The Lagos State government on Thursday urged residents, market men and women, artisans, non-governmental organisations, and commercial establishments to prioritize environmental cleanliness in order to prevent spread of all forms of diseases.
The Special Adviser on Environment, Engr. Olakunle Rotimi-Akodu, made the call at the commemoration of the year 2024 World Clean-up Day advocacy / Sensitization programme held at Bada Community in the Oshodi/Isolo local government area, encouraging residents to voluntarily continue with the exercise.
He described the event as a global exercise with the 2024 theme: “Make room for life”, underscoring the fact that residents should inculcate the habit and make it a way of life by cleaning up their environment always and refrain from blaming the government once it rains and flash flood occurs.
“Good sanitation practices is not an individual responsibility but a collective responsibility for everyone to take action; residents cannot continue to accuse the government whereas residents continually dump their waste in drainages,” he said.
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He said there was time for everything as the time for politicking had passed and it was the time for governance.
He added that the exercise was a clarion call for all to embrace good sanitation habits.
He stressed that dirty environment promoted the spread of diseases such as diarrhoea, malaria, typhoid as well as the outbreak of cholera experienced in Lagos a few months back.
He said the government carried out the exercise to clean up drainages, streets, medians, kerbs, sidewalks, refuse black spots, vegetal nuisance in Bada community as well as markets, motor parks and garages in Oshodi-Isolo local government area so that they could sustain the regular cleaning of their environment.
He reiterated that residents should desist from the unwholesome waste disposal as generation of waste was an unavoidable aspect of man’s existence, stressing that residents should always patronize the Private Sector Partnership, PSP, for better service delivery.
He appealed to residents, markets men and women to stop seeing KAI Officials as enemies, saying if people imbibed good environmental sanitation and hygiene practices as a way of life, KAI officials would not close their markets.
He explained that the Oja-Oke, Idera Market on Baderin Street, Oshodi, was sealed up as a result of unsanitary activities saying various whistle blowers and customers kept complaining to the government about the unsanitary habits.
He expressed appreciation to everyone for participating in the exercise while urging that the exercise must continue as a sustainable environmental programme across the state.
Earlier in his welcome remarks, the Director Sanitation Services, Dr. Hassan Sanuth, said the United Nations set aside a day in September of every year to carry out thorough cleaning and sanitation of the environment.
According to him, “I want to encourage all of us to put in dedication to continue this exercise as this is a clarion call to key into the vision of Mr Governor to improve the aesthetics of our great state, promote our tourism potential and improve the economy.”
In her response, the Iyaloja General Oshodi / Isolo Market, Mrs. Sekinat Ejide Adeyanju, expressed appreciation to the government for the laudable exercise saying continuous effort to cleanup and sanitize the state by the government was for the best interest of all residents.
She pledged that market women and men would continue to inculcate the culture of engaging in environmental sanitation always as well as endeavour to dispose waste responsibly and patronise the PSP operators.
The team had earlier cleaned up Peluola Street, Bada Community, Mafoluku Oshodi and sealed up Oja -Oke, Idera Market on Baderin Street, Oshodi for various unsanitary activities before proceeding to the sensitization/advocacy programme.
