Akinlabi Emmanuel
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State has approved the reintroduction of monthly environmental sanitation in the state.
This decision was disclosed by the Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, who stated that the State Executive Council has given its approval for the reintroduction of the exercise.
The monthly sanitation exercise is set to commence in July and will be officially announced by the governor soon.
“Lagos governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, and the state executive council have approved the re-introduction of the monthly sanitation.
“The governor will announce it officially for the exercise to commence this month,” Wahab, who spoke in Yoruba language, said in a 21-second clip shared on the Lagos State Environmental Update page on X.
It was reported that the government stopped the monthly environmental sanitation exercise in the state in 2016.
The government said the exercise, which used to be held for three hours on the last Saturday of every month with restrictions on movement, needed to pave the way for a much-needed reform.
The then Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Steve Ayorinde, in a statement, said the decision to cancel the monthly exercise followed a resolution adopted at the State Executive Council meeting.
“Lagos has grown exponentially with the attendant environmental problems associated with managing 20 million people. The environmental laws and procedures being practised in the state have not been able to match the growth and the dream of a 24-hour economy,” Ayorinde had then said.
The recent reintroduction of monthly environmental sanitation in Lagos State may indeed be a response to the significant flooding that has affected various parts of the state due to incessant rain. On July 3, 2024, many areas in Lagos and Ogun states experienced a prolonged 10-hour downpour, leading to severe flooding and disruption of business and commercial activities.
Reports indicated that a two-story building collapsed in Mushin, vehicular movement was halted on several roads, and thousands of residents were affected, with some unable to attend schools due to the flooding.
Areas like Berger, Ikeja, Ogba, and others experienced extended periods of rain, ranging from 9 to 12 hours, exacerbating the flooding in places such as Iyana-Oworo, Agege, Ijegun-Isheri Osun, Gbagada, and Lagos Island. Additional affected areas included Eredo, Bojije, Epe, Sangotedo, Ibeju-Lekki, Awoyaya, Labora, and Abijon.
