Ogun Waste Agency Closes Ijebu-Mushin Market Over Sanitation Violations
The Ogun State Waste Management Authority (OGWAMA) has taken decisive action by shutting down the Ijebu-Mushin market in Ijebu East Local Council. This closure follows repeated failures by traders to maintain a clean and sanitary environment, despite multiple warnings from authorities.
Repeated Warnings Ignored by Traders
According to Farook Akintunde, the Special Adviser to the Governor on OGWAMA, the agency was forced to close the market after traders continued to dump refuse within the market and its surroundings. Akintunde explained that the traders had refused to patronise the Private Sector Participation (PSP) operators assigned for proper waste evacuation, opting instead for indiscriminate disposal methods.
"Despite this, OGWAMA decided to clean the market through mechanical evacuation of their heaps of waste and thereafter provided a Roll On Roll Off Bin for them to deposit their waste for easy evacuation, but they refused to make use of the bin and decided to still dump their waste indiscriminately in the market," Akintunde stated.
Health Risks and Government Stance
Akintunde emphasised that the state government, through OGWAMA, would not tolerate actions that jeopardise public health. He described indiscriminate dumping of refuse as unacceptable, noting that it attracts flies that can contaminate goods meant for public consumption, thereby spreading preventable diseases.
"The state government, through OGWAMA, would not stand by and watch a few traders jeopardise the health and well-being of a flourishing town by operating in an unsanitary environment," he added.
Conditions for Reopening
To reopen the market, traders and their leaders must clean the entire market and adopt proper waste disposal practices by using the provided bins. Akintunde urged compliance to ensure a safe and hygienic trading space.
"Until these are done, the market will remain shut in the overriding public interest," he concluded, underscoring the agency's commitment to enforcing sanitation standards across Ogun State.
