The Lagos State Ministry of Environment has reopened Ebute-Ero Gorodom market after three weeks of closure due to breach of environmental infractions.
The Commissioner For Environment and Water Resources, Mr Tokunbo Wahab, said this in a statement made available to newsmen on Sunday in Lagos.
Wahab gave the order for the reopening of the market after an inspection tour to Lagos Island and environs, especially Oke Arin and Gorodom.
The commissioner sensitised the traders on the dangers of neglecting the environment, urging them to make their surrounding clean.
“Wahab who gave conditions for the reopening of the market, warned the sellers to adhere to the rules, or it would be closed down again.
“Nobody wants to inflict pain on anybody. The government will never want to inflict pain on its citizens.
“But we must be responsible as citizens to play our own roles. When we came and we ordered this enforcement, it was a very tough decision but necessary.
“If you stand on that road now, you can see the alignment yourself. This has not been done for over 10 years because people chose to be irresponsible.
“If you are making money from a place, it behoves you to even take care of that neighbourhood,” he said.
Wahab urged the traders not to think of the money they make alone but to also take care of their environment.
“We shall go around every nooks and crannies of Lagos states, every marketplace where we have our alignments because if there’s a flood, you people will be abusing government.
“You discharge your waste into the public drainage system. We can do better than this. We are not happy that we shut this place down.
“We are concerned about the bigger problem of society. From this place, we can have a major outbreak of cholera, and then it impacts our hospital system.
“Stop pumping your sewage into the drainage alignments. Stop throwing your dirt into the drainage alignments. Stop building on the alignment paths.
“Going forward, there will be an undertaking from each and every one of you that you will take care of your environment beyond your stores,” he said.
Wahab urged the traders to clean the drainage system in the market.
“All your drainage system must be cleaned. There must be a waste paper basket for each store.
“We want your undertaking that you will help us protect this alignment. We want your undertaking to the effect that you will take care of the environment,” he added.
The Iyaoloja, Fausat Ojikutu, represented by Alhaja Basirat Owolewa, thanked the commissioner for reopening the market and assured him that the traders would abide by the rules and regulations.
“We are going to cooperate with all your officers that you send here for one assignment or the other. We can assure you our full cooperation.
“All the marketers have learnt their lessons because it is really hard. We know that some people, if they don’t come to this market in a day, cannot feed themselves.
“Because of this, sir, we use this opportunity to promise you that we will adhere to all the things that you want us to do,” she said.
NAN