Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on Friday considered the reintroduction of monthly environmental sanitation exercise as residents engaged in environmental degradation in various parts of the state, adding that anyone arrested would be prosecuted.
Governor Sanwo-Olu made this known when he inspected the traffic gridlock along Oshodi-Apapa Expressway, by Mile-2 Bus Stop, declaring a zero tolerance on all environmental nuisances in the axis and the state at large.
He was accompanied by members of the State Executive Council such as Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso, Commissioner for the Environment, Tokunbo Wahab, Commissioner for Transportation, Oluwaseun Osiyemi, Special Adviser to the Governor on Transportation, Sola Giwa, among other senior officials.
While speaking on the possible reintroduction of the environmental sanitation day in the state, which was canceled by his predecessor, Akinwunmi Ambode due to litigation, The Lagos Governor identified the need for the reintroduction, saying the state government would no longer tolerate environmental recklessness.
“We have moved along Lagos-Badagry Expressway. We have seen what our taskforce has been doing to secure the entire Right of Way, RoW, to remove all sorts of miscreants and illegal trading. I’m happy with what I saw and I was able to explain to the shop owners and residents. They saw the need for us to do what we are doing.
“All the commercial vehicles had hitherto parked on the Expressway. We went all the way to Mile 2 especially on the right hand side, it has been completely cleared. Hitherto containers and traders stayed there permanently. We are going to wall off the entire place and make the environment clean for beautification.
“On the other side, there is yet to be clearance and the taskforce has given them notices and from next week, they will do the full clean up again exercise.
“It is total zero tolerance. All the commissioners that have to do with the environment have been instructed. The exercise will continue. It is total zero tolerance to bad behaviour and recklessness to ensure that we bring back environmental sanity.
“We also have a stop-over at Apongbon, we need to clean it up. We need environmental sanitization at all these shops and they have given their commitment.
“There is zero tolerance under the bridges except for little trading. Anything that has to do with welding and mechanical forms has nothing to do under the bridges.’’
