The First Lady of Lagos State, Dr Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, has defended the monthly clean-up exercise. She believes it is important for raising public awareness and keeping the environment clean in the state.
She also mentioned that the state government will soon announce the winner of the cleanest council. This is part of the effort to encourage cleanliness and healthy competition among communities.
Dr Sanwo-Olu said people should not see the cleanup as unnecessary. She stressed that ongoing education is key to making cleanliness a daily habit for everyone.
She spoke on Saturday during the October clean-up in Ikorodu, Lagos State. She compared the exercise to safety reminders given to airplane passengers. She said these reminders help encourage responsible behavior.
"It might seem unnecessary to some people, but the awareness is a continuous exercise. It is just like when you enter the plane; every time you enter the plane, they remind you, whether you are in first class or economy class, to fasten your seat belts and do this and do that.
"So, it is a continuous exercise. There will always be teething problems, but we will overcome them. I think we should continue to create awareness all the time," she said.
The First Lady called on residents to keep up with the cleanliness beyond the last Saturday of every month. She urged them to carry the sanitation culture into their homes, communities, schools, and markets.
She expressed happiness with the turnout in Ikorodu, especially praising children, sanitation workers, and community leaders who arrived early for the exercise.
"I am very impressed. I noticed that they have taken our environmental sanitation very seriously. While we were coming, I was looking at the cleanliness along the roads, especially in the market spaces.
"Importantly, we noticed our children; they had been here since 6am. They had been cleaning even before I came. They were here till 8.30am and beyond. The LAWMA staff were also doing their work, and the sweepers were outside. All hands were on deck," she said.
Sanwo-Olu also encouraged Ikorodu residents to keep the momentum going and aim to win in an upcoming cleanliness competition among local governments in the state.
She said the government will soon announce the cleanest area in Lagos. She added that all local governments will take part in the contest.
"My message to them is that they should keep Lagos clean and not only wait till we have our environmental sanitation day, the last Saturday of the month, but make sure that Ikorodu comes first in the competition ahead.
"All the local governments will take part, and they will announce the best or the cleanest environment in Lagos very, very soon," she added.
Meanwhile, some Ikorodu residents told our correspondent that they have noticed better waste collection.
A resident who goes by Tayo said waste collectors are now coming more often to pick up trash in the community.
He said, "The waste collection routine in our community has improved. The PSP operators are now visiting regularly compared to some months back, and that is why there’s no much waste heaps littering around."
Another resident, Wale Akindele, agreed that waste collection has improved in the area. He called for continued efforts to keep the state clean.
PUNCH Online reported on April 1 that the Lagos State Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, announced plans to reward councils that become the cleanest after the monthly sanitation exercise. They could receive cash rewards of up to N10 million.
Wahab shared this information during a meeting with chairmen of the 20 local government areas and 37 local council development areas in Alausa.
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