Cleaner Lagos: Visionscape turns to local PSP operators

Visionscape has turned to local private waste operators for help in evacuating the wastes from residential areas.

The current environmental situation in Lagos has seen foreign environmental firm, Visionscape Group resorting to help from the local Private Sector Participants operators, Premium Times reports.

The report further revealed that to rid the state of solid wastes, Visionscape has turned to local private waste operators for help in evacuating the wastes from residential areas.

It was further reported that in a meeting between consultants of Association of Waste Managers of Nigeria and Visionscape, it was agreed that the firm would send draft terms as a template to engage individual members.

This is coming despite the advertorials in national dailies calling for Expressions of Interest for the “short haul transportation of municipal and solid waste” in Lagos state.

Visionscape's challenges is to rid off an estimated 14,000 metric tonnes (about 490 trailer loads) of solid wastes is generated in Lagos daily, according to the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA).

Visionscape justifies engagement of PSP operators

Olabode Opeseitan, a spokesperson for Visionscape, has justified the engagement of PSP operators individually by the Visionscape group.

Opeseitan said the decision to invite individual PSP operators is on the grounds that some of the operators possibly felt that their union officials were trying to short-change them.

Opeseitan also said the call for Expressions of Interest for the “short haul transportation of municipal and solid waste” by Visionscape was one of the moves by the company to have an out-of-court settlement with the PSP operators.

ALSO READ: Governor Ambode to make Lagos among world’s cleanest cities

“There is a contract that says that residential evacuation of waste can only be done by Visionscape and Visionscape has therefore mapped out plans to do that.

“They looked at the volume of waste generated in the 57 local councils, including the riverine communities, everything is based on that plan," Opeseitan said.

Opeseitan also noted that the company has the capacity has the capacity to mop up the total waste in Lagos but blamed the seeming incapability on the company’s difficulty to bring in its equipment into the country.

“We have the capacity, Visionscape is a globally acclaimed company in the area of waste evacuation and what they are doing is the total package – they are not only bothered about taking the waste off the streets but also the landfills where it would end up.”

Ambode issues 20-day ultimatum for markets clean up

Lagos State governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, has expressed displeasure with the present state of various markets across the state, and issued a 20-day clean-up exercise to rectify the situation.

The governor instructed leaders of the various markets to prevail on their members to clean up their dirty surroundings or risk closure of their markets.

ALSO READ: Hold your nose, Lagos is now one huge garbage city

Why is Lagos suddenly so dirty?

It all began when the Lagos State government sacked its previous waste collection and disposal company, PSP.

A new company called VisionScape, was hired to replace PSP (Private Sector Participation).

However, with VisionScape still trying to settle in amid teething problems, garbage heaps are chasing Lagosians off roads and streets.

Road medians have been ceded to bags of refuse and the nation’s commercial capital continues to stink to high heavens.

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