The Lagos State Government has charged all residents not to erode the gains already made on the state of the environment with unsanitary acts during the yuletide.
A statement signed by the Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Mr. Tunji Bello, called for utmost cleanliness of the environment and proper waste disposal during the holidays.
Bello said with the increasing cases of the fourth wave of COVID-19, through the Omicron variant of the virus, there is a need for restraint and observance of all safety protocols during the festive period in addition to environmental cleanliness.
He noted that a lot of waste would be generated during the Christmas and New Year celebrations, calling for proper disposal of animal waste as well as sorting and bagging of such refuse while placing them at designated points for pick up by the assigned PSP operators.
The Commissioner assured residents that the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) is ready to respond adequately and promptly by evacuating wastes that may be generated during the period, adding that residents should desist from patronising cart pushers.
Reminding residents to avail themselves of the use of the Citi Monitor App created by the Environment Ministry, Bello called on Lagosians to report any environmental infractions noticed around their areas.
“I want to appeal to all residents to report cases of any black spots/illegal dumpsites promptly. This can be done through the CITI MONITOR APP, available for download on Google Play and Apple Store, to report any environmental infraction”, he said.
The Commissioner explained that the administration of Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu is at the forefront of the campaign for a healthy people, a cleaner and flood-free environment, urging residents to reciprocate the gesture.
He stated that residents should avoid the storage of petrol and other inflammable materials at homes, offices, shops and markets as their storage could aid fire outbreaks, particularly at this time when all objects in the environment are dry and combustible.
While wishing all residents a clean, blessed Christmas and very prosperous New Year in advance, Bello reiterated that continuous demonstration of good sanitation and hygiene practices by all across the State can help contain the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.
