The committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR) and some concerned Lagosians have has urged the Federal Government to adopt environment-friendly laws and carry the people along in environmental policy formulation.
They made the call at the monthly stakeholders interactive roundtable organised in collaboration with the Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership.
The roundtable, was held in Ikeja, with the theme: ‘Lagos State Environmental Laws: Implication and Effects on Human and Socioeconomic Rights of the People.”
Speaking at the roundtable, the Director, Public Affairs, Ministry of Environment, Kunle Adeshina said Lagos State had taken bold steps to enact robust environmental laws aimed at safeguarding the rights of its citizens to clean air, safe water, and a healthy environment.
These laws are instruments of social justice, designed to ensure that every individual, regardless of social or economic status, can enjoy their fundamental rights to life, dignity, and well-being,” he said.
He also decried open defecation in the state.
The Deputy Director, Public Affairs, Ministry of Justice, Kayode Oyekanmi, stated that the public must abide by the established environmental laws.
“Every law in society is made to benefit the people. The Lagos State government has placed top priority on human welfare and the rule of law to protect the citizens of the state. It is our responsibility, particularly when it concerns the environment, that we do what we have to do within the ambit of the law to ensure a sustainable environment for generations,” he added.
Also speaking, the Programme Officer, Corporate Accountability and Public Participation in Africa, Gideon Adeyemi, stated that all laws should be made clear to the public by the government.
“The most important role of the citizens is to interrogate every law. The proper formulation of enforcement should be emphasized. The government should carry the people along and explain as much as possible why the laws were enacted. Any law you force on people, then there is something wrong with the law.”
In her remarks, the Chief Legal Officer, Lagos State Waste Management Agency, Adeyemo Oluwabukola, stated that the illegal dumping of waste in the state is caused by the public’s unwillingness to pay for private sector partnerships and urged the public to educate one another on appropriate waste disposal.
“We have over 420 private sector waste collectors in Lagos. During the time of Fashola, we were all complying, but now we have refused to pay the PSP, and that is why we are disposing illegally, and it is what we give to the environment that it gives back. We appeal that we all enlighten our people about proper waste disposal.”
In his opening speech, the national chairman of CDHR, said the round table was crucial to sensitise Lagosians and other stakeholders about government environmental policies and get input, feedback from members of the people.
He said the round table which is a monthly one aimed to focused on wide-range of government policies and programs toward fostering a betterment of society.
Stakeholders and concerned Nigerians is who spoke at the event urged government at all levels to carry the people along in policy formulation and implementation.
They complained about poor service rendered by the waste disposal agency in Lagos State and called for improvement.
