…Wahab inspects waste facilities, drainage projects, VGC flooding
The Lagos State Government has warned construction companies and property developers against blocking roads and drainage channels with building materials, declaring that offenders will face sanctions, including the closure of construction sites and payment of penalties.
Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, gave the warning on Sunday while leading senior government officials on an inspection tour of ongoing drainage and waste management projects in Lagos Island, the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) Transfer Loading Station on Simpson Street and Victoria Garden City (VGC), Ajah.
Wahab said the government would no longer tolerate the indiscriminate dumping of construction materials on public roads and drainage channels or the proliferation of illegal structures and shanties along rights of way.
“We have made it clear that construction sites responsible for these violations will be stopped and made to pay penalties for forcing the government to deploy resources to address their infractions,” he warned.
The commissioner maintained that the government would sustain the removal of illegal structures across the state, insisting that environmental laws must be enforced without compromise.
“We have to keep carrying out these removals. If you have other suggestions for stricter measures, please share them with us. If you don’t know the numbers, I can share them with you. We take people to court every day in this state, except Saturdays and Sundays. Every day, we take people to court,” he said.
According to him, the administration’s environmental enforcement drive is anchored on the principle that violations of established laws and regulations must attract appropriate consequences.
“That is our mantra. If we have regulations and laws, what distinguishes us from developed countries is our willingness to attach consequences to bad behaviour,” Wahab stated.
He explained that Lagos, as a destination for people from diverse cultural backgrounds, required effective population management and strict adherence to environmental regulations to maintain order and sustainable development.
“People come into Lagos daily from different cultural backgrounds to settle here. That is why we have the Lagos State Residents Registration Agency (LASRRA) to register residents and enable us to account for them. However, when we push this narrative, some people accuse us of being elitist. It has become a chicken-and-egg situation: which comes first?” he said.
Speaking on the government’s waste management reforms, Wahab expressed confidence that Lagos was making progress towards transforming its waste disposal system into a sustainable model that treats waste as a valuable resource.
He explained that the administration was working to move from a linear waste management system, where waste is collected and disposed of, to a circular system that encourages recovery, recycling and reuse.
“We are almost there. The trucks have been shipped, while material recovery facilities and transfer loading stations are ongoing. If we already have one or two transfer loading stations in the state, what are we doing with them?” he asked.
Wahab said the unscheduled visit to the Simpson Street Transfer Loading Station was intended to provide firsthand information on the facility’s operations and assess the readiness of the relevant agencies to deliver on the government’s waste management objectives.
He disclosed that officials at the facility, including the executive director and head of operations, briefed the delegation on the operational roadmap and the state of existing infrastructure.
The commissioner announced that unannounced inspections would henceforth become a regular feature of the ministry’s oversight activities to ensure that agencies under its supervision remained accountable and responsive to their responsibilities.
“These are some of the things we will be doing henceforth. We will be paying unannounced visits to managing directors of agencies under the ministry to ascertain what they are doing,” he said.
The inspection team also visited ongoing drainage regeneration projects on Lagos Island, where officials assessed newly installed infrastructure and examined drainage systems from Drop-in Extension 1 to 4.
Wahab said the visit afforded the delegation an opportunity to evaluate the pace of work and the performance of equipment deployed to the project sites.
“We also saw some of the equipment at work and gave instructions to ramp up preparations ahead of the next rainy season,” he stated.
At Victoria Garden City, the commissioner and his team inspected areas affected by unusual flooding following petitions from residents, with a view to identifying the causes and determining appropriate remedial measures.
He reiterated the government’s commitment to addressing flooding challenges through improved drainage infrastructure, effective maintenance and enforcement against activities that obstruct the free flow of stormwater.
On the ongoing rehabilitation of the Lekki-Epe Expressway, Wahab appealed to residents and motorists to bear with the government over the inconvenience associated with the construction work.
He explained that the rehabilitation would be undertaken in phases to minimise disruption to movement, businesses and other activities along the corridor.
The commissioner was accompanied by the Special Adviser on the Environment, Engr. Kunle Rotimi-Akodu; Permanent Secretary, Environmental Services, Gaji Omobolaji Tajudeen; Permanent Secretary, Drainage Services, Engr. Olakunle Adegbite; General Manager, Lagos State Wastewater Management Office (LASWMO), Engr. Femi Afolabi; Executive Secretary, Lagos State Water Regulatory Commission (LASWARCO), Mrs. Khadijat Adeyemo; and directors from the ministry.
Editorial note: The story has been restructured in the inverted-pyramid format, with stronger emphasis on sanctions against construction firms, environmental enforcement and the inspection findings. Direct quotations have been substantially preserved, while grammatical errors, repetitions and awkward constructions have been corrected. The official agency names and titles in the closing paragraph should be checked against the ministry’s release before publication.
The Lagos State Government has warned construction companies and property developers against blocking roads and drainage channels with building materials, declaring that offenders will face sanctions, including the closure of construction sites and payment of penalties.
Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, gave the warning on Sunday while leading senior government officials on an inspection tour of ongoing drainage and waste management projects in Lagos Island, the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) Transfer Loading Station on Simpson Street and Victoria Garden City (VGC), Ajah.
Wahab said the government would no longer tolerate the indiscriminate dumping of construction materials on public roads and drainage channels or the proliferation of illegal structures and shanties along rights of way.
“We have made it clear that construction sites responsible for these violations will be stopped and made to pay penalties for forcing the government to deploy resources to address their infractions,” he warned.
The commissioner maintained that the government would sustain the removal of illegal structures across the state, insisting that environmental laws must be enforced without compromise.
“We have to keep carrying out these removals. If you have other suggestions for stricter measures, please share them with us. If you don’t know the numbers, I can share them with you. We take people to court every day in this state, except Saturdays and Sundays. Every day, we take people to court,” he said.
According to him, the administration’s environmental enforcement drive is anchored on the principle that violations of established laws and regulations must attract appropriate consequences.
“That is our mantra. If we have regulations and laws, what distinguishes us from developed countries is our willingness to attach consequences to bad behaviour,” Wahab stated.
He explained that Lagos, as a destination for people from diverse cultural backgrounds, required effective population management and strict adherence to environmental regulations to maintain order and sustainable development.
“People come into Lagos daily from different cultural backgrounds to settle here. That is why we have the Lagos State Residents Registration Agency (LASRRA) to register residents and enable us to account for them. However, when we push this narrative, some people accuse us of being elitist. It has become a chicken-and-egg situation: which comes first?” he said.
Speaking on the government’s waste management reforms, Wahab expressed confidence that Lagos was making progress towards transforming its waste disposal system into a sustainable model that treats waste as a valuable resource.
He explained that the administration was working to move from a linear waste management system, where waste is collected and disposed of, to a circular system that encourages recovery, recycling and reuse.
“We are almost there. The trucks have been shipped, while material recovery facilities and transfer loading stations are ongoing. If we already have one or two transfer loading stations in the state, what are we doing with them?” he asked.
Wahab said the unscheduled visit to the Simpson Street Transfer Loading Station was intended to provide firsthand information on the facility’s operations and assess the readiness of the relevant agencies to deliver on the government’s waste management objectives.
He disclosed that officials at the facility, including the executive director and head of operations, briefed the delegation on the operational roadmap and the state of existing infrastructure.
The commissioner announced that unannounced inspections would henceforth become a regular feature of the ministry’s oversight activities to ensure that agencies under its supervision remained accountable and responsive to their responsibilities.
“These are some of the things we will be doing henceforth. We will be paying unannounced visits to managing directors of agencies under the ministry to ascertain what they are doing,” he said.
The inspection team also visited ongoing drainage regeneration projects on Lagos Island, where officials assessed newly installed infrastructure and examined drainage systems from Drop-in Extension 1 to 4.
Wahab said the visit afforded the delegation an opportunity to evaluate the pace of work and the performance of equipment deployed to the project sites.
“We also saw some of the equipment at work and gave instructions to ramp up preparations ahead of the next rainy season,” he stated.
At Victoria Garden City, the commissioner and his team inspected areas affected by unusual flooding following petitions from residents, with a view to identifying the causes and determining appropriate remedial measures.
He reiterated the government’s commitment to addressing flooding challenges through improved drainage infrastructure, effective maintenance and enforcement against activities that obstruct the free flow of stormwater.
On the ongoing rehabilitation of the Lekki-Epe Expressway, Wahab appealed to residents and motorists to bear with the government over the inconvenience associated with the construction work.
He explained that the rehabilitation would be undertaken in phases to minimise disruption to movement, businesses and other activities along the corridor.
The commissioner was accompanied by the Special Adviser on the Environment, Engr. Kunle Rotimi-Akodu; Permanent Secretary, Environmental Services, Gaji Omobolaji Tajudeen; Permanent Secretary, Drainage Services, Engr. Olakunle Adegbite; General Manager, Lagos State Wastewater Management Office (LASWMO), Femi Afolabi; Executive Secretary, Lagos State Water Regulatory Commission (LASWARCO), Mrs. Khadijat Adeyemo; and directors from the ministry.
Editorial note: The story has been restructured in the inverted-pyramid format, with stronger emphasis on sanctions against construction firms, environmental enforcement and the inspection findings. Direct quotations have been substantially preserved, while grammatical errors, repetitions and awkward constructions have been corrected. The official agency names and titles in the closing paragraph should be checked against the ministry’s release before publication.
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