Edo Sanitation Efforts’ Vital, But Movement Restrictions Violate Constitutional Rights, By Dr. Dennis Aikoriogie

As someone deeply invested in the future of Edo State, I fully support efforts to ensure cleaner streets, safer environments, and healthier communities. Sanitation is not just a public health duty—it is a civic one. But even good intentions must operate within the boundaries of the law.

What is happening in Edo today—specifically, the monthly sanitation exercise that restricts movement and shuts down markets between 7:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m.—raises serious concerns. Let’s be clear: no one is against cleaning our communities. But doing so by infringing on the constitutional right to free movement is not only unjust—it is unlawful.

The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria guarantees freedom of movement. No agency or arm of government can arbitrarily suspend that right—not even in the name of cleanliness. In fact, the Edo State High Court ruled in 2018 that the legal foundation for these kinds of enforced restrictions was invalid, declaring the Edo State Sanitation and Pollution Law of 2010 unconstitutional. So why are we still repeating the same mistake?

We can have a clean Edo without locking people in their homes or shutting down economic activity. Let people clean. Let environmental officers do their job. But don’t criminalize movement. We can—and must—clean and move at the same time.

I believe the way forward lies not in force or fear, but in civic engagement, public education, and voluntary compliance. People respond better to knowledge than coercion. Sanitation should be a community-driven mission, not a state-imposed lockdown.

I also call on the Edo State House of Assembly to speed up the passage of the new environmental sanitation bill currently under review. A well-crafted legal framework will ensure that sanitation initiatives are not only effective but also constitutional.

Let’s go further—create neighborhood sanitation committees, invest in waste management infrastructure, and offer incentives for community participation. This is how sustainable cleanliness happens: through cooperation, not compulsion.

My position isn’t political—it’s principled. I am not attacking the government; I’m defending the Constitution. A strong society upholds rights even when pursuing noble goals. Sanitation and civil liberty must not be seen as competing interests—they can and should go hand in hand.

To my fellow Edo citizens: sanitation starts with each of us. Our homes, our streets, our marketplaces—we all have a role to play. Let’s take responsibility and lead by example.

In conclusion, I say this:
Environmental sanitation is essential. So is freedom.
We don’t have to choose one over the other. Let us build a clean Edo—legally, respectfully, and together.

Dr. Dennis Osahon Aikoriogie
Edo 2024 Governorship Candidate
Economist & Public Affairs Analyst