Roadside Traders, POS Agents Lament Over Multiple Ticketing In Lagos

Some roadside traders and POS agents within Ikeja area of Lagos State have lamented over how paying for tickets being issued to them by area boys and Ikeja Obada Market daily is affecting their businesses.

In separate interviews with THE WHISTLER, they alleged that in addition to the tickets being issued by area boys and Ikeja Obada Market, they also pay for ticket being issued by Ikeja LGA.

Some of them further alleged that they pay for ticket to some officials of the Lagos Environmental Sanitation Corps (LAGESC) popularly known as KAI.

But according to them, no physical ticket is given to them by the officials after payment.

A POS agent who identified herself as Gift and runs her business opposite the Computer Village in Ikeja, said she makes between N3,000 to N4,000 daily, but lamented that sometimes her profit goes into expenses.

“In a day, I make like N3,000 to N4,000, but it goes to expenses,” she said, adding that sometimes she ends up “going home with nothing, except it’s a day that they collected lower amount of money.”

Gift resigned from her 9 to 5 job about a year ago, because she was spending almost all her salary on transportation.

In other to be independent, she set up the POS business.

According to her, what is most important to her is to be able to feed and pay her house rent.

On how much she pays for tickets, Gift said: “It’s not fixed. Sometimes you pay N200 per day; sometimes you pay N500, sometimes you pay N1,000 or N2,000, N3,000.

“If KAI (operatives) come and collect your umbrella and table, you pay like N1,000 or N1,500; plus Agberos – they used to collect theirs daily.”

Giving further explanation on how having to pay for multiple tickets is affecting her business, she said: “POS is my only source of income. I want to be adding other hings that will be giving me more income.”

However, she is afraid of adding other businesses to her POS business, because she fears that her goods maybe seized.

Gift told THE WHISTLER that adding other businesses to her current business would help her to save for the rainy day, but regretted that she cannot do that for now.

Also, a trader who gave her name as Adeola and sells along Oba Akran Avenue, Ikeja, said she pays N100 each to Ikeja LGA, Iyaloja and area boys – making it a total of N300.

Adeola complained that most times she does not make sales, adding that she is just trying to keep body and soul together.

“I endure it. I don’t have choice. I just have to manage myself,” she told THE WHISTLER.

The expenses are too much, said Hauwa, another trader who sells her wares along Oba Akran Avenue.

“What can I do. If you don’t pay, they’ll seize your goods,” Hauwa lamented.

For Ebuka, another trader whose makeshift shop is located opposite the new overcross bridge in Ikeja, the frustration is much.

“I pay N600 everyday, but it’s N1,500 weekends,” Ebuka said. “The frustration is too much. We’re just managing.”

Also speaking with THE WHISTLER, another POS agent, Divine, lamented that there is no much gain in the business.

“I spend N300 on tickets daily, but towards weekends it increases to N1,200,” she said.

But reacting to the allegations made by the roadside traders, KAI’s Head of Public Affairs, Ajayi Lukman, told THE WHISTLER that the agency frowns at such act.

Lukman asked the roadside traders to get the name of one of those they pay money to, adding that if possible, they should take pictures, record and send to the agency’s office, so that such official will be used as scape goat.

“Let us get name of any KAI official that is given money. If at all, they (traders) can even snap his face, snap his chest and get his number – the name,” he said.

Lukman noted that “the agency was not founded to be taking money from offenders, because those selling market on the road are offenders.”

Also reacting, two officials of Ikeja LGA who did not give their names, said the local government does not issue ticket to roadside traders.

However, one of the traders shared with THE WHISTLER a ticket bearing the name of the local government, which she claimed was given to her by an official of Ikeja LGA.

Meanwhile, the state government on Wednesday, declared zero tolerance for street trading, especially on the Third Mainland Bridge and Eko Bridge.

Permanent Secretary, Office of Environmental Services, Omobolaji Gaji, in a statement stated that the action is in line with the T.H.E.M.E.S. Agenda of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to promote a cleaner environment in Lagos, ensure total enforcement of the environmental Sanitation laws, and create a safer state for all.

He said that the warning is being given to encourage residents who are contravening the law to look for other legal businesses as enforcement agents and agencies will come after them.

Gaji warned that not only will all the wares they hawk and display on major roads be confiscated; anyone apprehended will face prosecution at the Mobile Courts in line with the State Environmental laws.

According to the Permanent Secretary, Sanwo-Olu has given his go-ahead to the exercise.

Similarly, KAI has expressed its readiness to rid the Lagos metropolis of street trading, hawking on roadsides, setbacks, medians, major highways, parks, garages and in traffic.

In a statement on Wednesday, Corps Marshal of the Agency, CP Gbemisola Akinpelu (retd) admonished street traders and hawkers to steer clear of the state roads.

The Corps Marshal also issued directives to the agency’s Special Squad to increase the enforcement drive by apprehending defaulters for arraignment on a daily basis and their seized wares be placed in the agency’s storage facility.