No restriction on movement during sanitation exercise —Wahab

Lagos State Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, has definitively stated that there are no restrictions on movement during the state's monthly environmental sanitation exercise. This clarification came in response to an inquiry on X, where a user alleged an arrest had been made for moving during the exercise at Ikeja Police Station.

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For clarity, there is no restriction on movement during the monthly environmental sanitation exercise. Consequently, arresting anyone on the basis of movement during the exercise is unlawful and does not represent the position or policy of the Lagos State Government.

Wahab asserted that any arrest based on movement during the sanitation period is unlawful and does not align with the Lagos State Government's official position or policy. He emphasized that the law, specifically the Lagos State Environmental Management and Protection Law of 2017, which underpins the exercise, does not mandate any movement restrictions.

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The monthly environmental sanitation exercise was reintroduced primarily to restore and strengthen the culture of environmental cleanliness across the state. The initiative is backed by the Lagos State Environmental Management and Protection Law, 2017. However, the law does not provide for any restriction on movement during the exercise.

The commissioner explained that the monthly sanitation exercise was reintroduced to cultivate and reinforce a culture of environmental cleanliness throughout Lagos. He stressed that the government's primary focus is on encouraging residents to embrace sanitation as a civic responsibility, rather than relying solely on enforcement measures. The goal is to foster a shared commitment to maintaining a cleaner, healthier, and more sustainable city.

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Our focus is on encouraging Lagosians to embrace environmental sanitation as a civic responsibility and a shared commitment to maintaining a cleaner, healthier, and more sustainable Lagos, rather than relying on enforcement measures.