Protesters Storm Lagos Assembly Over Environmental Bill

The Association of Waste Managers of Nigeria, (AWAM), have protested to the Lagos State House of Assembly, over the new environmental bill before the Assembly, saying that if their suggestions were not incorporated into the bill, it will jeopardize their business.

FOOD WASTE

With different inscriptions such as “Don’t kill our business”, “Protect SME”, the leader of the protesters, Mr Olalekan Owojori said that the new investments which the state government needed are in the area of dumpsites and landfills and not collection and transportation.

According to him, Lagos is dirty now because the dump sites and landfills are not enough while the ones available are in a terrible state.

He claimed that the state government was owing PSP Operators over N1b apart from the 60 percent they were entitled to from what was charged. He also noted that operating under such unfriendly atmosphere was killing motivation and business

Owojori disclosed that they returned to the Assembly less than a week after they protested against the passage of the Environmental bill, because they were both nervous and suspicious that the bill would be passed yesterday without recourse to their submissions.

He wondered why the Assembly was moving at a very fast pace in the passage of the bill, noting that under three days the bill passed through first and second reading and a public hearing was held afterwards.

Owojori explained that Governor Akinwunmi Ambode met them once and it was not to hear their own side of the issue but to inform them of his new plans. He said rather then listen to them, the Governor asked them to talk to the Commissioner for Environment.

Source: Vanguard