LAGOS – Mr Shoyomi Akintoye, a Principal Manager, Technical, Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA), on Friday sought the shutdown of Illepo and Mushin Markets to facilitate clearance of debris.
Akintoye told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that traders dumped refuse in the drainage and culverts along road leading to the two markets.[pro_ad_display_adzone id=”10″]
He spoke while supervising the ongoing cleaning of drains on Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway,
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“The problem we are having on this road is because of this market, we can see that the market is not supposed to extend to the road.[pro_ad_display_adzone id=”10″]
“All their refuse after sales, they leave it there and eventually it got to our drains.
“Sometimes, you see waste basket in the drain, disused tyres in the drain, even yams that they are packing here.
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“What do you think would happen to the drain? It would be blocked especially where we have culverts and to clean open drain is easier but when the refuse is already stuck under the culvert.
“It takes a lot of energy and technicalities before we remove those things.
“It is not that the drain is inadequate but because of this spill over from the market that come to the shoulder of the road and whatever refuse they use would be eventually swept into the drain.
“If the government would take a drastic measure to make these people to comply, they have to close this market maybe for a week or so, call all of them to a round table.
“If the Ministry of Environment can take that drastic measure, it would make them to do the right thing.
“The same thing that is happening here is happening at Mushin, the size of the drain we have there, that place suppose not to be blocked.’’
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He also urged the ministry to increase its awareness campaigns against drainage blockage so as to arrest the situation.
NAN reports that a team of FERMA personnel were striving to evacuate heaps of refuse from drains under the pedestrian bridge at Illepo Market and the Katangua Market. (NAN)