Ogun State Government has warned market leaders and traders to desist from indiscriminate waste disposal, saying any market found dumping refuse within its premises risks being shut down.
The warning comes amid growing concerns over the accumulation of refuse and evidence of open defecation along sections of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway within the state.
A visit by our correspondence to the Mowe, Ibafo and Magboro stretches of the expressway on Sunday revealed heaps of waste littering the road median and adjoining roadsides, which have been turned into illegal dumpsites.
At Mowe, decomposing refuse was seen at several points on the median, while traces of human faeces indicated the continued practice of open defecation in the area.
Similar conditions were observed in Ibafo and Magboro, with another illegal refuse dump sighted near Lotto Bus Stop.
Reacting to the situation, a resident, Kunle Olalekan, blamed the state government for what he described as inadequate enforcement of environmental regulations.
He argued that authorities had failed to effectively monitor traders operating along the expressway, allowing indiscriminate waste disposal to persist.
“The Ogun State Government is to be blamed for this eyesore. When you drive through the Lagos section of the expressway, you hardly see this level of indiscriminate dumping, but here in Ogun, refuse is everywhere. The government has not done enough to enforce environmental sanitation laws,” he said.
Another resident, Ugo Chukwu, urged the government to intensify enforcement efforts in markets situated along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway corridor, alleging that traders were responsible for much of the
