The Lagos government announced the commencement of full enforcement of the ban on Styrofoam food containers, effective tomorrow, Monday, February 19.
Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, made this declaration during a meeting with market leaders over the weekend.
He said enforcement officers from LAGESC/KAI, Environmental Health Officials and LAWMA Police and the ministry will go after everyone having the styrofoams in their shops, stores or outlets and confiscate the products.
Wahab, who restated that styrofoam had caused enough damage to the health of residents, reminded market leaders that cleaniness is next to Godliness and, as such, they must prioritise a clean environment always.
The commissioner restated government does not derive pleasure in shutting businesses, but sad some markets where shut because of the filth following the non-challant attitude of the executives.
He added: “I appeal to all our traders to desist from selling on railway tracks and roads. We must also stop littering our market with waste. We must seperate them, bag and patronise PSP operators.”
Special Adviser to the governor on Environment, Olakunle Rotimi-Akodu, reminded the market leaders that they are responsibile for ensuring cleanliness in their markets, and urged them to discourage road side trading.
He also warned against splinter leadership, saying ‘it’s been observed that some illegal markets now appoint splinter leaders, one for the main market and another for roadside traders. This illegal act must be discouraged as it is against environmental laws’.
Rotimi-Akodu called on market leaders to ensure there functional public toilets in their markets to curb open defecation.
Managing Director of the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) Muyiwa Gbadegeshin said the meeting was necessary to outline the position of government on effective waste management in all markets, in line with the THEMES plus Agenda of the present administration.
The yaloja General, Mrs. Folasade Tinubu-Ojo represented by the Iya-oja, Lagos Island, Mrs. Risikat Lasisi, promised that they will ensure market sanitation continues as a daily task that all market leaders will adopt.
She said the association is ready to cooperate with the government to adopt all methods proposed to ensure cleanliness in all markets and environs.
