For the third consecutive month, the Lagos State Government (LASG) last May ‘cancelled’ the monthly environmental exercise scheduled to take place on May 30, 2015 between 7am and 10am. Citing the Democracy Day activities as a reason, the former Commissioner for the Environment, Tunji Bello explained that inauguration activities for Governor Akinwunmi Ambode and President Muhammadu Buhari taking place both in Lagos and Abuja would amount to busy flight schedules too. This was the fourth cancellation in as many months in 2015 alone.
The word ‘cancelled’ may amount to misrepresentation of the state’s stance (because the government always claims to remove the restriction of movement) but the reality is that whenever the restriction of movement between 7am and 10am is lifted, the average Lagosian sees it as a cancellation of the sanitation exercise. If in doubt, December 26 this year will (LASG will most likely ‘cancel’ the exercise for Christmas Day celebrations) show what Lagosians do on such days. So, permit me in this article to use ‘cancel’ to semantically translate the free movement of people every last Saturday of the month when the exercise takes place.
In January this year, the exercise was cancelled “to enable the people of the state to collect their Permanent Voters’ Cards (PVCs) from the various INEC offices” in the build-up to the 2015 general elections that had been slated for February 14, 2015. The state then had a poor collection rate of PVCs and it would turn out that the election would be postponed two weeks to the election date.
The general elections took place on March 28, 2015 and there was no need to inform any Tomiwa, Dickson and Haruna that the exercise would be cancelled for that month. April 2015 followed and the LASG cancelled the exercise due to the National Common Entrance Examinations scheduled for April 25, 2015. Same month last year (2014), former Governor Babatunde Fashola cancelled the exercise to “enable students taking part in the Common Entrance Examination travel from their homes to examination centres with ease”.
‘Change’ came in May 2015 and as noted above, the exercise was cancelled. Thursday, 05 June, 2015 was World Environment Day and the Lagos State environmental sanitation served as a topic of discourse amongst numerous topics. From my calculations, the exercise will not hold in at least six months this year, so this raises these questions: is the restriction of movement every last Saturday of the month for sanitation exercise really necessary? Is LASG saving face by not cancelling the exercise permanently? Has Lagos State witnessed dirtier environments within the last three months when the exercise was cancelled thrice in a row?
Ironically, it was the Buhari/Idiagbon military government in 1984 that introduced the sanitation exercise as part of the administration’s ‘War Against Indiscipline’ programme. After several years of military rule, it appears this force majeure toga is difficult to do away with. For the ordinary citizen, s/he wonders why s/he cannot conduct business activities or other personal activities during this time but LASG finds it easy to ‘pave way’ for free movement when the exercise clashes with any of the state’s programmes. For example, the 7th Day Adventists have always cried against government’s pronouncements that infringe on their Saturday worship. Perhaps as a way to challenge this, a lawyer, Ebun-Oluwa Adegboruwa asked a Federal High Court to put a stop to the monthly environmental sanitation exercise because it was illegal and against human rights.
On sanitation days in Lagos, what is common sight around the city is men playing street soccer, residents cleaning their gutters (which is the local government’s duty), residents having street/estate association meetings (since most residents will be at home) among other (non-)related activities. What these show is that you can ‘detain’ people in their houses but you cannot force them to work.
The LASG needs to work more on building principles rather than enforcing rules; this way, a consciousness to continuously maintain a clean environment will be part of the ‘spirit of Lagos’. Even when the residents saw the ‘No Horn Day’ observed last year as a waste of time, such enlightenment campaign to change our culture made quite an impact on the day it was observed. If the restriction of movement of people every last Saturday of the month was the answer to a cleaner Lagos, then we need to ask Akwa Ibom or Cross River States why they have a cleaner environment without such restrictions.
State institutions focused on collection and recycling of waste materials need to be strengthened to cater for the ever-increasing population of Lagos. The personnel at the local governments need to realise that the provision of welfare services in the form of proactively protecting the environment is their duty at the grassroots. As the late Otunba Gadaffi used to say, “Shit business is serious business”. There is a lot to be achieved if the people are aware of the untapped opportunities existing in transforming waste to wealth (this also includes export). For example, several companies recycle used plastic bottles for production. However, the right logistics, infrastructure and processes need to be in place for people to appreciate. When this is achieved, they will even be willing to segregate waste without being prompted.
As a commercial centre, LASG will save money lost to the pause it places on business activities during this period (and even Thursdays for traders). Let us not deceive ourselves, the restriction of movement on the last Saturday of every month is not yielding much environmental effect; it is not needed. The LASG should empower its institutions and embark on a culture re-orientation in the state which will make for an environmentally-’sane’ and greener Lagos. After all, these same Lagosians travel to foreign countries and immediately adapt to the modus operandi in place when it comes to throwing waste, littering and defecating even without being told. Three hours in a month cannot make up for 720 hours in a month. Eko o o ni doti.
Mustafa Yusuf-Adebola
