Lagos: Monthly Environmental Sanitation Days Recommences (Metro)

 There use to be a compulsory stat at home order in Lagos states for years, where residents must compulsorily stay back at home every last Saturday of the month till 10.00 a.m.

A refuse collector in Lagos  (courtesy Google)

But, a court order filed by a private citizen that the "no human and vehicular movement" during exercise I fringes on her fundamental human rights to freedom of movement, recognized not only by UN but by the Nigerian Constitution. She won the case and the exercise was left at the discretion of individuals to clean their environment at their discretion. 

But, it created a vacuum. Many residents, especially in the lower income inner city areas barely adhered a strict cleaning schedule to clean the environment. Unless forced to do so.

The burgeoning dirtiness and unhealthy atmosphere this is creating in some areas like Agege Pen Cinema, Abule Egba, Mushin, Yaba, Ikota and across nearly all markets in the state is alarming.  Health inspectors have a hard time enforcing clean ups and closure of markets had proved ineffective too. 

Governor Sanwo-Olu, at the event today  (Courtesy: Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu media)

So, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has reintroduced the monthly sanitation exercise to occur every last Saturday of the month from 6.30 am to 8.30 am. Though there will be strict compliance, there will be no restriction of vehicular or human movement. 

Crowd at the venue.  (Courtesy, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu media)

The governor flagged this off today match 24, at Agege Motor Road, Mushin. "It (the exercise) reinforced a simple but important principle that a clean city depends not only on government systems, but on the discipline and cooperation of its residents," Danwo-Olu said.

The renewed exercise takes effect from April 25.