monthly environment sanitation with Mr.Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu in Surulere LG.
He said the work which is being carried out by the Concessionaire, Messrs Zoomlion will assist with a waste to wealth programme that the state seeks to embark upon.
He.added that as part of its CSR programme Zoomlion will also stabilize the 1.2 Kilometers road to the dumpsite and do some major remedial work on it.
He stressed that another commitment has been given by the Engineer on site that the level of work will be increased by Zoomlion to day and night activities on the site to meet the completion target.
“So, our own commitment is that, before the end of the year. let all start seeing moves to decongest the Olusosun landfills. And they will give us, wealth as a recoverable from our own waste”, Wahab explained.
He desribed the project as part of a robust landfill management programme of the state, saying: Lagos can’t sustain a linear waste management system that it had done for over four decades.
In his words: “Pick and dump linear waste system cannot be sustainable. Let’s even leave climate and others. We don’t even have the land for it. Decades ago, this was at the outskirt, this is an outskirt of Lagos. Today, look around you. It is an eyesore”.
He called on everyone to make waste a resource for wealth, for energy, and all sorts, stressing that, it represents the transition the State is going through now.
“You know, for a fact, Larfage is taking our combustible waste to power their machines. That is out of it. You know that our fruit waste at ikosi food market is working through a bio -digester to power the whole market now. That’s also out of the whole chunk generated daily”
“Now, if we take 4,250, and convert to recyclable plastics, our compost fertilizer through Harvest Waste. That takes substantial part out of it. If we now get Harvest Waste to hit the grond running, they say they want between 1,500 and 2500 tonnes for energy. That also takes a chunk of it”, emphasized.
He maintained that in every developed climate of the world people must start seeing waste as a resource, and that is when the change will be well felt by the citizens.
He said in the interim, the State would get more compactors and also looking at the possibility of EV compactors which can be integrated into what the PSP operators are doing.
He said the state will bring in tricycle compactors for areas that have grown beyond what PSP operators that were assigned to original routes can attend to because of narrow lanes and inner roads.
“That will just go to those inner streets. Take them out rather them dumping those things on the streets. or on the median. So that’s, that’s the long time, but reforms take a while. It’s not a magic wand. But we have to keep fixing what we have on ground. Remediate why we move towards a bigger picture”, he stated.
Prominent among those who accompanied the Commissioner were the Special Adviser on the Environment, Engr Kunle Rotimi-Akodu, Permanent Secretary, Office of Environmental Services, Dr Gaji Omobolaji Tajudeen, Managing Director of LAWMA, Dr Muyiwa Gbadegesin, Director, Drainage Construction, Engr Dapo Ajadi who stood in for Permanent Secretary, Drainage Services, Executive Secretary, Lagos State Water Regulatory Commission, Mrs Khadijat Adeyemo and directors.
Meanwhile, Head of Service, Mr. Bode Agoro who led the monitoring team to Kosofe Local Government expressed satisfaction with the increasing level of residents’ participation in the State’s monthly environmental sanitation exercise, noting that public response continues to improve as the initiative becomes more established.
Agoro observed that while some residents were yet to fully embrace the sanitation culture, a significant number of people turned out to clean their surroundings.
According to him, “This is the third edition of the exercise, and many residents are beginning to realize that it is not a one-off initiative but a monthly commitment; We are seeing more people coming out to participate, which is encouraging. Although some people were still indoors when the exercise commenced, continued advocacy and public enlightenment will further improve compliance.”
He stressed that sustained awareness campaigns remain essential to ensuring greater participation by residents across the State.
He called on all on Corporate Organization to collaborate with the Government to ensure that the vision of a cleaner environment is collectively achieved.
“It’s a good collaboration where we already have some organisations, like Lafarge on board as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility on environmental sanitation; So to all the other corporate organisation emulate people like Lafarge, join us so that we can make the environment cleaner and better environment” he said.
Agoro reaffirmed the Lagos State Government’s commitment to promoting a cleaner, healthier, and more sustainable environment through consistent environmental sanitation exercises and urged residents to continue supporting the initiative by maintaining clean surroundings and complying with environmental regulations.
The Head of Service was accompanied by Chairman Kosofe Local Government Hon. Moyosore Ogunlewe, members of the Body of Permanent, Directors in the Ministry as well as Students from Lagos State Education District II.
F.O
Tags: Completion of Work lagos Olusosun