Posted by The PM News on
The Ikeja Local Government is set to shut down at least 50 shops at the Computer Village for failing to observe the weekly market sanitation exercise.
The Ikeja Local Government is set to shut down at least 50 shops at the Computer Village for failing to observe the weekly market sanitation exercise.
Executive Secretary of the council, Mr. Nurudeen Salami, who visited the Computer Village yesterday to monitor the sanitation exercise, ordered that abatement notices be served owners of the shops for not cleaning the environment.
Sanitary inspectors in the local government immediately carried out the order by serving the defaulters abatement notices, which they were to respond to within three days or face prosecution.
Salami was displeased with what he saw at the Computer Village as some shop owners stayed at home during the exercise in defiant of the state sanitation law.
'Inspection carried out under the Environmental Sanitation Law 2001 has revealed that you have failed to keep your tenement and its surrounding free from filth, rubbish, waste or refuse. In these circumstances, unless you explain within three hours after the service of abatement notice, the provision of the law will be enforced and you will be prosecuted as provided in the sanitation laws,' the abatement notice stated.
According to the Executive Secretary, 'the Computer Village is relatively clean but there is still room for improvement. Some people are reluctant to observe the sanitation exercise and we serve them abatement notices and we will enforce the law.
'A shop offends when it contravenes the sanitation law. Millions of naira are being spent by government in maintaining the environment and some people are acting contrary to the law.'
He added: 'All shops and business enterprises that fail to comply with our sanitation laws will be shut. Ignorance of the law is no excuse. This market sanitation has been on for a long time. Anyone who says he is not aware is saying the contrary. Lagosians should keep their environment clean.'