Sanitation
By Aderonke Ojediran
Wife of the Lagos State Governor, Dr Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, on Saturday urged residents to sustain environmental sanitation beyond the monthly exercise.
She said maintaining a clean environment was a collective responsibility essential for public health and sustainable development.
Sanwo-Olu made the appeal during the July monthly environmental sanitation exercise at Eputu London in Ibeju-Lekki Local Government Area.
She commended residents for actively participating in the exercise and maintaining clean surroundings.
Sanwo-Olu said residents started cleaning their environment three days before the official exercise, reflecting growing environmental consciousness.
She described the development as evidence that the state’s environmental advocacy was producing positive results.
“We are proud of our people because they started cleaning three days before the exercise.
“They did not wait until the last Saturday of the month. That shows increasing environmental consciousness and ownership,” she said.
Sanwo-Olu said adults and children participated actively in spite of the rainy season and flooding in some parts of the state.
She stressed the importance of instilling environmental responsibility in children from an early age.
She said many schoolchildren joined the exercise from about 6:30 a.m.
According to her, the government will expand participation by involving tertiary institution students from next month.
“We are catching them young because the values they learn today will remain with them in future.
“By God’s grace, tertiary institution students will also participate from next month because sanitation is everyone’s responsibility,” she said.
Sanwo-Olu urged residents to observe the monthly sanitation exercise and maintain good sanitation practices daily.
Also, the Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Mr Tokunbo Wahab, said the government was strengthening waste management infrastructure.
Wahab said ongoing development at the Olusosun facility included a waste transfer loading station and a material recovery facility.
He said the projects would improve waste processing and disposal across the state.
Wahab said the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) and Private Sector Participant (PSP) operators were intensifying waste collection efforts.
He said public enlightenment campaigns would also continue to encourage proper waste disposal.
“The goal is efficient waste management across the state,” he said.
“LAWMA and PSP operators are making efforts, but residents must also take ownership.”
He urged residents not to dump refuse on road medians, drainage channels or other public spaces.
Wahab said changing environmental habits would take time but sustained advocacy, consistency and enforcement would deliver results.
He advised residents experiencing poor waste collection services to report such cases to LAWMA.
He warned residents against indiscriminate refuse disposal because of service delivery challenges.
“If residents pay for waste collection, service providers must deliver,” he said.
“Residents should report lapses to LAWMA. Advocacy remains our first approach, but sanctions will apply where necessary,” she said.
(NAN)
