Pulled from Ebu-Olu Adegboruwa’s facebook wall
The federal high court, Ikoyi, Lagos, presided over by Hon Jus Idris, struck down the monthly environmental sanitation policy of the Lagos State Govt, of keeping citizens indoors, in the name of sanitation.
The court held that there is no law in force in Lagos State, by which any citizen could be kept indoors, compulsorily. The court found that the Constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria, grants freedom of movement to every citizen, and such freedom cannot be taken away by executive proclamation, in the absence of any law to that effect. It found that there is no regulation in force presently, in Lagos State, which authorizes the restriction of movement of citizens, on the last Saturdays of the month, for the purpose of observing environmental sanitation.
I commend the judge, for his forthrightness, for his courage and boldness. This has indeed settled beyond any doubt, that the judiciary is the last hope of the common man. It is a signal to all those in power, across the land, local, state and federal, that the rule of arbitrariness, of impunity and of wanton disregard for peoples’ rights and freedoms, is gradually coming to an end.
When we dare to struggle, then we dare to win. I therefore urge all Nigerians to troop to the courts, to challenge the unchallengeables, to kick off the arbitrary PHCN impositions, all illegal charges and tax impositions and all obnoxious policies wickedly devised by all our rulers.
Together we shall win.
Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa represented the applicant. Jonathan Ogunsanya, chief state counsel, represented Lagos State.
