Lagos waste crisis: Sanwo-Olu appoints Akinyemi as acting LAWMA MD

Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has approved the appointment of Olajuwon Akinyemi as the acting Managing Director of the Lagos State Waste Management Authority, LAWMA, replacing Dr Muyiwa Gbadegesin.

The development is part of a major restructuring of the agency, which also saw the appointment of Dr Tijani Olorunwa as acting Director of Operations, while Kunle Adebiyi retains his position as Executive Director, Finance.

A source within LAWMA, who spoke on condition of anonymity on Tuesday, disclosed that the governor had approved a comprehensive reorganisation of the authority, including the transfer of several senior officers to other departments of the Lagos State public service.

The source said, “To improve service delivery and support sustainable organisational growth, Governor Sanwo-Olu has ordered the total reorganisation, mass transfer and overhauling of LAWMA leadership.

“He has appointed Hon. Olajuwon Mautin Akinyemi as Acting Managing Director of LAWMA and Dr. Tijani Olorunwa as Acting Director of Operations, while Mr. Kunle Adebiyi remains Executive Director, Finance.

“Specifically, the governor ordered the redeployment of officers on Salary Grade Levels 13–17 to the mainstream Civil Service, Local Governments and Local Council Development Areas.”

However, the source explained that personnel in LAWMA’s Legal Department were excluded from the redeployment to avoid interruptions to ongoing legal proceedings and concession agreements.

The source further disclosed that the heads of Landfill Operations, LAWMA Operations and Private Sector Participation Operations were also exempted from the exercise for an initial period of 90 days to give the new management time to stabilise the authority and maintain uninterrupted operations.

When contacted by telephone on Tuesday, the Lagos State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotosho, confirmed Akinyemi’s appointment.

Omotosho said the new appointee had been directed to take over the leadership of the agency in an acting capacity with immediate effect.

“Yes, Olajuwon Akinyemi has been told to assume office as the acting MD of LAWMA with immediate effect in the major shake-up of the agency,” the commissioner said.