Government issues 20-day ultimatum for markets clean up

Lagos State governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, has expressed displeasure with the present state of various markets across the state, and issued a 20-day clean-up exercise to rectify the situation.

The governor instructed leaders of the various markets to prevail on their members to clean up their dirty surroundings or risk closure of their markets.

The directive was issued in Alausa during a stakeholders' forum with market leaders in the 57 local governments and local council development areas of the state.

Governor Ambode, who was represented at the event by Commissioner for the Ministry of Local Government and Community Affairs, Muslim Folami, said the present administration abhors the dumping of refuse on roadsides, medians, bus stops as well as markets, urging market leaders to promptly rid their environment of waste.

He said dumping of refuse within the market environment poses health hazards, discourages customers and residents from patronising stalls within the markets, thereby reducing economic activity within the market environment.

"You have 20 days to clear the refuse in your markets. The State Government would not hesitate to shut down any market that is dirty because we will not be happy to see any market within our metropolis dirty," he stated.

Ambode emphasised that the State Government's resolve to ensure a cleaner and healthier Lagos informed the Cleaner Lagos Initiative and the recruitment of street sweepers across the State.

He urged the market leaders to prioritize the cleanliness of their markets and cooperate with Visionscape officials by ensuring prompt and proper packaging of their waste for easy disposal.

He admonished the market leaders to ensure their members desist from street trading and urged all traders to get shops within the markets so as to ease the flow of traffic and prevent road accidents.

The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Local Government and Community Affairs, Fola Padonu,solicited the support of market leaders to justify the huge resources already committed to the Cleaner Lagos Initiative by the Lagos State Government.

"All markets must be kept clean, the State Government has spent so much on various projects and we want you all to be partakers of these benefits. Work with us to ensure Lagos is cleaner," the Permanent Secretary said.

Cleaner Lagos initiative

The Lagos State government has been under fire in recent weeks for the worsening situation of waste disposal in the state which has been blamed on its new Cleaner Lagos initiative.

The problem has been blamed on the government's sacking of its previous waste collection and disposal company, Private Sector Participation (PSP) for a new company called VisionScape.