By OLAITAN IDRIS

The Lagos State Government (LASG), on Sunday, has warned Alabarago Market traders of possible closure if they fail to comply with environmental rules of the state within 24 hours.

The Commissioner For Environment and Water Resources, Mr Tokunbo Wahab, said this while speaking with journalists after an inspection of the Alabarago Market and some other areas in the state.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that among the places visited by the commissioner were Idi-Araba and environs as well as Orile-Iganmu.

He said the market was sealed up sometime last year for environmental infractions, adding that there would be a decision taken if they failed to clean up the environment within 24 hours.

?We have been to Alabarago before sometime last year, and we had to seal the market for them to do the right thing.

?Unfortunately, we may have to thread that part, but by tomorrow evening, we will determine if we should or we shouldn?t.

?They now turn the place into a waste system point to dump their waste. They turned the markets, pushed it to the road, and blocked all the drainage system and the alignments.

?They have agreed that they are going to clear everything, and if they don?t by tomorrow evening, we can now take steps to sanction them,? he said.

Earlier, the commissioner, who also took an inspection tour to Idi Araba, witnessed the cart pusher syndicate going on around the environs.

?For Idi-Araba, you know there is a law on environmental management and protection in the state that prohibits cart-pushing.

?For the past few weeks or months, there has been a major enforcement against cart-pushing statewide to enforce the law.

?So, we now had intelligence that this whole cart-pushing thing, there is a syndicate kind of behind it around Idi-Araba, and you saw it yourself.

?We are going to take steps to report to the law enforcement agencies this week about what we found out, and we also believe strongly that we must be very proactive about it.

Wahab also took an inspection tour to Orile-Iganmu to appraise the situation around the place.

?We came to Orile because the other side of this place, there is a system there that gets to flood, and it has been awarded.

?However, that will not be holistically done without looking at this side of the road, which is the side of system five.

?So, we just came to see and appraise it, so the Lagos Waste Management Authority can come in this week and start moving those dirts so that the water can move on fine,? he said.

Speaking on Sallah celebrations, Wahab appealed to Lagosians to take ownership of their environment by being responsible.

?Keep your environment clean during and after Sallah. Contain your waste within your system and let the PSP operators come and cart them away for you.

?Let us celebrate responsibly by taking ownership of our environment,? he said. (NAN)

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