The Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode has directed the Task Force on Environmental Sanitation and Other Special Offences to commence enforcing the law which restricts street hawking and begging in the metropolis.
The governor gave this order in a statement signed by Mr. Tunji Bello, the Secretary to the State Government on Wednesday, July 8, 2015. He expressed concerns over the fact that street trading have resurfaced in major areas of the state saying that these traders pose a security threat to citizens and also constitute environmental nuisance.
Governor Ambode stated that since there was an existing law against street trading, those interested in conducting business could however seek space in the various modern markets which were redeveloped by the state government to enhance their businesses.
“At the State Security Council Meeting on July 7, it was resolved that the act of street trading that has continued to hamper
free flow of traffic on Lagos roads which further constitutes nuisance and security threat to law abiding citizens will no longer be tolerated”.
“Therefore, street traders and buyers will henceforth be arrested and prosecuted. The Task Force on Environmental Sanitation and Special Offences has been mandated to ensure the Law of the State against street trading is enforced to the letter”, the Governor said.
According to Vanguard, He also state that security operatives have made a resolution to ante up the state’s security operations to ensure the safety of citizens and investors. He also said that citizens ought to stop patronizing the street traders insisting that patronizing them encouraged the traders and in so doing the citizens are aiding and abetting the crime.
He also said that some unscrupulous persons in the state hid under the guise of street begging to rob unsuspecting members of the public. In light of this, he said that efforts were being made to rid the state of destitute and street beggars.
“We’ve had security reports on the activities of persons who pose as beggars, especially in traffic, but their sole aim is to perpetrate evil. We are putting a search light on this trend and one way to do that is to ensure that we take preemptive measures to forestall this development”, the Governor said.
