The leadership of the automobile market association in Ladipo, Mushin, Lagos, has called on the state government to construct a pedestrian bridge at Toyota Bus Stop along the Apapa-Oshodi Expressway to curb frequent accidents involving traders and customers.
The President-General of the association, Prince Africanus Ogudoro, made the appeal during the market’s quarterly sanitation exercise held at the weekend, reports The Nation.
He lamented that several lives had been lost, while many others sustained injuries while attempting to cross the busy highway, stressing that previous appeals to the government had yet to receive attention.
Ogudoro emphasised that the safety of traders and customers remained a top priority for the association.
He also commended members for their high level of compliance and impressive turnout during the sanitation exercise.
“This is the first sanitation exercise for the year. What makes it significant is that we also observe sanitation every Thursday. It is an important exercise, and it is the responsibility of everyone in Ladipo to maintain a clean and healthy environment. It is already part of our culture to ensure the market remains environmentally friendly for both traders and customers,” he said.
On participation, he added: “As you can see, the turnout is very impressive. People are responding positively to the call to keep the environment clean and conducive. We, as leaders, ensure that our members do the right thing in maintaining cleanliness.
“We can confidently say compliance stands at about 78 per cent.”
The President-General also commended the Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) for its prompt evacuation of refuse within the market, noting that the sanitation exercise would continue into the second quarter.
“It is a quarterly exercise. We must ensure that the environment is always clean and to the best of our knowledge, it is,” he said.
Also, the Chairman of the market’s Environment Committee, Mr Nonso Chufo, scored the cleaning high.
“The authorities of the market, l mean the market executives, held a meeting and approved the sanitation.
“We have total compliance from 7 o’clock to 12 o’clock. Every unit is shut and people are cleaning. And l thank God for the LAWMA. They are doing well here.
“As you can see, they are carting away the refuse.
“Every shop is shut in the over 20 units of the market. Everywhere is clean as you can see. We have accepted to maintain a cleaner Ladipo market, and make it very conducive for our customers.
“We are law-abiding citizens as we obey the state government’s policy. This cleaning is outside the one held on Thursdays, which was fixed by the state government,” he said.
Chufo promised to keep the quarterly cleaning intact.
