Lagos State Cancels Monthly Environmental Sanitation.

Lagos State Government has cancelled
the monthly environmental sanitation
exercise held every last Saturday of the
month.
The cancellation followed a resolution
arrived at in Wednesday’s Executive
Council meeting which approved the need
for a review of the environmental laws
and procedures in the state in order to
meet the present day challenges and to
promote a clean and healthy.
The Commissioner for Information and
Strategy, Mr. Steve Ayorinde, in a
statement said the cancellation of the
monthly exercise became necessary due
to present economic realities in the
country.
The statement said, “It is no longer
appropriate to restrict movement of
people for three hours in a mega city like
Lagos at a time they should be pursuing
commercial and entrepreneurial
activities.
“In the last two decades, Lagos has
grown exponentially into a mega city
with the attendant huge environmental
problems associated with managing a
population of over twenty million people.
“But sadly, the environmental laws,
policies and procedures being practiced
in the State have not been able to match
the phenomenal growth and the dream of
a 24-hour economy, hence the need for
the reform.”
Ayorinde said the State Government was
aware of a recent Court of Appeal
judgment.
He said that the thrust of the fresh
initiatives, among others, is to promote
holistic and modern solutions to the
unique environmental challenges
confronting the State, while encouraging
citizens to voluntarily partner with
government to achieve the desired goals.
It said, “After a careful consideration,
the State Executive Council has therefore
resolved that the present economic
climate can no longer support the
continued lock down of a mega city like
Lagos, when the citizens should be free to
engage in commercial and
entrepreneurial activities that can
promote economic growth and
prosperity.
“Furthermore, Government will also
accelerate the introduction of fresh
reforms through the passage of the new
harmonized environmental laws that will
drive meaningful changes in areas of
harmonized billing, waste management,
modern Landfill sites, noise pollution,
introduction of an Environmental Trust
Fund and an Environmental Advisory
Council.
“The Government wishes to reiterate its
strong commitment to a clean and secure
environment for the benefit of its
citizens, and will continue to provide the
necessary leadership to meet the
environmental challenges of a mega city
like Lagos. Lagosians and visitors alike
are therefore urged to embrace these
changes and imbibe a culture of
voluntarily maintaining and preserving
their environment to create a beautiful
and healthy city that we all can be proud
of.”
The statement added that the State
Government would henceforth be tougher
in ensuring expeditious enforcement
against contraventions of its policies and
regulations and as such, residents should
voluntarily comply with the necessary
laws and support government in its bid
to have a clean and healthy environment