Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and his deputy, Obafemi Hamzat, formally started the monthly environmental sanitation exercise again in Lagos State. It took place on the Mushin–Agege Motor Road corridor.
The Nation said that the exercise, which had been stopped for years after a court ruling that made it illegal to force people to stay inside during sanitation hours, will henceforth take place on the last Saturday of the month from 6:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. without any restrictions on movement.
At the flag-off, Sanwo-Olu stated that bringing back the sanitation exercise was one way for the state government to clean up the environment and teach people how to be responsible citizens.
He spoke about how dirty some portions of the state were and said that the monthly sanitation that used to happen all over the country was a big part of why things were cleaner in the past.
The governor noted that Mushin was chosen for the flag-off on purpose because of the area’s clear environmental problems. He asked people to take part in the exercise on their own.
“This monthly activity used to be a source of national pride. This flag-off is a big deal for us. We chose this corridor since it is so dirty here. He added, “The people who live in a city make it clean.”
Sanwo-Olu said that the state of drains and gutters in many areas indicated the need for everyone to work together. He also said that keeping the environment clean should be considered as a civic duty, not just a government duty.
The governor said that the activity would be optional because the court ruled that the state could not force people to stay at home and clean.
Tokunbo Wahab, the Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, said that bringing back the sanitation exercise was a big step toward better public health and environmental sustainability in the state.
Wahab added that the project fit in with the Sanwo-Olu administration’s T.H.E.M.E.S Plus Agenda, which aims to make sure that inhabitants have a safe, clean, flood-free, and habitable environment.
He praised the governor for his dedication to making Lagos a better place to live, saying that the monthly sanitation exercise used to be a strong tradition in the state that encouraged cleanliness, community involvement, and illness prevention.
He said that residents should clean their homes, yards, and drainage channels in front of their homes, and that staff from the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) would be there to pick up trash that is properly bagged.
Wahab said that cleaning up the environment helps keep people healthy, promotes hygiene, and leads to longer lives.
He said the government would maintain teaching people how important it is to take care of their environment by throwing away trash properly and keeping their homes clean at all times.
The commissioner also said that agencies within the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources, such as LAWMA, LASPARK, LASEPA, and the Kick Against Indiscipline (KAI) corps, would work together more to make sure Lagos is cleaner.
He told people not to throw away trash in places that aren’t meant for it, trade in places that aren’t meant for it, burn trash, hire cart pushers, or do anything else that is bad for the environment. He said that the Lagos Environmental Law is still in effect.
Wahab also said that keeping the state clean would help lower the amount of flooding, and he asked people to help the government by following environmental rules.
Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, a lawyer in Lagos, sued the Inspector-General of Police and the Lagos State Government in 2015, saying that it was illegal to limit citizens’ movement during the monthly cleanup exercise.
He said that there was no rule in Lagos State that made it necessary for everyone to stay home for three hours on the last Saturday of every month for environmental sanitation.
But the Lagos State government said that Section 41 of the 1999 Constitution authorized legislation that could limit freedom of movement for the sake of public safety. They also said that the Environmental Sanitation Law of Lagos State, 2000, allowed this.
The government also said that the restriction was important to keep the area clean and safe. They pointed out that vital personnel, emergency responders, and ambulance services were not affected.
Justice Mohammed Idris of the Federal High Court in Lagos said that the monthly restriction on movement was not valid since there was no rule in the state that required people to stay inside during sanitation hours.
The court said that the Constitution protects people’s right to move around freely, and that this right can’t be taken away without a statute that supports the restriction.
Justice Idris also said that there was no law that allowed the government to keep people in their homes on the last Saturday of every month for environmental cleaning.
After the ruling, the exercise slowly lost popularity until the current government brought it back.
Sanwo-Olu claimed that the new approach would emphasize on voluntary compliance, community involvement, and enforcing environmental rules without violating people’s rights.
He told those who live, work, and drive in the area to maintain it clean, clear up clogged drains, and throw away trash in the right way.
The governor also told community development groups, market leaders, and local government officials to get people ready for each sanitation exercise.
He said that keeping the environment clean is still very important for public health, flood control, and long-term urban growth.
Sanwo-Olu said again that the government would keep working to improve trash management and sanitation enforcement across the state to make Lagos cleaner and safer.
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