Environmental is back

He added that “This exercise is a collective responsibility and a vital part of our commitment to a cleaner, healthier, and flood-resilient Lagos. And it shall be backed with the full enforcement weight of the Lagos State Government.”

The state governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, noted during the symbolic flag-off of the exercise held along the Mushin Agege Motor Road corridor that “It’s a collective civic responsibility. You know that many Nigerians will remember, at least all of you that are old enough, that our monthly environmental sanitation exercise was once a national practice.”

Although earlier efforts at “sanitary inspection” in Nigeria date back to the colonial era, monthly environmental exercise was introduced in the country by the Muhammadu Buhari regime in 1984. Then it was observed nationwide on the last Saturday of every month, with Nigerians coming out in their numbers to clean their drainages and surroundings. It was then mandatory and movement was restricted from 7.00a.m. to 10.00a.m. when the exercise was observed.

But it was only a matter of time before the exercise that used to be a national legacy fizzled out with its suspension by different state governments.

Specifically in Lagos, the exercise was suspended in 2016 following a Federal High Court order in 2015 that stopped it, particularly as it infringed on freedom of movement. The matter is now before the Supreme Court.

In January 2016, during the administration of President Buhari, the Minister of the Environment, Amina Mohammed, hinted of bringing back the National Environmental Sanitation Day (NESD). The minister expressed her “strong desire to consult with states, local governments and other relevant stakeholders to create a strong interface to bring back the NESD’’. But the government never did.

We welcome Lagos State government’s decision to return the exercise. Particularly commendable is its decision to conduct it without restriction of movement, which was the bone of contention with the previous exercise. We should not joke with cleanliness. It is good that the state government has thought out of the box to come up with the idea of resuming the exercise without flouting an existing court judgment, at least pending a final pronouncement by the apex court.

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If we needed the monthly environmental exercise in the 1980s, we need it more these days, with the ever bourgeoning population of Lagos, said to be in the region of 21 million people.

We however urge Lagosians to embrace the exercise and come out on the last Saturday of the month to observe it even as their movement would not be restricted.

The government on its part has a lot to do by way of enlightenment to reawaken the people’s consciousness to the fact that the exercise has indeed returned. The message must emphasise its essence and the consequences of continuing life under the existing practice where the sanitation exercise is more or less optional, the health and environmental implications and all.

But it is not enough for people to come out and clean their environment; the relevant state government institution that is to convey the refuse gathered from the exercise to the appropriate site must be on hand to do its job too. It is counterproductive for people to pack such refuse beside the drainage only for them to be swept into the drainage channels.

Like security, environmental responsibility is also a collective civic responsibility. So, it must be imbibed by all if we want to stay healthy and devoid of avoidable diseases.