...Urges all market leaders to ensure that Styrofoam is not distributed or sold in markets
...As Tokunbo Wahab holds meeting on solid waste management with all market leaders.
The Lagos State Government on Friday announced the
commencement of full enforcement of the ban on usage and distribution of
Styrofoam food containers all over the state.
Making the disclosure during a meeting with all market leaders
in the state at the BlueRoof Alausa, Commissioner for the Environment and Water
Resources, Tokunbo Wahab said the enforcement will start across all markets on
Monday.
He added that enforcement officers from LAGESC/KAI,
Environmental Health Officials and LAWMA Police and the Ministry will go after
all those having the styrofoams in their shops, stores or outlets and
confiscate them.
Wahab emphasized that styrofoam usage had caused enough damage to the health of the residents and the state of the environment for so many years and that the government is determined to encourage viable options for Styrofoam containers across the metropolis.
He appealed to market
leaders to be reminded that cleanliness is next to Godliness and as such they
must ensure that a clean environment remains a priority always.
He added that the government is disturbed about the unsanitary
habits in most of the markets across the state hence leading to the recent
closure of some markets across the state.
He explained that government derives no pleasure in closing peoples' businesses,
emphasizing that some markets were sorry because of the challenging
attitude of the markets executives.
He also mentioned that
there were recent reports that government officials were attacked whenever they
visited markets to ascertain the sanitary levels and enforce environmental laws
in the market.
"I will like to appeal to all our traders to desist from selling
on the railway lines and all the roads. Also,we must stop littering our
market with waste. We must segregate our wastes in our respective markets; bag our wastes and
ensure we patronize PSP operators".
He stressed that in a few weeks time, the state government
would commission the Red Rail line that is expected to operate from dusk till
dawn adding that trading activities on the railway lines is very risky and
could lead to loss of lives .
Earlier in his remarks, the Special Adviser on Environment,
Mr. Olakunle Rotimi-Akodu charged market
leaders with the responsibility of ensuring cleanliness in their respective
market places stressing, that selling on the roads should be discouraged by
all.
He added that it had been observed that some illegal markets
now appoint splinter leaders, leader for the main market and another for roadside traders saying this illegal acts must be
discouraged as it is against the environmental laws of the state.
He called on markets leaders to ensure that they have
functional public toilets in their markets to curb menace of open defecation
that can pollute the environment as well as desist from indiscriminate dumping
of refuse in the markets.
Also in his welcome address, the Managing Director, Lagos
Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), Dr. Muyiwa Gbadegeshin noted that the
meeting became necessary to outline the position of government on effective
waste management in all markets, in line with the THEMES plus Agenda of the
present administration.
He recalled that last year, the government embarked on zero
tolerance for filth and indiscriminate waste disposal in markets, road medians,
business facilities and unauthorised locations around the state, saying that
the objective is to make Lagos a clean and healthy city, livable for all.
"I must note
again, that all government's effort in the area of effective waste management,
is to build a people-friendly environment, that guarantees happiness and good
health for all residents", he said.
In her response, the Iyaloja General, Mrs. Folasade Tinubu-Ojo
represented by the Iya-oja, Lagos Island, Mrs. Risikat Abeje Lasisi said that
they will ensure that market sanitation continues as a daily task that all
market leaders will adopt.
She assured that the association was ready to cooperate with the State government to adopt all methods proposed by the government to ensure cleanliness in all markets and its environs.
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