Head of Service of Lagos State, Mr Bode Agoro, has expressed satisfaction at the turnout of Agege residents for the reintroduced monthly environmental sanitation in the state.
The exercise took place on Saturday from 6.30 a.m. to 8.30 a.m.
Agoro expressed the satisfaction while monitoring the exercise in Agege Local Government Area.
He said that the environmental sanitation recorded substantial compliance but needed sustained public enlightenment.
“This is still a fresh initiative; so, there is need to sensitize people more.
“I am impressed with the turnout so far. Residents have shown willingness to participate, and the streets are relatively clean,” he said.
He said that vehicular movement was not officially restricted during the sanitation period.
“It is voluntary. People chose to stay back to clean their environment.
“Even commercial drivers appear to be participating, which explains why fewer vehicles were on the roads,” he said.
Agoro urged Lagos residents to sustain the culture of cleanliness.
“We must continue to clean our environments. Nobody wants to live in a dirty environment.
“Cleanliness is essential to prevent diseases and infections. We should all take responsibility for keeping our surroundings clean,” he said.
The Chairman of Agege Local Government, Mr Abdulganiyu Obasa, who monitored the exercise along with Agoro, also expressed satisfaction at the level of involvement of Agege residents.
He described the reintroduction of the monthly environmental sanitation as a positive step toward a cleaner community.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Lagos State Government reintroduced the monthly sanitation after 10 years.
Obasa said that the local government had aligned fully with the state government’s directive in the environmental sanitation.
“Even before now, we introduced several measures, including deployment of about 250 street sweepers and a dedicated drainage gang that cleans our drains regularly.
“This monthly environmental sanitation is a commendable initiative, and we encourage residents to remain indoors from 6.30 a.m. and 8.30 a.m. to clean their environments.
“Together, we will move our communities forward. Environmental sanitation is largely driven by enforcement.
“As a local government, we are ensuring compliance, and I believe the state government will continue to improve on this in subsequent exercises,” he said.
Meanwhile some residents of Agege have commended the Lagos State Government for reintroducing monthly environmental sanitation and called for prompt evacuation of waste generated during the exercise.
Mrs Abiola Oguntade said, ” We have cleaned up. It is left for the Lagos State Waste Management Authority to come and clear the waste so our efforts won’t be in vain.”
Mr Ayodeji Ladele said, “This is long overdue, honestly. We are back to having a cleaner Lagos.” (NAN)
