wife of Lagos State Governor Mrs. Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu has called on market stakeholders to be responsive and sensitive to security concerns.
Mrs. Sanwo-Olu spoke at a one-day seminar organised by Committee of Wives of Lagos State Officials (COWLSO) on ‘Market Sanitation, Security and Safety for Market Leaders’, in Surulere. She urged them to join intelligence gathering by divulging information of security threats to the appropriate channels.
“… security is everybody’s business, and as market leaders, we must be conscious of security. When we see something … do something to ensure a potential threat is nipped in the bud,” she said.
Reiterating there must be identification of traders, she said monitoring and evaluation of security activities in the market ‘must be a daily affair and in every community’. Mrs. Sanwo-Olu admonished them to be sensitive to prevent fire outbreaks, calling for sanity in markets to meet international standards.
“It is in our interest to imbibe international best practices in administering markets and our environment… a lot of waste is generated from our markets … it is important we reject unhygienic practices, including indiscriminate dumping of waste, blocking of drainages, and street trading, among others, she said.
Special Adviser to the governor on Local Government and Community Affairs Bolaji Robert said organising such programme ‘consistently over the years is a proof that with our efforts, making Lagos State a 21st Century Economy is possible’.
He said: “Vigilance and attention must be paid even to the tiniest detail in our markets, to guarantee safety of lives and property…’’