Majority Leader of the House of Representatives, Hon Femi Gbajabiamila on Saturday urged residents of Lagos State who are in the habit of indiscriminately disposing waste in public places to desist from such act, and rather join hands with the State Government to ensure the success of the Cleaner Lagos Initiative (CLI).
Gbajabiamila, who spoke to newsmen at Lagos House in Alausa, Ikeja when he led the caucus of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the House of Representatives from Lagos State to endorse Governor Akinwunmi Ambode for a second term in office, said it had become expedient to impress it on residents who are always dumping waste on roads and public places to refrain from doing so henceforth to bring about a cleaner and healthier environment.
Since resurgence of waste in public places across the State as a result of the transition to a new comprehensive environmental management policy encapsulated in the Cleaner Lagos Initiative, the State Government and the new operator contracted to implement the CLI, Visionscape Sanitation Solutions have intensified efforts to clear the backlog of refuse across the State in partnership with some Private Sector Participants (PSP) in waste management.
While the arrangement tagged ‘Operation Deep Clean’ has been largely successful, it is, however, experiencing setback as a result of the attitude of some residents who keep dumping waste in public places after evacuation by CLI officials.
Speaking on the development, Gbajabiamila urged the people to support government to make Lagos clean and habitable.
According to him, “In terms of dumping of refuse, that is a problem we have. Governance is about everybody; all of us need to join hands together to make Lagos cleaner. You clear refuse today and by tomorrow, refuse has returned there and government cannot keep up with that.
“My charge to the public is that please as government is trying and making efforts to make this place a more habitable place, we have responsibilities on our part to help the government. This is the time to remind the people of that popular slogan that says ‘change begins with me’, he said.
The lawmaker, who also spoke on the Yoruba Language Preservation and Promotion Bill recently signed into law by Governor Ambode, said the initiative to enact the law was commendable and deserving.
“I think it is a well-thought out and well-intended law. If you look at even our rules in the House of Representatives, you are allowed to communicate subject to permission in your lingua franca or whatever language you choose subject to permission. Whether we like it or not, Yoruba is a lingua franca in Lagos State and Lagos is Southwest and I think we should not forget that.
“Whoever proposed the bill and the members that debated the merits and demerits of the bill have done a good job and I think it is a welcome development,” Gbajabiamila said.
