• Tokunbo Wahab

The Lagos State government declared that environmental sanitation exercise will hold every last Saturday of the month between the hours of 6:30 am and 8:30 am.

In a statement on Wednesday, the Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, confirmed that the exercise is set to resume on Saturday, April 25, 2026, with movement restrictions and enforcement measures in place.

“During this period, there will be controlled movement across the state to allow residents to carry out thorough cleaning of their homes, surroundings and drainage frontages,” he’s said.

He stated that enforcement teams comprising officials of the ministry, Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency, Kick Against Indiscipline, Lagos Waste Management Authority, and local government sanitation inspectors would “conduct physical inspections during and after the sanitation window to ensure compliance.

“Defaulters will be sanctioned in accordance with the Lagos State Environmental Management and Protection Law of 2017,” he warned.

Wahab added that LAWMA intervention trucks will go around to cart away bagged wastes generated during the exercise,” noting that “there will be rewards for the cleanest Local Government Area, Local Council Development Area, and the cleanest street as part of efforts to encourage healthy competition and community participation.”

Following extensive consultations, Kano State Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf has officially nominated Murtala Sule Garo for the position of Deputy Governor, transmitting his name to the State House of Assembly for screening and confirmation.

The nomination, announced Wednesday, April 22, 2026, by the Governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Mustapha Muhammad, fills the vacancy created by the voluntary resignation of former Deputy Governor Comrade Abdussalam Gwarzo on March 27, 2026.

Garo, a former Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, was selected from a list of three nominations submitted by stakeholders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) legacy group, led by former National Chairman, Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje.

The other nominees included Alhassan Rurum and former Secretary to the State Government, Sulaiman Bichi.

The 48-year-old nominee is recognized as a seasoned political administrator with over two decades of experience in elective and appointed positions.

This development follows intense political realignment in the state, aimed at strengthening internal party cohesion and securing effective governance.

The Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) has strongly condemned the recent threat by the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) to sanction broadcast presenters for allegedly airing personal opinions or bullying guests, describing the move as a dangerous assault on press freedom and democratic accountability.

In a press release issued on Tuesday, signed by President Eze Anaba and General Secretary Onuoha Ukeh, the body of editors raised “grave concern” over the NBC’s directive, which warned stations against breaches of the 6th Edition of the Nigeria Broadcasting Code, particularly in news and political programming.

While acknowledging the NBC’s stated goal of improving professional standards, the NGE argued that the commission’s language is “vague and broadly worded,” creating significant room for subjective interpretation and misuse.

“We consider such a move dangerous and injurious to journalism. It amounts to a direct assault on the principles of press freedom, editorial independence and democratic accountability,” the statement read.

“The Guild maintained that the role of journalists is to probe, challenge inconsistencies, and demand accountability, rather than providing a “comfort zone” for public officials. “Democracy does not thrive on timid journalism, but on bold, responsible, and fact-driven interrogation of issues and personalities,” the editors stated.

Warning Ahead of ElectionsWith Nigeria approaching a new election cycle, the NGE warned that the threat of sanctions could weaponize the broadcasting code, encouraging self-censorship and inhibiting the watchdog role of the media.

“This responsibility demands that journalists ask tough, even uncomfortable, questions in the public interest,” the NGE added, vowing that the Nigerian press will not be intimidated in its duty to report without fear or favour.

The Guild urged the regulator to operate with transparency, distinguishing between genuine misconduct and the legitimate exercise of journalistic duty.

The NGE’s stance follows a recent surge in criticism from media rights groups against the NBC’s latest regulatory crackdown.