By Our Correspondent
A storm is brewing within the Ogun State Waste Management Authority (OGWAMA) following a strongly worded open letter addressed to Governor Dapo Abiodun, alleging widespread abuse of office, misappropriation of public funds, nepotism, and policies described as oppressive and anti-people.
The petition, dated 25 August 2025, was written by RulesBridge Advocates, a firm of solicitors and human rights activists, on behalf of waste service operators and All Progressives Congress (APC) members who earn their livelihoods through daily engagement with OGWAMA.
The letter specifically accuses the Special Adviser to the Governor and Managing Director of OGWAMA, Hon. Abayomi Hunye, of allegedly running the agency as a personal enterprise at the expense of government policy objectives, public accountability, and the welfare of waste operators across the state.
Claims of Highway Takeover and Loss of Livelihoods
According to the petitioners, OGWAMA has allegedly withdrawn licensed Private Sector Participants (PSPs) from highway and industrial waste evacuation and replaced them with only five compactor trucks said to be personally owned by the Managing Director.
They claim that this development has left many licensed operators without work, while residents and businesses reportedly suffer from inadequate waste evacuation services.
The letter further alleges that the Managing Director and his Personal Assistant personally took over contracts previously handled by PSP operators, effectively cutting them off from their primary source of income.
Alleged Misuse of Public Funds
The petition also raises serious concerns about the alleged use of OGWAMA funds to service, fuel, repair, and maintain the Managing Director’s personal trucks.
It is claimed that about ₦18 million was approved and paid by OGWAMA for services rendered by these same trucks, while additional payments from industrial clients were allegedly diverted into private accounts.
The petitioners allege that as much as 60 percent of payments from manufacturing companies serviced by these trucks were paid directly into private bank accounts linked to the Managing Director—an allegation they describe as financially damaging to the agency.
Nepotism and Conflict of Interest Allegations
A major portion of the petition focuses on alleged nepotism and domestication of public office. The petitioners claim that the Managing Director appointed his son as a consultant responsible for fuel distribution for OGWAMA trucks.
They allege that shortly after this appointment, monthly fuel costs reportedly rose from ₦18 million to ₦48 million, despite a reduction in the number of operational trucks.
The letter also alleges that waste collection revenues from markets across the state are paid into accounts allegedly managed by the Managing Director’s son, rather than into OGWAMA’s official accounts.
Furthermore, it is claimed that three biological children of the Managing Director currently occupy sensitive financial positions within the agency, raising concerns of conflict of interest and internal control failures.
Questions Over Appointments and Administration
The petitioners also question the appointment of a Grade Level 13 officer as a coordinating director overseeing multiple departments simultaneously, describing the arrangement as administratively unhealthy and contrary to civil service best practices.
They further allege that staff members are sometimes instructed to request large sums for field operations, only to be directed to transfer approved funds into private accounts.
“Ghost Workers” Allegation
Another major allegation involves the approval of 1,000 street sweepers across Ogun State. According to the letter, only 150 sweepers were actually engaged, with 50 later disengaged, while the government allegedly continues to pay salaries for about 900 non-existent workers.
The petitioners argue that if properly implemented, the programme could have lifted hundreds of residents out of poverty.
Rising Fees and Alleged Oppression of Operators
The petition also criticizes the increase in annual waste vendor license renewal fees from ₦100,000 to ₦205,000, with plans for additional non-refundable application fees.
Operators further complain of sanctions imposed without fair hearing, including fines of up to ₦500,000, and alleged detention of operators without due process.
They also note that the traditional timeframe for license renewal has allegedly been removed, creating uncertainty and alleged opportunities for exploitation.
Call for Governor’s Intervention
In the concluding section, the petitioners appeal directly to Governor Abiodun to urgently intervene, investigate the allegations, and restore OGWAMA’s operations to align with the original vision of transparency, fairness, and service delivery.
They emphasize their continued loyalty to the APC-led administration but warn that unchecked practices within OGWAMA could undermine livelihoods, public trust, and the government’s waste management reforms.
Copies of the letter were sent to the Speaker of the Ogun State House of Assembly, the Majority Leader, the Secretary to the State Government, and the Chief of Staff to the Governor.
Reacting to the allegations, The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Ogun State Waste Management Authority (OGWAMA), Mr. Abayomi Hunye, has dismissed allegations against him raised by a group of Waste Management Vendors who staged a public protest on Monday.
In an official statement issued at a press conference on Tuesday, Hunye said the individuals behind the protest were suspended by their own association on November 20, 2023, long before his appointment as head of the waste management agency.
He explained that upon assuming office, he made it clear that OGWAMA would not tolerate or shield any form of illegality, stressing that his refusal to compromise institutional standards was the real reason behind the protest.
He said: “The individuals involved in this protest were suspended by their own association on 20th November, 2023, long before I assumed office as the MD/CEO of OGWAMA. Prior to my appointment, there were several petitions written against this group to OGWAMA and other relevant security and oversight institutions, including the Department of State Services (DSS), the Ogun State House of Assembly, and the Nigeria Police Force, by the leadership of their association.
“The suspension of these individuals by their association was based on allegations of fraud, misrepresentation, and forgery, which were duly documented. 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.”
Reacting to claims that he personally collected money from the group, the OGWAMA boss described the allegation as surprising and false, noting that all payment records show that such funds were paid directly into the coffers of the Ogun State Government, not to him or any individual.
Hunye further disclosed that the agency has introduced impartial, transparent, and accountable operational policies, including the discontinuation of multiple and illegal registrations by individuals, a practice he said the protesting group strongly opposed because of the benefits they previously enjoyed.
“My position remains clear and consistent: the association must resolve its internal disputes internally, while OGWAMA will continue to uphold the law and will neither tolerate nor overlook illegal activities under any guise,” he said.
The OGWAMA MD reassured residents of Ogun State of his commitment to integrity, transparency, and due process, urging the public to disregard the claims of the protesters, which he described as an attempt to pressure the agency into allowing illegal practices.
