Ebute-Metta Residents Want LAWMA’s Loading Station Relocated
Residents of Apapa road, in Lagos Mainland Local Government Area, Lagos State, have called on the State government and Management of Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) to relocate the Transfer Loading Station (TLS) situated in the area.
The residents made the called during a protest and picketing of the facility which is located between Thomas, Odaliki, Ibadan and Niger Streets, on Saturday.
During the protest, the residents said since LAWMA start dumping refuse in the facility, they have been witnessing series of pollution and strange disease in the area.
They also stated that their roads, electricity poles, drainage systems and others have been badly damaged and destroyed, while vehicular movement have also been hampered due to reckless packing of the trucks.
Pasted at the entrance gate to the dump-site are postal with inscriptions such as: “save our souls LAWMA: Killing us Instalmentally is wicked and refuse dump-site in a Residential Community is man inhumanity to man, enough is enough”.
The postal further reads: “the Stench Emanating from the Refuse is Toxic, “It’s Just a Matter of time before an out-break of epidemic diseases emanating from the refuse dumped in the residential community in our area, the Late Sage Chief Obafemi Awolowo prophesied that at the appointed time the people will fight for their rights”the set time is near “Great people of Apapa Road, come out en-mass, “the “die is cast” fight for your right Free you Self” From Mental & Physical Slavery”.
Prior to the protest, the residents said they have made their plights known to the Senior Special Adviser on Cleaner Lagos Initiative and LAWMA, Engineer Rasheed Shabi, through a petition, but nothing was done.
Speaking on the protest, a resident of the area, Mr. Oluseun Williams, said the protest against/picketing of the LAWMA’s dumpsite became inevitable due to the government nonchalant attitude.
Williams, who gave historical background how the dumpsite was sited by the administration of Ndubuisi Kanu in the State and how the residents vigorously engaged the administration in ensuring that it was not used as dumpsite. Said the protest by residents of the area was to ensure that dumping of refuses in the facility is stopped.
He said: “we have written a petition to the management of LAWMA about its activities in this facility, but we are yet to receive any response. That is why we came out to protest against dumping of refuse here and to say that such activity should stop hence forth.
“We are calling for the relocation of the dumpsite because it is not in conformity global practices. There is nowhere in the world that such is located within residential area. It is unhygienic to mankind. It is toxic to human systems, no one can live with it.
“With the rate refuses are stored here before transferred out, we are just praying that there will be no breakout of diseases. That is why we are calling on LAWMA and Lagos State to close down the place and look for another place to transfer their refuses”.
Reacting to the residents’ demand, Mr. Jimmy Samsideen Odukoya, Senior Assistant to Engineer Shabi, said LAWMA is using the site as temporary TLS, due to the fire incident that consumed Olusosun dumpsite.
Odukoya pleaded with the residents to give his agency a little time as their request would be made known to the management of the agency.
“We have come and listen to your complaint, you will all give us the opportunity to give feedback to our management. You will also give us more time to move out the refuse that is in the facility”, Odukoya pleaded.
