Lagos Seals Markets Over Environmental Offences

The Lagos State Government has shut some markets in the Island Business District due to defiance of a directive issued by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Central Business Districts, Prince Olanrewaju Elegushi, instructing all marketers and street traders to open up blocked access routes and remove shanties as well as makeshift shops built on walkways, roads and streets.

In continuation of efforts to sanitise markets on Lagos Island, the Special Adviser had given a deadline to traders, especially those operating in Berlin and Gbajumo Streets, for extending the frontage of their shops and, therefore, making the roads inaccessible to vehicular traffic.

Speaking during the enforcement exercise, Prince Elegushi noted that the government frowned at non-compliance with its environmental laws and forbade anybody from converting the roads, setback, walkways and entire streets to markets and parking lots.

“This illegality cannot continue, we shall continue to open and clean up streets and roads that have been converted to markets. We will no longer tolerate shanties and extension of shops into the roads” the Special Adviser said.

He said there had been situations where ambulances, firefighters and Police were prevented from getting to emergency scenes on time due to blockage of streets by traders.

“Traders, especially those selling on the streets and walkways, had been warned to remove their extensions and makeshift shops from the roads. The sealing of the markets was fallout from the warning earlier issued. Some of the streets, especially Gbajumo Street, had been taken over and blocked by traders. How can there be rescue operations in emergency cases?” the Special Adviser lamented.

He maintained that the cleanup exercise will be continuous until the aesthetic values and beauty of the Island Business District are restored.