The Lagos State Government on Tuesday
said it was now mandatory for occupiers of houses in the state to
beautify the perimeter areas of their buildings.
The government said a violation of this would attract N250, 000 or the
amount the state would incur if it decides to carry out the
beautification, or six months imprisonment or other non-custodian
sentences.
It added that anyone caught felling trees in the state or trimming them
without permission would be fined a minimum of N50, 000 or sent to one
year imprisonment.
Commissioner for the Environment, Mr. Tunji Bello, stated this at the
inauguration of the Lagos State Parks and Gardens Agency at Alausa,
Ikeja.
He said, “It is also an offence to walk on lawns and gardens. Urinating,
defecating in any of the parks, gardens and open spaces; loitering or
soliciting for illegal purposes, smoking and dumping refuse among others
in the parks are also offences.”
The commissioner said the government had demonstrated commitment to
environmental transformation by its massive greening programmes and
would not relent in making the environment more beautiful.
He said the establishment of LASPARK was to create a structure for the
beautification and landscaping of open spaces in the state as government
had done with other agencies like LAWMA and LASAA.
He added that the state’s Parks and Garden Law of 2011 would enable the
agency to function and build on the solid foundation laid by the
Conservative and Ecology Department of the ministry.
He said, “As a matter of fact, we are structuring the state in such a
way that ministries would formulate policies while agencies would
implement and sustain them. We have about 89 agencies in the state and
they are all performing well. Other states in the country are
understudying them.
“LASPARK will maintain and manage all designated parks and gardens;
carry out the general directives and policies of government in respect
of parks and recreation centres among other duties.
“We are going to make the law available so that everybody will know what
is expected of them. But we will not enforce the law now. We will do so
after the traffic law is up and running.”
The General Manager of LASPARK, Olukunle Sotade, said the agency
intended to collaborate with all sectors of the economy to build on the
good foundation of the CE department.
He urged Lagosians to support the agency to succeed by obeying the parks and garden law
#EKO ONI BAJE OH!
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