The Lagos State Ministry of Environment and Water Resources said it will demolish shanties and illegal market structures around the Cele underbridge area of the state.

The Commissioner for Environment, Tokunbo Wahab, said this while speaking with journalists after the inspection tour of drainage enforcement at Cele underbridge on Lagos Apapa Oshodi Expressway on Wednesday.

Mr Wahab, who was dissatisfied with the illegal and criminal activities ongoing around the area, described the markets and shanties as a menace to society.

“Sometime last year, we had several complaints of illegal activities ongoing on the pedestrian bridge and under the bridge. Criminal activities were going on. So, we had to deploy our enforcement team to come and do a scope, and the feedback was heartbreaking for the ministry. The illegal activities were not just about marketing and trading. They had also gone ahead to construct lots of shanties under the bridge.

“It goes beyond environmental and safety issues now, and then their waste was now being dropped into the major canal System 6C around this place,” he said.

He said the ministry did a full scope on the area, adding that the report was disappointing.

“So, when we got the report, we said let us come today. Let us do a full scope of it and I am glad the press team were also here. You saw the magnitude of what we are to contend with.

“Nobody is saying you can’t have your markets. Your markets are for designated places and areas. When you have your market, shanties, or stores built on the drainage or on parts of a channel like system 6C, you leave us with no other option than to tell you to remove everything. They have served notice since last week, so they will do an engagement with them in the next few hours, and hopefully by the weekend they should be able to move,” he said.

The commissioner added that the human activities around the environs contributed to the continuous blockage of the drainage system.

“There are plans this year to put the drainage in shape, but it’s not enough to clear the drainage part and clean it up. It’s about the human activities going on around it. This is a full-fledged market like you just saw, illegally being operated around here, and they dump their waste in the drainage.

“So, even if we clean it up every day and they still go in, dump their waste, and behave badly every day, it’s just so bad,” he said.

On plans to build a proper market for the traders, he said that it was the job of the local government.

The commissioner said that he was sure the local government would perform its duty.

He said, “Gladly, there have been direct allocations from the federal government, so they should make proper use of the funds.’’ 

(NAN)