By ABIODUN LAWAL

The Ogun State Waste Management Authority (OGWAMA) has closed the Ijebu-Imushin Market in Ijebu East Local Government Area due to poor sanitation and indiscriminate waste disposal.

Speaking during a visit to the market on Tuesday, the Special Adviser to the Governor on OGWAMA, Mr Farook Akintunde, said the closure followed repeated warnings to traders and market leaders to maintain a clean environment.

Akintunde noted that traders failed to patronise the Private Sector Participant (PSP) assigned for proper waste evacuation, opting instead to dump refuse indiscriminately around the market.

He said OGWAMA had earlier carried out mechanical evacuation of accumulated waste and provided a Roll-On/Roll-Off bin for proper disposal.

However, the traders ignored the provision and continued dumping refuse indiscriminately, thereby endangering public health and environmental safety.

Akintunde said that the state government would not allow a few individuals to jeopardise the well-being of residents by operating in a filthy environment.

He urged the traders to clean the market and adopt proper waste disposal practices, warning that failure to comply would prolong the closure.

“Indiscriminate dumping will attract flies, contaminate goods and spread preventable diseases to the public.

“The market will remain shut until necessary sanitation measures are fully implemented in the interest of public health.(NAN)