Clampdown Begins On Hawkers, Street Trading

The Lagos Environmental Sanitation Corps (LAGESC) is set to commence Operation Zero Tolerance on Street Trading and hawking across the state in a bid to promote healthy environment.

The Corps Marshal of the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps (LAGESC), CP Akinpelu Gbemisola (rtd), kicked off the advocacy campaign yesterday by approaching the President-General, Association of Commodity Women and Men of Nigeria, Mrs. Folashade Tinubu-Ojo.

PRO of the agency, Adebayo Kehinde said they intend to embrace advocacy by liaising with appropriate stakeholders before massive enforcement and implementation.

According to her, “the present administration of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has maintained its administration’s resolve towards a greener and cleaner environment.
“It’s therefore important to seek for the support of your association and members to key into this vision towards ensuring adequate synergy to completely eradicate street trading, hawking, indiscriminate dumping of refuse and other environmental nuisance in Lagos State as it relates to our market places.”

Akinpelu noted with dismay the activities of street traders, displaying of goods on roads setbacks, walkways, hawking on highways which impedes free flow of traffic coupled with littering of dirt on our roads, stressing that these prohibited acts expose traders to hazards like in the case of brake failure among other catalysts of auto accidents.

While appreciating the tremendous contribution of the leadership and members of this body towards the socio-economic development of Lagos State being the commercial nerve centre of the Country and to the growth of the economy at large, the Corps Marshal however appealed to them to ensure proper waste disposal and desist from patronising cart pushers who most times dump refuse into drainages and canals, which causes blockage for free flow of waters.

She urged the members of the association to always avail the agency of relevant information, complaints and suggestions on the activities of the agency or its operatives as well as refuse to offer bribe to any of the operatives.

In her response, Tinubu-Ojo appreciated the Corps Marshal’s intention to sanitise the environment.
She further expressed readiness to partner the agency in the area of advocacy to traders in markets across the state.