Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on Sunday, said that residents should prepare to participate in the monthly environmental sanitation that was rested eight years ago, threatening that the full wrath of the law would be meted on violators when the exercise commenced at a later date.
Speaking at a sensitisation program on the planned reintroduction of monthly environmental sanitation, Sanwo-Olu stated that the state government is willing to tackle uncleanness headlong, which is why it ordered 200,000 waste bins that would be distributed across the state along with waste bags.
He disclosed that 50,000 of the waste bins are already in, stating that an awareness campaign would be carried out vigorously across media platforms for weeks before the monthly environmental sanitation would kick off formally.
He said that there would be a law to back up the exercise, disclosing that part of the awareness campaign would include engaging school children on the importance of cleanliness.
Sanwo-Olu stated that it is unacceptable, the level of environmental nuisance and uncleanness noticed in the state.
He added that the monthly environmental sanitation is to improve cleanliness in the environment, ensuring a better physical use of the environment.
“We noticed people have removed manholes and refuse dumped in the drainage, which is unacceptable and a shame on those who did that. They do not deserve to be among us. Let us take the messages back home, that the era of uncleanness is coming to an end. We would bring about the full wrath of the law on violators as we want a cleaner environment that is deserving of a state like ours.”
On his part, the Commissioner, Ministry of the Environment & Water Resources, Mr. Tokunbo Wahab, said that the monthly environmental sanitation was a culture in Lagos State some years back to promote a clean and healthy environment, encourage community participation in waste management, and reduce the risk of disease outbreaks.
“I would like to say that as the government reintroduces this cleaning exercise, all residents are encouraged to clean their homes, surroundings, and drainages in front of their houses and streets while LAWMA officials would always be on the ground to collect well-bagged waste and dispose of them properly.
“I want you to always bear in mind that undertaking the sanitation of our environment provides the ground for people to become hygienic for the safeguard of their health. It also increases the lifespan of residents through the promotion of cleanliness in the environment they live in.
“It is our goal today to further educate residents on the need to take ownership of their environment and ensure that they continuously clean surroundings, dispose of waste responsibly, while acknowledging that we must sustain this as our own contribution towards maintaining a sustainable environment.
“As a government, it is our collective responsibility that we develop strategic methods to improve the environment, ensure that it is flood-free and make it conducive for residents, and this can be achieved through the continuous cleaning of the environment from time to time.”
The post Violators of monthly environmental sanitation will face the law — Sanwo-Olu appeared first on Guardian Nigeria News.
