| Lagos street sweepers
Perilous chores of those who keep our roads clean
By TESSY IGOMU
Wednesday,
March 9, 2011
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LAWMA workers at their duty post
Photo: Sun Publishing
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Morning, afternoon and night, you see them in different parts
of Lagos carrying out their duties with all seriousness and
sense of purpose. They are young men and women of various
ages, physical attributes and qualifications. You can’t
miss them in their distinctive uniforms of orange overall
as they daily sweep the roads and evacuate dirt from the many
highways that crisscross the metropolis. They, however, do
this at the detriment of their lives which revolves around
the world of mad motorists.
Road sweepers have become an integral part of Lagos. Their
presence can be felt, even though, sometimes not seen, from
the clean roads and kerbs that line the highways. A perpetually
endangered group, these men and women literally put their
fate in the hands of reckless motorists. And many are those
that have met their untimely deaths in the hands of such wild
drivers.
Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, at a recent forum,
described them as icons of positive change and leaders of
enormous possibilities as well as true emblems of our flag
who have high value for labour. He stressed that they are
critical members of the value change to the quality of life
and are as important as doctors and nurses because of the
huge impact they have on how long people live.
About 10,450 of them are scattered around Lagos, painstakingly
keeping the streets clean. From dawn till dusk, they are seen
unashamedly dragging bags of refuse, only protected by rickety
makeshift road signs meant to indicate their presence.
In 2006, the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) announced
that it would engage sweepers to clean the city’s highways
and streets. But what was probably not put into consideration
were the dangers that carrying out such duties on Lagos highways
where driving is adjudged one of the most reckless in the
country, entail.
Road sweepers have had their own share of bloodshed in the
hands of motorists. They are most times pitched into accepting
the risky job in order to keep alive.
No fewer than 57 road sweepers in the state have been crushed
to death by vehicles at various places in the metropolis while
on duty between 2007 and now. Some have also been maimed and
involved in minor accidents.
Just last month, a woman was knocked down by a truck when
some officials of the Lagos State Transport Management Authority
attempted to stop the driver. The woman was run over from
behind. She died in the most agonising way without knowing
what hit her.
According to eye witness reports, LASTMA officials were dragging
the steering with the driver who refused to stop and in the
attempt, the truck, with Reg. XR 505 BDG, ran over the woman
as she was sweeping. She died on the spot and the LASTMA officials
ran away, leaving their patrol van, with Reg. RT 255 LA, behind.
Matthew Ibuje, first son of the deceased, said his mother
who had retired last year, took up the street sweeping job
out of boredom without their knowledge.
Her case is not isolated. Many of her colleagues have been
killed by reckless drivers while the lucky ones have escaped
with very serious injuries.
Ebeo Alli, a 54-year-old street cleaner was also killed on
the Third Mainland Bridge in 2009 while scooping sand from
the road. She left behind an army of dependants.
Alarape Ayinde, the wife of an iron bender at Owode Onirin
spare parts market cuts a pathetic picture on her sickbed
at the General Hospital, Marina, Lagos. A street sweeper with
the Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), Ayinde
was hale and hearty when she resumed for work at the Kuramo
end of Ahmadu Bello Way, Victoria Island, Lagos. Barely had
she settled down when a Honda car, driven by an Indian businessman,
ran into the road divider and lost control.
According to reports, the rim of one of the front tyres pulled
off, rolled to where she was sweeping and instantly chopped
off her right hand. The car later surged forward and knocked
her down, damaging her right leg and spinal cord in the process.
Ayinde’s right leg and arm had to be amputated on account
of the accident.
Though she admits to accepting her fate, she however wants
her other colleague on the road to have better conditions
of service.
Indeed, she was only echoing the wishes and aspirations of
other road sweepers who are agitating for better conditions
of service. Most of them that spoke with Daily Sun at various
locations in Lagos, disclosed that they are paid between N8,
000 and N10, 000 by those who engaged them on behalf of LAWMA.
Yet many of them are aware that what they are entitled to
is N15, 000.
Judith Iyom, a widow, sweeps the stretch of Murtala Mohammed
International Airport Road between the hours of 6.am and 2.pm.
She is happy to be a street sweeper as she claimed there was
no better alternative. She is also glad to be alive after
the days’ job despite being paid ‘peanuts’.
Another sweeper who spoke on the condition of anonymity expressed
apprehension over the reckless manner drivers of both private
and commercial vehicles as well as commercial motorbike operators
pay little attention to them in the course of performing their
duties.
“While working, we look out for those who might run
into us even though there is a road sign indicating our presence.
We have learnt to look out for ourselves based on the number
of colleagues that have been killed,” she said.
Lots of criticisms have continued to trail the risk street
cleaners have to endure on Lagos roads but not much seems
to have been done about their plight.
Managing Director of LAWMA, Mr. Ola Oresanya said, however,
that the agency was doing everything possible to ensure that
street sweepers are adequately taken care of. He noted that
it is an acknowledgeable fact that they are contributing to
a clean, healthy Lagos and should be commended.
He assured that LAWMA would continuously ensure it protects
them at all cost, even as he disclosed that the organisation
has been able to reduce accidents rates to the barest minimum,
through various strategies like training on health and safety,
use of high reflective clothing, prompt health care service,
use of protective covers and barriers, improved supervision
as well as sanctioning of erring workers on safety issues.
Oresanya disclosed that in order to encourage the sweepers,
arrangement has been made for them to go on an annual pilgrimage
while plans are also underway to feed them daily with subsidized
meal from UAC Foods.
He further disclosed that they are covered by a group insurance
which the individuals don’t have to sign for.
“Already, certificates signed by Governor Fashola were
given to those who performed exceptionally. There is an insurance
package for all the street sweepers and they are given their
compensation whenever there is need for it. But we focus more
on the prevention of such accidents”, º he said.
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