Why Lagos Re-Introduced Monthly Environmental Sanitation Exercise
Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on Saturday, announced the re-introduction of the Monthly Environmental Sanitation in the State.
The Governor 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.
Sanwo-Olu made the pronouncement during a ceremony held in Olosa Bus Stop in Mushin which marked the symbolic flag-off of the monthly sanitation. The Governor, who led his Deputy, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, and member of the State cabinet on the mission, 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 emphasised 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.
