LAWMA To Close Ladipo And Oyingbo Marketplaces!

LAWMA To Close Ladipo And Oyingbo Marketplaces!

Two environmental violators are sentenced by a mobile court

The Ladipo and Oyingbo markets will both be closed starting next Thursday until further notice, according to the Lagos Rubbish Management Authority (LAWMA), due to careless waste dumping, unwillingness to pay for waste services, and generally subpar waste management at the markets.

The CEO and Managing Director of LAWMA, Mr. Ibrahim Odumboni, emphasized that despite repeated warnings, the unwholesome environmental activities of vendors in certain marketplaces required quick and appropriate sanctions.

He said: “Our attention has been drawn to the deplorable state of the environment around Ladipo Market, Mushin, and Oyingbo Market, resulting from reckless waste dumping by traders. Despite serving them abatement notices, they have continued the mindless environmental violation. We are left with no other choice than to evoke the necessary sanction of shutting down the markets. This is also meant to serve as a deterrent to other nonchalant markets”.

He said that the authority had, in recent times, redoubled its efforts to ensure that business activities in all Lagos markets were carried out in a clean and safe environment, for the good of all.

Odumboni noted further that: “We have intensified our sanitation efforts by deploying trucks to clear black spots across the metropolis, especially business facilities.

However, these efforts are being tainted by the activities of mischievous persons who would rather dump their waste indiscriminately on the roads, than pay for waste services”.

He warned vendors in other markets to properly follow environmental hygiene regulations or risk having their markets permanently closed.

In a related development, a mobile court in Oshodi sentenced two environmental offenders for burning trash and pouring trash down the drain during rain. Both offenders were detained at the Ikeja and Lekki axes, respectively.

The first offender was sentenced on a two-count charge: one-year imprisonment or a ₦50,000 fine, and one-month imprisonment, without the option of a fine. The second offender was remanded in a correctional facility, pending bail conditions.

The LAWMA director reaffirmed the organization’s commitment to ending all indiscriminate waste disposal in the city, noting that the enforcement team had been tasked with keeping an eye on the surroundings and apprehending anyone trying to thwart the Authority’s efforts to make Lagos more livable and clean.

In order to facilitate easy evacuation by assigned PSPs, he urged residents to develop the habit of effective waste management. He added that residents should report any delays in PSP evacuation using the Authority’s toll-free lines because, if they are discovered, excuses will not be accepted.

Please contact LAWMA at the toll-free lines 07080601020 and 617 if you have any questions about trash management in your area.