Street trading: Ambode wants to “massively enforce” a law he “broke” in 2015
Lagos State’s anti-street trading laws have been in effect since 2003.
On January 16, 2015, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode appeared to have broken that law after he bought boli (roast plantain) from a street trader. Ambode was running for the governor’s office. He needed to appear “street” so his handlers arranged the show, apparently.
On July 1, 2016, Ambode (now governor) appeared on live national TV to announce the state would begin a “massive enforcement” of the law which he appeared to have flouted a little over a year before.
The announcement came after officers of Kick Against Indiscipline (KAI) – a government agency rubbished by allegedly corrupt officers known to demand, and forcefully collect, bribes from street traders – allegedly chased a traffic hawker to death.
The KAI officers were allegedly trying to arrest the hawker for breaking a law Ambode appeared to have broken in the past.
The unfortunate incident caused a violent protest in which suspected traffic hawkers reportedly damaged BRT buses. They thought their colleague was hit by a BRT bus. Lagos State said it was a soft drinks truck.
After the incident, Ambode showed up on TV donning a casual wear no traffic hawker can afford to announce that street traders, as well as those who patronise them, could be locked in jail for 6 months if they can’t afford a N90,000 fine.
Ambode then danced with the female hosts of talk show Your View on TVC.
“The renewed enforcement is in line with Section One of the Lagos State Street Trading and Illegal Market Prohibition Law 2003 which restricts street trading and hawking in the metropolis,” a statement on Ambode’s website now reads.
“Don’t buy plantain chips or any other item in traffic from July 1, buyers beware,” Ambode warned.
But he willfully forgot to note that other sections of the law deals with “real” street trading, not just traffic trading.
According to Steve Ayorinde, the state’s information commissioner, Section 10 of the said law, prescribes a N5000 fine or three months imprisonment upon conviction.
Ayorinde said “street traders”, like the old woman from whom Ambode bought “boli” while campaigning for officer in 2015, “are hereby urged to desist from this illegal activity because the government will not be blackmailed and would do that which is necessary.”
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