Defaulters Of Styrofoam Ban Will Face Penalties – LASEPA GM

The General Manager of the Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA), Babatunde Ajayi, has revealed that defaulters of the styrofoam ban will face stiff penalties if caught using the proscribed item.

Issuing this warning in an interview with Punch Newspaper, Ayeni explained that the decision to ban styrofoam was taken because it was a major contributor to environmental degradation in the state.

“Unfortunately, I don’t think that there is a likelihood that anybody will insist because it will be enforced. If it was purely advocacy, then people can insist on using styrofoam, but because there will be enforcement then there will not be anybody that would fault. Of course, there will be consequences,” he said.

On concerns regarding the business consequences of the ban, Ayeni said that the state is “aware of the business consequences, and we are making deliberate efforts to make sure that it does not affect them as much.”

Naija News had earlier reported that Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu-led government of Lagos State last week issued a ban on the utilization and distribution of styrofoam and other types of single-use plastics throughout the entire state.

In a statement via his X handle on Sunday, Lagos State Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, noted that the ban is with immediate effect.

However, the 2023 governorship candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in Lagos State, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, berated the Babajide Sanwo-Olu Government over the ban on single-use plastics and styrofoam packs.

In a post via his official X handle, Rhodes-Vivour described the ban as sudden and thoughtless, adding that the decision of the state government was reactive and not proactive.

He stated that while addressing environmental concerns is important, the ban could severely impact manufacturers, retailers, and wholesalers.

However, Governor Sanwo-Olu declared a further three-week extension to implementing the prohibition on styrofoam and other disposable plastics.