The Lagos State Government has announced the resumption of its monthly environmental sanitation exercise, scheduled to begin on April 25.
Tokunbo Wahab, the Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, made the announcement on Saturday after Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and Deputy Governor Obafemi Hamzat participated in symbolic street cleaning to mark the return of the programme.
The city-wide sanitation exercise, suspended in November 2016 following a court ruling, will return after nearly nine years. The suspension came after a Court of Appeal held that restricting residents’ movement during the exercise infringed on citizens’ rights to personal liberty and freedom of movement.
Previously, the exercise was held on the last Saturday of each month from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. Under the new schedule, it will now take place on the last Saturday of every month from 6:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m.
“During this period, residents are enjoined to clean their surroundings, clear drainage channels in their frontages, and dispose of waste properly as a civic responsibility,” Wahab said.
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He added, “This exercise is a collective responsibility and a vital part of our commitment to a cleaner, healthier and flood-resilient Lagos. It will be backed with the full enforcement weight of the Lagos State Government.”
Describing the decision as an “audacious step,” Wahab noted that more than a year of consultations and deliberations went into the decision to reinstate the monthly sanitation exercise.