LASAA, LAWMA to Recycle Campaign Posters

Fri, May 8, 2015

By publisher

3 MIN READ

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The Lagos state government agencies are collaborating to remove and recycle political campaign posters dotting the environment

| By Anayo Ezugwu | May 11, 2015 @ 01:00 GMT |

THE Lagos State Signage and Advertisement Agency, LASAA, and the Lagos State Waste Management Authority, LAWMA, have devised a means to remove and recycle waste generated from more than 1.5 million political posters. This partnership was borne of the need to rid the state of the millions of posters dotting different corners in the state, as well as to develop an eco-friendly means of disposing such wastes.

The recycling process is coming on the heels of the clean-up exercise initiated by LASAA, which culminated in the removal of campaign posters used for the recently concluded general elections. It is also a fulfilment of the order by Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State that all the 2015 posters and billboard should be removed in the state.

George Noah, managing director, LASAA, said the partnership would aid the agency in its cleanup exercise. He said the agency strives to rid the state of an estimated 1.5 million posters used during political campaigning.

Underlining some of the benefits of recycling the posters would have on the environment, Noah said recycling paper waste conserves natural resources. “It also saves energy, cuts greenhouse gas emissions and keeps landfill space, free for other forms of waste that can’t be recycled.”

Noah added that the waste to be recycled is generated by LASAA’s enforcement team in the course of removing political campaign posters across the state. After removing the posters, he said it would then be collected together and sent to LAWMA, where the process of recycling would begin. While, at LAWMA, the bulk of papers collected from the landfills or recycling banks are sorted and graded at the Paper Bailing Section at the Olushosun dumpsite in Ojota, Lagos. Afterwards, it is processed at Jebba Paper Mill, where the paper is added to water and then turned into pulp. The pulp is then screened, cleaned and de-inked through a number of processes until it’s suitable for manufacturing new paper products.

Similarly, the agency will also remove the 358 illegal billboards of various types deployed in the state, with Alimosho and Eti-Osa local government areas accounting for the highest.

It should be remembered that President Goodluck Jonathan had on April 24, issued a similar order to the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, campaign organisation and his support groups to remove his re-election campaign banners, posters, billboards and other campaign materials from the streets in all parts of the country. He said now that the elections were over except for re-runs in a few states, all Nigerians should put the recent political campaigns behind them and join hands with the incoming administration in working for a more united, peaceful, stable and progressive nation.

Reuben Abati, presidential spokesman, in a statement noted that President Jonathan applauded his supporters and other Nigerians for the disciplined, patriotic and democratic manner in which they comported themselves before, during and after the elections. “With the 2015 presidential elections now concluded and the country preparing for the inauguration of a new administration on May 29, President Goodluck Jonathan believes that it is appropriate that steps be taken to restore the environment in Nigerian cities, towns and villages to their pre-elections campaign state. Accordingly, President Jonathan directs that the PDP Presidential Campaign Organisation and the various associations that coalesced into the Jonathan/Sambo Support Group immediately begin the process of removing the posters, billboards, banners, signs and other campaign materials.”

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