Daily Independent (Lagos)
Stella Odueme
12 January 2009
Since Sunday January 4, 2009 when over 1,500 shops at the popular Oshodi Market was demolished by the combined team of the state environmental watchdog, Kick Against Indiscipline (KAI) and Lagos State Environmental and Special Offences Enforcement Unit (Task Force), the obviously displaced traders have undoubtedly known no peace.
Indeed the traders returned from the Christmas and New Year holidays to face their worst nightmare in the New Year, 2009.
This is because what many of them referred to as their only means of livelihoods succumbed to the demolition squad of the state government that fateful date. Many of the affected traders have since referred to the demolition exercise as mark of government insensitivity to their plight. And to make the matter worse, many alleged that the state government neither gave them notice nor provided alternative place to carry on their trading activities. Even where an alternative is provided, the traders fail to understand how a **boli** (roasted plantain) seller for instance can afford a stall when the value of all her wares may not be up to N2, 000 on the average. Thus, it has been tales of woes.
"I am a widow with four children. I was in the church when a friend called to tell me about the demolition at Oshodi. I had prayed fervently that my side should be spared. Because I know that was my only means of survival, I rushed down and I was aghast on seeing my tomatoes and peppers, including the yam I bought on credit from my customer afire. Now I do not know what to do. Where do I start?" Mary Idehen asked rhetorically.
"I used to sell crayfish, garri and onions by the railway. I have three children in higher institutions of learning. My husband was retrenched from his work and when there was nothing forth coming, he had to travel back to the village leaving me and the children here to manage. I pay daily to secure the place. Now how do I cope? Lagos State Government is very insensitive," stated Mrs. Chinyere Udoye.
"They neither give us notice nor provide any alternative for us. They just descended on us, leaving us with nothing to live on. In my own case, I am still confused because I cannot afford the high cost of renting a shop. Since the demolition, life has not been the same again; eating is a big problem now. Why do I have to suffer like this?" asked yet another trader, Ramat Ademiluyi.
"I have a wife and children at home, where do they want us to earn our living from? Shops are expensive, government should stop contracting building of shops to operators whose objective is to make gain at the expense of the people," Samuel Ogundare counselled.
Also, babaloja Ifesowapo Textile Dealers Market Association, Lateef Tajudeen appealed to government to have a rethink.
"I was caught off guard because there was no prior notice before the action. I was called at home and I just had to rush to the scene. We appeal to government to help us since the McCarthy/Banjoko where I belong is not on the main road. We have been complying with government directives not to constitute nuisance. Besides, if this kind of thing is to happen, what I expect from government is to provide an alternative place for traders where they can be accommodated with little money. The problem we are having is that whenever government provides such alternative they put millions of naira price tag that the average trader cannot afford and that scares people away since they sell in units," he said, adding, "Look at Awolowo Market, Mushin, I can authentically tell you that 90 percent of those that were selling there before now are off. This is because when they demolished the market and reconstructed it, they put N1million price tag and many traders could not afford it and that has been the practice. The plan of turning Lagos to a mega city is for the benefit of all of us but we should not be subjected to this kind of pains."
Iyaloja, Abibatu Mogagi Mini Market, also in McCarthy Lane, Mrs. Omolabake Banjo said, "We are not on the main road, we are all women, we do not have anybody to help us, we have children in higher institutions. It is through what we get here that we use in feeding our families. Government should please help us, we are more than 300 in that our line alone. It was Oshodi/Isolo Local Government that approved the place for us, we have receipts of payment, and we pay N100 per day.
"Government has not been providing affordable shops and stalls for petty traders. They only build ultra modern markets that are meant for the rich. The result is converting main roads into markets because we have to survive. Now that government wants to clear the streets of 'street trading,' the plight of people like us should be put into consideration," stated Wole Omoniyi, who used to grind tomatoes in Oshodi.
But like a coin with two sides, while the traders are crying wolf, others see the demolition exercise as long overdue, especially as many of the traders were carrying out their businesses right on the road and constituting a real nuisance to motorists and other road users.
"The point remains that while a price must be paid, like in the case of the traders for a befitting Lagos, government must make people-friendly policies that would make life a lot meaningful and easier since there can never be smoke without fire," a concerned Lagosian suggested.
However, Commissioner for Environment, Dr. Muiz Banire, disagreed with the traders when he insisted that before the exercise, the traders were duly served with warning letters while the traders failed to consider the notices.
He maintained that all the demolished structures were illegally built even as he added that alternative stalls have been provided for the traders at Ilasamaja and Awolowo Markets in Odi-Olowo Local Council Development Area. Ironically, it is the same Awolowo Market that one of the traders complained of earlier on.
"We have provided alternative market spaces at Ilasamaja, Ballet area along Oshodi/Apapa Expressway and Awolowo Market in Odi-Olowo," Banire said.
It was gathered that some of the traders pay exorbitant fees to certain people who lay claim to ownership of the area. For instance some affected traders stated that they pay between N1,000 and N1,500 per month to retain their trading points along the road. It was also learnt that most shop owners inside the market also employ service boys and girls who help to display their wares on the road since many owners believe that the roadside market was booming unlike what was obtained inside the market.
According to one of them, Mrs. Bisola Olatunde who was appreciative of government efforts at demolishing the structures, the traders had constituted obstruction to effective business transactions since they usually blocked the road making it very difficult for customers to gain entrance into the main market.
Special Adviser to the governor on Transportation, Mr. Kayode Opeifa, said the State Government has received several complaints from residents about activities of undesirable elements in Oshodi and areas like Iyana-Ipaja and Mushin.
He added that as a responsible government, efforts have to be put in place to ensure that criminals do not continue to have a leeway in attacking innocent citizens and making away with their belongings.
Mr. Opeifa explained that the removal exercise would ensure free flow of traffic from Abule Egba to Ojuelegba in such a way that motorists can drive from Eko Bridge through Agege Motor Road to Sango Otta unhindered.
He added that the exercise would help take congestion away from Ikorodu Road, Maryland and Mobolaji Bank Anthony Way which is presently taking more than a fair share of traffic due to the inaccessibility of the Agege Motor Road.
"There would be no going back on the exercise, as the State Government would restore Oshodi to what it was 20 to 30 years ago," Opeifa said.
Many people seem to cue into government argument due to the level of both environmental degradation and the traffic bottleneck caused by activities of the traders in the demolished market.
"It was high time, because the traders' activities had constituted more pains to motorists and other road users than any good whatsoever. I used to dread having any business in that area due to nature of the place. Government should however be sincere in the provision of alternative for these people that have been rendered jobless by the demolition," noted Mr. John Osadunkwu.
"The demolition exercise is paying off. For the first time, I experience smooth traffic flow in Oshodi. That is commendable but a place, preferably an open space, should be made available for the many traders who have been earning their daily bread through hard work in Oshodi to continue their trading activities," Mrs. Kemi Adewakun said.
Already, demarcation work for perimeter fencing has started in Oshodi, a mark of sustenance on the part of government.
Shortly after the massive demolition exercise which involved over a 100 truck load of KAI Brigade operatives backed by mobile policemen, three tractors and five Black Maria vehicles, KAI Marshall General who is also Special Adviser on Environmental Matters, Capt. Dajunma Maigeri, said the exercise was at the instance of the governor, Babatunde Fashola.
He said the squad had stormed the place at about 3.45a.m. and commenced the operation which by 11 a.m. was still ongoing.
"It is an instruction from the governor to clear Oshodi.You can now see that the place is so wide and very good looking. This shows that the traders had constituted great nuisance here. The rate was quite alarming. We have succeeded in clearing Oshodi," he said even as he read riot act to any trader who dared to come back as well as hoodlums who before the exercise used Oshodi as their haven.
He said that the traders had been notified several times to desist from constituting nuisance before the operation.
"We have been giving notices since the past three months; they never listened because most of them are very stubborn. Even last month a top official came to give yet another verbal warning to no avail and so we did not have any option but to move in here. This total environmental war is a joint effort between KAI and Task Force headed by Pius Suileman. I can assure you that in the next decade, street traders will never come back here. We are ready for them. We will make the place uninhabitable for hoodlums and their cronies," he stated.
Apart from the notice given, Maigeri also noted that the traders have been told to report to their local government chairmen who would give them alternative places to trade.
"The traders are making things difficult for themselves. It is going to be a total war between me and anyone whose mission is to cause environmental nuisance in the state. Don't forget that street trading has been banned by the State Government and we have to adhere to that. Anyone caught would be arrested and prosecuted," he stressed.
On sustainability, he assured that efforts were in place to ensure that the exercise was sustained. He also said that a KAI Battalion would be established in Oshodi to monitor the area.
"After this operation I am going to establish a battalion here permanently so that things can work well," he stated.
He said those in Suru-Orile and along Lagos/Badagry Expressway should get ready for their turn.
"As soon as we establish the cleanness of Oshodi, the next port of call would be Suru-Orile, Alaba-Rago, Mile 2 and along the Lagos/Badargy Expressway. The government has beautiful projects to execute and these projects cannot be established in an unfriendly environmental," he noted.
Chairman of Lagos State Environmental and Special Offences Enforcement Unit (Task Force) Bayo Suleiman also vowed to sustain Oshodi demolition exercise.
He said that any come-back attempt by the traders would be resisted, adding that arrangement had been made for men of the KAI Brigade and Task Force to mount surveillance in the area to prevent any possible return by the traders and hoodlums who had constituted environmental menace before the demolition exercise.
He said the exercise was carried out in line with the vision of the State Government's beautification programme.
A cross section of Lagosians have said that in order to prevent the displaced traders from resorting to crime to make their living, the State Government should provide alternative business location at affordable cost for them in the interest of all residents since **man must wack**.
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