ADVERTISEMENT
The Sun Nigeria
  • National
  • Columns
    • Broken Tongues
    • Capital Matters
    • Diabetes Corner
    • Duro Onabule
    • Femi Adesina
    • Frank Talk
    • Funke Egbemode
    • Insights
    • Kalu Leadership Series
    • Kunle Solaja
    • Offside Musings
    • PressClips
    • Public Sphere
    • Ralph Egbu
    • Shola Oshunkeye
    • Sideview
    • The Flipside – Eric Osagie
    • Tola Adeniyi
  • Business
  • Politics
  • Entertainment
  • The Sun TV
  • Sporting Sun
  • The Sun Foundation
No Result
View All Result
  • National
  • Columns
    • Broken Tongues
    • Capital Matters
    • Diabetes Corner
    • Duro Onabule
    • Femi Adesina
    • Frank Talk
    • Funke Egbemode
    • Insights
    • Kalu Leadership Series
    • Kunle Solaja
    • Offside Musings
    • PressClips
    • Public Sphere
    • Ralph Egbu
    • Shola Oshunkeye
    • Sideview
    • The Flipside – Eric Osagie
    • Tola Adeniyi
  • Business
  • Politics
  • Entertainment
  • The Sun TV
  • Sporting Sun
  • The Sun Foundation
No Result
View All Result
The Sun Nigeria
No Result
View All Result
ADVERTISEMENT
Home Lifeline

Refuse heaps lure pigs to Lagos roads

23rd November 2018
in Lifeline
0
Refuse heaps lure pigs to Lagos roads
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

The pigs, which are daily spotted in several parts of Lagos where piles of refuse deface roads, walkways and medians, leisurely stroll in for their feast

Tessy Igomu

Menacingly dotting the Lagos landscape are heaps of refuse, from which emanates pungent stench.

READ ALSO: Lagos: City of Refuse

In the past many months, the mega city seems to have returned to an inglorious era, wearing a garb of filth. Major roads, highways and inner streets have once again become refuse dumps. Mountains of refuse glare at you as you walk or drive by.

The refuse, which has become increasingly difficult for waste disposal officials to evacuate, have continued to debase and deface the environment, posing public health concerns.

This development, which has left residents at the mercy of rodents and other disease-spreading vectors, started when the state government disbanded the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) initiative, a collection and disposal system created by the Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA). VisionScape was brought in as a replacement, under the Clean Lagos Initiative. The foreign firm,
it was learnt, was expected to apply advanced technology to waste management in the state.

With the introduction of VisionScape, many residents were optimistic that an improved environmental hygiene and sustainable cleanliness would be achieved. But that was not to be.

The involvement of the company created considerable tension among the PPP operators who saw
the new officials as threats to their businesses. The PPP operators suddenly abandoned their duty posts, refusing to collect refuse in protest against the new sanitation initiative of the state government. They eventually dragged the state government and the foreign firm to court.

As the bickering continued, coupled with attempts by the relevant authorities to resolve the impasse, heaps of garbage piled up in different parts of Lagos.

Overwhelmed by the mountains of waste in all parts of the city, it became difficult for VisionScape to manage the about 13,000 metric tons of waste generated daily by the state.

And sadly, the city of excellence steadily slipped back into the refuse culture, with hundreds of illegal dumpsites once again springing up on road medians, roundabouts, junctions and on the waterways.

In several parts of the state where refuse took over roads, vehicles were forced to move in a single lane and in some instances, drive partly on the walkway to wriggle past mountains of refuse.

Hapless pedestrians were not spared the onslaught of filth, as they were compelled to partly step on the refuse, while holding their breath to avoid inhaling the stench.

Within this period, Waste Watch Africa, a community-oriented organisation focused on researching, implementing, and disseminating sustainable waste management solutions in Africa, listed Lagos as the fourth dirtiest city in Nigeria after Onitsha, Aba and Kaduna.

“Transiting around Lagos city lately, one would see an island of refuse dump all over public places. Lagos is the most populous city in Nigeria, with a population of about 18 million people, which many people have argued to be population congestion. The overpopulated nature of the state, coupled with inadequate infrastructure, the lawlessness of the citizens and the inefficiency of the waste operator is a contributing factor to waste being dumped all over public places,” the report stated.

Shortly after the damning report, Nigerian Infopedia, an online information source also dubbed Lagos as the dirtiest city in Nigeria.

Their report noted: “Lagos has been dubbed the dirtiest place in Nigeria this year. Aside from the fact that Lagos state is the most populated state in the country and one of the most developed, it has failed to lead in that regard.”

Meanwhile, in 2017, the Economist Magazine ranked Lagos second as the world’s least liveable city, behind Damascus. This was contained in an annual report by The Economist, which saw Lagos fall from the third position it had occupied in the 2016 report.

In the wake of the embarrassing situation and damning reports, the Lagos State House of Assembly ordered the 20 Local Governments and 37 Local Council Areas (LCDAs) to call the PPP operators in their areas back to work.

Speaker of the House, Hon. Mudashiru Obasa, who gave the directive, said there was the need to be proactive to avert an epidemic from breaking out in the state.

Though the directive was implemented immediately, as several PPP trucks were seen evacuating refuse, their efforts have seemed like a mere drop of water in an ocean.

A trip round Lagos revealed a revolting spectacle that thoroughly traumatises the eyes. Markets, streets, bus stops, and road medians are still clogged by mounds of refuse dumped by residents. There appears to be delays in the evacuation of refuse, and many who can’t stand keeping the bagged refuse in their homes still pile them up into heaps on the roadsides, causing air and land pollution.

Right now, benefiting from the abundance of the filths are assorted pigs. In some parts of Lagos, what you see are sounders of swine and drifts of piglets feeding fat on the refuse by the roadside.

The pigs, which are daily spotted in several parts of Lagos where piles of refuse deface the roads, walkways and medians, leisurely stroll in for their feast, undeterred by the human presence. Vehicles and pedestrians are forced to share the road with these animals.

A resident of Mile 2 lamented that the animals are not only eyesores, they also portend danger for motorists and pedestrians, as they sometimes take over the road.

“If you’re walking from Mazamaza to Mile 2. For instance, you will notice so many pigs in the area. They move about without fear, as their food is always ready along that road. Refuse have taken over the road. We also have the drivers and assistants of the drivers of those articulated vehicles parked between Mazamaza and Mile 2 defecating and messing up the area. So the pigs have more than enough reason to make the area their permanent address.

Traders in Ikotun Market have also raised the alarm that the menace of pigs within the area is becoming alarming. They noted that aside the enormous sizes of the pigs, the animals usually mess
up the environment by scattering refuse everywhere while scavenging for food.

They lamented that the stench from the heaps of garbage, which have extended to the front of their shops, have drastically reduced patronage, as customers are being discouraged from coming to the axis. They appealed to the Lagos State government to expedite action on fast, efficient waste disposal system within the state.

For residents of Mile 2 Estate, the sight of robust-looking pigs feeding fat on refuse dumped indiscriminately within the estate has become quite worrisome. They lamented that the pigs have resorted to chasing passers-by.

A resident said: “They breed uncontrollably and their numbers keep increasing. We can’t recall how they got to the estate, but the first step to getting rid of them is by ensuring that refuse is no longer dumped uncontrollably within our environment. However, the state government must get the issue of waste collection and disposal sorted urgently.”

Peter Oje, an environmentalist, said there should be a strong awareness programme towards making residents cultivate the habit of not littering the environment with dirt.

He stressed that the consciousness has to start with individuals. He warned that failure to cultivate habits that pay premium attention to good environmental practices would highly endanger the lives of Lagos residents.

READ ALSO: Save us from land grabbers, police assault, Lagos residents beg IGP

 

Tags: filthlagosLAWMApigsPPPpublic healthrefusevisionscapewaste disposalwaste managementwaste watch africa
David

David

Sun News Online team

Related Posts

Lamentation as  timber merchants invade Cross River forests
Lifeline

Lamentation as  timber merchants invade Cross River forests

2nd February 2023
Nigerians decry scarcity of old, redesigned naira 
Lifeline

Nigerians decry scarcity of old, redesigned naira 

2nd February 2023
How student forced junior to eat poisoned food at Ebonyi school
Lifeline

How student forced junior to eat poisoned food at Ebonyi school

1st February 2023
Next Post
Citizens

When senior citizens meet in Lagos

Saraki stands indicted – Police

Saraki stands indicted – Police

Joan

Joan Agha Foundation empowers women, youths with grants

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Highlights

2023: Near-stampede as Nkanu East stands still for Mbah’s homecoming

Oil theft: Reps panel grills Interpol boss over “investigation” of whistle blowers

Mo Abudu, Betty Irabor, Funmi Iyanda, others to speak at 2023 self-made woman conference 

2023: IGP flags off sensitisation summit for PCRC women, youths

522,000 PVCs uncollected in Edo – INEC

Don’t succumb to change of naira, fuel scarcity Tinubu charges electorates

Trending

Nigeria Decides 2023 : Disappoint evil manipulators working against Tinubu’s presidency with your votes – Faparusi urges Nigerians
Politics

Nigeria Decides 2023 : Disappoint evil manipulators working against Tinubu’s presidency with your votes – Faparusi urges Nigerians

2nd February 2023
0

...Criticizes CBN over new naira notes redesign From Priscilla Ediare, Ado-Ekiti Hon. Bamidele Faparusi, a chieftain of...

Buhari hails Bello, Tallen at 63

How fragile borders fuel terrorism, sabotage economy, illicit arms flow – Buhari

2nd February 2023
BREAKING: Customs CG raises concerns over meeting N3 trillion target

Terrorism, fiscal policy somersault robbed Nigeria N400bn revenue in 2022 — Customs CG

2nd February 2023
2023: Jim Nwobodo backs Peter Mbah as Enugu governor, Ugwuanyi’s successor

2023: Near-stampede as Nkanu East stands still for Mbah’s homecoming

2nd February 2023
Reps suspend consideration of National Theatre 2022 budget

Oil theft: Reps panel grills Interpol boss over “investigation” of whistle blowers

2nd February 2023
ADVERTISEMENT

Follow us on social media:

Latest News

  • Nigeria Decides 2023 : Disappoint evil manipulators working against Tinubu’s presidency with your votes – Faparusi urges Nigerians
  • How fragile borders fuel terrorism, sabotage economy, illicit arms flow – Buhari
  • Terrorism, fiscal policy somersault robbed Nigeria N400bn revenue in 2022 — Customs CG
  • 2023: Near-stampede as Nkanu East stands still for Mbah’s homecoming
  • Oil theft: Reps panel grills Interpol boss over “investigation” of whistle blowers
  • Mo Abudu, Betty Irabor, Funmi Iyanda, others to speak at 2023 self-made woman conference 
  • 2023: IGP flags off sensitisation summit for PCRC women, youths
  • 522,000 PVCs uncollected in Edo – INEC
  • Don’t succumb to change of naira, fuel scarcity Tinubu charges electorates
  • Sokoto: APC candidate promises to restore allowance to Persons with disability if elected
  • FCT police commissioner deploys personnel on rescue operation following building collapse in Abuja, visits scene
  • NNPCL, Korean firm sign $740m agreement for Kaduna refinery rehabilitation
  • Clark to Okowa: Step down, you are deceitful, traitor
  • We never stopped PDP PCC from campaigning in Rivers – Wike
  • 2023: BOOT senatorial candidate, Edeipo vows to dislodge Alimikhena, Oshiomhole
  • OAU emerges 2nd in new webometric ranking
  • NIGCOMSAT can provide services for all African nations, says Pantami
  • Tension as Appeal court stops INEC from conducting fresh re-run election in Aboh Mbaise/ Ngor Okpala Federal constituency
  • Unavailability of new naira strangulating workers’ standard of living – Labour Union
  • Disqualification: Enugu PDP, candidates know fate Feb. 15

Categories

  • Abuja Metro
  • Anambra Watch
  • Arts
  • Broken Tongues
  • Business
  • Business Week
  • Cartoons
  • Citizen Joe
  • Columns
  • Cover
  • Culture
  • Duro Onabule
  • Editorial
  • Education Review
  • Effect
  • Elections
  • Entertainment
  • Events
  • Features
  • Femi Adesina
  • Food & Drinks
  • Frank Talk
  • Funke Egbemode
  • Gallery
  • Global Square by Kenneth Okonkwo
  • Health
  • Insights
  • Kalu Leadership Series
  • Kunle Solaja
  • Kunle Solaja
  • Letters
  • Lifeline
  • Lifestyle
  • Literary Review
  • Marketing Matters
  • Muiz Banire
  • National
  • News
  • Offside Musings
  • Opinion
  • oriental news
  • Politics
  • Press Release
  • PressClips
  • Public Sphere
  • Ralph Egbu
  • Shola Oshunkeye
  • Sideview
  • South-west Magazine
  • Sponsored Post
  • Sporting Sun
  • Sports
  • Sun Girl
  • Tea Time
  • The Flipside – Eric Osagie
  • The Sun Awards Live
  • The Sun TV
  • Thoughts & Talks
  • Time Out
  • Today's cover
  • Tola Adeniyi
  • Travel
  • Travel & Tourism
  • Trending
  • TSWeekend
  • Turf Game
  • Uncategorized
  • Updates
  • Views from Abroad
  • Voices
  • World
  • World News
  • About Us
  • Paper Ad Rate
  • Online Ad Rate
  • Change of Name
  • The Team
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy

© 2019 The Sun Nigeria - Managed by Netsera.

No Result
View All Result
  • National
  • Columns
    • Broken Tongues
    • Capital Matters
    • Diabetes Corner
    • Duro Onabule
    • Femi Adesina
    • Frank Talk
    • Funke Egbemode
    • Insights
    • Kalu Leadership Series
    • Kunle Solaja
    • Offside Musings
    • PressClips
    • Public Sphere
    • Ralph Egbu
    • Shola Oshunkeye
    • Sideview
    • The Flipside – Eric Osagie
    • Tola Adeniyi
  • Business
  • Politics
  • Entertainment
  • The Sun TV
  • Sporting Sun
  • The Sun Foundation

© 2019 The Sun Nigeria - Managed by Netsera.