.. Market leaders blame internal division for environmental pollution
Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), on Thursday refrained from shutting down Ladipo International Auto spare parts Market for environmental pollution, following improved waste management.
The agency, however, promised to keep a close watch on traders at the market.
LAWMA’s Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Ibrahim Odumboni, had last week, said Ladipo and Oyingbo markets would be shut down till further notice over reckless waste dumping, refusal to pay for waste services, and general poor waste management.
But after meetings and consultations by the management of Ladipo market, the agency decided to give the traders another opportunity to turn a new leaf.
Team leader, LAWMA, Olawale Olamilekan, who led a team to monitor the cleaning exercise by the traders yesterday, said: “We decided to give them another chance after holding meetings with the leaders of the market. We monitored and joined them in the exercise. We will keep a close watch on them and monitor them.
“We took three trucks of dirt away from here already and we will take out more. We will be visiting the market every Thursday.
Reacting, the Secretary of the market, Onyeka Igwe said: “We thank God that the market was not locked. The way forward is to abide by what we were told and maintain the market better.
“We will try our best to ensure that there is no burning of waste, but you know the peculiarity of this market, but we will try our best. We have an environmental monitoring team, and I am one of them.
“There is a lot of politics in Ladipo market. So, we can only do our best. Assuming there was no division in the market or divide and rule tactics, we will not have this problem.”
