Lagos council chairmen begin refuse, drainage clearing

Following Governor Akinwunmi Ambode’s charge to the newly elected chairmen of the state’s 57 local councils to ensure a cleaner Lagos in their neighbourhoods, the council bosses of Kosofe, Ikosi-Isheri and Oshodi-Isolo, Afolabi Sofolahan, Abdul Fatai Oyesanya, and Bolaji Ariyoh respectively, have led the charge in clearing drainage, refuse heaps and dumpsites in their domain.

Sofolahan led council members, ward representatives, and community leaders on days of intense environmental sanitation, as the streets, drainage and refuse dumps sites around Oworoshoki, Ifako-Gbagada, Ojota, Mende-Maryland, Anthony and Ogudu, were cleared.

The chairman, in a chat with The Guardian, said the state needs a proper framework to address environmental issues, which is why he has commenced the initiative in his local council to clear the drainage channels in the bid to ensure a clean environment, free from health hazards.

He noted that the failure of the Private Sector Participants (PSP) operators to carry out their duties efficiently, led to the emergence of the Cleaner Lagos Initiative (CLI). “The government did not hijack the job of PSP because they have failed in their duties and if not for the new initiative, we will have a big problem on our hands,” he stressed.

He bemoaned the reckless dumping of refuse in the state by citizens, adding that the council in collaboration with the Lagos State Neighbourhood Corp (LSNC) would apprehend and severely persecute those found dumping refuse illegally, to serve as a deterrent to others.

In the same vein, chairman of Ikosi-Isheri local council, Abdul Oyesanya, urged residents to embrace the CLI environmental initiative, which will be launched by the governor in September. He made this known at a sensitisation campaign on the initiative at Jakande and Mile 12 markets.

The council chairman reminded the traders that government will not hesitate to close down any market that is dirty and as such they must work together as stakeholders to ensure that the surroundings of the markets are in clean state regularly. 

Ariyoh, Oshodi/Isolo local council chairman, reiterated the call on residents to keep their environment clean, during the ‘Clean Up Oshodi/Isolo’ campaign held in major streets in the area. He also used the opportunity to repair some roads in the community.

“We want to lead by examples, if officials of the council can engage in sanitation, we want other residents to emulate us and keep their environment clean,” he said.