Environmental Sanitation: Lagos Govt Restores Monthly Exercise Without Movement Restriction
…Sanwo-Olu says it will hold from 6:30am to 8:30am last Saturdays
Lagos State government, on Saturday, announced the
re-introduction of the Monthly Environmental Sanitation in the State.
The Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu disclosed at a ceremony
held in Mushin area of the state to mark the symbolic flag-off of the monthly
sanitation.
Sanwo-Olu said the exercise will hold every last
Saturday of the Month between the hours of 6:30am and 8:30am but without
movement restrictions. He stressed that the exercise would be monitored by
State officials with appropriate sanctions to be meted out to erring
neighbourhoods and markets.
The Governor said the culture of environmental
responsibility must be imbibed by the residents across all communities in the
state and reflect same in their lifestyle.
He observed that environmental sanitation had become a
resident obligation, as people would often clean up their surroundings
voluntarily. The Governor, however, said the commitment dropped, following the
cancellation of the exercise by previous administration, resulting in haphazard
environmental cleanup.
He said: “Every last Saturday of the month used to be a
moment when citizens across the State would come together to clean their
surroundings, their drains and contribute to a healthy environment across the
metropolis. It used to be a collective civic responsibility. Many old residents
will remember that the monthly environmental sanitation was voluntarily
observed. Today, we are bringing back the era where we will all take collective
responsibility for the cleanliness of our environment.
Sanwo-Olu emphasised that regular sanitation would
uphold a fundamental principle that achieving a clean city relied not only on
the action of government but also on the discipline and cooperation of its
citizens.
The Governor recalled a court judgement that led to the
decision to halt the exercise which was informed by movement restrictions
enforced during the exercise. He emphasised that the State Government respected
the rule of law and the court’s authority by suspending the monthly sanitation
programme at that time.
Sanwo-Olu stressed that the State Government had
reviewed the exercise’s enforcement aspect. This resulted in reduced restrictions
but he assured that the responsibility for maintaining a clean environment
would remain unchanged.
He said: “The condition on our streets, markets,
drainage channels, and public spaces
underscored the need to bring back the monthly sanitation. Everyone must take
responsibilities for the environment that we all share. In a city that is as
large and dynamic as Lagos, maintaining a clean and healthy environment must be
a collective civic duty and responsibility. The residents, whose lives are at
risk, must get involved.”
Sanwo-Olu reiterated that the monthly sanitation would
revive the culture of environmental consciousness in all the communities.
Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources,
Mr Tokunbo Wahab said the re-introduction of the monthly sanitation was a bold
step towards improving the wellbeing of the residents as well as bequeathing a
safe, clean and sustainable environment to the coming generation.
Wahab said that the exercise was in line with the
T.H.E.M.E.S Plus Agenda of the Sanwo-Olu administration, highlighting the
objectives to give Lagosians access to a conducive and liveable environment.
He said:
“Government is re-introducing the cleaning exercise and residents are
encouraged to clean their homes, surroundings, drainages in front of their
houses and streets while LAWMA officials would always be on ground to collect
the waste and dispose them properly.”
Wahab said one of the goal of the event was to further
educate residents on the need to take ownership of their environment and ensure
they continually clean their
surroundings, dispose waste responsibly and imbibe the culture neatness.
“As a government, it is our collective responsibility
to continually develop strategic methods to improve the environment, ensure
that it is flood free and make it conducive for residents and this can be
achieved through the continuous cleaning of the environment from time to time,”
he said.
He advised communities that may want to defy the
directive to avail themselves of the Lagos State 2017 Environmental Protection
Law, noting that offending neighbourhoods would be dealt with in accordance
with the Law.
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