Monday 4 July 2016

OPINION: LAGOS STATE GOVERNMENT SHOULD PROVIDE PALLATIVE MEASURES BEFORE HAWKING IS BANNED - OLAJIDE

Prior to the Lagos State street Trading and illegal Market Prohibition Law 2003 which restricts street trading ad hawking in the metropolis, The Lagos State Government found it necessary  to move for  the enforcement of this Act with effect from July 1, 2016.

The state Government has pointed out intention for this new and needful development which includes curbing loss of lives of residents in the city to  road accidents, it was recorded recently that a street hawker was knocked down by an articulated truck while trying to evade arrest from officials of Kick Against Indiscipline along Maryland Bus stop which regrettably led to the destruction of public assets which included 49 buses which cost the government up to about N139m to put them back on the road.

This law however holds both the hawker and buyer liable of the offence and if guilty, the punishment translates to payment of N90, 000 fine or face six months jail term.

However, there have been reactions from members of the public on this latest development which is seen to be harsh and not necessary especially in times like this in a nation when an average Nigerian can barely feed three times a day. As good as the law seems on paper and with its intentions clearly stated by the State Government, it has more economic impacts on the lives of the common Lagos resident who hawks and engages in street trading to make a living. These low income earners the state government has effectually evicted are the spine of Lagos' commercial reputation as the population of street hawkers in Lagos state is recorded and tentatively put at over 2million according to Aso Radio Abuja.

The enforcement of this law would mean that over 2million Lagosians will be cut off economically as they will have to do without a source of income, sadly most of these low income earners are breadwinners of their respective homes, this means many homes with children will have to go to bed hungry every day, this in short will increase poverty rate in the city. While the state boasts of the highest internally Generated Revenue in Nigeria, the petty traders who may not pay direct tax are able to get some items to the end user, faster than the retailer in a shop, or the buyer can manage given the difficulty of going in and out of an organized market, this cannot be overlooked and the disadvantages cannot be over-emphasized.

By default, Lagos State already has to its credit the highest crime rate in Nigeria with incidents of sophisticated robberies which has led to deaths of innocent citizens and law enforcement officials.

Lagos state has its youth population estimated at almost 12million according to indexMundi. Therefore, banning street hawking without an alternative or palliative measures for our teeming youths will only add more bodies to the crime pool as the youths will be forced to try dubious or other criminal means to make a living.
Since democracy is about the people, Government should be responsive to their needs in a way that does not aggravate their bad conditions.

Let's take a glance at Kaduna where the state government towed the same line with its ban on beggars without considering the effect on the people directly affected, the case with government in this part of the world is placing the cart before the horse. Governments at Federal and state levels don't consider putting alternatives in place for the people before rolling out policies that further puts them in pains and hardship.

Also, the case of subsidy removal where the Federal Government moved to end the policy without first putting into consideration the effect on the bulk of Nigerians living below poverty line by providing an alternative, Ambode's ban on street hawking without clearing up traffic, and providing affordable alternatives for the people is a clear case of placing the cart before the horse and enforcement of that policy can be regarded as anti-people.

Prior to the implementation of the ban, It appears obviously that proper planning  was not considered, despite the effort of the government trying to save lives by preventing road accidents and going for aesthetics in the city, the policy is rather seen as a reactive one rather than the much needed proactive one, the question is, is the Lagos state Government ready to jail 2million Lagosians if they fail to pay N90,000?

It's not too late for the State Government to take a second look at the ban and have a rethink about its adverse effects on lives of millions of residents of the state.

Lagos State Government can therefore, firstly, consider embarking on empowerment programs that will engage youths actively in a vocation or careers, this will involve training and supporting them to start up. This can be done in phases to avoid biting more than they can chew. Programs like that will reduce numbers of youths and kids hawking on the road.

Also, some people have devoted their entire lives to trading and it's how they can survive and supply daily needs to customers, hence, the State Government should provide modern and organized markets either at subsidized  or affordable rates so that the petty trader can afford to exhibit his/her goods where they can be bought.

The state Governor should also look into the proposed Lagos Employment Trust Fund with 25 billion. Through an access to finance of a minimum of 1billion naira annually across the five divisions in the state which is one of the items of manifesto during campaign which was intended to allow unemployed people to have access to adequate finance for entrepreneurial ventures, unemployed people will be empowered to grow their businesses and make a living.

When all these must have been achieved, the implementation and the enforcement of the ban on street hawing and trading can take its course and that will not be seen as a policy that is anti-People.

Olajide Oladayo is an activist and a renowned social media commentator.

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