Korede Abdullah in Lagos
The Lagos State Ministry of Environment and Water Resources has announced plans to demolish shanties and illegal market structures around the Cele underbridge area.
Commissioner for Environment, Mr. Tokunbo Wahab, made this known on Wednesday after an inspection tour of drainage enforcement at Cele underbridge on Lagos Apapa Oshodi Expressway.
Wahab expressed disappointment at the illegal and criminal activities in the area, describing the markets and shanties as a “menace to society.”
Wahab recalled that the ministry received complaints of illegal activities on the pedestrian bridge and under the bridge last year.
“Criminal activities were going on. So, we had to deploy our enforcement team to come and do a scope, and the feedback was heart-wrenching for the ministry,” he said.
The commissioner noted that the illegal activities went beyond environmental and safety issues, with waste being dumped into the major canal System 6C.
The ministry has served notices to the affected traders and residents, and Wahab hopes they will vacate the area by the weekend.
“Nobody is saying you can’t have your markets. Your markets are for designated places and areas,” he said. However, the commissioner emphasized that the human activities around the environs have contributed to the continuous blockage of the drainage system.
Wahab added that the local government is responsible for building a proper market for the traders. “Gladly, there have been direct allocations from the Federal Government, so they should put up a proper use of the funds,” he said.
The commissioner said he’s confident that the local government will perform its duty and provide a suitable alternative for the traders.
