The Ogun State Government has warned market leaders and traders against indiscriminate waste disposal, cautioning that markets found dumping refuse within their premises risk closure.
The warning comes as heaps of refuse and signs of open defecation have taken over sections of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway within the state.
The PUNCH correspondent, who monitored activities along the Mowe, Ibafo and Magboro sections of the expressway on Sunday, observed that the median and parts of the roadsides had been turned into illegal dumpsites.
At the Mowe section of the expressway, the median was littered with decomposing refuse dumped at different points, while human faeces were also sighted, indicating persistent open defecation in the area.
Similar scenes were observed along the Ibafo and Magboro sections, while another illegal dumpsite was seen by the roadside at Lotto Bus Stop.
Speaking with our correspondent, a resident, Kunle Olalekan, blamed the Ogun State Government for what he described as a regulatory failure in curbing indiscriminate waste disposal.
He said the government had not done enough to monitor the activities of traders operating along the expressway, adding that the situation had worsened over time.
Olalekan said, “The Ogun State Government is to be blamed for this eyesore. When you pass through the Lagos section of this expressway, you won’t see anything like this, but here in Ogun, everywhere is littered with waste.
“The government has failed in its oversight responsibility of ensuring that illegal dumping of refuse is curbed.”
Another resident, Ugo Chukwu, said the government needed to extend its enforcement efforts to traders and markets located along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway corridor.
“We cannot shy away from the fact that most of the refuse is being dumped by traders in markets located along the expressway.
“At Mowe, you will see heaps of corn husks dumped on the median, yet the traders selling the commodity are located just a short distance away.
“We keep wondering how the refuse gets there. The government must extend its enforcement to these markets,” he said.
Meanwhile, the state government on Sunday warned that any market found guilty of dumping refuse within its premises would be shut down.
According to a statement made available to The PUNCH, the Special Adviser to the Governor and Managing Director of the Ogun State Waste Management Authority, Farouk Akintunde, issued the warning after the evacuation of long-standing waste deposits at the Farmers’ Market, Solu Road, Ifo, and Mamu Market in Ifo and Ijebu North Local Government Areas.
Akintunde said the practice by some market leaders of dumping refuse within market premises instead of disposing of it at designated collection points for evacuation by government-licensed waste collectors posed serious environmental and public health risks.
“These heaps of waste expose food items sold in these markets to avoidable contamination, which could lead to food poisoning and other health challenges, thereby exposing residents of the state to preventable diseases.
“Markets should operate in a clean environment with proper waste management and not become havens for illegal waste dumps because they are public places where we all buy what we consume.
“Exposing what we consume to waste is not acceptable and will not be tolerated under any guise whatsoever.
“The state government will, therefore, not fold its arms and allow a few market leaders and traders to expose our food items to avoidable health hazards because of their careless attitude towards waste evacuation from their markets,” Akintunde said.
He warned the leadership of the two markets to ensure proper sanitation and coordinate their members to maintain cleanliness, adding that any return to the old practice would result in the closure of the affected markets in the overriding public interest.
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