Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State has given all illegal street traders on road setbacks along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, especially Kara, Isheri Warewa axis, a 21- one day ultimatum to vacate.
The governor said if they fail to vacate after 21 days, all the shanties will be demolished for a proper clean – up of the axis.
He said the shanties constitute environmental nuisance, security risk to members of the public, just as they serve as criminal hideouts for street urchins and drug peddlers “who rob innocent citizens of their valuables in broad daylight.”
He also said the clean – up is in preparation for beautification of those setbacks to complement the reconstruction of the Expressway by the federal government.
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Abiodun gave the directive in a message delivered on his behalf by his Commissioner for Environment, Ola Oresanya, during a meeting with community leaders at the palace of Olofin of Isheri, Oba Sulaiman Adekunle Bamgbade in Isheri.
The governor said the state government took the decision to dislodge the street traders and demolish all the shanties to restore environmental sanity after several warnings,abatement notices and other entreatis for them to move to government approved markets failed.
Abiodun added that “their continuous stay in these filthy shanties which they have converted to homes are of hygienic concerns to the government as they practice open defecation which can lead to outbreak of communicable diseases in adjoining communities.”
“So, my government will not wait and allow a small group of individuals in the name of trading which outside approved markets put the safety and health of our decent people at risk,” Abiodun added.
Responding, Oba Bamgbola pledged the commitment of the residents to government’s efforts in ridding the axis of menace of street traders.
He admitted that the shanties are not only posing environmental challenges but are used by criminals to attack innocent residents of the area and other unsuspecting public.
