Lagos State Government on Tuesday clarified that contrary to the viral misinformation by some bloggers and commentators, the State does not intend and will not swap the statutory responsibilities of the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps (LAGESC) with any transport union or association.
In a statement signed by the State Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources Mr Tokunbo Wahab, he explained that the recent engagement between Officials of the State Government and some transport union is about how the unions could be more responsive to the state of the environment as it concerns their parks, garages and bus stops.
In his words: “The State Government’s engagement with transport unions is aimed at fostering collaboration, promoting shared responsibility and ensuring improved cleanliness and proper waste management within their respective parks and garages.
He stated emphatically that the Kick Against Indiscipline ( KAI ) or LAGESC, in collaboration with the Lagos State Special Task Force on Environmental and Special Offences remain the duly empowered environmental enforcement arm of the Lagos State Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources and will not abdicate the responsibilities.
The Commissioner in the statement reiterated that the new partnership does not in any way diminish, transfer, replace the enforcement responsibilities of LAGESC and the Task Force.
“Rather, it should be seen as a complimentary initiative designed to strengthen environmental compliance, sanitation standards, and stakeholder participation in maintaining a cleaner environment across the State.
“As we are all aware, several environmental challenges persist within parks, garages, and public transportation ecosystem, including illegal trading activities and the indiscriminate disposes of refuse on road medians, and within transport facilities,” he explained.
While reassuring therefore all Lagosians that environmental cleanliness remains a top priority of the Lagos State Government; he urged them to discountenance the false and mischievous reports.
“We will continue to engage relevant stakeholder and partner in all our collective efforts to build a cleaner, healthy, and more sustainable Lagos,” Wahab emphasized.
Source: @kunle adesina I MOE & WR / X
