Sanitation Taskforce Impounds Traders’ Goods In Lagos

The Araromi Oke-Odo
Market Sanitation Task Force has confiscated traders’ goods, worth thousands of naira, for failing to observe the weekly clean-up at the market.
The Chief Task Force Officer, Mr Kazeem Pelepele, told newsmen in Lagos that the goods were seized to ensure total compliance to the cleaning of the markets.
Pelepele said that although the goods were later returned to them after 10.00 a.m, adding that the traders must have learnt their lesson.
He, however, called the attention of the state’s Ministry of the Environment and the Oke-Odo Local Council Development Area (LCDA) to the market drainage, which was not allowing free-flow of water.
“Most traders at the market adhere strictly to the state government’s environmental laws, and we assure everybody concerned that we do sanitation every day, to keep the market clean.
“The major challenge we are having now is the drainage in front of the market, which has plenty of sand and big stones, left behind by the contractor.
“These stones usually stop debris flowing through the drainage to get stuck, and thus hinders the flow of water, making the place so untidy.
“We want the state government and the LCDA to please come and have a look, and then call the contractors to get the stones out because they are too big,’’ Pelepele said.
The Tide reports that the traders and environmental officials attached to the Oke-Odo LCDA were seen removing and clearing debris from the drainage during the exercise.
A Senior Environmental Officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity, advised traders to properly and quickly dispose the refuse generated from the drainage to keep the market environment clean.
Efforts to get the Head of Environment Department, Oke-Odo LCDA, to speak with on the exercise failed, as she was said to be away on environmental duty.
Mr Livinus Njoku, the Chairman, Igbo traders, on behalf of the executives, said that environmental exercise would always be treated with seriousness.
Njoku said that most of the cleaning was done in the early hours, while trading activities were minimised to the barest, to ensure compliance.
The Araromi Oke-Odo market is one of the state’s major markets for yams, potatoes, tomatoes and other vegetables.