Lagos traders pledge commitment to weekly environmental sanitation
NAN-AE-5
Sanitation
By Chidinma Agu
Lagos, Nov. 10, 2016 (NAN) Traders in some major markets in Lagos on Thursday expressed their commitment to the weekly compulsory sanitation.
Some of the traders in Kosofe, Lagos Mainland and Lagos Island Local Government Areas, gave this assurance in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.
One of the traders at Idumota, Mr Gbenga Dada, said that cleaning the markets and its environs had been part of their daily activities every Thursday.
“We are committed to this exercise and every Thursday you see traders busy cleaning up the whole area.
“November is critical because the year is coming to an end and we do not want any delay in opening our shops once the exercise ends by 10 o’clock,’’ he said.
Alhaji Buba Shinkafi, a yam seller at Mile 12 market, said that the traders attached importance to Thursday sanitation as it gave them opportunity to sweep and keep the market clean.
“We all have prepared for the end of year sales and any delay in opening up for business at the end of the exercise will not be good for business at this period.
“We have been doing sanitation every Thursday but getting to the end of year it is always a serious business,’’ he said.
At Ketu Market, a fruit seller, Mr Usman Dada, said that traders in the market took Thursday sanitation serious whether the beginning, middle or end of the month or year.
“Traders in Jakande-Ikosi market have always shown high level of commitment to Thursday sanitation in the state.
“You know that we have running issues with the state government on the market environment because of its location and we do not want the issue to escalate.
“As such, Thursday clean up had always been a serious business for us here.
“We do whatever within our means to ensure that the market and its environs are kept clean for trading activities,’’ he said.
Meanwhile, the Lagos State Commissioner for The Environment, Dr Babatunde Adejare, had earlier said that the state government was working towards ensuring that markets are sectorised.
According to him, the idea is to achieve well-organised markets where sellers, goods and services of similar products will be in a particular place.
“This will eliminate the belief and tendency that it is when goods are sold on the streets and on setbacks that selling can be achieved,’’ Adejare said.
He said that no one was permitted to convert the roads, medians, set-backs and walkways into shops and markets.
The commissioners warned that eliminating hawking and street trading should form part of the weekly exercise in the state.
He added that the activities of street traders and hawkers were degrading the environment. (NAN)
ACA/FF/AFA
Edited by Fela Fashoro/Felix Ajide
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