By Moses Nosike

In commemoration of the International World Clean-Up Day, the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) Mushin Local Branch, in collaboration with Mushin Local Government, Ladipo Central Executive Auto Dealers Association (a.k.a LACEC), Mushin To The World Foundation, Mushin Lions Club, Bauh Bon, LAWMA, The Muslim Congress, InnovateMushin and others organised a comprehensive clean-up exercise at Ladipo International Auto Spare Parts Market few days ago.

Speaking on the objective and achievements of the clean-up exercise, the Coordinator, National Youth Council of Nigeria, Mushin Local Branch, Comrade Oredola Olusoji, said, “we carried out a clean-up exercise in commemoration of the UN World Environmental Day which took place on September 16.

In Lagos state, Thursdays have been set aside for clean-up exercise. So this year, we organised a clean-up exercise in Ladipo market and we were delighted that it attracted majority of the people who came out and joined us. We had the Baba-Oloja of Ladipo International Market, the Eze-Ndigbo of Mushin and Odi-olowo, and the youths responded to the clean-up exercise. The exercise was supported by the Executive Chairman, Mushin Local Government Area, Hon. Emmanuel Olanrewaju Bamgboye”.

According to Oredola, “from the turn out, we have been able to lay another legacy, and also sensitise the people the essence of keeping the market clean, which is also part of our achievement in this environment. So if it continues this way, it will promote a good environment for business transactions, and further attract waste recycling companies for recycling business”.

He said, “I’m happy because the Ladipo market we used to know has improved in terms of cleanliness unlike some other markets in Lagos. So what we have done in this clean-up exercise will go a long way in promoting a healthy environment because our target is not only markets but the entire community”.

The Programme Planning Committee Chairman, Comrade Agboola Azeez, said, “Since we keyed into this programme, we have been doing it for years now. This is season 4, and this year’s clean-up exercise was in grand style because we decided to pick a significant part of our community for the exercise, which is Ladipo international Spare Parts market”.

Azeez said that the reason for choosing the market was not far-fetched. 

He said, “Ladipo market which is in our community has been in the bad news of being shut down from time to time. So we decided to take our fate in our hands to change the narrative, to go into the market to sensitise the traders on the importance of cleanliness. Again, we let them know that business does not thrive where there is inconsistency. It is important to teach them to key into the agenda of the state government, which implies environmental sustainability practices. It is good for them to clean the market environment so that everything will go on smoothly, to avoid Lawma or the ministry of environment coming to disturb them”.