October, 26, 2014 – Lagos State Government has called on residents to imbibe clean habits through regular hand-washing and making sure that their surroundings are clean as part of efforts to avert outbreak of diseases in the state.
Special Adviser to Lagos State Governor on Environment Dr. Taofeek Folami who made the observation at the October edition of the monthly environmental sanitation in Bariga observed that when this is practiced the outbreak of disease would be reduced.
He decried indiscriminate dumping of refuse into the Lagos canals, which he said is hazardous and capable of frustrating attempts to contain the deadly Ebola Virus Disease permanently in the country.
“The reason residents give for the refuse in their canals was that the water current brings the refuse to their community. We know that the refuse do not get into the canals without the human factor. And that was why we have decided to strengthen our advocacy exercise to ensure that residents desist from this act.
“At the moment, some of the canals are under repairs but we have appealed to the residents to desist from dumping of refuse into the canals because when the community gets flooded, it will affect everyone.”
Folami said the state government will send its monitoring team to the councils to ensure that people desist from dumping refuse into the canal.
Also speaking, the Chairman Bariga Local Council Development Area Hon. Sulaimon Akeem said the council is making frantic efforts to keep the areas clean.
“We have a department in our council saddled with the responsibility of ensuring that the drainage and canals in the council are de-silted often. And with the current situation, it is evident that we need to embark on monthly de-silting exercise to avoid flooding in the council.
“But there are some canals that the council does not have the finance and equipment to clean up. Often times, we meet with the Community Development Association, CDAs and Community Development Committee, CDCs to sensitize them on what they needed to do in order to keep the council safe from flood.”
“But what we would be doing is to strengthen our collection exercise. What you all see now showed that there has been improvement in collection and residents are beginning to desist from dumping of refuse into the canal.
“From our inspection of the council during the sanitation exercise, it showed that residents have seen the importance of sanitation exercise. Rather than leave their residents, they now stay at home to participate in the exercise.”
