Lagos asks traders to keep off roads

                      

The Lagos State Government on Wednesday warned traders in the habit of displaying their wares on the road for sale beyond the confines of the market thereby causing traffic gridlock and other environmental nuisance to desist forthwith otherwise markets where such illegal activities are perpetrated would be shut down until further notice.

The State Governor, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode, who handed down the warning at a meeting with leaders of Agbado Oke-Odo Market held at Lagos House in Ikeja, said the activities of the traders who were in such habit had reached a level which the State Government could no longer condone, hence the need for a final warning.

The Governor, who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Mr Tunji Bello, said the leaders of markets in the State had been warned and counseled several times on the need to rein in on their market men and women to desist from disturbing others through their trading activities on the roads, but some had become adamant.

He said aside causing avoidable and needless traffic, the traders were also in the habit of dumping their refuse on the road, thereby causing environmental and health hazards.

He said: “This is just to come and deliberate on the Agbado Oke-Odo Market because of the situation there. The market has become a stumbling block particularly to those using the road. The traders have blocked the Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway to the extent that even the contractors working there don’t have place to work because they have taken over the area.

“They cause a lot of traffic gridlock and people coming from Ota or from Abule Egba don’t have the road to connect other areas of the State. We have warned them consistently but we are yet to get any result. That is why we have summoned today’s meeting.

“The meeting is basically to call them to order and give them the last warning. The idea initially was to shut down the market today but the Governor decided that we should give them just one week to put things in order,” Bello said.

He said in as much as the government was not interested in shutting down markets, it would have no choice than to wield the big stick if traders continue constituting themselves as a menace to other road users.