The popular Mandate Market, Ilorin was shut down on Thursday by the Kwara State Government over noncompliance with environmental laws of the state.
Mallam Shehu Ndanusa Usman, the state Commissioner for Environment who announced the closure of the market during an inspection visit, said the action was due to the refusal to adhere to several warnings to the market leaders by the Ministry.
“We decided to close the market after several meetings with market leaders and our ministry on the need to strictly adhere to the environmental law fell on deaf ears.
“We have reminded them several times of the need to clean their environment and evacuate the refuse which may cause an outbreak of epidemics. But to our dismay, there is no compliance and this warranted our actions today.
“The action was enough warning to all other markets located in the state at large to desist from violating environmental laws or else the ministry would have no option but to close down defaulting markets,” he said.
Usman reiterated the commitment of the present administration to sustain a clean and hygienic environment to ensure healthy living for Kwara residents.
The market was later reopened after several hours of closure, following the intervention of some stakeholders in the state, with a promise to comply with the government directive.
A market women leader (Iyaloja), Mrs Adenike Lambe, who commented on the development, described it as regrettable that despite several efforts by the government, the environment was unkempt and unclean.
“We have a consultant in the market collecting N1, 000 monthly and there have been a series of meetings between the leadership of the market and government. They (the government) even offered to provide payloaders free of charge. Although the refuse is still there, I think the government just decided to open it for now because of negative implications to the economic situation,” she added.
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