The Lagos state government has announced plans to resume the monthly environmental sanitation exercise starting April 25, after a nine-year suspension.
Tokunbo Wahab, the commissioner for environment and water resources disclosed this on Saturday shortly after Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the state governor and Obafemi Hamzat, the deputy governog participated in a symbolic street cleaning to mark the return of the exercise.
The sanitation programme had been suspended in November 2016 following a ruling by the Court of Appeal Nigeria which held that restricting residents’ movement during the exercise violated citizens’ rights to personal liberty and freedom of movement.
Before the suspension, the sanitation exercise was held on the last Saturday of every month between 7 a.m. and 10 a.m.
However, Wahab said the exercise will now take place on the last Saturday of every month from 6:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m.
He urged residents to clean their surroundings, clear drainage channels in front of their homes, and dispose of waste properly as part of their civic responsibility.
According to him, the sanitation exercise is part of the government’s efforts to promote a cleaner, healthier, and flood-resilient environment in Lagos.
Wahab described the decision to reintroduce the monthly sanitation programme as a bold step by the state government, noting that it followed more than a year of consultations and deliberations before the final approval.
