RHODES-VIVOUR CONDEMNS LAGOS MONTHLY SANITATION, CALLS IT ‘PAROCHIAL’, UNIMAGINATIVE
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By ‘Sefiu Ajape
A former Lagos Labour Party governorship candidate and now an African Democratic Congress chieftain, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, has criticised the planned reintroduction of the monthly environmental sanitation exercise in the state, describing the approach as “parochial” and lacking innovation.
Rhodes-Vivour, in a post on X on Friday, reacted to an earlier announcement by the Lagos State Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, who had urged residents to participate in the exercise.
Wahab had announced that the sanitation exercise would hold between 6:30am and 8:30am, calling on residents to take responsibility for keeping their environment clean.
“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,” Wahab said.
He also addressed legal concerns surrounding the exercise, stating, “No court pronouncement has invalidated this exercise. The State proceeded to the Court of Appeal, and judgment was delivered in our favour. The Court affirmed that the laws used for the implementation and enforcement of environmental sanitation are legitimate and constitutional.”
However, Rhodes-Vivour faulted the model, arguing that shutting down a megacity like Lagos does not address the root of the problem.
“Shutting down a city of 20 million people to clean their immediate environment is parochial and lacks imagination,” he wrote.
He added, “For emphasis: the issue is not so much about cleaning your environment (which is great) but the logistics of waste management – starting from the collection, to disposal and recycling.”
According to him, without a systemic overhaul, the exercise would yield little long-term impact.
“Anything short of rethinking this system is cosmetic and unimaginative,” he stated.
Wahab, however, maintained that the exercise had been carefully planned and requires collective responsibility.
“We cannot keep complaining about dirty surroundings and blaming government while shirking our own responsibilities. The care of our environment is a collaborative project between government and citizens,” he said.
He further disclosed that major transport unions had agreed to restrict movement during the sanitation window, adding that exceptions would be made for emergencies and critical activities such as scheduled flights and examinations.
“Tomorrow, let us show Lagos and the world that we are ready to take ownership of our environment. Two hours. One Saturday each month. A cleaner, healthier, flood-free Lagos for all of us,” Wahab added.
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