“Ambode has failed us, we support Sanwo-Olu” – PSP operators say
The Association of Waste Managers of Nigeria are throwing their weight behind governorship aspirant Babajide Sanwo-Olu to replace Governor Akinwunmi Ambode.
Ambode, the waste collectors say, attempted to kick them out of business.
The governor’s Visionscape initiative has been widely criticised for its ineffectiveness. Lagos roads have become an eyesore due to the foreign company’s inability to effectively manage the wastes.
AWAM said Lagos has become “one of the dirtiest in the world” as a result.
The association’s Vice-Chairman, David Oriyomi, told newsmen on Tuesday that Ambode’s introduction of the Cleaner Lagos Initiative in 2016, with the intention of Visionscape, a single foreign company, to take over the residential waste collection from 350 PSP, led to improper waste management.
Oriyomi said the governor did not consult with PSP operators and stakeholders before the decision.
“The most disturbing is that if implemented, it would have resulted in massive business closure and majority of our over 25,000 employees would have lost their jobs,” he said.
“We made frantic efforts to see and appeal to the governor, but to no avail.
“After various false start dates, the initiative was launched by placing bins indiscriminately across the state with very little provision to evacuate the heaps of waste.
“This was responsible for the increase in the volume of waste on the highways and medians.
“Our city was returned to pre-1999 era and the once celebrated clean city has now become one of the dirtiest cities in the world,” Oriyomi added.
He said that the PSP’s appeals to the government, the House of Assembly, Leaders of the APC party and to the National Leader of the APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu didn’t yield desired result.
Oriyomi said the association is ready to support Sanwo-Olu, who has promised “to run a participatory government and resolve the protracted waste crisis” facing the state.
“It is time to clean up our city, we did it before, we are able and willing to actualise the Lagos of our dreams,” the vice-chairman said.
