A large refuse container deposited along Orile Bus Stop on Baale Road is overflowing with refuse and as at Friday, May 15, had begun to obstruct the flow of traffic in the area. The container belongs to the Lagos State Waste Management Agency.
Residents and traders in the area said that refuse has not been collected from the container in three weeks.
The stench from the accumulated waste on the abandoned container has forced people to avoid the road altogether, while motorists trapped in the resultant traffic have urged the waste management agency to remove the waste immediately.
Amaka Ezeani, a resident of the area, said that the health of people in that vicinity is under threat from the stench of the refuse. "You can imagine the negative effect of this waste on our health. How can the government leave such a thing close to where people stay? It is ridiculous," she said.
Also, commercial motorcycle riders have complained of the refuse dump being deposited at the bus stop whiche many people use daily. "If you go to Odunade Bus Stop, along Badagry express way, this kind of refuse bin was placed beside the express way and at the bus stop.
This thing is making us lose our customers because they will not like to stay and enter a bike," said Gabriel Dibia, a commercial motorcycle rider.
Following complaints by the residents and motorists, the Coker-Aguda Local Council Development Area was contacted. The Personal Assistant to the Council Chairman, Alahusa Ismaila, said it is not the responsibility of the council to collect the refuse.
He said they are also worried about the lukewarm attitude of the Lagos State Waste Management Agency (LAWMA) officials and their Private Sector Participation operators: "We have written a series of letters to LAWMA to take the refuse bin away from the bus stop to under the bridge at Orile but they turned a deaf ear to our plea. We are tired of their attitude."
Mr. Alahusa later disclosed the readiness of the council to go into the trade of collecting refuse from the residents. "Very soon we will start collecting the refuse ourselves.
We have seven wards in this ccouncil and we will buy seven refuse collection trucks, one for each ward to collect their refuse," he said.