Residents of Ĺagos in their large numbers stayed back home on Saturday to observe the monthly environmental sanitation.
The First Lady, Dr. Claudiana Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, and the Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, commended residents.
The commendation followed the decision of the residents to stay back during 6:30am and 8:30am to participate in the sanitation.
Speaking with newsmen after monitoring the exercise, which took her round Ojo Street junction, Ajeniya Street, Odo Street, and Eleshi Street, before moving to Lalupon Street to end it at Biaudo Close under the Ikoyi-Obalende Local Council Development Area (LCDA), Dr. Sanwo-Olu described her assessment as good, saying it is however still a gradual process.
She said: “We have seen the residents come out.
“We have seen them participate.
“It’s like a gradual process.
“So people are aware of the sanitation that we do on a monthly basis.
“The vendors did not put their things out there.
“People were not working during that time.
“Only those that were cleaning the environment were seen doing it.
“So, for me, the assessment is good for a first-timer.”
Sanwo-Olu advised Lagosians to clean their environment every day and not wait till the sanitation day, adding that part of the reason why she brought students to be part of the exercise is to demonstrate leadership by example and catch them young.
Also speaking, Wahab said with the massive participation of residents, a strong message has been sent to naysayers that the exercise has come from to stay.
“The level of compliance from what we are getting is over 98 percent.
“Commercial vehicles were off the road and people complied.
“They want to keep Lagos clean.
“They want to see Lagos very clean and safe.
“So we thank Lagosians.
“We want to thank Lagosians, the Governor, the Deputy Governor, and the First Lady and wife of the Deputy that are here with us.
“We thank LG Chairmen for the wonderful support because they took the message to the grassroots and I am glad you all see the level of compliance.”
On the promise to incentivise the cleanest local governments, Wahab assured that the State Government stands on its promise as the names of the jury will soon be out to know the cleanest local governments and collect their award within the week.
He urged residents to take a cue from what the First Lady said by ensuring that the exercise becomes a daily affair, adding that dedicating 120 minutes of their time on the last Saturday of the month is not too much of a sacrifice for a cleaner city.
Addressing the controversy about a subsisting court order on the monthly sanitation exercise, he stated that Court of Appeal ruled in favour of Lagos State and has not even ruled against the state restricting movement during the exercise.
He said: “Even as we speak, there is no law, there is no judgement saying legal states should not restrict movement.
“And that’s a Court of Appeal judgement.”
Wahab expressed the hope that by the next edition, which is in May, the state would be able to record up to 99 percent compliance or even the premium 100 percent.
He said once residents keep building on the momentum on a daily basis, weekly basis, like they do in every market, someday, somehow, that culture will be back.
Top officials on the delegation of the First Lady included the Special Adviser on Environment, Engr. Kunle Akodu; Permanent Secretaries; Committee of Wives of Lagos State Officials (COWLSO); and school students.
Meanwhile, at Agege, the Head of Service, Olabode Agoro, led another team of state officials to monitor the exercise at Agege Local Government Area, where he also expressed satisfaction with the turnout of residents for the exercise.
Agoro stressed that the turnout is a clear indication that people are eager to voluntarily clean their environment, adding that this is the only way to rid the environment of diseases.
He said: “As the saying goes, cleanliness is next to Godliness.
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“Diseases and infections emanate from a dirty environment and to combat this, we must engage in regular cleaning.”
Agoro said people who have genuine emergencies to attend to are allowed to move around, urging others to stay back and engage in the cleaning.
He enjoined the local government to collaborate with CDAs, CDCs, landlords associations, and youths to raise groups in their communities to clean drains, while educating the residents to stop dumping refuse in the drains as all these are major contributors to flooding.
The HoS was accompanied by a Member of the State House of Assembly, Hon. Jubril Kareem, representing Agege Constituency II; Permanent Secretary, Office of Environmental Services, Gaji Omobolaji; as well as Heads of Agencies and Directors in the Ministry.
The streets cleaned include Morkaz, Alfa Nla, Ayeni, Imam Ojoku, and Oriretan, all in Agege Local Government Area.
