Lagos State government has read the riot act to street traders in the state, especially on the Third Mainland Bridge and Eko Bridge, declaring zero tolerance for street trading in the areas.
Permanent Secretary (PS), Office of Environmental Services, Gaji Omobolaji Tajudeen, in a statement, reiterated that the action was in line with the THEMES Agenda of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to promote a cleaner and more aesthetic environment in Lagos, ensure total enforcement of the environmental sanitation laws, and create a safer state for all.
The acronym, THEMES, stands for Transportation and Traffic Management; Health and Environment; Education and Technology; Making Lagos State a 21st Century Megacity, Entertainment & Tourism; and Security and Governance.
He said it had become imperative to re-sensitise and seek the support of all stakeholders to eradicate street trading and other environmental nuisances.
Tajudeen added that the advance warning is being given to encourage residents who are contravening the law to look for other legal businesses as enforcement agents and agencies will come after them.
He warned that not only will all the wares they hawk and display on major roads be confiscated; anyone apprehended will face prosecution at the mobile courts in line with the State Environmental laws.
He also gave an assurance that the latest enforcement drive against street traders, when commenced, would be a continuous one that would also be sustained.
The PS said as a megacity that is developing into a smart city, Lagos has no place for street traders who not only constitute an eyesore to the aesthetics of the city, expose themselves to hazardous situations; they also constitute a threat to the security of life and property.
According to him, Governor, Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu, has given a go-ahead to the exercise, as many of the street traders are also criminals who masquerade as hawkers to attack unsuspecting motorists.
He said the enforcement exercise will be carried out by a special task force of the Kick Against Indiscipline (KAI) and other enforcement agencies, and they will consistently come after any persons found engaging in prohibited acts such as street trading, indiscriminate dumping of refuse, hawking, and so on.
He also sounded a note of warning to some of the criminally minded ones amongst the street traders who are fond of launching violent attacks on enforcement officers on duty and advised that they comply with all State laws and not prevent authorised agencies from carrying out their tasks.
He advised that adherence to the directive would ensure a cleaner and safer environment for all, as the State will no longer tolerate any act of indiscipline, hooliganism or any act of violence that can disrupt the prevailing peace in the state.
