The Lagos State Government through its Environmental Sanitation Agency (LAGESC) has prosecuted 5,000 sanitation laws offenders in the last six months.
The chairman of the agency, Major Olatunbosun Olaniyi (retd), stated that the arrest and prosecution were efforts made by LAGESC to make Lagos a habitable and sustainable city through daily monitoring and enforcement.
Speaking at a stakeholders and community engagement meeting on Thursday, Olaniyi said: “Our team conducts regular inspections of every facility in Lagos to ensure compliance with environmental regulations and standards”.
The LAGESC boss highlighted a recent 4-week clearance operation of railway corridors from Ikeja to Iddo, aimed at eradicating environmental nuisances and arresting criminal elements.
Olaniyi further reiterated the agency’s dedication to ridding the state of environmental infractions.
Speaking earlier, Babatunde Gbenga, deputy director, Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA), noted that the agency is committed to environmental protection.
He noted that regular inspections are conducted at every facility in Lagos to ensure compliance with environmental regulations.
In response to a question about noise pollution, Gbenga outlined LASEPA’s initiatives to mitigate the issue, including regular patrols and enforcement actions. He also encouraged citizens to report any nuisances to the agency’s website.
Additionally LAGESC chairman Olaniyi, noted that street trading is banned in Lagos State and warned that offenders will be prosecuted. He also emphasized that no one is above the law, including officials who may be extorting citizens.
The marshal urged citizens to adopt positive environmental practices, such as proper waste disposal, patronizing PSP operators, and prompt payment of waste bills, to avoid prosecution.
He emphasized the importance of recycling and regular environmental sanitation to reduce communicable diseases and pollution.
“To make Lagos habitable for business, we must imbibe a culture of positive environmental practices via recycling and regular environmental sanitation to reduce the spate of communicable disease whilst discouraging pollution of the environment” he said.
Olaniyi, meanwhile, appealed to citizens to act responsibly and shun improper behavior to evade legal consequences and reputational damage.
