Officials of the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) and the state’s Environmental Sanitation Corps, in a joint operation, have sealed the Mile 12 International market and the Owode Onirin market over unhygienic conditions and other environmental infractions.
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According to a statement on the official Facebook account of LAWMA, the operation was carried out in the early hours of today, Friday, October 13, on the directives of the Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab.
Wahab noted that, “Conditions in the markets have deteriorated to a point where immediate intervention became inevitable.”
He added that the closure, though a difficult decision, will enable the stakeholders to assess the situation, improve public health and environmental sanity around those axes.
The Commissioner urged traders and customers to prioritise hygiene and sustainable practices in their daily business activities and further hinted that safety audit personnel would be deployed to the market to assess the situation before any consideration for reopening.
He also emphasised that the enforcement action was not an isolated event but part of a broader strategy to instill a culture of cleanliness and compliance with environmental regulations across board for markets within the state.
The LAWMA Managing Director, Dr. Muyiwa Gbadegesin, also noted that the closure was necessary and that the Lagos State Government would not relent in enforcing sanitation and environmental regulations, especially around business facilities.
Gbadegesin urged markets in the state to support government efforts by complying with laws and regulations aimed at making the city cleaner and livable for all.
(C)ControlTV2023.
