Adegboruwa Urges Sanwo-Olu to Suspend Planned Environmental Sanitation Exercise
Human rights activist and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, has called on the Lagos State Government to immediately suspend the proposed resumption of the monthly environmental sanitation exercise. Adegboruwa argues that restricting residents' movement for the exercise would violate an existing court order and undermine the rule of law.
Legal Grounds for Suspension
Adegboruwa emphasized that the policy was nullified by the Federal High Court in 2015, and the matter remains pending before the Supreme Court of Nigeria. He maintained that the state government cannot lawfully proceed with plans to revive the programme until the appeal is resolved. The lawyer's position is based on a Motion on Notice filed at the Supreme Court registry on July 22, 2024, which seeks an injunction to restrain Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and other respondents from restricting movement on the last Saturday of each month for sanitation purposes.
Details of the Motion
The application, signed by Oluwatosin Adesioye, Deputy Head of Chambers at Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa SAN & Co., lists 15 grounds in support of the request. It also seeks to prevent the arrest or detention of residents for alleged non-compliance with the sanitation policy while the appeal is unresolved. Adegboruwa's call follows recent reports indicating that the Lagos State Government is considering bringing back the exercise, though Governor Sanwo-Olu has reportedly stated that participation would be voluntary rather than enforced.
Historical Context and Court Ruling
The controversy over the sanitation policy dates back to March 16, 2015, when Justice Mohammed Idris of the Federal High Court in Lagos struck down the programme. The court restrained the Nigeria Police Force, including the Inspector-General of Police, from enforcing the policy through arrests of non-compliant residents. Although the Lagos State Government filed an appeal against this ruling, it discontinued the policy amid widespread criticism at the time.
Adegboruwa insisted that any attempt to reintroduce the sanitation exercise in a manner that restricts citizens' movement would constitute a violation of the law until the Supreme Court determines the pending appeal. He urged Governor Sanwo-Olu to respect judicial authority and uphold the principles of justice and legality in governance.
