The Ogun State Government has shut down Adatan Market in Abeokuta over environmental violations and illegal roadside trading.
Farouk Akintunde, Special Adviser to the Governor on the Ogun State Environmental Protection Agency (OGEPA) and Chairman of the State Task Force on Environmental Compliance, disclosed this to journalists after an enforcement operation on Tuesday.
According to Akintunde, the market was sealed because traders were indiscriminately dumping waste into drainage channels and displaying their goods along walkways and drainages.
He warned that the government would no longer tolerate disregard for environmental regulations.
“Market traders across Ogun State should take ownership of drainage channels in front of their shops, desilt and clear them to prevent flooding, while they should also note that Thursday of the week has been set aside in Ogun State for markets to observe sanitation which must be strictly adhered to,” he said.
Akintunde revealed that the enforcement and eventual closure of the market followed several months of warnings and engagements with traders which they refused to yield to.
The OGEPA boss noted that the series of enforcement actions underscored the state government’s zero tolerance for environmental pollution and its renewed commitment to keeping the state clean.
Subsequently, Alaga Restaurant along Mercy road, Panseke and Cintinatti Bar in Oke-Ilewo, both in Abeokuta, were also sealed for poor management of waste water, discharged into the environment.
