Breaking: Lagos To Recommence Monthly Environmental Sanitation

…Moves Against Syndicate Behind Cart-Pushing Business In Idi-Araba 

The Lagos State Government has said it will recommence the monthly sanitation exercise as part of measures to engender a clean, liveable and sustainable environment.

A commencement notice to this effect, according to the Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab will soon be published.

The government reiterated the importance of good sanitation practices amongst all residents in order to ensure a clean, flood free, safe and sustainable environment across the state. 

Wahab said this on Sunday during an inspection tour to Idi-Araba and Orile Iganmu, Alaba Rago, noting that all residents must make good sanitation practices a daily culture and way of life.

The commissioner said the Lagos State Government understands the essence of proper sanitation and “has resolved to commence the Monthly Environmental Sanitation Exercise adding that a formal commencement date will soon be announced publicly.”

The Commissioner said the Ministry got an intelligence that there was a syndicate behind the cart-pushing business around Idi-Araba adding that the Ministry had to visit and come up with ways to totally eradicate the activities of the syndicate and cart pushers in the area. 

"At Idi-araba, under Mushin Local Government area, we observed alot of cart pushers and there is a law on environmental management and protection in the state which prohibits cat-pushing adding that in the past few weeks and months, there has been a major enforcement against cart-pushing state-wide which will be stepped up" he said. 

He noted that there was an abandoned dumpsite at Idi Araba that is still being operated illegally by the cart pushers and enabled by the syndicate group saying that the issue will also be decisively dealt with alongside traders under Daleko bridge, engaging in buying and selling.

While at Alaba Rago Market, Wahab recalled that enforcement officers always visit the market and the market had been closed down sometime last year with a request that the executives of the market should do the right thing saying that it will be unfortunate if the market has to be closed down again due to unsanitary activities. 

"They have turned the median to a waste system, to dump their waste; they havr also extended the market, pushed it to the road; blocked all the median system and the alignment We have given them till tomorrow evening, afterwards we'll determine if the market should or shouldn't be sealed" he said.

The Commissioner said the chairman of the market has agreed that they will clear up all infractions and take ownership of the infrastructure around the market insisting that if they do not comply with the stipulated time, the Ministry will have no choice but to take steps to sanction them. 

He sounded a note of warning to traders selling on the road, drainage setback and road median at Alaba rago Market, Badagry Expressway, Ojo LGA, to move their wares into the main market and conduct their business activities in the specified space saying the government would lock the market by 6pm on Monday if the the unwholesome business activities persist. 

He said that all markets across the state should take note that the Lagos State Environmental Law did not permit anyone to trade on the road or on the drainage channels as such everyone trading illegally should desist from it or else their markets would be shut down. 

At Orile Iganmu, the Commissioner noted that the Iganmu Channel had been blocked with indiscriminate waste disposal and it had to be holistically cleaned directing that swamp buggies be deployed next week to clean out the waste to allow free flow of storm water. 

Wahab said the government understands that the state is getting bigger by way of population gain as such the government would not stop putting in place resilient infrastructure across the state stating that one of such is the deployment of LAWMA trucks to assist defaulting PSP operators. 

"Over 100 trucks have been fully deployed to support and intervene where PSP operators have been challenged across the state; the intervention would continue until we finish our conversation with the PSP operators" he said.

He mentioned that people always want to free ride the system not wanting to pay for the services but want to enjoy the service.

"You don't want to pay for a service and when they ask you, you throw tantrums; It's your own wastes; You have about 377 wards in the state and you have 377 operators statewide; So if they pay, the operator will be obligated to do the needful" he said.

He implored residents to support Government efforts by avoiding the unwholesome act of illegal waste disposal saying it is expedient for everyone to take ownership of all infrastructure provided by the government. 

He reiterated that all residents must therefore stop littering the roads, road medians, drainage / drainage setback and canals with wastes saying they must always bag their wastes properly in their respective homes and always patronise the PSP. 

Places visited include Ojerinde Street, Ewunmi Street, Wonuola Street, Takuro Street, Paul Okuntola Street, Taiwo Street all at Idi - Araba; Alabarago Market, Badagry Expesway, Ojo LGA, Iganmu Channel, Orile - Iganmu. 

The Commissioner was accompanied by the Special Adviser on Environment, Engr. Olakunle Rotimi- Akodu;

Permanent Secretary ; Office of Drainage Services Engr. Mahamood Adegbite; MD LAWMA, Dr. Muyiwa Gbadegesin; KAI Corps MARSHAL, Major Olatunbosun Cole (Rtd) 

LASWMO GM, Engr Adefemi Afolabi and other directors from the Ministry and its Agencies.