Waste management dispute erupts between Lagos officials
A heated exchange has erupted between Lagos State Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, and Labour Party's 2023 governorship candidate, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, following Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu's directive to scale up waste evacuation across the state. The governor had ordered immediate action to clear refuse buildup in several neighborhoods, stating: “LAWMA, LASEPA, and the Ministry of Environment are currently working around the clock. We have deployed extra trucks and personnel to clear the backlogs across all affected neighbourhoods. You should already see progress on the streets, and we will not stop until our city is completely clean again.”
Rhodes-Vivour calls directive an admission of failure
Reacting on X, Rhodes-Vivour dismissed the governor's directive as an “admission of failure, not a solution.” He argued that Lagosians need a functional waste management system, not periodic emergency evacuations. “For years, residents have endured overflowing dumps, uncollected refuse, blocked drainage channels, and worsening environmental conditions despite billions of naira allocated to environmental management. The fact that you now have to ‘direct an immediate scale-up’ after waste has already overwhelmed communities is an utter failure of leadership,” he said.
Commissioner defends efforts amid massive waste generation
In response, Commissioner Wahab highlighted the scale of the challenge, noting that Lagos generates about 13,000 tonnes of waste daily. He stated that in May alone, LAWMA and PSP operators evacuated approximately 418,500 tonnes across the state, averaging 13,200 tonnes per day. “That is not a small operation. It involves hundreds of PSP operators, public waste teams, transfer and disposal operations, street sweepers, enforcement teams, customer service staff, drivers, loaders, supervisors and monitoring officers working across a very large and difficult city,” Wahab explained. He further detailed LAWMA's scaled-up efforts, especially in blackspot areas.
Rhodes-Vivour demands resignation, accuses Wahab of bigotry
Pushing back, Rhodes-Vivour demanded impact over explanations, accusing Wahab of bigotry and calling for his resignation. “Mr. Wahab, Impact is felt, not explained in 1,578 words. Your plastic policy has failed. Your environmental policy, if one truly exists, has been ineffective. Your waste management policy has been an unmitigated disaster. The only area where you have consistently delivered is the demolition of the hard-earned properties and livelihoods of ordinary citizens. Not to mention your Bigotry and Gaslighting. You have lost the moral authority to remain in office. You should resign. Today.”
Wahab fires back, references Rhodes-Vivour's past posts
Displeased by the bigotry accusation, Wahab said he had no interest in “mudslinging and distractions” but focused on supporting state government efforts. He then referred to Rhodes-Vivour by his Igbo name, Chinedu, which was used against him during the 2023 election campaign. Wahab also shared Rhodes-Vivour's past social media posts promoting the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and the defunct Biafra Republic. “As for the labels and accusations, I will leave others to judge them on their merits. I have no intention of engaging in personal attacks or trading insults with a political nomad driven by ignorance and needless hatred. I wish you all the best,” Wahab concluded.
