Ogun seals market over street trading

The Ogun State Ministry of Environment, on Monday, sealed the popular Panseke Market located in Abeokuta, the state capital over environmental infractions.

The Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Environment and Chairman Taskforce on Environmental Compliance and Enforcement, Farook Akintunde, said the ministry had issued several warnings to the traders, but they failed to comply.

Akintunde explained that while street trading endangers and creates inconvenience for road users, the traders also made use of all the drainages to display their goods .

He said, “Panseke Market had been disregarding all laws and regulations. We conducted a lot of sensitisation, we held stakeholders meeting between the ministry and the heads of the market. We have warned and made them understand the reason why they should not trade on the road.

“They have made use of all the drainages and as a result of that, all the dirts from the market are plunged into the drains and that brings about flood.”

One of the traders who spoke on the condition of anonymity however said that the government is insisting that the market would pay a fine of N2.5m before it could be opened.

He said, “The officials said we are going to pay N2.5m before they will open the market for us. So, as it is now, we don’t even know when this will end, it’s like the market leaders are trying to negotiate with them to see if they can bring the fine down.

“They even seized some people’s goods this morning. Our environment is clean but the only thing I know is because of those selling on the road, walkway”.

Responding, Akintunde said no fine was levied on the market and assured all that the market would be opened once the traders are ready to abide by the law.

Speaking on the goods that were seized, he lamented that despite sealing the market, traders still went ahead to display their wares.

“That is fallacy and absolute damage of character, we have been sealing different markets across Ogun State and I don’t remember once where a market has been fined even up to N500,000.

“Nobody is even talking of penalties for now. The issue on the ground is that there is gross violation on the extant laws on environmental management laws of Ogun State, especially on street trading.

“But as I speak to you, the items have been returned back to the owners so there is nothing with the ministry again.

“The issue of penalty is not the first to come up. When they show up, we will sit down with them to analyse what is on the ground and if they are ready to abide by the laws, we make them sign an agreement that they will not engage in street trading again.

“ If the government deems it fit to impose any fine on them, that is subject to government decision but in most cases, we don’t do that because the market belongs to all of us,” he added

The traders, however, lamented the economic hardship and begged the government to help open the market saying, they are struggling to fend for themselves