Lagos State Government on Wednesday appealed to Market Leaders and Artisans to make protection of the environment a priority as they go about their daily business activities. The appeal was made by the Honourable Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Mr. Tunji Bello, represented by the Permanent Secretary Office of Environmental Services, Mrs. Aderonke Odeneye at the flag-off of an Environmental Sanitation Advocacy for market leaders and artisans across the three Senatorial Districts of the State. He stated that the sanitation habits of the majority of the people in the informal sector goes a long way in shaping the total cleanliness outlook of the State which informed why the campaign was specifically targeted at them. In his words: "We must stop littering our market and motor parks with waste, we must separate our waste in our respective markets; bag our waste and ensure we patronise PSP operators. It is also important that we stop creating illegal dumpsites on road medians, kerbs, open spaces and road setbacks.” "The State Government is worried about the prevalence of packaging waste such as used plastic bottles, pure water nylon and Styrofoam carelessly disposed of. These waste items will eventually end up blocking the free flow of water and resulting in the flooding", he said. Bello urged Lagosians to embrace the waste to wealth initiative of the State where pet bottles and styrofoam can be sorted in exchange for a stipend, adding that the government is working on a commercially viable option for styrofoams and pet bottles. Assuring the artisans and market leaders, who were well represented, of government’s concern for their wellbeing and wellness, the Commissioner stressed that it is in the interest of all to respect environmental laws as regards waste disposal. He averred that the Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu led administration is committed to achieving a well-organised market, mechanic workshops as well as motor parks, where goods and services are properly displayed, and called for the cooperation of all stakeholders in ensuring that the noble goal is achieved for the sake of the environment and future generations. In his lecture, the Guest Lecturer, Mr. Kolawole Ajanaku charged market leaders with the responsibility of entrenching cleanliness in their respective marketplaces as well as ensure the waste trucks of the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) are on hand to cart away refuse generated daily from designated points in the markets and motor parks. He also enjoined all participants to desist from indiscriminate dumping of refuse, but should complement the efforts of the government by reporting anyone working against the public interest to officials within their neighbourhood. In her response, the Iyaloja-General, Mrs. Folasade Tinubu-Ojo, represented by the Iyaloja, Tejuosho Market, Alhaja Noimot Majek-Fajemiluyi, promised to ensure that market sanitation becomes a daily task that all market leaders will adopt. She also assured that the association is ready to support and cooperate with the State government to adopt all methods proposed by the present administration for cleanliness in all markets and motor parks. Source-lagosstate.gov.ng Image-FB/@followlasg
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