By Joan Odafe

The traditional ruler of Ikate Kingdom, Lagos State, Oba Saheed Elegushi, has called on the state government to reinstate the suspended monthly environmental sanitation to help restore hygiene and security in communities.

Elegushi made the call during an event to commemorate the upcoming World Environment Day on Wednesday in Lagos.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the event was organised by the Oba Saheed Elegushi Foundation.

The programme, which is part of the foundation’s Green Mission initiative, is with the theme, ‘Community Clean-Up Initiative’.

The traditional ruler, while expressing concerns over the growing disregard for public cleanliness warned that the current neglect of communal spaces was worsening hygiene and weakening neighbourhood security across the state.

“There used to be a monthly sanitation every last Saturday for everybody to partake in the cleanliness of their environment.

“Even apart from the sanitation, it goes a long way, it also makes us know our neighbours.

“In terms of security, you know people that live next to you, next building to yours.”

The traditional ruler urged the government to consider appealing the judgment that stopped the exercise, adding that many Nigerians have since retreated into individual care for only their personal spaces.

Elegushi further urged Nigerians, not only the Ikate-Elegushi community and Lagos residents, to take matters of hygiene seriously, and not just concentrate on their individual environment alone.

“As residents, once every month, we should be coming out to clean our environment,” he said.

The coordinator for the ‘World Environment Day Clean-Up’ for the foundation, Mr Temidayo Farinu, said the event was aimed at creating awareness pollution.

Farinu said the initiative was also aimed at involving the community, to ensure that the people adopt a sense of accountability toward the environment.

“Waste is one of the challenges in Lagos; the situation of flooding that we do have sometimes is occasioned by maybe blocking of the water channels and the drains,” he said.

NAN also reports that about 70 volunteers, including Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), went into the community to clean up gutters and streets.

LAWMA and Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) collaborated with the foundation to ensure the success of the project. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Folasade Adeniran