On Sunday, Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu hinted at the reintroduction of monthly environmental sanitation due to the widespread uncleanliness observed in communities across the state.
Sanwo-Olu made this known during the launch of a weekly sanitation enlightenment campaign aimed at promoting community participation in ongoing sanitation and waste management efforts.
“The conversation here is an enlightenment in which week after week, we will be going out to demonstrate our willingness to keep our environment clean. I believe we would, on our own as people, see the need for us to start a monthly sanitation exercise,” the Governor stated.
The Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Mr. Tokunbo Wahab, echoed these sentiments at the event held at Campos Stadium in Lagos Island. He highlighted that reintroducing sanitation measures would elevate hygiene standards and enhance residents’ quality of life.
Wahab underscored the state government’s commitment to educating residents on environmental stewardship and responsible waste disposal, emphasising the role of continuous cleanliness in creating a flood-free and habitable environment.
What’s the history of sanitation day in Lagos?
The Buhari/Idiagbon military administration introduced the sanitation exercise in 1984 as part of its ‘War Against Indiscipline’ programme. This mass mobilisation effort aimed to combat social maladjustment and widespread corruption in Nigeria.
The programme, launched in March 1984 and active until September 1985, was implemented in five phases focusing on orderliness, work ethic, national unity, and combating filth, corruption, and criminal activities.
The phase targeting filth aimed to clean both private and public environments through a sanitation programme that involved clearing refuse and illegal structures. However, it faced criticism for displacing street hawkers and vendors during an economic downturn when employment opportunities were scarce.
Despite the transition to democratic rule, the sanitation exercise continued in Lagos until its discontinuation in 2016.
Why was the monthly sanitation exercise called off?
Before 2016, the last Saturday of every month in Lagos State was dedicated to the monthly environmental sanitation exercise. This exercise took place from 7am to 10am, during which movement was restricted throughout the state, and violators were apprehended and prosecuted by state enforcement agencies.
However, in 2016, the Court of Appeal in Lagos ruled the exercise unconstitutional following a lawsuit filed by Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, a lawyer and rights advocate based in Lagos.
Adegboruwa argued that the movement restrictions imposed during the sanitation exercise on the last Saturday of each month violated Sections 35 and 41 of the Constitution.
In its decision, presided over by Justice Ugochukwu Ogakwu, the court declared the exercise illegal and ordered the state government to refrain from restricting people’s movement on that day.
Following this ruling, Mr. Steve Ayorinde, the former Lagos State Commissioner for Information & Strategy, announced the abolition of the monthly sanitation exercise after a meeting of the State Executive Council at Lagos House, Alausa, Ikeja.
Will the new sanitation day restrict movement?
The Lagos State Government move to reintroduce monthly environmental sanitation raises the question of whether it will include movement restrictions similar to those previously enforced.
Given the 2016 Court of Appeal ruling that declared such restrictions unconstitutional, it remains to be seen if the reintroduction will comply with this legal precedent or if new measures will be taken to ensure voluntary compliance without restricting movement.
The state’s approach to balancing public cleanliness with individual rights will be critical in shaping the new sanitation day’s implementation.