Era of street trading over in Lagos, KAI Marshal vows

 

…Return monthly environmental sanitation–Participants 

 

By Bose Adelaja

 

CITIZENS COMPASS–THE Corps Marshal, Lagos Environmental Sanitation Corps (LAGESC) otherwise known as Kick Against Indiscipline (KAI), Major Olatunbosun Olaniyi Cole (Rtd), on Thursday, reminded Lagosians that street trading and hawking remain prohibited in the State and the arm of law would catch up with offenders.

He said this at the Lagos Central Senatorial District Stakeholders Meeting organized by the Lagos State Ministry of the Environment & Water Resources in collaboration with LAGESC which was held in Bolade Oshodi.

The Stakeholders meeting consists of market men and women, community leaders, and law enforcement agents among others.

The meeting highlighted the fact that street urchins, transporters and other elements abait street trading but the House unanimously agreed that this should be nipped in the bud.

In his welcome address, the Corps Marshal said the Agency had stepped up activities to reduce street trading and hawking in the State.

He called on offenders to desist or have themselves to be blamed as the Agency would carry out its activities without fear nor favour.

According to him, “We have stepped up daily enforcement operations to reduce the spate of street trading to erring traders and hawkers in the habit of displaying wares for sale in traffic, lay-bys, setbacks, medians, road verges, and kerbs.

“Street Trading and Hawking remain banned according to the State’s environmental laws and as the premier environmental enforcement Agency charged with such mandate, we remain committed.”

Major Cole stressed the importance of good environmental practices adding that over 5,000 offenders have been apprehended across the State, “

As an enforcement Agency, we prosecuted over 5,000 offenders in the last six months which further reinforces our zeal to rid the State of environmental infractions while constantly monitoring Lagos environs on a daily via our operatives to make Lagos habitable for business.

“To make Lagos habitable for business, we must imbibe a culture of positive environmental practices via proper waste disposal by patronising approved PSP operators, prompt payment of waste bills to avoid prosecution, recycling, and regular environmental sanitation to reduce the spate of communicable diseases whilst discouraging pollution of the environment.”

Speaking, the Iyaloja-General of Nigeria, Folasade Tinubu-Ojo, urged the State Government not to give up in the fight against street trading.

Represented by Josephine Onwudiwe Abeni, the Iyaloja of Oluwole Market, Lagos Island, she lamented that street trading had nearly taken over the Island calling on the Government to find a lasting solution to the menace. She said, “Street trading is almost becoming a practice on the Island: From Idumota to Ereko, Martins, Balogun, and other places, street trading is everywhere and this has taken its toll on shop owners.

“The Government should find a lasting solution to this.” She said.

Among the issues raised at the meeting were monthly environmental sanitation, and enforcement of the ban on cart pushers and styrofoam (disposable) packs among others which the Corps Marshal took his time to respond to.

While emphasising the theme for this year’s stakeholders engagement which is “Community Engagement: A Catalyst for Enhancing Environmental Compliance”, he said the State government had “discovered that the voices of stakeholders must be heard, their thoughts must be echoed and there is need to agree on a common goal for the total eradication of environmental nuisances in Lagos.

“When I assumed duty alongside other Deputy Corps Marshals on the 25th of January, 2024, our operatives were able to carry out enforcement operations and conduct a clean-up of all pedestrian bridges in the State. Also important to note, we have made numerous arrests and secured the prosecution of miscreants that converted pedestrian bridges to lay siege on unsuspecting pedestrians which discourage the use of the bridges for safety.”

Still, on street trading, he said, “Since my resumption in January, I have discovered that if you give street traders an inch, they will take a mile. Many of them have migrated from shops to a setback, drainages, walkways, and roadsides.

“My first assignment was to Oshodi and Mushin where we have successfully cleared the walkways.

“The Government is not against legitimate trading but we take undo advantage by indulging in extending our activities to the roadside which the Government frowns at.

“Anytime passersby mistakenly step on your wares, we abuse and rain curses on them. We need to curb such excesses by following the rules.

“For instance, the law forbids trading near the perimeter fencing of schools but I remember enforcement we carried out by the perimeter fencing of Oyewole Primary School in Amuwo-Odofin, where selling of Indian Hemp, local gin, Colorado, and hotel activities were noticed but some stakeholders criticised us.

“Sometimes the students jump the perimeter fencing to patronise these illicit businesses, should we fold our arms and allow illegality to thrive?

“The challenge we are facing is that within 30 minutes of enforcement, the traders usually regroup and return to the roadside. This has happened on several occasions across the State.

Any government official that connives with such illegality should desist.

“All I know is that very soon, roadside trading will be a thing of the past in Lagos State.

“On average, LAGESC apprehends and prosecutes no fewer than 50 traders daily but the challenge is that within a twinkle of an eye, they have returned to the roadside.

“I remember when we carried out enforcement and seized some goods on Admiralty Way, we left for another place, and by the time we returned, the traders had returned to the road. We repeated the enforcement but to our surprise, the traders returned to the roadside with a new set of goods.

“All I know is that nobody can be wiser than the government.” He added.

On the ban of cart pushers in the State, he said, “Some cart pushers steal car engines, generating sets and other valuable items. They indulge in illegal refuse disposal and that is why they were banned in Lagos State but if you are clamouring for their return, I will convey your message to the appropriate quarters.

“If we want a cleaner environment, we must join hands to obey the law so that things will be in order.

“The wheel of justice might be slow but definitely, it will catch up with offenders one day.

“We must desist from bribing enforcement agents, we are the ones causing corruption but we should know that the law prohibits people from offering or taking bribes.”

On monthly environmental sanitation, he said this was stopped, “because somebody challenged this in court but because many residents are clamouring for it, we have experimented with it in three places and we await feedback from stakeholders.

“The government will decide whether to return to the monthly environmental sanitation or look for an alternative to keep the State clean.”

LAGESC Deputy Corps Marshal, Olusegun Osifeso, corroborated his boss saying, If we all agree to do the right thing, we will be free from some problems.

“Transporters, traders, residents, and local governments should not legalise street trading.

“We have lost many of our members to attacks while some others were injured in the process and this was what brought about the stakeholders meeting.

“We are happy that the current management of KAI frowns at illegalities.

“If we all do the right thing, we will get the best results.

“All of us are culpable in this issue of what has turned our environment into the way it is now.

“The issue of cart pushers is what I have known for years, there is nothing wrong with that business but the way it is being run is the problem.”

To the Cart Pushers association, he said, “If you can get yourself organised especially with people you can vouch for, this will be better.

“There was a day we apprehended a scrap dealer who stole the complete engine of a vehicle and we forced him to demonstrate how he single-handedly forced the engine into his cart which he did and it was successful. In other words, many of them tend to steal and that is part of the problem. If we can tidy up what we need to tidy up at our end, it will make enforcement easy.

“Let us all know that KAI came as a response to the needs of market operators and all other environmental issues as the people requested for sanity in the markets unfortunately they no longer cooperate with us the way they ought to because they have migrated from the market and now encroach the road structure thereby constituting nuisance. There is no way the roadside traders will not eat, urinate, and dispose of their wastes and we need to ask them where or how they do this which is a serious question they all must respond to.”

Speaking with Citizens Compass shortly after the meeting, the Iyaloja gave kudos to the Government for enforcing the weekly environmental sanitation in markets but urged the officials to clean up the drainages in various markets.

As per security, she said the traders tax themselves to provide security in the markets.

The Lagos Central District consists of Apapa, Eti-Osa, Lagos Island, Lagos Mainland, and Surulere.

Present at the occasion were Gbenga Babatunde, Head of Enforcement, Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA), Chief (Mrs) Agbeke Adebayo, the Asoju-Oja General, and a host of others.