Lagos State governor Akinwunmi Ambode on Wednesday directed the Task Force on Environmental Sanitation and Other Special Offences to ensure enforcement of the law prohibiting street trading and begging in the state.
The governor expressed concern over the return of street trading in major areas of the state in a statement signed by the Secretary to the State Government, Mr Tunji Bello.
The state has a law prohibiting street trading which is believed to constitute environmental nuisance and poses a security threat to residents.
According to the statement, “At the State Security Council meeting on July 7, it was resolved that street trading has continued to hamper free flow of traffic on roads."
“It also constitutes nuisance and security threat to the citizens and will no longer be tolerated, therefore, street traders and buyers will henceforth be arrested and prosecuted."
Those interested in doing business are to seek for space in the various modern markets redeveloped by the state government to enhance business activities.
Residents are therefore urged to discourage the trend by not patronizing street traders, saying doing so indirectly aids and abets the offence.
“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" the statement further said.
“To this end, efforts will be made to rid the state of street beggars. We are putting a search light on this trend and one way to do that is to ensure that we take pre-emptive measures to forestall this development" (NAN)
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