Some households in Lagos have resolved to dispose their wastes through cart pushers or burn them, rather than patronise Private Sector Participants (PSP), The Guardian reports.
The aggrieved residents blamed this odd decision on the recent review of waste bills, while others cited non-availability of PSP operators in their areas.
Some residents of Isolo, Ijeododo, Ijegun, Ijegemo and Isheri, who spoke to The Guardian, said they had resorted to using alternative means to dispose their wastes.
While some residents of Isolo decried high cost of refuse disposal, others lamented the ineffectiveness of PSP operations in their areas.
A resident of Ijeododo area in Ikotun, Alimosho Local Council, Esther Adedeji, said: “We have never come across PSP operators in this community, we are left to dispose our wastes in the best way we can, which is to pile them up outside the house to dry, then burn them.”
Also, a resident of Ijegemo, Juliana Babatunde, said they have neither felt the impact of PSP operators nor the regulators, the Lagos State Waste Management Agency (LAWMA), in the area.
She said: “I don’t know if PSP operators are aware of this part of the state. We bag our wastes and throw them in a nearby dumpsite, and sometimes, we burnt them.”
Another resident, Courage Uwhokori, said: “PSP operators have stopped coming to our area for sometime now. As a result, we patronise cart pushers, who we pay between N200 and N500, depending on the quantity of waste.
A resident on Aregbe Street, Monica Adigun, said for a room self-contained, the occupier pays N700 per month; one bedroom pays N1,000, while a two-bedroom apartment pays N1,500 per month.
“In total, we pay between N9,000 and N10,000 collectively in a month for waste, which is more expensive than what we pay cart pushers,” she lamented.
Another resident of Akinbaye Street, Isolo, who identified herself as Chioma, said each building was mandated by LAWMA to purchase a bin for its waste, lamenting that the cost of the bins is far higher than the market price.
Chioma called on Lagos State government, through relevant waste and environmental agencies, to continue subsidising the cost of waste disposal, considering the current economic challenges in the country.
Reacting to the development, LAWMA Executive Director of Finance, Kunle Adebiyi, assured of the state’s commitment to midwife waste disposal and management process to mitigate the economic stress, while also ensuring a clean environment across the state.
He said: “Although some areas in Lagos still enjoy the benefit of refuse disposal without payment as a result of government subsidy, the state cannot continue to bear the financial responsibility of waste management alone without the support and partnership of PSP operators.
It’s pertinent to note that waste management is not a social service. Those mainly saddled with the collection of domestic wastes are private investors, who put in their money with a little percentage of profit expectation in return.
“It’s important that residents contribute to the system by making their payments promptly to enable PSP operators continue their operations efficiently and effectively. We also recognise the financial challenges faced by residents and the variable tariff system, which ensures that the burden cost is distributed equitably across different social economic strata.
“It’s also important to note that the cost of doing business has significantly increased, thereby affecting various business aspects such as the purchase of trucks, spare parts, and logistics materials.”
On how residents are billed for waste services, the LAWMA finance director, said: “There is no uniform tariff across all areas, rather, the tariff is determined based on the socio-economic strata of the state.
“We have different categories in terms of billings. These include premium income, high-income, medium-income, and low-income areas. The charges for waste services differ based on these demographics,” he stated.
