Members of the Association of Waste Management Vendors and Recyclers of Nigeria, Ogun State Chapter, on Monday, protested what they described as high-handedness and alleged extortion by the Special Adviser on Environment and Managing Director of the Ogun State Waste Management Agency, Abayomi Hunye.
The waste vendors, during the peaceful protest held at the Governor’s Office, Oke Mosan, Abeokuta, carried placards with inscriptions such as “Hunye must go”, “Gov Abiodun, rescue us from heartless Hunye”, “We want sanity in OGWAMA” and “Enough of OGWAMA hardship”, among others.
The protesters called on Governor Dapo Abiodun to remove Hunye from office, alleging that his leadership had brought untold hardship on operators in the waste management business across the state.
They accused the OGWAMA managing director of imposing multiple and unnecessary levies on waste vendors, alleging that he showed little concern for the profitability of their businesses.
They further claimed that two of their members died last year due to frustration allegedly caused by policies introduced under Hunye’s leadership.
According to the protesters, despite several meetings with Hunye to address their grievances, no relief had been granted, prompting their decision to storm the Governor’s Office to seek the governor’s intervention.
They further alleged that Hunye often acted as though he was not accountable to any authority.
Speaking with our correspondent, the Chairman of the association, Mrs Opeoluwa Balogun, said, “We are here to protest the way Abayomi Semako Hunye, the Special Adviser to Governor Abiodun on OGWAMA, is handling the affairs of waste vendors attached to various companies in Ogun State.
“There was an existing standard. We usually obtained licences from the government and paid N100,000, but when he came in, he increased it to N200,000. He has continued to impose unnecessary levies on us. For instance, he organised a workshop and made it compulsory for members to pay N50,000, while some paid N100,000. This is a workshop we used to attend before without paying anything.
“This is a business many of us have done for years; some inherited it from our parents. We have never experienced this level of hardship, high-handedness and wickedness from someone appointed to manage stakeholders in the waste management sector. The extortion has become unbearable. We have presented our complaints to him repeatedly, and we have also met with the Commissioner for Environment, yet nothing has changed.
“That is why we decided to come to the Governor’s Office to express our displeasure. Our demand is simple: Governor Abiodun should remove him. He is damaging the image of the governor, and we believe the governor will not allow us to suffer unnecessarily. Even after paying heavily, we are not getting access to waste materials. Sometimes, he brings his own people to buy what registered members have rejected due to high prices.”
Similarly, the Treasurer of the association, Faith Sajobi, echoed allegations of insensitivity and extortion, calling on the governor to remove Hunye as the head of OGWAMA.
She said, “We have been in this business for over 45 years, inherited from our parents. Hunye is only interested in destroying our livelihoods. Enough is enough.
“He is not concerned about the growth or profitability of our business. All he wants is money. We are tired. We cannot continue this suffering in 2026. Governor Abiodun should please remove him. He has told us we are nobody, but we are stakeholders in the progress of Ogun State. He is not fit for that office.”
Reacting, Hunye debunked the allegations, saying the protest was a backlash against his insistence on due process and compliance with regulations.
Speaking on the phone with our correspondent, he denied claims that the association had met with him to raise complaints, stating that the last interaction was during a workshop organised by the agency.
He said the state government had the right to review licensing fees, noting that in 2024, the fee was increased from N100,000 to N200,000 after over five years, in line with revenue targets.
“Before the review, we held meetings with the waste vendors. They paid for 2024 and 2025 without complaints. Why the protest now? That tells you something is fishy,” Hunye said.
He also dismissed claims that workshops existed before his appointment, explaining that the first workshops were held in 2024 and 2025 with an impressive turnout and no objections.
Hunye alleged that a cartel among waste vendors, in collusion with a ministry official, had been manipulating allocations.
“I received petitions from vendors complaining that they paid but had nothing to buy because some individuals registered multiple companies — three, four or five — and rotated them monthly, leaving others idle for a year.
“I insisted that the law allows one company per person. I removed an official involved and stopped the practice. Some. people wanted us to continue the illegal arrangement, but I refused. That is the reason for this protest,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Chief of Staff to the Governor, Dr Toyin Taiwo, who addressed the protesters, urged them to channel their grievances through proper channels by submitting a petition to the governor, assuring them that the government would look into the matter.
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