Connect with us

Metro

Woman beats Lagos to surrender, monthly sanitation cancelled

Published

on

Woman beats Lagos to surrender, monthly sanitation cancelled

The Lagos State government has cancelled its monthly environment sanitation exercise that holds for three hours on the last Saturday of every month.

Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Steve Ayorinde, said in a statement that “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”.

According to him, “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”.

It should however be recalled that a citizen, and resident of the state, Faith Okafor had dragged the government to court after she was arrested and reportedly detained for violating the exercise.

Justice Ugochukwu Ogakwu of Appeal Court in Lagos had ruled in her favour, that there is no law written in the state that authorises government or its agencies to restrain members of the public not to leave their homes between 7am to 10am during any of the monthly sanitation exercise.

In the same vein, the Federal High Court in Ikoyi had in March 2015 also declared the restriction of movement during the monthly environmental sanitation exercise as illegal.
Justice Mohammed Idris gave the verdict in a suit by a human rights activist Mr Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, who had also noted that the restriction of movement during the exercise has no legal basis.

Read also: Appeal Court says Lagos monthly sanitation illegal

Besides, he said it grossly violates Nigerians’ right to freedom of movement as guaranteed in the Constitution, even as he also noted, that no law in the state approves the compulsory detention of citizens at home for three hours for the purpose of observing a mandatory sanitation.

Inspector-General of Police Suleiman Abba, then Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola and then Attorney-General Mr Ade Ipaye; Lagos State Commissioner for the Environment and the ministry were named as respondents in that suit.

Mr Ayorinde, who acknowledged the Appeal Court ruling in his statement, however urged residents to voluntarily comply with the necessary laws and support government in its bid to have a clean and healthy environment

He said “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.”

 

RipplesNigeria ….without borders, without fears

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now