LLagos State Government on Wednesday charged all residents across the five divisions of the state to stay back at home and participate fully in the monthly environmental sanitation exercise billed for Saturday, April 25 between the hours of 6.30am and 8.30am across the State.
A statement signed by the State Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Mr. Tokunbo Wahab, said every resident is expected to clean their environment and clear the drains in front of their tenements before going out for other businesses on Saturday.
He said enough evacuation and compactor trucks have been mobilised across the five divisions of the state for the exercise with LAWMA strategically positioned to immediately evacuate all solid waste and debris to the dumpsites.
Wahab explained that to demonstrate the seriousness attached to the exercise, top government functionaries led by the First Lady Dr. (Mrs.) Claudiana Sanwo-Olu, supported by the Committee of Wives of Lagos State officials (COWLSO), will be leading a team of officials to monitor the exercise.
He added that the Head of Service, Mr. Olabode Agoro will also be leading another team of senior government officials to monitor the exercise on Saturday in a separate Local Government area.
He reminded that as a demonstration of support, the major transport unions in Lagos State have pledged not to deploy their vehicles on the roads from the major parks / terminus between the hours of 6.30am and 8.30am on Saturday.
He said the decision of the State Government to reintroduce the monthly exercise is a result of the persistent clamour of residents who believe that a particular time and day should be set aside for all residents to clean their surroundings.
He urged community development associations (CDA) to work with their members all over the state to ensure the success of the exercise and reenact the symbolism which the monthly sanitation exercise represented before it was suspended.
Wahab stated that all Local Governments and LCDA in the state and some private companies are fully on board for Saturday’s sanitation by providing tools and vehicles to cart away the refuse generated.
The Commissioner warned that environmental health officers and other enforcement officials at the state and local government levels would be deployed around the neighbourhoods to monitor the level of compliance.
He reiterated that the health officers would not hesitate to issue abatement notices to houses and people who fail to participate in the exercise and would consequently have their dates in the courts of law as provided for under the 2017 Environmental Management law of Lagos State and associated legislations.
The return of the monthly environmental sanitation exercise in the State was announced by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Saturday, March 14 when he led the Deputy Governor and other state officials to monitor and clean the environment at Agege Motor Road, Mushin.
