Lagos State Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, has expressed disagreement with 2023 Labour Party governorship candidate Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour (GRV) over the resumption of the monthly environmental sanitation exercise. In a post on his X account on Friday, Wahab reminded Lagosians that the exercise would commence on Saturday, April 25, 2026, from 6:30am to 8:30am.
Wahab's Call for Participation
Wahab urged residents to participate actively, stating: “Tomorrow morning between 6:30am and 8:30am, we begin a new chapter in our collective journey toward a cleaner Lagos. The monthly environmental sanitation exercise returns, and I am calling on every resident to come out and participate actively.” He clarified that no court ruling had invalidated the exercise, as the state appealed and won. He emphasized that the laws used for enforcement are legitimate and constitutional.
Exceptions and Logistics
Wahab noted that major transport unions controlling about 90% of vehicles have pledged not to deploy vehicles during the sanitation window. Exceptions exist for emergencies, scheduled flights, and students writing JAMB exams. LAWMA has been mobilized to evacuate waste, and environmental health officers will monitor properties, issuing abatement notices to defaulters.
GRV's Criticism
Reacting, GRV expressed displeasure, saying: “Shutting down a city of 20 million people to clean their immediate environment is parochial and lacks imagination. The issue is not cleaning but waste management logistics—collection, disposal, and recycling. Anything short of rethinking this system is cosmetic.”
Wahab's Response
Wahab respectfully disagreed, stating that the government is not shutting down the city but asking residents to dedicate 120 minutes once a month to clean their surroundings. He said: “That is not a shutdown; that is taking responsibility.” He highlighted structural changes, including banning single-use plastics, converting Olusosun landfill to energy, deploying biogas facilities, partnering with Lafarge for waste-to-resource, and empowering innovators.
Wahab added: “No system of waste management will succeed if citizens refuse basic responsibility. You cannot complain about flooding while dumping refuse in drains. You cannot demand a cleaner city while sweeping waste into the road.” He explained that the sanitation exercise complements systemic reform and rebuilds a culture of environmental stewardship. He welcomed objective criticism but noted that dismissing the exercise without offering alternatives does not move the state forward.
