Officials from the Lagos State Government have ordered the permanent closure of Itedo Market in the Lekki district after traders there repeatedly ignored guidelines on keeping the area clean and started selling goods along the roadside without approval. The decision came into effect straight away, as part of wider efforts to crack down on such problems in busy trading spots and along key roads.
State environment minister Tokunbo Wahab made the announcement on Saturday morning. Teams carrying out the closure grabbed five people who had broken local regulations during the raid. To make sure no one else tried the same thing and to keep the peace, three police vans were parked nearby for ongoing watch.
Wahab explained that the team moved quickly that day to lock the gates because of constant lapses in care for the surroundings and unauthorised stalls blocking the streets. He pointed out that the five arrests were for clear defiance of the rules in place. With the police vehicles on site, he hoped to stop any more trouble and hold the line against chaos. He made it clear that those in charge in Lagos refuse to let people brush aside protections for the environment or hawk wares where they should not.
The minister went on to say that his team stands firm in their drive to sort out disorder, safeguard everyone’s well-being, and stick to the proper ways of doing things.
This latest step fits into a pattern of tough measures against spots that bend the rules on upkeep and safety. Just a few months back, in April, authorities blocked off 13 trading areas around Ketu and Mile 12 for failing to deal with rubbish as required. Then in June, they halted work at the Oko-Oba slaughterhouse over sloppy methods and harm to the local setting. Similar shutdowns have hit public restrooms and shopping zones for pouring waste into drains illegally or putting up unsafe structures. Earlier that year, in March, Wahab urged sellers at Alabarago Market to clear the mess in a single day or risk the same fate.
1 comment
https://shorturl.fm/3S9zs