IBADAN/Nigeria: In a bid to tackle the persisting issue of street trading and illegal dumping of waste within the Ibadan metropolis, the Oyo State Government has once again called on street traders to vacate the roads or face sanctions. The warning was delivered today by Mrs. Modupe Adeleye, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, during a sensitization programme with market men and women in Ibadan.
The Oyo State Government is determined to find a lasting solution to the menace posed by street trading and improper waste disposal in the state. Mrs. Adeleye emphasized the need for collaborative efforts among stakeholders in curbing this problem, assuring that the government’s actions were not intended to target individuals unjustly.
Addressing market, community, and transport union leaders, among other stakeholders, Mrs. Adeleye urged them to caution their members against allocating trading spaces on roads and major streets to traders. She stressed that both traders and residents must align with the government’s renewed efforts to curb indiscriminate waste disposal.
The Oyo State Government has already taken significant steps to address this issue by engaging the services of a Waste Management company, Mottainai Recycling Ltd, to tackle refuse disposal and recycling. Mrs. Adeleye highlighted that street trading hampers the free flow of traffic, and the Ministry’s officials are determined to enforce the street trading laws of Oyo State without compromise.
In her appeal to traders, Mrs. Adeleye urged strict adherence to the state’s environmental laws by patronizing the government-approved Waste consultant and its Accredited Franchisees. She made it clear that after the sensitization period, the Ministry would proceed with full enforcement, and anyone found violating the laws would face the consequences as dictated by the environmental laws of the state.
Chief Yekin Abass, the Babaloja General of Oyo State, also added his voice to the call for traders to strictly adhere to environmental laws and put an end to street trading. Speaking on behalf of the traders, Chief Mrs. Victoria Onipede, the Iyaloja of Bodija International Market, and Mrs. Saliu Akanni, the Iyaloja of Eleyele Market, collectively pledged their unwavering support. They promised to regularly monitor their members and ensure strict compliance with the laws of the land. Additionally, they agreed to engage other major stakeholders in the renewed efforts of the Oyo State Government to combat this menace.
The sensitization programme visited various markets, including Bodija International Market, Eleyele Market, and Sango Markets, among others, to reach a wide range of traders and stakeholders.
