By: Lauretta Fagbohun, Abeokuta.

The Managing Director of the Ogun State Waste Management Agency (OGWAMA), Mr. Abayomi Hunye, has attributed a recent protest against his leadership to his uncompromising stance on transparency and the enforcement of lawful waste management practices in the state.

Hunye made this known in a statement issued in Abeokuta on Tuesday while reacting to a demonstration by a group of individuals who accused him of high handedness and extortion.

The protesters had on Monday called for his removal, alleging arbitrary levies and attempts to sideline long-standing operators within the waste management sector.

However, Hunye dismissed the allegations as unfounded, explaining that the individuals involved had been suspended by their own association as far back as November 20, 2023, months before he assumed office as Managing Director and Special Adviser to Governor Dapo Abiodun on Environment. According to him, the suspension followed documented allegations of fraud, forgery and misrepresentation.

He revealed that prior to his appointment, several petitions had been written against the group to OGWAMA and other security and oversight institutions, including the Department of State Services (DSS), the Ogun State House of Assembly and the Nigeria Police Force. Hunye stressed that his refusal to shield or condone illegality was the real trigger behind the protest.

“Upon assumption of office, I made it clear that OGWAMA would not aid, abet or condone any form of illegality. My firm refusal to compromise institutional standards or shield wrongdoing is the real reason behind the current protest,” he stated.

Providing further insight, Hunye disclosed that the agency uncovered in 2025 that some vendors were illegally operating multiple licences under different company names, with some individuals holding as many as five to ten licences. He said the practice disadvantaged genuine operators and deprived others of the opportunity to participate in the system.

“I insisted that this will not continue in 2026. One licence must be issued to one person. This reform is what some of these individuals are resisting,” he said.

The OGWAMA boss also dismissed claims of arbitrary fee increases, noting that the current rates were inherited from previous administrations and adjusted in line with standard government practice. He explained that the increase from N100,000 to N200,000 in 2024 was agreed upon by stakeholders and paid into government coffers without complaint, adding that the same rate was jointly adopted for 2026 after consultations.

Meanwhile, the Chairman of the Association of Waste Management Vendors and Recyclers of Ogun State, Mr. Adesanya Kunle, has confirmed that the protesters were suspended from the association in 2023. Addressing a press conference in Abeokuta, Adesanya insisted that the individuals involved were no longer recognised as authentic executives or representatives of the association.

Hunye reassured residents of Ogun State of his commitment to integrity, due process and environmental sustainability, urging the public to disregard what he described as attempts to blackmail the agency into allowing illegal practices to continue.