Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has ordered the Managing Director of the Lagos Waste Management Authority to resign. Muyiwa Gbadegesin was asked to step down over heaps of refuse littering major roads, residential areas and drainage channels. The order followed the governor’s dissatisfaction with the slow pace of waste evacuation. A source within the agency disclosed the development on Monday.
Lagos has faced a waste crisis for months. Refuse has accumulated in Mushin, Egbeda, Surulere, Ajegunle, Ikorodu, Ojo, Obalende, Apapa and Mile 2. Residents have complained about decomposing waste. The governor declared a state of emergency on waste collection in September. He inspected the Olusosun dumpsite in Ojota. He gave instructions for immediate action. The situation did not improve. The governor became upset. He asked Gbadegesin to resign over the weekend. Gbadegesin is reportedly begging. He has reached out to prominent Lagosians to plead on his behalf. The agency has not issued a formal statement.
The waste crisis has multiple causes. Private Sector Participation operators failed to meet their obligations. Fire incidents at dumpsites slowed operations. Compaction activities are ongoing. The governor said completing the projects would enable each dumpsite to receive about 450 trucks of municipal waste daily. That would double capacity. But the refuse remains. The streets are dirty. The drainage channels are blocked. The public health risk is real. The governor is under pressure. He appointed Gbadegesin. He is now asking him to go. The resignation, if it happens, will be a signal. The governor is holding his appointees accountable.
Winners: Sanwo-Olu, who asserts authority. Residents, if the crisis is resolved. A potential replacement, who gains an opportunity. Critics, who see accountability. Losers: Gbadegesin, who loses his job. PSP operators, who face scrutiny. The agency, which faces disruption. Lagos residents, if the crisis continues.
Bottom Line: The LAWMA MD has been asked to resign. The waste crisis is the reason. The governor is acting. The streets are still dirty. A resignation is a start. It is not a solution. The next MD must deliver.