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Lagos considers laws on environmental sanitation, KIA

By Bertram Nwannekanma
04 May 2021   |   4:08 am
There are indications that the Lagos State Government is planning new laws to address environmental sanitation and the return of Kick Against Indiscipline (KAI).

There are indications that the Lagos State Government is planning new laws to address environmental sanitation and the return of Kick Against Indiscipline (KAI).

Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Mr. Tunji Bello gave the indication while responding to questions on the activities of KAI and other Lagos environmental challenges during 2nd Year of Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu administration’s ministerial press briefing by the ministry.

He stressed that the law establishing KAI was changed to the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps (LAGESC) law, which was signed into law by former Governor Akinwunmi Ambode on March 1, 2017 as part of the broad environmental sanitation reforms in the environment sector.

It was the erstwhile Kick Against Indiscipline (KAI) Brigade that was transformed to LAGESC, which was inaugurated on Friday, June 30, 2017.

Under the new law, LAGESC assumed the status of an Agency under the Ministry of the Environment and was rebranded with new approved uniform kits.

However, with the advent of Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s administration, LAGESC was reverted back to KAI without a corresponding law, while the monthly sanitation exercise was stopped following a court judgment, which outlawed the exercise for not being backed by law.

But, Bello said new laws to cater for the new development are in the offing as a bill would soon be presented to the State‘s House of Assembly for legislative actions.

Bello also gave indication of increased enforcement of its environmental laws, stressing that about 1663 contravening structures were identified in some local councils monitored for contravention of drainage alignments and setbacks while removal has commenced with about 84 per cent completion. 

He also said that the Kick Against Indiscipline (KAI) arrested 2,858 people comprising illegal Traders, Hawkers, Highway crossing defaulters, environmental polluters and cart pushers out of which 294 persons were prosecuted according to the state environmental Laws.

Affirming that the present state’s administration had stabilised and restored confidence to the environment sector, the commissioner said over 30,000 direct new jobs have been created in the environment sector through the Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) with several thousands of indirect as well.

According to him, the period under review has also seen the acquisition of 210 new Compactors by the PSP operators who have also employed over 8,200 people with the number of the PSPs growing from 350 to 437.

He stressed that in line with the THEMES Agenda, waste generation and disposal processes have been reinvigorated through circular waste recycling.

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