Maryland Mayhem: We Need N139m to refurbish 49 damaged buses - Ambode

Ambode

Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos state

AmbodeKazeem Ugbodaga

Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode on Friday said it will cost the State N139 million to refurbish the 49 BRT damaged by hoodlums in Maryland area of the state following the death of a street hawker recently.

The governor, who spoke on a live programme on Television Continental, TVC, on Friday in Lagos, Southwest Nigeria added that following the Maryland mayhem, the government would now aggressively enforce the law against street trading across the state.

The governor, who sympathized with the family of the hawker who was killed, said: “It is not in our DNA to allow someone to just die by road accident or the way it happened in respect of the incident.

But beyond the fact that we lost one person while crossing the road as a result of running from arrest by KAI officials, I need to tell Lagosians that over 49 buses were actually destroyed and it is costing us like almost N139 million to put those buses back on the road.”

Ambode vowed that the state government would enforce the anti-hawking law which imposed a fine of N90,000 or a six month jail term on any hawker caught selling on the road while the buyers would also face the same punishment.

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“The issue is, we need to enforce our laws because we already have a law in respect of that and then there is a clause in it which says the buyer and the seller are both liable and that we are going to fine them either N90, 000 or a six month jail term. What we are doing on traffic is that we are introducing new strategies to eliminate traffic, but Lagos, being a cosmopolitan city, you cannot totally eliminate it; but now this is the case, in the next few days, you will see on the street of Lagos signs that will be warning you that buyers and hawkers should be aware that there will be fine of N90,000 or six months jail term.

“After that, in another one week, you will now see a massive campaign and we will be watching out for buyers and sellers and all we need is just a scapegoat. Don’t buy plantain chips or any other items in traffic from July 1, buyers beware,” he warned.

He said aside the environmental hazards associated with the activities of street traders and hawkers alike, they also pose great security and health risks.

“A whole lot of people who are hawkers, when you check them, I understand from intelligence that there is a cartel. Some people buy fake products and then bring the products in and then give these boys to sell on the street and come back to make returns in the night. So, what I want to advise Lagosians is that most times when you think you are buying something of quality on the road, be rest assured that those things are fake product,” Governor Ambode said.

He, however, said that much as the state government intended to be civil in enforcing the law, some recalcitrant persons tried to subvert the process, hence the need to ensure total compliance with the law.

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