Officer says fear of prosecution deter violators of Lagos sanitation rules.
A health officer who is stationed at Iba Local Council Development Area of Lagos State, Alhaji Abdulrazaq Akande, has said that fear of being prosecuted has deterred violators of the Thursday sanitation rule for market people in Lagos. The officer said that there had been a satisfactory level of compliance to the rules because there has been commitment to prosecuting offenders in court. He added that the existence of courts made it possible to prosecute offenders.
Every Thursday, market people in Lagos and the rest of Nigeria delay the opening of their shops and malls until 10:00 AM as opposed to opening even as early as 6 or 7 AM. This gap is meant to allow them to sanitize the surroundings of their domain and put it in order. Sometimes, shop owners take care of their premises, but customers and passersby drop litters such as nylon, paper, and plastic bottles. Regardless of who does that, the litter becomes the responsibility of the shop owner.
There is 75 to 85 percent compliance because of the magistrate’s courts.
Alhaji Akande, says that there is at least 75 to 85 percent compliance because the Chief Judge of Lagos State has allowed the magistrate’s courts to hear environmental matters. Before, environmental matters were referred to and geared at Badagry, a place quite far from Iba. This situation applies to Ojo, Oto Awori, Iba, and their environs. The distance factor in prosecuting offenders had weakened the morale of enforcers and emboldened violators. However, with the re-assignment of environmental matters to the magistrate’s courts, violators now know that prosecuting them has become easier.
He said, “At present, we have been able to control the various areas under our jurisdiction as the law permits us, and I can say there is at least 75 to 85 percent compliance. I am happy about the steps taken by the Chief Judge of Lagos State to allow magistrate courts to hear environmental matters. Environmental matters around Ojo, Oto Awori, Iba and their environs are heard at Badagry but recently, we received a letter directing that our matters should also be heard at the Ojo Magistrates’ Court. Prosecuting environmental matters has now been made easy.”
The Lagos Saturday sanitation curfew has been challenged in court.
In 2015, human rights activist, Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, challenged the Inspector-General of Police and the Lagos State Government in court on the restriction of human movements on the last Saturday of every month, for the purpose of observing environmental sanitation. The last Saturday of every month, Lagos residents were restricted to their homes from 7:00 AM to 10:00 AM to give them time to sanitize their environment. This rule is similar to that of market people, which is observed every Thursday.
Adegboruwa argued at the Federal High Court, Ikoyi, Lagos that that law contradicted the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria which grants all citizens freedom of movement under the fundamental human rights. Hence, federal laws superseded state laws. The court which was presided over by Justice Muhammed Idris, upheld Adegboruwa’s argument and declared that the restriction of citizens’ movement during the monthly Lagos environmental sanitation exercise was unlawful. The justice therefore voided the power of the Lagos State Government and its agents to arrest any citizen found moving between 7:00 AM and 10:00 AM on the last Saturday of every month when the sanitation exercise is observed.
Lagos now among the dirtiest cities in the world.
Despite all these rules and regulations, many tourists and observers have deemed the city of Lagos one of the dirtiest cities in the world. The first reason that this may have occurred is that the rules are just treatment of the symptoms such as dirty environment, clogged drainages, etc. The real problem may be with the attitude of the residents to cleaning their environment and ensuring that it stays clean. This attitude also reflects in their waste disposal methods, consistency in recycling (if any), and avoiding littering the streets.
Related Links
MEWR: Website
The content on AskNigeria.com is given for general information only and does not constitute a professional opinion, and users should seek their own legal/professional advice. There is data available online that lists details, facts and further information not listed in this post, please complete your own investigation into these matters and reach your own conclusion. AskNigeria.com accepts no responsibility for losses from any person acting or refraining from acting as a result of content contained in this website and/or other websites which may be linked to this website. The provided content is given for general information only and does not constitute a professional opinion, and users should seek their own legal/professional advice. AskNigeria.com accepts no responsibility for losses from any person acting or refraining from acting as a result of content contained in this website and/or other websites which may be linked to this website.
Fact Checking Tool – Snopes.com
Sanitation should be done because it bring good health. It good that the court allow the offender to be punish for not sanitating their environment it will make them clean their environment I hope this strategy can be implement in other state also to make environment clean. And for those customer and passing by people general disposal dustbin should be put in each angel of the state so dey can be putting dirty there such as nylon, paper, plastic bottle etc and who ever don’t follow the protocol should be punish according to court
The fact that people don’t do the right thing until a punishment is attached, is the major problem. I mean sanitization shouldn’t just be for those air marked days; it should be a norm. Anyways, it’s good we have up to 85 percent compliance.
Sanitation should be done at least twice in a month, but people don’t do this until they get punished
Sanitation should be done every time sanitation the environment will make the environment clean and they will be no sickness
Sanitation is hygienic we are responsible to make our homes and environment clean. It’s really good that court now justify the violators, with this alot of people will be forced to comply to the sanitary rules either they like it or not.
The sanitary lawbreakers deserve whatever punishment bestowed on them because why will they go about littering the environment??
For us to achieve a clean environment we need to go back to the previous way of environmental sanitation on every last Saturday of the month. It was so effective. This method was adopted by the market people who uses every Thursdays for cleaning their environment in Lagos. No Lagos is dirty.
The government should provide garbage cans in the state where they can dispose of waste products like nylon, paper, and plastic bottles, and anyone who doesn’t comply with this regulation ought to be subject to legal repercussions.
It would be good if there is a law that punishes these people that litter the environment so others would desist from it
There should be laid down guidelines that people should follow in society regarding the cleanliness of our environment. This would help a lot
Even with all of these rules and regulations on sanitation in Lagos, the city is still considered to be one of the dirtiest cities in the world. This is sad
I think the body language of people in government speaks alot to the citizens.When government mean business lots of things follow because I remember during Fashola government, people mentain the status quo because everyone know the repercussion of not doing the right things.
The residents’ lackadaisical approach to maintaining a clean environment and keeping it that way may be the root of the problem.
People don’t really comply with this regular environmental sanitation in Lagos. Some people need to be taught a lesson before they can comply
The amount of people living in Lagos is too much; it won’t be easy for the animation to be controlled. They will need to be very strict about it
Some People in this Lagos are pigs; they don’t know how to properly clean and take care of their surroundings which is terrible. They deserve whatever punishment they get
Sanitation has always been a huge success in Lagos from inception of last Saturdays of the month and being changed to every Thursday for market and shops compliance has been on the high side…but more can Still be done
Sanitation should be done because it reduce disease and others virus
Hmm, so without the fear of being punished people will be littering everywhere. Damn, that’s sad, we need to work on our character
Can’t we all emulate these foreign and advanced countries like Japan and the likes? They don’t litter their roads or anywhere in these places which is suitable for healthy living
This sanitation rule is what help Lagos get clean as it is now. We all should support and be dedicated to this voluntary to get our environment clean. This kind of law should be enforced in other states too, we need to keep Nigeria clean.
Eradicating the act totally will take a long time, especially if recycling is not in place.
But Lagos state government is actually trying in making every where clean.
Once there is a law, and it’s well implemented, people will always obey the rule. The sanitation rule is very important and I’m happy the violators now know they can be prosecuted if they disregard the law
If government can enforce the rule of law in regards to environmental sanitation then people will comply and ensure cleaner environment.
Unfortunately, environmental sanitation no longer hold on Saturday again in Nigeria. In Lagos the market people does theirs every Thursday before market begin by 10 am.
Sanitation is hygienic, important and speaks well about cleanliness People find it difficult to comply with environmental sanitation schedules, rules and regulations, new laws should be imposed and violators should be punished accordingly…
This sanitation rule is what help Lagos get clean We all should support and be dedicated to this voluntary to get our environment clean