For the thousands of traders at the popular Oshodi, Sunday, January 4, 2009 will remain indelible in their memories for a long time. It was the day the combined team of the state environmental watchdog, Kick Against Indiscipline (KAI), and Lagos State Environmental and Special Offences Enforcement Unit (Task Force) decided to not only dislodge them but also ensure that they do not in anyway make a come back to one of the most busiest points in terms of commercial activities in the state.

With over 100 truck loads of KAI Brigade men backed up by mobile policemen, three tractors and five Black Maria vehicles, one do not need a soothsayer that the government this time is determined to ensure that Oshodi market known for all manner of atrocities ranging from human and vehicular traffic, street trading and crimes is cleansed of these negative tendencies to assume a more befitting area fit for the planned Mega City status.

It was indeed a massive demolition exercise right from the Bolade Junction down to the overhead bridge extending to the point where vehicles access Mushin from the Apapa/Oshodi expressway axis along the Agege Motor Road. Tongues of fire caught all the shanties, kiosks and makeshift tables and chairs that have been constituting hindrance to the people and vehicles movement in the area, as black thick covered the entire area, spewing flames as residents watched unbelievably. The spectacle sent shivers down the spines of the traders, some of whom gathered and looked perplexed to bemoan their ordeals.

The railway area was not left out, as a major war on street trading and environmental nuisance was declared on Oshodi. Some of the traders got wind of what had befallen them and made frantic efforts to save some of their stalls, but all that was too late.

Already, Oshodi is assuming a different look devoid of its usual filth and narrow road that made motorists to sweat profusely having been overtaken by traders and reckless commercial drivers. The road is now wide that one would marvel at the sanity in the area, which was hindered by environmental nuisances that the area was formerly subjected.

The traders are however crying foul that their means of livelihood have been destroyed.

KAI Marshall General, who is also Special Adviser to the Governor on Environmental Matters, Capt. Danjuma Meigeri (rtd), said the exercise was at the instance of Governor, Babatunde Fashola.

He said his team stormed the place at about 3.45am and commenced the operation, which by 11 am was still ongoing. "It is an instruction from the governor to clear Oshodi.You can now see that the place is so wide and very good-looking. This shows that the traders have constituted great nuisance here; the rate is quite alarming. We have succeeded in clearing Oshodi. We came here by 4.15 this morning," he said, even as he read riot act to any trader who dares to come back as well as hoodlums who before the exercise used Oshodi as their domain.

He said the traders had been notified several times to desist from constituting nuisance before embarking on the operation. "We have been giving notices since the past three months. They never listened because most of them are very stubborn. Even last month, a top official came to give yet another verbal warning to no avail and so we did not have any option but to move in here. This total environmental war is a joint effort between KAI and Task Force headed by Pius Suileman. I can assure you that in the next decade, street traders will never come back here. We are ready for them. We will make the place inhabitable for hoodlums and their cronies," he vowed.

Apart from the notice, Meigeri also noted that the traders had been told to report to their local government chairmen who would give them alternative places to trade.

"The traders are making things difficult for themselves. It is going to be a total war between anyone and I. Their mission is to cause environmental nuisance in the state. Don't forget that street trading has been banned by the state government and we have to adhere to that. Anyone caught would be arrested and prosecuted," he stressed.

On sustainability of the action, he assured that efforts were in place to ensure that the exercise is sustained. He also said that a KAI Battalion would be established in Oshodi to monitor the area.

"After this operation, I am going to establish a battalion here permanently so that things can work well," he stated, adding that those in Suru-Orile and along Lagos/Badagry expressway should get set for the task force's visit to the area.

"As soon as we establish the cleanliness ofOshodi, the next point of call would be Suru-Orile, Alaba-Rago, Mile 2 and along the Lagos/Badargy expressway because the government has beautiful projects to execute and these projects cannot be established in an unfriendly environment," he noted.

Also speaking on the development, the Public Relations Officer of the task force, Mrs. Asagba Adetayo, said the operation actually started on January 2, 2009 at Apongbon and Balogun parts of the state.

"Right after the exercise, we put in place enforcement officials to go ahead and do a 24-hour vigilance there and that is exactly what is going to happen here in Oshodi. We are not just going to clear it and sit back, we are also going to make sure that the operation is sustained. The Ministry of the Environment is going to come in to beautify the place and there is going to be a vigilance team; CBD, KAI would be in place here. With this kind of massive operation, which we are so passionate about, I can assure you that the traders cannot come back again. As for the fencing off of the place, that is left for the Ministry of the Environment, but I am sure that something would be done about it," she stated.

However, the traders, who looked dumbfounded, are counting their losses.

One of them, Samuel Ogundare, who watched what used to be his shop razed, lamented that shops are out of the reach of an average trader.

"I have a wife and children at home, where do they want us to earn our living? Shops are expensive, government should stop contracting building of shops to operators whose main objective is to make profits at the expense of the people," he appealed.

Also, Babaloja Ifesowapo Textile Dealers Market Association, Lateef Tajudeen, appealed to the government to have a rethink.

"I was caught off guard because there was no prior notice before today. I was called at home and I just have to rush here. We appeal to the government to help us since the MaCarthy /Banjoko where I belong is not on the main road. We have been complying with government's directive not to constitute nuisance. Besides, if this kind of thing is to happen, what I expect from the government is to provide an alternative place for traders where they can be accommodated with little money. The problem we are having is that whenever government provides such alternative, they put millions of naira price tag that the average trader cannot afford and that scares people away since they sell in units," he said, adding:

"Look at Awolowo Market in Mushin; I tell you 90 per cent of those that were selling there are off now. This is because when they demolished the market and reconstructed the place, they put N1m price tag and many traders could not afford it and that has been the practice. The plan is a good one and we welcome it. Turning Lagos to a mega city is for the benefit of all of us but we should not be subjected to this kind of pains."

The Iyaloja of Abibat Mogagi Mini Market, also in McCarthy Lane, Mrs. Omolabake Banjo, said: "We are not on the main road. We are all women; we do not have anybody to help us and we have children in higher institutions. It is through what we get here that we use in feeding our families. Government should please help us because we are more than 300. It was Oshodi/Isolo Local Government that approved the place for us, we have receipts of payment; we pay N100 per month."

Despite this avalanche of complaints, it is certain that Oshodi will never be the same again, as those things considered as obstruction to environmental beauty and traffic have finally given way.

.

Whether the government warned them or not, I hope these lot affected would be able to rise again and feed their fmilies without resorting to violent means. Those are the ones I pity most, families with mouths to feed, the pictures are shocking.

B.O.S.S.:

Whether the government warned them or not, I hope these lot affected would be able to rise again and feed their fmilies without resorting to violent means. Those are the ones I pity most, families with mouths to feed, the pictures are shocking.

Amen oo!!!!

.

Are those the pictures of Nigeria or Gaza??

There is nothing wrong with demolishing. . .

But at least create alternatives

doyin13:

There is nothing wrong with demolishing. . .
[size=13pt]
But at least create alternatives[/size]

Exactly!! Create alternatives, THEN demolish!!! I really feel for the millions who in this global crisis are being forced into the harsh situation of having to find alternative means of providing for self and family in a country like Nigeria.

woah! those pixs brings back the aroma of oshodi oke abi this one na oshodi isale?

doyin13:



But at least create alternatives

at least this once i agree with you! so what are those flea-market traders supposed to do now?

The Iyaloja of Abibat Mogagi Mini Market, also in McCarthy Lane, Mrs. Omolabake Banjo, said: "We are not on the main road. We are all women; we do not have anybody to help us and we have children in higher institutions. It is through what we get here that we use in feeding our families. Government should please help us because we are more than 300. It was Oshodi/Isolo Local Government that approved the place for us, we have receipts of payment; we pay N100 per month."

This shows how insensitive and foolish the Nigerian govt can be. If their children turn to armed robbery tomorrow, they'll start squealing like pigs. They've finished converting most okada men to street urchins, now it's market women.

They are destroying these shops because they want to rebuild them and reallocate to make more money. criminals.


www.nairaland.com/attachments/119757_oshodi4_jpg9d5a34801772b78fca7493ef1025d6b6


Study the man in the picture above. Can you see his face? Does he really have anything to live for in this world amidst his suffering?

.

Who has the internal view of the modern market being built in this same oshodi? please show us, make we see

@honeric1

the modern market is only on paper for now.there is an adjoining shopping complex being built by the armed forces within their cantonment and it is 85% complete.wil try to get the pics for you to see although the place is out of bounds for now.

@tpia
that railway line actually works,dude.you should see it when it moves with people packed into it left,right and on top.it uses a locomotive engine of the colonial era

On my way home from work last night, the top of the bridge was as free as I've never seen in a long time. I looked down and didn't see the usual mammoth crowd there and I was wondering what happened. I guess this is why. At least, the first result of the demolition has been seen, we are waiting for more.

@ tpia,
The railway still works but its mostly used by the market people who's shops have been demolished.

Ile Oba to jo, ewa lo bu kun.

In order for something new and fresh to blossom, the old and stagnant must be destroyed.

What we need is monitoring and enforcement, otherwise the replacement will be similarly operated with abandon and recklessness.

tpia:

@ earthmama
As you're seeing the man suffering, instead of sitting behind a computer and raining curses on the govt, wouldnt it be more realistic for you to start a non-profit organization for assisting the disabled in that area?

Until you do so, you're not much better than the establishment you're criticizing.
@ picture- thats a railway line in front of those houses. Probably been out of use for lord knows how many decades now.

This is absolutely not true; whatever charity one does it out of freewill; its totally different from a govt elected to serve the people; it is govt responsibility to provide an enabling environment for its people, Furthermore the people affected don't need handouts, they where surviving until the demolition; a stupid act; regardless of how good the reason and intentions are; it can never have a more better priority than the welfare of these affected people, This is the problem with that country misplaced priorities, It should be people first, They should have provided an alternative first; reminds me of maroko residents over 15 years ago; and the funny thing is that a similar thing can still occur in the next 15yrs

This is what happens when we applaud the closure of markets like computer village. The Fashola man is acting like a bush man! This kind of things happen when there is no democracy, He knows very well he will not need their votes to extend his tenure in office. He will rig his way and still put another after his tenure.

If he will need their votes come election time he must have provided alternatives for this poor families. It's just like "Fu-ck all ya, Eko oni baje"

romeo:

This is what happens when we applaud the closure of markets like computer village. The Fashola man is acting like a bush man! This kind of things happen when there is no democracy, He knows very well he will not need their votes to extend his tenure in office. He will rig his way and still put another after his tenure.

If he will need their votes come election time he must have provided alternatives for this poor families. It's just like "Fu-ck all ya, Eko oni baje"

Why don't we focus on the issue instead of sidestepping all over the place? What were the major alternatives partywise in Lagos? PDP? A party that boasts IBB, OBJ, Odilli, Ibori and other horrors from beyond is a party you thought would have been a better alternative? Computer village was allegedly closed because of tax issues. If that was the case then why defend illegality? Let us not digress.

It is understandably sad when such things happen because we are dealing with people and families. However, the truth is that lagos is years behind in development when it comes to catering for its population and i am sure we all know this, right? The infrastructure in lagos is one that was developed decades ago to cope with a mush lesser population. For things to begin to be put right, order needs to be instilled. Was oshodi ever a legal market to begin with? I will seriously contest this especially taking into consideration that vendors even operate on a railway line. I feel the most reasonable contribution or point raised so far has been the issue of alternatives. To the best of my knowledge markets are being built around lagos, to different degrees of completion and perhaps this could have been handled better. However the issue with discipline should not be buried in the understandable sentimentality that is attached to the human situation. Markets can so easily pop up anywhere in Nigeria and not because people necessarily have it as their dream to open a stall or to put a few bunches of bananas in a basin and sitting by the roadsides, but simply because people need to earn a living. Hence everybody wants to open market stalls, with detriment to the usability and the quality of the roads on which they ply. Perhaps it is not an overexhaggeration to suggest that any form of pavements that are soreley lacking on Nigerian roads, if built with the current climate of indiscipline and everything goes, will be swallowed up by traders.

Yes people need to make a living and hence i suggest that the issue is much more than create an alternative market. How many markets would need to be created in order to swallow and accomodate the huge masses of unemplyed who need to make a living and all of them not even needing to be there i might add. The issue is in job creation and creating man environment for such to thrive. I have always wondered what wall of obscene difficulty seems to exist in Nigeria with job creation, i have to assume there is another dimension to it because i really can't see what the issue is. Things need to be done all over the place hence jobs are there to be done and created especially with the lofty and yet achievable goals Lagos government is setting for itself. Create jobs so that not every "joe degree" will see the need to open market anywhere. In order to actually make the market more legitimate then i am of the view that taxes have to be involved. I believe so because taxes could serve as a deterrent to just anybody opening or purchasing a stall and serve to attract enterprising people with ideas, etc who are serious about the trade and this could serve to create a more orderly market environment and when i refer to tax i don't mean these illegal ones paid to agberos and touts, i mean taxes paid to the government. Taxes which could be used to upkeep the market and hence even crenate jobs for that need? Nigeria is wasting its most important resource, people. People which would translate to skills, abilities, work force, taxes, etc. Perhaps a more humane approach would have sufficed, but the issue of order needs to be tackled. Do we know if warnings were issued before the demolition exercises were carried out? In the not too distant past this administration also cleared some markets and moved the traders to a prepared place, would such also be the case here? Do we know if that is on the cards or is this all jumping on the band wagon?
What kind of serious business could have thrived with oshodi just outside its door?

Sky Blue:

Why don't we focus on the issue instead of sidestepping all over the place? What were the major alternatives partywise in Lagos? PDP? A party that boasts IBB, OBJ, Odilli, Ibori and other horrors from beyond is a party you thought would have been a better alternative? Computer village was allegedly closed because of tax issues. If that was the case then why defend illegality? Let us not digress.

And your AC is the "holy" party? talking about digression , Maybe you work for him.

My point is that government should have the electorate in their mind before any action in a true democracy, And not behaving like bunch of touts. Sure they warned them of the impending destruction, that's always their argument! We warned them!!

I mentioned computer village not because i support non payment of tax by traders, But because i feel the Fashola guy and his people can make the traders pay taxes without "push me I push you". And he's all over the place with Push me I push You attitude.

I ask you skyblue! Is Fashola the governor of the oshodi traders or Governor of Lagos beautification? If we make Lagos so beautiful without food on the tables of the residents, then how do we prolong the beauty?

Warning the Traders is not enough but relocating them before destruction is what he must have done. A very simple logic. But you will still overlook the details to pick on the lines that interest you most to fill a whole page with letters.

Wow - just watch what Fashola will turn this place into. I hail Fashola o.

romeo:

And your AC is the "holy" party? talking about digression , Maybe you work for him.

My point is that government should have the electorate in their mind before any action in a true democracy, And not behaving like bunch of touts. Sure they warned them of the impending destruction, that's always their argument! We warned them!!

I mentioned computer village not because i support non payment of tax by traders, But because i feel the Fashola guy and his people can make the traders pay taxes without "push me I push you". And he's all over the place with Push me I push You attitude.

I ask you skyblue! Is Fashola the governor of the oshodi traders or Governor of Lagos beautification? If we make Lagos so beautiful without food on the tables of the residents, then how do we prolong the beauty?

Warning the Traders is not enough but relocating them before destruction is what he must have done. A very simple logic. But you will still overlook the details to pick on the lines that interest you most to fill a whole page with letters.

I am sure you are a great person but with the part highlighted in bold i don't even know why i am bothering posting a reply. If you got bored of reading my post half way in you should have just said so instead of ignoring it all to jump at some conclusion for the sake of it. I could bring up issues about creating a more orderly environment to attract bigger businesses with the capacity to hire more people and pay better and hence put food on the table but i already addressed that so i won't again. All i can say is, if you feel so strongly about street trading why don't you go do it with your friends in central london or manhattan naija style? Perhaps you could organise some "wares" in baskets and plant you stall on the subway or on the sidewalk and then see what happens. Such isn't tolerated in many places in the world, in singapore it is even illegal to spit out gum on the pavement. We would all go to these places and marvel at the orderliness and yet when such is attempted in Nigemria that is when people will protest. They won't protest at government to be more fiscally responsible, corrupt leaders will walk the streets and no one will do anything, but this is what will unite? LOL. The issue is to me is alternatives, simple as that and to be honest nothing more.

Romeo and SkyBlue

You guys are both right because one of you is stressing the issue of having alternatives for the people before destroying their meal tickets while the other is maintaining that Fashola should have at least had the electorates in mind before taking such measures (e.g. Computer Village and now Oshodi) so don't argue further,

Peace

Sky Blue:

I am sure you are a great person but with the part highlighted in bold i don't even know why i am bothering posting a reply. If you got bored of reading my post half way in you should have just said so instead of ignoring it all to jump at some conclusion for the sake of it. I could bring up issues about creating a more orderly environment to attract bigger businesses with the capacity to hire more people and pay better and hence put food on the table but i already addressed that so i won't again. All i can say is, if you feel so strongly about street trading why don't you go do it with your friends in central london or manhattan naija style? Perhaps you could organise some "wares" in baskets and plant you stall on the subway or on the sidewalk and then see what happens. Such isn't tolerated in many places in the world, in singapore it is even illegal to spit out gum on the pavement. We would all go to these places and marvel at the orderliness and yet when such is attempted in Nigemria that is when people will protest. They won't protest at government to be more fiscally responsible, corrupt leaders will walk the streets and no one will do anything, but this is what will unite? LOL. The issue is to me is alternatives, simple as that and to be honest nothing more.

I read ur post but i did the same u did to me

We are talking the same thing now

@boss you are right