Pilex Centre for Civic Education Initiative, a public interest advocacy group, has faulted the directive of the Chairman of the Rivers State Waste Management Agency (RIWAMA) restricting the movement of residents on monthly environmental sanitation days, describing it as unconstitutional and illegal.
Reacting to it, the Centre Director, Courage Nsirimovu, maintained that while the need to keep the environment clean is undisputed, the RIWAMA chairman lacks the legal authority to issue executive orders that limit citizens’ right to free movement.
Pilex Centre drew attention to the landmark case of Faith Okafor vs. Lagos State Government, where the Court of Appeal ruled that restricting movement during environmental sanitation exercises without a written law was unlawful. The court held that such directives could not override citizens’ constitutional right to liberty and freedom of movement.
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Quoting the judgment, Nsirimovu noted: “The respondents conceded that there is no written law restricting the movement of persons on environmental sanitation days. The court declared that such restrictions are unlawful, illegal, and unconstitutional.”
The group urged Rivers residents to freely go about their activities after ensuring their surroundings are clean, suggesting that environmental sanitation could be carried out a day or two earlier without infringing on constitutional rights.
“Keeping our environment clean is in everyone’s interest. However, the Chairman of RIWAMA lacks constitutional powers to restrict the movement of Rivers people on any day for any reason whatsoever.”
