The Lagos State government penultimate Wednesday terminated the monthly environmental sanitation exercise, which hitherto held every morning for three hours on the last Saturday of every month.
The state government, in a statement by the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Steve Ayorinde, said the decision to cancel the monthly exercise followed a resolution arrived at Wednesday’s Executive Council meeting which approved the need for a robust review of the environmental laws and procedures in the state in order to meet the present day challenges and to promote a clean and healthy environment.
The government noted that considering the present economic situation in the country, it was no longer appropriate to restrict movement of people for three hours in a mega city like Lagos at a time they should be pursuing commercial and entrepreneurial activities.
According to Ayorinde, the thrust of the fresh initiative, among others, is to promote holistic and modern solutions to the unique environmental challenges confronting the state, while encouraging citizens to voluntarily partner with government to achieve the desired goals.
Mixed feelings have since been trailing the cancellation, with many residents supporting the decision, while many say it doesn’t augur well for the health of the state.
Desmond Majekodunmi, a renowned Nigerian environmentalist, who currently serves on the governing council of The Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF), described the announcement as a state of relief because “finally, the rule of law is beginning to prevail in our society because the court has ruled that it is illegal and it infringes on the rights of human beings.”
Majekodunmi was, however, quick to point out that the decision was also “worrisome” because the people need to understand the enormity of managing waste in a megacity like Lagos. “It is a huge monumental problem,” he said.
He explained that while the monthly sanitation exercise started off with good intentions under the military rule, the reality was that as it was being done forcefully was not how to organize humanity outside the barracks. “You can’t force the people to do it. It should be inculcated and people should be persuaded to do it,” he maintained.
He referred to the Republic of Germany where, he pointed out, the people have imbibed the discipline of environmental management not necessarily because of the laws in place but because of the awareness on keeping a clean society.
“The Cross River example under former governor, Donald Duke, is there for us to emulate. There was a lot of sensitization for the people. Once it sinks in, the people themselves will carry on with it,” he added.
Jude Okafor, a resident of Ikorodu town in the state, welcomed it as a “nice decision.” To Okafor, people should not be forced to clean up. “It has to come from the mind. We must begin to inculcate such teachings in our children from the elementary schools,” he said.
But Dan Baba, a businessman at the popular Oyingbo market in Lagos Mainland Local Council, disagreed with the cancellation. “Everybody knows the importance of cleaning the environment. I don’t agree with the idea of cancellation. We must tell ourselves the truth that our people usually will not do anything except they are forced to do so,” he stated.
Shedrack, a civil servant and resident of highbrow Victoria Island, aligned with Dan Baba. Shedrack argued that “Lagosians are not hygienic and cannot be compared to Calabar residents.” He pointed out that Lagos has a lot more dirt challenges than any state in Nigeria and the situation can only be contained by some measure of force.
“One would have expected that the required sensitization for a behavioural change would have preceded this cancellation,” he said.
Peter Ahaneku, the Administrative Officer of the Nigeria Environmental Study Action remarked that the decision would be inviting disaster.
Ahaneku explained that what was collected at the weekly sanitation done at the markets and the one done every last Saturday of the month is basically clearing of drainages where debris is collected.
“In a situation where that drainage clearing is not done for some months, and the rains fall uncontrollably, we all know what will happen. Even when the environmental sanitation is being enforced, when it’s raining, people still carry refuse and throw into drainages. So, cancellation of the exercise in Lagos is like inviting disaster to ravage the whole of Lagos State,” he warned.
He raised concern about the health implications of the decision, explaining that if people live in an untidy, stinking environment, then their lifespan is being shortened.
According to Ahaneku: “Lesser quantity of oxygen reduces the lifespan of individuals. If the environment is clean, it helps everybody in that terrain to live a longer and healthy life as the chances of getting diseases are reduced.”
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