Cholera: Ogun Threatens To Shut Markets Due To Poor Sanitation
In response to the ongoing cholera outbreak, the Ogun State government has issued a warning that it will close any market found lacking in proper waste management and sanitation.
Abayomi Hunye, the Special Adviser and Managing Director of the Ogun State Waste Management Authority delivered this warning during a meeting with the executives and members of the Ogun State Association of Market Men and Women in Abeokuta.
According to a statement on Sunday, Hunye emphasized that the current cholera crisis necessitates rigorous waste disposal practices and overall cleanliness in all markets.
He stated that markets, being central hubs for the purchase of various commodities such as foodstuffs and fruits, must maintain exceptional cleanliness to prevent the spread of infectious diseases like cholera.
Hunye said, “In Ogun State, the government has provided big waste collection bins in most of the markets with some serviced by the PSP Operators, so the traders in various markets have no reason not to properly dispose of their waste.
“However, some of the traders with their market leaders are still dumping their waste in their immediate surroundings, especially in drainage channels, in front of their shops or stalls, thereby blocking them, which will lead to unnecessary erosion when it rains and creates offensive odor in the market space.
“To make matters worse, some markets create illegal dumpsites within their space, especially at the back of the markets, which have become havens for rodents, vectors, and flies that feed and perch on the commodities that they sell to the public.
These illegal dumpsites aside from aiding the spread of diseases also lead to fire outbreaks in markets notably that of Lafenwa Market in Abeokuta months back.
“So the state government will not allow such issues to happen in any of its markets, hence, the need for proper waste disposal as any market found flouting this directive will be shut.”
Hunye called on the market men and women to imbibe the spirit of proper waste disposal in their different markets and cooperate with the Ogun State Waste Management Authority for a clean environment by paying their government-subsidized waste bills as and when due.
