The Lagos state government has said it will resume the monthly environmental sanitation exercise on April 25, with a new time frame.
Commissioner for environment and water resources in Lagos, Tokunbo Wahab, made the announcement on Saturday, shortly after governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and deputy governor
Obafemi Hamzat undertook a symbolic cleaning of certain streets to mark the return of the exercise.
The cleaning exercise by residents, which spans the entire face of Lagos is set to mark its return nine years after it was suspended in November 2016 following a court ruling against the restriction of movement during the exercise.
A court of appeal held that restricting residents’ movement during the sanitation hours violated citizens’ rights to personal liberty and freedom of movement.
Before the suspension, the exercise was held on the last Saturday of every month between 7am and 10am.
The.Lagos.Commissioner for Environment stated that the sanitation exercise will hold on the last Saturday of every month from 6:30am to 8:30am.
“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,” said Wahab.
“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.”
He emphasized that the move to resume the exercise as an “audacious step” by the government, stating that it took more than twelve months of consultations and deliberations before officials arrived at an agreement to restart the monthly sanitation programme.
