Cleanliness, they say, is next to godliness. However that is not the case at the popular Odopetu Market in Akure the Ondo state capital as traders display their goods in front of refuse heaps, posing serious outbreak of epidemic in the state capital.
Odopetu Market is behind the popular commercial car park along Arakale road in Akure and has now become a dump site as without no attention paid to it by the Ondo state government through the waste management authority.
When Roving Reporters visited the market, traders were seen selling in front of the smelly heaps of waste.
It was gathered that the waste has been mounting for a few years without any attempt by the authority to evacuate it while the waterway has been blocked by the refuse heaps, while some residents feared the development could lead to flooding if nothing is done to evacuate the waste.
In an interview with Roving Reporters the iyaloja of Odopetu, Mrs Adeola Abiola said traders in the market had made efforts to ensure that the waste was evacuated but All efforts were not successful.
Mrs Abiola said officials of the state waste management authority had visited the dump site with a promise of coming back to evacuate, adding that they later claimed there was no space for their vehicle to operate within the market.
She accused residents of Odopetu community as well as traders from the major market of being guilty of dumping refuse in the space over the years.
The Iyaloja urged the state government to help evacuate the refuse to avoid outbreak of diseases in the community.
Also speaking, the Iyalaje of Odopetu, Chief Mrs Florence Adeniyi who confirmed that it has been over four years that the people had been using the space as dump site, urged the state government to help the traders by evacuating the refuse.
Reacting, Chairman of the Ondo State Waste Management Authority, Mrs Olayinka Alabi described as unfortunate a situation whereby Odopetu traders blocked the canal with waste and felt comfortable selling in front of refuse heaps.
Mrs Alabi however stated that those responsible for dumping waste on the waterway and the market would have to pay before any evacuation could take place.
Alabi said, “I have asked officials of the waste management authority to inspect and come up with the amount it will cost the traders to evacuate the refuse because they have to pay.
“They are supposed to have their own waste containers to avoid this ugly development but once they have decided to block the whole canal, they will have to pay.
“Unfortunately too, we are faced with the challenge of getting access to that place and that is what we are trying to do but it will cost them money because it is not government that would pay for the evacuation.
“They generated the the waste, they must take responsibility by paying. Other residents pay for waste disposal so the traders too must do the needful.
“They have created a big mess in that market and they should look inwards and understand the health implications too.”
