The Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) says a total of 83 persons had been convicted and jailed for waste management offenses in the last year.

The Managing Director of LAWMA, Mr. Ibrahim Odumboni, said this on Wednesday during a news briefing on the state of affairs on waste management in Lagos, updates on activities from the beginning of 2022 till August.

Odumboni also said that over 1,200 persons were penalized to sweep the environment and over 3,000 persons were fined, having been found guilty of committing various forms of offenses relating to indiscriminate disposal of waste in Lagos.

He said that the prosecution of the offenders was necessitated to deter bad culture to waste management.

“Eighty-three people were jailed last year for waste-related offenses. Over 1,200 did community services – they joined our sweepers to sweep and do the job very well and over 3,000 were fined.

“But the most important thing for us is, why don’t we ensure we do the right thing?

“For people out there, who continue to migrate and dump waste indiscriminately, any time you are caught, you would be held responsible and would face the wrath of the law,” the LAWMA MD said.

According to him, the enforcement team set up by the agency has become very active and has ceased over 1,400 carts across the state in the last two months.

He said that the team would ensure that a much more formal, agreeable, and consistent system of waste was introduced into society.

Odumboni said that truck pushers were also guilty of dumping waste in canals and drainage systems, causing the menace of drainage blockages informing floods.

“Having extended hands of fellowship to cart pushers on how they can work with the agency to formalize their operations, the agency would not take it lightly with those who kick against the hands of fellowship and rules of engagement.

“For anyone who does not have an identity, who poses security threats to the state, who refuses to follow the law and put the lives of Lagosians in danger, there is going to be zero-tolerance on that,

“And so, we would continue in our operations to get rid of cart pushers in Lagos,” he said.

He frowned at mischievous offenders who attack workers and facilities of the agency, saying it had fostered engagement with law enforcement agents to bring culprits to book.

The LAWMA boss said that the agency was now working with LASTMA, the Neighborhood Watch, and other security agencies to prosecute those caught on the live time metropolitan cameras across the state.

He said that each of the over 20 million residents of the state generated a minimum of 0.65kg, averaging 13,000 metric tonnes in all, demanding no less than 650 heavy-duty trucks to evacuate them.

Odumboni said that the agency had been straightened to the task to ensure delivering excellent services, with the aim of clearing everything on daily basis.

He said that the number of PSP trucks operating in the state had been upscaled under the present Gov.Babajide Sanwo-Olu-led administration from about 627 to over 1,100; higher than those of New York.

According to him, about 150 of the 1,100 trucks are operated by LAWMA.

He said that the rising cost of diesel from the first quarter of 2022 had posed huge challenges for operators.