By Our Reporter
The Lagos State Government has reiterated its ban on Styrofoam packs and others across the state, noting that it would soon deploy its officers to mop up the products in existing supermarkets in the state.
The idea top the agenda of the recent meeting between the State Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab and Health Officers from across the state at the Alausa Secretariat, Ikeja, capital of Lagos.
Wahab, our source at the ministry informed, directed environmental health officers across the 20 Local Government Areas and 37 Local Council Development Areas (LCDA’s) in the state to effectively enforce the law visiting supermarkets, retailers, and wholesalers premises to mop up empty Styrofoam food containers and trays for onward transmission to the recycling site at Oshodi.
The Commissioner was quoted saying: ”Styrofoam constituted a menace to Lagos, being a coastal state. Global warming is real and every government need s to put measures in place to mitigate its effects on the environment.”
On the other hand, the state government has declared zero tolerance against all forms of environmental infractions across the state. The government assured members of the public of its intention to probe instances of bribe collection allegations against some officials of the Kick Against Indiscipline (KAI) Corps.
Major Olatubosun Olaniyi Cole (rtd), the new Marshal of the Lagos Environmental Sanitation Corps (LAGESC), commonly known as KAI, announced this measures during a press conference convened earlier in the week at the agency’s headquarters in Oshodi, Lagos.
Cole emphasized the vital role of environmental cleanliness in fostering a healthy and prosperous Lagos, noting that the agency will not tolerate bastardization of the environment in any form from any quarters.
He said since he assumed duty as LAGESC Marshal, the agency has successfully executed enforcement operations and conducted clean up exercise on all pedestrian bridges in the metropolitan Lagos.
“About 56 individuals who misused pedestrian bridges has received jail sentences ranging from three to five months, while 46 other environmental sanitation offenders such as street trading and hawking, were sentenced to community service for violations of the rules,” he said.
On the alleged bribery allegation against men of his agency, the LAGESC boss cited an example of such unauthorized fee collection in Ketu area of Lagos metropolis allegedly linked to the agency.
” In some cases, you will find out that it is not even KAI officers that collects bribe from offenders of environmental laws of the land. We recently apprehended a woman collecting money from law breakers on behalf of LAGESC at Ketu.
” We would investigate the matter of those who’re collecting bribes. I can assure you that once an individual crosses the line, they should face the full wrth of the law,” Cole submitted.
He expressed the agency’s commitment to uphold integrity and ensuring accountability, urging people of Lagos to prioritize environmental hygiene, highlighting adverse effects of unregulated trading activities in public spaces.