Sanwo-Olu decries filth, resurrects monthly Environmental Sanitation in Lagos

By Kazeem Ugbodaga

In a stark admission of the state’s mounting waste management crisis, Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Saturday bemoaned the “mould of filth” defacing the city’s public spaces, signaling a return to the monthly environmental sanitation exercise to restore order and civic pride.

Flagging off the initiative along the bustling Mushin-Agege Motor Road corridor, the Governor declared that the last Saturday of every month, between 6:30 a.m. and 8:30 a.m., will henceforth be dedicated to cleaning the environment.

However, in a significant departure from historical practice, he confirmed that movement would not be restricted during the two-hour window, appealing instead for voluntary compliance.

Speaking to residents and sanitation workers, Sanwo-Olu painted a stark picture of a city struggling to manage its waste, arguing that the current state of affairs is incompatible with Lagos’s ambition to compete on the global stage.

“The condition of our streets, our markets, our drainage channels, and our public spaces reflects how seriously we take our responsibility to one another and to the environment we share,” Sanwo-Olu said.

“In a city as large and dynamic as Lagos, maintaining a clean and healthy environment must remain a collective civic duty.”

The Governor acknowledged that the revival of the exercise comes in the wake of a court judgment that previously nullified the restriction of movement associated with the old regime.

He stressed that while the government adheres to the rule of law, the ruling did not absolve residents of their environmental responsibilities.

“As we are aware, a court judgment later brought an end to the restriction of movement that accompanied that exercise. As a government, we have always respected the rule of law and the authority of our courts. But while the enforcement mechanism changed, the responsibility to maintain a clean environment did not change,” he stated. “That responsibility remains with all of us.”

Sanwo-Olu warned that while the government is opting for a strategy of awareness and partnership, the state will not hesitate to wield the big stick against recalcitrant offenders.

He reminded the public that the Environmental Management Law of 2017 remains fully in force, and those who fail to comply voluntarily will face its sanctions.

Speaking earlier at the event, the Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Mr. Tokunbo Wahab, reinforced the government’s stance, emphasizing that the goal is to re-educate residents on environmental ownership.

Wahab listed a catalogue of prohibited practices that continue to plague the metropolis, including illegal waste dumping, street trading in undesignated areas, refuse burning, patronizing illegal cart pushers, and open defecation.

“It is high time you desisted totally from illegal waste disposal. I want the residents with recalcitrant behaviour to know that the Lagos State 2017 Environmental Law is still intact,” Wahab warned, addint that “As such, the state where there are no laws, there are no sins.”