By Peter Dansu A former Sole Administrator of Badagry West Local Council Development Area, Mr. Genesis Williams, has called on the Lagos S...
By Peter Dansu
A former Sole Administrator of Badagry West Local Council Development Area, Mr. Genesis Williams, has called on the Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) and the Ministry of Environment and Drainage Services to adopt modern technology for street cleaning rather than deploying elderly men and women on dangerous highways.
In a statement shared on Wednesday with Badagry Today, Williams described the use of aged individuals as highway sweepers as “outdated and unsafe,” arguing that Lagos, as a 21st-century economy, should embrace automated and technology-driven waste management solutions.
“The Lagos State Waste Management Authority under the Ministry of the Environment and Drainage Services should outgrow the deployment of old women and men on highways as street sweepers,” he said. “I understand the need for patronage and the desire to take people out of poverty, but such individuals should be deployed to less risky roads such as the trunk B or C roads.”
He lamented that the situation on major roads is becoming increasingly dangerous due to the growing recklessness of drivers and the pressure caused by multiple forms of extortion on highways.
Williams, who is also a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Badagry Local Government, commended the Badagry West LCDA Chairman for re-engaging non-pensionable staff, urging that some of them be deployed for community cleaning projects.
“I hope some of the re-engaged staff will be part of the community service highlighted by the Chief Press Secretary, especially to sweep roads within the local government that need attention, including the newly constructed Agric-Isalu Road,” he stated.
The former council boss also expressed concern over the environmental and health hazards posed by the new dumpsite in Ajara, describing the foul smell emanating from the area as “unbearable” for residents of Agric, Tako, Oloko, Gbaji, and surrounding communities.
“On a lighter note,” he added, “the security officials at the numerous checkpoints along those routes deserve a cleaner and safer environment to operate in.”
Williams’ remarks have sparked renewed debate on the state’s waste management strategy, with residents and civic observers calling on the Lagos State Government to strike a balance between job creation and public safety while addressing the environmental crisis in Badagry’s growing suburbs.
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