…Says No Court Pronouncement Has Invalidated the Programme

Babajide Fadoju

The Lagos State Government on Friday reiterated that the reintroduced monthly environmental sanitation exercise will hold statewide tomorrow between the hours of 6:30am and 8:30am, urging residents to troop out en masse and actively participate.

Speaking during a media briefing on the modalities for the environmental sanitation exercise which holds every last Saturday of the month, the Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Mr. Tokunbo Wahab, said no court pronouncement has invalidated the exercise.

The Commissioner explained that contrary to some opinions that the court judgment which cancelled the exercise years ago was still in force, the State proceeded to the Court of Appeal and judgment was delivered in its favour. He stressed that the Court affirmed that the laws used for the implementation and enforcement were legitimate and constitutional.

“It is very disingenuous on anybody’s part to be misapplying facts and misleading the public, and that is why we are calling on Lagosians to disregard those persons,” he said.

Wahab emphasized that it is now time for everyone to handle issues of the environment with zest and determination. He described the environment as the superstructure on which the survival of other sectors rests, adding that all hands must be on deck to ensure its sustainability.

“We have thought this out properly. We have planned this for over a year, and we have said to ourselves that we cannot keep complaining and not take responsibility and action,” he said.

The Commissioner noted that residents cannot keep complaining and blaming government whilst they are shirking their responsibilities, stressing that care of the environment is a collaborative project for the government and the citizens. He added that residents must take the initiative and build a culture of cleanliness, noting that over time, residents have neglected the cleanliness culture and have condoned living in dirty and despicable environments.

He further stated that the monthly environmental sanitation exercise will become a monthly tradition, similar to how markets in Lagos State observe sanitation on Thursdays between 7:00am and 10:00am.

“Why can’t we take two hours in 30 or 31 days in a month to do the cleanup? That is a question we should ask ourselves. We cannot keep saying ‘this place is smelly, that place is dirty.’ It is a responsibility on us, and let us participate,” he said.

Wahab informed residents that major transport unions in the State, which account for about 90% of vehicles on the road, have demonstrated their support by pledging not to deploy their vehicles from major parks and terminals between 6:30am and 8:30am on Saturday.

He noted that the State deliberately chose the time between 6:30am and 8:30am to allow residents to still move out after 8:30am to engage in their daily endeavours. He added that exceptions exist for people with emergencies, those with scheduled flights, and students writing JAMB exams, stating that the Lagos State Government is not unreasonable in its decisions.

The Commissioner mentioned that environmental health and enforcement officers have been empowered by law to monitor and inspect properties during the exercise, adding that any property found to be dirty will be served an abatement notice. He also assured Lagosians that LAWMA has been fully mobilized and will deploy men and equipment to ensure quick evacuation of waste generated during and after the exercise.

Also speaking at the press conference, the Head of Geocycle at Lafarge Africa PLC, Ms. Temitope Dosunmu, said Lafarge Africa is ready to collaborate with the State Government for a cleaner future and zero waste vision. She explained that the collaboration focuses on improving waste management systems, from efficient collection and proper sorting to handling non-recyclable materials responsibly. She stated that waste recovered during the sanitation exercise will be transported to Lafarge’s facilities where it will be carefully processed and transformed into valuable resources.

In attendance at the press briefing were the Special Adviser on Environment, Engr. Olakunle Rotimi-Akodu; Permanent Secretary, Office of Environmental Services, Gaji Omobolaji Tajudeen; Permanent Secretary, Office of Drainage Services, Engr. Mahamood Adegbite; Managing Director of LAWMA, Dr. Muyiwa Gbadegesin; General Manager of LASEPA, Dr. Tunde Ajayi; General Manager of LASWMO, Engr. Adefemi Afolabi; Executive Secretary of LASWARCO, Mrs. Adebukola Adeyemo; as well as other directors in the Ministry.