Be conscious of security threats, Sanwo-Olu tells market leaders

By Lukman Olabiyi

Lagos State First Lady, Dr. (Mrs) Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, has called on market stakeholders in Lagos to be responsive and sensitive to security concerns, stressing that such was important to avert  mishaps.

The First Lady, who spoke at a one-day seminar organised by the Committee of Wives of Lagos State Officials (COWLSO), in collaboration with the Ministry of Local Government and Community Affairs, on “Market Sanitation, Security and Safety for Market Leaders”, in Surulere division of Lagos State, charged the market stakeholders to join up in the system of intelligence gathering, by divulging information on security threats to the appropriate channels.

Reiterating that there must be proper identification of all traders and people trading in the market, she said monitoring and evaluation of security activities in the market “must be a daily affair and, also, in every community. She further charged them to be sensitive to prevent fire outbreaks in the markets.

In his address, the Special Adviser to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Local Government and Community Affairs, Mr. Bolaji Kayode Robert, said organising such programme “consistently over the years is a proof that, with our concerted efforts, making Lagos State a 21st Century Economy is possible.”

He said the seminar addresses the fibre of the state of security and sanity of markets in Lagos State and stressed the need to spread the message across other nooks and crannies of the state.

The State’s Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Mr Tunji Bello, represented by Dr. Hassan Sanu, said with the space limitation of the state, in face of teeming population, it was important for market stakeholders to conduct themselves responsibly, with conscious efforts to manage market sites.

He said it was important for them to imbibe proper waste management, in line with the demands of the recycling system for the green economy initiative of the state.

The Managing Director, Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), Mr. Ibrahim Odumboni, represented by Bola Adewunmi, appreciated the state governor for the support in line with waste management. He called for proper waste sorting and management to make the waste-to-wealth system a reality in the state.