Comrade Nurudeen Mudashiru Eniafe, the pioneer Chairman of the RTEAN LASU Chapel—the first and only institutional chapel in the history of Commercial Road Transport Unions in Nigeria—and the Zonal Chairman of Ojo Zone 4, has officially commended the Lagos State Government for its proactive stance on environmental sanitation.
In a statement delivered during the zonal meeting held today, Comrade Eniafe praised the government’s decision to involve transport unions in the enforcement and apprehension of individuals dumping refuse on Lagos streets, a habit that has caused significant harm to public health and infrastructure.
As a member of the committee appointed to monitor environmental compliance within the Ojo area, Comrade Eniafe issued a directive to all chapel chairmen under his zone to ensure their executive officers, drivers, and park attendants actively apprehend anyone caught illegally disposing of waste. That they should immediately be handed over to the Law enforcement agents.
Following the zonal meeting, Comrade Eniafe held an emergency briefing with all drivers at the LASU Chapel park. He issued a strict warning against passengers littering from moving vehicles.
“Drivers must no longer allow passengers to throw waste out of the windows. Every commercial vehicle operating under our jurisdiction must now be equipped with a mini-basket or waste bin. Passengers must be directed to use these bins rather than defacing our roads.”
Additionally, he held a meeting with local vendors operating within the park premises, warning them that anyone caught disposing of waste improperly would face the full wrath of the law, emphasizing that his leadership will handle non-compliance with “zero tolerance.”
While pledging the union’s full support for the government’s environmental initiative, Comrade Eniafe highlighted critical infrastructural challenges that need urgent attention:
- LAWMA Operational Deficit: He noted that a majority of the Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) vehicles are currently non-operational and urged the state government to provide more refuse-disposal trucks to match the demand.
- Inconsistent Waste Collection: Supporting this point, Mr. Okodili Nann, another Chapel Chairman under Eniafe’s leadership, raised concerns regarding LAWMA’s reliability. He disclosed that despite regular payments to the agency, LAWMA trucks rarely show up, forcing park operators to seek alternative, often difficult, means of waste disposal.
Concluding his address, Comrade Eniafe made a passionate appeal to the general public to desist from dumping refuse on highways, waterways, and canals. He warned that blocking these vital channels leads to severe flooding and other environmental hazards, urging everyone to cooperate with the transport union and the government to keep Lagos clean.
