Mr Ade Ipaye, Lagos State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, on Saturday said the recently introduced Lagos State Parks and Garden Law was not aimed at victimising house owners.
Ipaye, who made the statement ?in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ikeja, said the law was aimed at improving the environment and well-being of residents of the metropolis.
?NAN reports that the new law makes it mandatory for occupiers of houses in the state to beautify the perimeter areas of their buildings.
The law stipulates a fine of N250,000 or six months imprisonment or other non-custodian sentence for violators.
Ipaye explained that the law would complement the beautification efforts of the state government geared toward making Lagos one of the most beautiful mega-cities in the world.
“ This law is not aimed at victimising house owners, it simply means that if you have a house, you must ensure that the lawns are well kept.
?”If there is a gutter in front of the house, it should not become a dumpsite for refuse, which is the practice in some houses now.
?”As a responsible government, we will not fold our hands to watch our people being killed as a result of malaria, cholera, diarrhoea and other diseases associated with living in an unclean environment,” he said.
The attorney-general explained that the penalty imposed on offenders was not harsh as being claimed by some critics of the law.
?He said “the N250,000 fine was the maximum amount an offender could be fined for violating the law.
“This simply means that the judge or magistrate can fine the person any amount within that range.
“The same applies for the six months imprisonment but it is only those who are planning to violate the law that should be worried because we are not going to victimise anybody,” t he commissioner said. (NAN)