The Lagos State Government has commended residents of Alimosho Local Government Area for their strong participation in the monthly environmental sanitation exercise, describing the council as one of the areas showing serious commitment to the initiative.
During a monitoring tour of communities including Oguntade, Shasha, Akerele, and Orisunbare on Saturday, government officials observed residents cleaning their surroundings and depositing refuse at designated collection points. Many others were also seen actively taking part in the exercise.
Some residents, however, raised concerns about the irregular evacuation of waste by Private Sector Participation (PSP) operators.
A resident identified as Kunle said he participated in the sanitation exercise because of its health benefits.
“I am doing this because of myself and my family. I do not need to be compelled because a clean environment is a healthy environment. The only challenge is that waste collectors are not coming to collect our waste regularly,” Kunle said.
Another resident echoed the same concern, saying refuse often remains unattended for several days after cleanup exercises.
“We have cleaned our environment but the challenge is that PSP operators are not coming to pack them,” the resident said.
“We have packed our waste and placed it where it can be collected, but the challenge is that the PSP operators do not come regularly. Sometimes, the waste remains there for days before it is evacuated.”
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Reacting to the complaints, Lagos State Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, acknowledged that some waste collection challenges exist, particularly in Alimosho.
He revealed that the government had already engaged additional contractors to strengthen waste evacuation efforts and directed relevant officials to meet with the operators responsible for servicing the area.
Wahab, who carried out the inspection alongside the First Lady of Lagos State, Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, and ministry officials, expressed satisfaction with the general cleanliness of the local government.
“From our observations, the environment is generally clean, and this local government appears to be taking the sanitation exercise seriously. We visited several areas and found that residents had cleaned their surroundings,” he said.
According to the commissioner, although many residents were not physically present during the monitoring exercise, evidence showed that they had cleaned their environments and ensured waste was handed over to designated contractors for disposal.
He also praised the Chairman of Alimosho Local Government, Johnson Akinpelu, and his administration for sustaining the sanitation programme, urging them to continue engaging residents on environmental cleanliness.
Wahab reiterated that the reintroduced monthly sanitation exercise would remain a priority for the state government regardless of public holidays or festive periods.
Speaking on compliance during the restricted movement period, he noted that only a few commercial vehicles were seen on the roads and that relevant authorities had been informed.
The commissioner further stressed the importance of proper waste disposal and routine clearing of drainage channels to prevent flooding, especially in flood-prone communities such as Akowonjo and surrounding areas.
He disclosed that government officials would revisit vulnerable locations to assess drainage systems and determine whether additional interventions were needed.
Also speaking, Alimosho Local Government Chairman Johnson Akinpelu said the council would continue sensitising residents on the importance of environmental sanitation.
He added that the local government had deployed extra resources to support PSP operators and improve waste evacuation across communities.
Akinpelu also urged residents to pay their waste collection fees promptly, noting that regular payments would help operators sustain efficient service delivery.
The latest exercise marks the second edition of the monthly environmental sanitation programme since its reintroduction by the Lagos State Government.