As Christians around the world prepare to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ on Christmas Day, the Corps Marshal of the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps (LAGESC), popularly known as KAI, Major Olaniyi Olatunbosun Cole (Rtd), has reiterated the agency’s resolve to intensify monitoring of Lagos environs throughout the festive period to ensure environmental cleanliness across the state.

Major Cole noted that while the Christmas holidays provide an opportunity for merriment, wining and dining, Lagos residents must also adopt environmentally friendly habits.

He stressed the importance of proper refuse disposal, the use of public toilets for defecation and urination, improved cleanliness within residential and commercial buildings, and the responsible use of pedestrian bridges.

According to the Corps Marshal, operatives of the agency deployed across the state will remain at their duty posts throughout the holidays, monitoring environmental infractions on a daily basis. He warned that residents who fail to comply with the state’s environmental laws risk arrest and prosecution.

Cole also issued a stern warning to individuals engaging in open defecation and urination, describing the acts as detrimental to air quality and public health. He urged offenders to desist, stressing that anyone apprehended would face the full weight of the law.

The LAGESC boss further cautioned traders against displaying goods on roads, lay-bys, setbacks, gutter slabs, kerbs, medians and road verges, noting that such practices not only violate environmental regulations but also endanger the lives of the traders.

He concluded by advising Lagos residents travelling during the festive season to remain safety-conscious and make proper use of pedestrian bridges when crossing highways before and after the yuletide.