The Lagos State government (LASG) has partnered with the Agege Local Government (LG) to achieve a cleaner, flood-free, and sustainable environment across the state.

This is contained in a statement by the commissioner for environment and water resources, Tokunbo Wahab.

The statement was issued and signed by the director of public affairs, Kunle Adeshina, on Thursday in Lagos.

Mr Tokunbo, during a strategic meeting held in his office with the acting chairman of Agege LG, Ganiu Obasa, said the state was moving from the linear waste system to where waste becomes a resource.

He said the state and the local government must work together to tackle environmental issues to reduce the quantum of waste at the landfills.

“Until there is a clear-cut collaboration between the LG and the state, the same way the state collaborates with the federal government, we will continue to struggle with our realities,” he said.

He said the government was working to decommission Olushosun and Soulos 3 because they had outlived their usefulness and lifespan.

He, however, noted the landfill at Igbo Elepe and others were still functional.

He added that the state had continued to ramp up its waste collection processes, saying the PSP operators assigned to Agege LG were effective.

He urged the chairman to reach out to the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) anytime they required intervention in waste carting.

He promised that more officers would be mandated to tour LGs to find ways to effectively support house-to-house waste collection instead of people bringing their waste to the main roads.

He added that environmental health officers would be assigned to work directly with LAWMA to support enforcement activities and continue to support the cleaning of the major routes of Agege LG.

He said the chairman should identify places where illegal market activities were going on, as well as scavenging activities, amongst other black spots.

He noted that environmental defaulters would be served abatement notices before the commencement of enforcement across Agege LG.

Mr Wahab explained that there were resident engineers attached to all LGs that managed drainage and flooding issues.

He stressed that the chairman should always reach out to them anytime the need arose.

Mr Obasa said the LG, as an arm of government, was a key service provider to the residents of the grassroots.

Mr Obasa said he had held stakeholders’ meetings in the 36 zones to educate residents on proper waste management and waste-to-wealth initiatives in order to reduce waste going to the landfill.

He made a commitment to work in synergy with the ministry on ways to stop major environmental infractions in the area, as well as the beautification of identified spaces.

Others present at the meeting include the permanent secretaries for environmental services, Gaji Omobolaji, and that of drainage services, Mahamood Adegbite.

(NAN)