LAGOS FEBRUARY 15, 2017 – Operators of the Private Sector Participation, PSP, in refuse management on Tuesday stormed the Lagos State House of Assembly to protest over the new environmental bill before the Assembly.
The protesters said that if their suggestions were not incorporated into the bill, it will jeopardise their business.
The protesters, under the Association of Waste Managers of Nigeria, (AWAM) appealed to the lawmakers not to allow their businesses to die.
According to Olalekan Owojori, spokesperson of the protesters, the new investment the state government needed was in the area of dumpsites and landfills and not collection and transportation of waste.
In his words: “Lagos is dirty now because the dumpsites and landfills are not enough while those available are in terrible state. The state government is owing PSP operators over N1 billion and the 60 per cent they are entitled to from what is charged a client has been reduced arbitrarily.
“Operating under such unfriendly atmosphere is killing motivation and business besides affecting the ability to operate with good trucks.”
Hei said they returned to the Assembly less than a week they protested against the passage of the Environmental bill because they were both nervous and suspicious that the bill would be passed yesterday without recourse to their submissions.
Olalekan stated that Governor Akinwunmi Ambode met them once and “it was not to hear our side of the issue but to inform them of his new plans. Rather than listen to us, the governor asked us to talk to the Commissioner for the Environment.”
