Daily Trust (Abuja)
20 November 2008
Recently the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) authorities announced plans to ban street hawking in Abuja, the nation's capital. The measure was taken because it was seen as creating the chaotic traffic situation that has persisted in the city as hawkers take advantage of the slow pace of movement of vehicles to sell their wares, particularly at major junctions. The hawkers are also blamed for the ...
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This proposal is good on paper but did FCT take into account what social and economic problems this plan would cause to the hapless, hopeless families? A better way to invest the billions of Naira that is been stolen and stashed away to other countries is to use it to create jobs and offer social programs like monthly stipends and healthcare to the needy and elders
The functions of the Ministry of Social and Human Services should include but not limited to catering for less privileged, poor and elders. If this agency was doing its job chances are that there would be no hawkers on the street. The Government cannot fail in its duties and turn around to deny these Nigerians their means of existence. The aftermath would be armed robbery and economic sabotage. The mess the Hawkers leave behind on the street should create jobs for sanitation workers to clean after them and this is how you circulate the capital this is the fact of life until government become sensible and responsible.