by Babajide Fadoju
The Managing Director of the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), Dr. Muyiwa Gbadegesin, today joined the Executive Chairman of Mushin Local Government, Hon. Tunbosun Haruna Aruwe, to lead the monthly environmental sanitation exercise across Mushin, with major activities concentrated in Itire. The exercise, which saw active participation from residents, community leaders, and market associations, reaffirmed the Authority’s commitment to environmental cleanliness, public health, and flood prevention across the State.
Dr. Gbadegesin was joined by the Vice Chairman, Hon. Semiu Karaole; the Secretary to the Council, Hon. Basirat Mohammed Yusuf; Councillors; Supervisory Councillors; the representative of the Lagos State Ministry of the Environment, Mrs. O. Kehinde; the Head of the Environment Department, Sanitarian Taiwo Awonuga; Special Advisers; environmental officers; accredited service providers; and other community stakeholders. During the exercise, sanitation crews actively participated in the clearing and evacuation of refuse, removal of debris, and sanitation of streets across Itire, demonstrating the Authority’s hands-on approach to environmental sustainability.
Speaking during the exercise, Dr. Gbadegesin commended residents who came out to support the sanitation exercise and urged all members of the community to embrace environmental cleanliness as a daily civic responsibility rather than a once-a-month obligation. He emphasized that indiscriminate dumping of refuse on highways is a criminal offence and warned that anyone found violating environmental laws would face the full weight of the law. He advised residents to properly bag and store their waste for collection by PSP operators and LAWMA personnel.
The LAWMA MD also encouraged residents to promptly report any failure by PSP operators to discharge their responsibilities to the council instead of resorting to indiscriminate waste disposal, which poses serious environmental and public health risks. He further appealed to residents to refrain from dumping refuse into drainage channels, stressing that keeping drains free of waste is critical to preventing flooding, safeguarding public health, and improving the overall quality of life in Mushin.
Dr. Gbadegesin reaffirmed that LAWMA would continue to intensify routine desilting of drainage channels, waste evacuation, environmental monitoring, and enforcement across all communities in Mushin Local Government in line with the renewed environmental sanitation agenda of the Lagos State Government. He assured residents that the Authority remains steadfast in its commitment to building a cleaner, healthier, safer, and flood-free Lagos through proactive environmental management, sustained infrastructure maintenance, and continuous community engagement.
Following the environmental sanitation exercise, Hon. Aruwe and members of his entourage, accompanied by LAWMA officials, paid a courtesy visit to the Onitire of Itireland, His Royal Majesty, Oba Tajudeen Odubiyi, where they received the royal father’s blessings. The revered monarch commended the collaborative efforts of the Lagos State Government and Mushin Local Government in environmental sanitation, describing the ongoing interventions as commendable and worthy of emulation.
