Babatunji Wusu –
Ladipo Market in Mushin has been ordered to close immediately by the Lagos State Government due to suspected environmental violations, including careless trash disposal, unsanitary conditions, and unpaid garbage bills, among others.
The market will remain closed until the mandatory conditions of redress are satisfied by traders and market stakeholders, according to Mr. Tokunbo Wahab, Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, who issued the closure order early on Friday. He added that it was part of ongoing efforts to foster compliance in markets throughout the state.
Wahab emphasized the vital relevance of environmental cleanliness in markets while discussing the evolution.
According to him, it is crucial that state markets properly abide by the environmental laws and regulations that have been put in place for the sake of the local populace.
No organization, no matter how big or powerful, is above the law, as demonstrated by Ladipo Market’s closure.
According to Wahab, the state government is completely dedicated to working with market stakeholders to support the necessary changes and improvements, enabling them to fulfill necessary environmental requirements. Wahab also added that the market won’t be reopened for business until the standards are reached.
“Ladipo Market, a well-known center for automotive spare parts and related services, has been a focal point for environmental concerns due to various activities that violate established regulations,” the commissioner stated.
The engagement of the Lagos Waste Management Authority, or LAWMA, is an important step toward resolving these problems and bringing the market into conformity.
Dr. Muyiwa Gbadegesin, the managing director of LAWMA, responded by stating that the closure was anticipated to enable a thorough evaluation of the market’s activities’ effects on the environment and the implementation of necessary corrective measures, serving as a clear signal that LAWMA would not hesitate to take decisive actions, where and when environmental laws were flouted.
He said, “It is essential that economic operations are carried out in a sustainable and ecologically responsible manner as Lagos State continues to expand and develop. Recent efforts by LAWMA show the organization’s dedication to this cause.
The next target of the campaign against environmental violations will be unlawful marketplaces, which will continue until order is restored in our markets.
Ladipo Market was shut down after similar measures were taken against Oyingbo, Alayabiagba, Oke-Odo, and some portions of Tejuosho Market for repeated offences.
Gbadegesin emphasized that the decision to close those markets demonstrated the state government’s unshakable dedication to restoring environmental sanity in the state.
The commissioner advised residents to call the LAWMA toll-free numbers 617 and 07080601020 for waste management-related complaints.
