LASG Arrests, To Arraign 30 Environmental Offenders

The Lagos State Government has arrested about 30 environmental offenders for improper disposal of wastes and disregard for the state’s environmental laws. They will be arraigned before a Magistrate’s Court on Monday. The environmental laws enforcement team comprises officers from the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), and Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps (LAGESC), also known as KAI. The offenders, who were apprehended in different locations, were said to be engaged in acts capable of defacing the environment and derailing efforts to entrench cleanliness in the metropolis. According to Mr Tokunbo Wahab, the Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, the arrest and subsequent prosecution of people engaged in indiscriminate waste disposal shows that it is no longer business as usual. “The state government will not fold its hands and watch some elements derail efforts to maintain sanity in the city. “Today’s action will serve as a deterrent and warning to others. “The era of people hiding under the guise of darkness to dump waste at unauthorised locations is over; anyone caught will be prosecuted,” he told newsmen. He appealed to residents to acquire waste bins and regularly clean up their surroundings as government plans to commence full environmental checks on homes and business premises. The official reminded residents of their legal obligation towards a sustainable environment which included acquiring covered waste bins, shunning reckless waste disposal and mandatory patronage of assigned private operators. “It is imperative for every resident, householders and business owners alike, to be aware of their legal obligations regarding waste management. “Everyone must procure bins, engage with assigned private participants, refrain from indiscriminate waste disposal, maintain drains and clean the frontage of their establishments,” Wahab said LAWMA managing director Muyiwa Gbadegesin, on his part, urged households to imbibe the habit of sorting their wastes at source. “Such waste should be segregated into recyclables and non-recyclables and be disposed at designated waste bins recommended by LAWMA. “If we do this, it will reduce the menace of indiscriminate waste dumping that defaces the cityscape. “The responsibility for maintaining a clean environment is a collective one. It is not the sole duty of LAWMA or the state government. It is the duty of every individual, household and business owner in Lagos. “We are appealing to residents to avoid indiscriminate dumping of wastes in public spaces as it poses significant health and environmental hazards. Violators of environmental laws will face severe legal consequences,” Gbadegesin said. 

Nigeria Lost $22.9bn To Gas Flares In 10 Years -NOSDRA

The Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) is to part the Nigeria Upstream Regulatory Commission ( NUPRC) and Nigerian Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) to boost revenue generation through proper management of gas flares in line with global best practice. This is in a bid to arrest huge revenue losses recorded and enhance revenue generation into government coffers.    According to RMAFC Public Relations Officer, Christian Nwachukwu, RMAFC   Chairman Mohammed Bello Shehu disclosed this during an interactive forum with delegations from NUPRC and NOSDRA recently in Abuja.    Bello noted that in view of the current government’s efforts to shore up the Nation’s revenue generation, the gas sector of the economy must be given adequate attention with NUPRC and NOSDRA as regulatory bodies in determining quality and quantities of gas production alongside adherence to environmental standards for host Communities.             Responding, the Director of Economic Regulation and Strategic planning of NUPRC, Mr. Babajide Fashino noted that Nigeria is at the fore front of managing gas flares in line with global best practices for economic growth and sustainability. This is done with the introduction of a metering system and calibration of the meters for accurate records of gas management.  According to Babajide, the introduction of such technologies has gone a long way in reducing gas flares gas flaring in Nigeria from 40 per cent to a mere 7 per cent. Earlier, the Director of ICT in NOSDRA, Mrs. Margaret Adeshida underscored the need for proper monetisation of gas flares in Nigeria, noting that Nigeria flared more than 4.2 billion standard cubic feet of gas leading to the country’s loss of more than $14.6 billion revenue between 2012 and 2021.  This is in addition to $8.3 billion loss in penalty for the wastages. Mohammed Shehu therefore called on all the relevant stakeholders in the management of the gas economy including the revenue monitoring Committee of the present administration to salvage the Country by coming together to work out proper strategies to convert the gas flare to economic use for enhancing revenue generation into the Federation Account.