Follow Us on Google
…As Sanwo-Olu laments filthy Lagos roads
By Lukman Olabiyi
Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu has expressed concern over the growing heaps of uncollected refuse littering roads and public spaces across Lagos, warning that the state cannot aspire to global city standards while battling widespread environmental filth.
The governor spoke yesterday during the symbolic flag-off of the revived monthly environmental sanitation exercise organised by the Lagos State Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources along the Mushin–Agege Motor Road corridor.
Sanwo-Olu said maintaining a clean and healthy environment requires the collective effort of residents, stressing that government action alone cannot achieve the desired transformation.
To address the worsening sanitation situation, the governor announced the revival of the monthly environmental sanitation exercise across the state.
According to him, the last Saturday of every month between 6:30 a.m. and 8:30 a.m. has been set aside for residents to clean their surroundings.
However, he clarified that movement will not be restricted during the two-hour period, urging residents to voluntarily participate or risk sanctions under the state’s environmental laws.
His words: “The condition of our streets, markets, drainage channels and public spaces reflects how seriously we take our responsibility to one another and to the environment we share.
“In a city as large and dynamic as Lagos, maintaining a clean and healthy environment must remain a collective civic duty.”
Other News
The governor recalled that the monthly sanitation exercise was once a nationwide practice observed across Nigeria, where citizens came together to clear drains and tidy their neighbourhoods.
According to him, although a court judgment later stopped the restriction of movement during the exercise, the obligation to keep the environment clean remains unchanged.
He described the renewed sanitation drive as a call for residents to revive the culture of environmental responsibility through awareness, partnership and voluntary compliance.
Sanwo-Olu also assured that his administration would continue to strengthen waste management systems, improve drainage infrastructure and intensify environmental enforcement across the state.
Earlier, the Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, urged residents to take ownership of their environment by ensuring proper waste disposal and regular cleaning of their surroundings.
He said the government would continue to deploy strategic measures to keep the state flood-free and environmentally sustainable.
Wahab warned residents to desist from illegal waste disposal, trading in undesignated places, crossing highways indiscriminately, burning refuse, sleeping on bridges, patronising cart pushers and engaging in open defecation.
He stressed that the provisions of the Lagos State Environmental Management Law of 2017 remain in force and would be applied against offenders.
“The law is still intact, and where there are laws, there are consequences for violations,” he said.
