The Ayobo-Ipaja Local Council Development Area (LCDA) has urged residents to participate actively in the monthly environmental sanitation exercise, stressing that keeping the environment clean is a collective responsibility.
Mrs Rachel Adebesi, Director of Environmental Health Services in the LCDA, made the call in an interview with the Newsmen during the May sanitation on Saturday in Lagos.
Adebesi said residents’ participation was essential to sustaining a clean and healthy environment.
She said the exercise, which followed the maiden edition held in April, recorded encouraging results, with fewer refuse dumps on road medians and the absence of major black spots across the community.
“We can see improvements compared to previous experiences. The volume of refuse found on road medians has reduced drastically, although the process is gradual.
“Residents participated in the exercise, but we still observed some people moving around during the sanitation period.
“Environmental sanitation is not only the responsibility of the council; it is a collective responsibility. Residents must contribute their quota to ensure a clean environment,” she said.
According to her, refuse collection trucks were deployed across the LCDA’s five wards to evacuate waste generated during the exercise.
She urged residents to continue supporting the initiative, noting that a clean environment had a positive impact on public health.
Also speaking, the Supervisor for Environment and Waste Management in the LCDA, Mr Olabode Okeowo, commended the Lagos State Government for reintroducing the monthly sanitation exercise.
Okeowo also praised Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the LCDA Chairman, Mr Lukman Agbaje, and other stakeholders for supporting the initiative.
“Since the return of the sanitation exercise, activities have been taking place simultaneously across our five wards, covering major and inner roads.
“We encourage residents to remain indoors during the exercise and use the period to clean their surroundings.
“The sanitation period lasts only two hours, from 6:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m., and we are already seeing positive results within the community,” he said.
He added that refuse compactors were deployed to evacuate waste dumped indiscriminately on road medians and other locations.
According to him, the LCDA has also established a task force comprising retired personnel and environmental stakeholders to curb indiscriminate waste disposal.
“Apart from enforcement, we conduct regular sensitisation programmes and periodic reviews.
“On the last Friday of every month, stakeholders attend Community Development Committee meetings to educate landlords and tenants on proper waste disposal practices,” he said.
Mrs Adetayo Ayodele, Councillor representing Ward B and Chairman of the Environment Committee in the LCDA, said residents’ participation was lower than that recorded during the April exercise.
Ayodele, however, attributed the development partly to the festive period and expressed optimism that participation would improve in subsequent exercises.
“We commend residents who came out to participate. Although turnout was lower than in April, the exercise was successfully observed across the community.
“We expect greater participation in the coming months,” she said.
Newsmen report that the exercise was successfully conducted in Ayobo, Baruwa, Ipaja and Agodo-Egbe areas of Alimosho Local Government Area.
