By Akinwale Kasali
Following the persistent indiscriminate dumping of waste all over Lagos, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has wielded the big by sacking the Managing Director of Lagos State Waste Management Authority, LAWMA, Muyiwa Gbadegesin.
While environmental observers says that Gbadegesin was forced to resign so as to avoid an unceremonous sack, other observers say he was sacked by Governor Sanwo-Olu following his failure to address the persistent Waste management Issues that has become a major menace in the State.
Following Gbadegesin’s, Governor Sanwo-Olu has approved the appointment of Dr. Hassan Sanuth as the new Managing Director, LAWMA.
It was gathered that Governor Sanwo-Olu had become dissatisfied with the continued accumulation of refuse on major roads, residential streets and drainage channels despite directives to improve waste collection.
This prompted Governor Sanwo-Olu to order Gbadegesin to resign, though sources said that Gbadegesin was reportedly seeking more time to address the situation.
Governor Sanwo-Olu accompanied by his Deputy, Obafemi Hamzat had visited the Olusosun Dumpsite in Ojota about a month ago, expressing dissatisfaction with the heaps of refuse across the State, describing the situation as “embarrassing”.
He ordered an immediate action, directing a comprehensive overhaul of LAWMA’s operational structures and management, and declared a state of emergency on Waste Management.
He met with major stakeholders in the Waste Management sector at the dumpsite to assess the challenges affecting municipal waste collection and outline immediate, medium and long-term solutions.
He also acknowledged the slow pace of waste collection, attributing the situation partly to the failure of Private Sector Participation, PSP, operators to meet their obligations in the preceding weeks.
The Governor also said waste compaction activities were ongoing at the Olusosun and Solous 3 dumpsites, adding that completing the exercise would facilitate faster evacuation.
He explained that recent fire incidents at the dumpsites had slowed operations but said work had resumed, with contractors working to clear the sites for daily waste disposal.
According to him, completing the projects would enable each dumpsite to receive about 450 trucks of municipal waste daily, effectively doubling the capacity of PSP operators.
The failure of Gbadegesin to address this issue led to his unceremonious exit.
Before the appointment of Sanuth as LAWMA MD, he was the Director of Sanitation Services in the Office of Environmental Services, Ministry of Environment and Water Resources.
Sanuth holds a PhD in Environmental Microbiology and a Master’s Degree in Microbiology from the University of Ibadan.
His research interests include epidemiology, biodegradation and bioremediation, and environmental monitoring.
He also holds Certificates in Environmental Monitoring and Modelling from the Institute for Water Education in Delft, the Netherlands, and Multilevel Water Governance from The Hague Academy for Local Governance.
Sanuth has more than 23 years of public service experience and has worked in various environmental management and protection departments, including pollution control, billing and monitoring, conservation, and ecology.
He also served as Nigeria’s focal point for environment under the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation-sponsored Collaborative Action for Sustainable Tourism programme in sub-Saharan Africa.
Sanuth is a member of the Science Association of Nigeria, Nigeria Environmental Society and American Society for Microbiology, as well as an associate of the Nigerian Institute of Management.
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