AgegePulse Magazine
Lagos State Government on Wednesday informed residents that the enabling law to permit the reintroduction of the monthly sanitation exercise is on the way, just as it held a stakeholders' meeting with Association of Commodity Market Women and Men led by the Iyaloja General of Nigeria, Chief Mrs Folasade Tinubu-Ojo.
The State Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Mr. Tunji Bello, who made the disclosure at the stakeholders’ meeting held in Alausa, Ikeja noted that the invalidation of the exercise by a court is a temporary setback to the reintroduction of the exercise.
He said the meeting, which also had the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Mrs. Ronke Odeneye and Managing Director of LAWMA, Dr. Muyiwa Gbadegeshin in attendance, was convened to seek the buy-in of market leaders, women and men on the government's zero-tolerance for indiscriminate dumping of waste.
The Commissioner told the market leaders who had not engaged the services of PSP waste operators to link up with the State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) and do so immediately as well as ensure that no form of waste is dumped on the roads henceforth.
Bello averred that, in conjunction with the appointed PSP waste operators, a point within the market must be identified where all the waste generated should be gathered before being carted away by the PSP operator.
While assuring the market leaders that the State will not hesitate to sanction PSP operators that failed to perform their duties appropriately, he declared that the Government would have no option but to shut any market that proves recalcitrant, harbours refuse or dumps same on the roads.
He also revealed that as a form of motivation, competitions would be re-introduced to recognise and reward markets adjudged as the cleanest.
In her response, the Iyaloja-General, Mrs. Folasade Tinubu-Ojo promised to ensure that market sanitation becomes 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.
