The Lagos State Government on Sunday dislodged traders and hawkers from Tinubu Square to restore sanity and protect the “Tinubu Monumental Arcade“.
SP Olayinka Egbeyemi, who led the Lagos State Task Force and “Kick against Indiscipline’’ (KAI) operatives in the exercise, said the activities of the traders and hawkers constituted environmental nuisance.
Egbeyemi, who described the street trading and hawking around Tinubu Square as worrisome, said that the agency would strictly implement the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Laws on offenders.
“Many of these monumental arcades are primarily meant to preserve our cultural heritage and to serve as archives for academic research.
“Others were provided just for relaxation and were named after heroes of this country.
“The ‘Tinubu Arcade’ which was re-constructed by the present administration was named after Madam Efunroje Tinubu (1810 – 1887), a female aristocrat and trader during the pre-colonial period in Nigeria.
“Tinubu Monumental Arcade has been seriously abused, with environmental nuisance particularly street traders and hawkers, who by extension block road setbacks and walkways constructed around the arcade.
“We enjoin market leaders across the state to warn traders and hawkers to immediately stop displaying and selling wares around monumental arcades provided by the government,’’ he said.
Egbeyemi advised traders not to extend their trading activities beyond areas the government had designated as markets.
He said anyone arrested selling on road setbacks and walkways across the state would not only have his or her wares confiscated, but also face charges in court.
NAN reports that the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation and Special Offences Unit (Task Force) has been relocated from Ikeja to Multi-purpose Agency complex, Bolade Oshodi, opposite the Arena complex.
The relocation which affected some government agencies was meant to strengthen their operations.
Agencies affected by the relocation include Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), KAI, Nigeria Legion and Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Mobile Courts.(NAN)