Lagos Seals Three Buildings for Environmental Violations, Warns Residents to Embrace Cleanliness
At least three buildings have been served abatement notices and subsequently sealed by environmental officials on the directive of the Lagos State Head of Service, Mr. Bode Agoro, during the monitoring of the monthly environmental sanitation exercise in Kosofe Local Government Area.
The affected buildings, located on Olorunfunmi and Sanyaolu streets, were sanctioned for failing to participate in the sanitation exercise and for maintaining filthy surroundings in violation of environmental regulations.
Speaking with journalists at the end of the exercise, Mr. Agoro reaffirmed the Lagos State Government’s commitment to ensuring a cleaner and healthier environment for residents. He said the government would intensify efforts to enforce environmental laws and sustain public sanitation across the state.
He urged residents to embrace the return of the monthly environmental sanitation exercise and to regard regular cleaning of their surroundings as a civic responsibility rather than a burden.
According to him, some residents who deliberately violate environmental laws would never engage in such behaviour while abroad, stressing the need for a change in attitude towards environmental cleanliness.
Reacting to allegations that heaps of refuse in parts of the metropolis were caused by the inefficiency of some Private Sector Participation (PSP) waste operators, the Head of Service said the government was already looking into the matter. He added that available reports also indicated that many residents had failed to pay their waste collection bills, thereby contributing to the challenge.
On the issue of a dilapidated building on Salami Street, Mr. Agoro assured residents that officials of the Ministry of Physical Planning would visit the site during the week to conduct a structural integrity test and take appropriate action based on their findings.
The Head of Service further stated that the government would strengthen public enlightenment campaigns to encourage residents to clean their surroundings daily and actively participate in the environmental sanitation exercise, which is the third to be held since its reintroduction following years of suspension due to legal challenges.
Also speaking, the Chairman of Kosofe Local Government, Mr. Moyosore Ogunlewe, commended residents for their active participation in the exercise. He warned that anyone caught engaging in indiscriminate dumping of refuse would be sanctioned.
He further disclosed that council officials would serve notices on property owners whose structures obstruct drainage channels and would commence enforcement, including the removal of such structures, if the owners failed to comply with the directives.
