By Adedapo Adesanya
The Lagos State Government on Wednesday debunked a piece of viral news on social media, stating that it had re-introduced the monthly environmental sanitation programme eight years after it was suspended.
A statement signed by its Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Mr Tokunbo Wahab, also emphasised that there would be no restriction of movement on the last Saturday in July as is being widely speculated.
Mr Wahab linked the report to the “work of mischief makers” keen on confusing residents, urging residents to disregard the viral news content and go about their lawful business endeavours.
The Commissioner explained that what Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu announced on Sunday during a sanitation sensitisation exercise at Campos playground Lagos Island was that the state will start a weekly community-based sensitisation and awareness exercise that will involve all Lagosians.
In his words: “The Governor also stated that state government officials will lead from the front every week by going round to join residents in voluntarily cleaning their environment while preaching the message.”
Mr Wahab added that at no time did the Governor make a pronouncement that the monthly exercise and restriction would start in July, or any other month for now.
He urged all residents to imbibe the culture of cleaning their surroundings all the time, and not wait until the government declares a particular month for commencement of sanitation or restriction of movement.
The state held the monthly environmental sanitation on the last Saturday of the month till 10 am when residents are expected to clean up their homes and environs.
The Lagos government under Governor Akinwumi Ambode stopped the monthly environmental sanitation exercise in the state in 2016 after a Lagos-based lawyer and rights activist, Mr Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, secured a court judgement stopping the state government from restricting the movement of citizens in the metropolis.
The call for the return of the exercise has been re-awakened recently as a result of the flooding in the state, caused by the blockage of drainages.
