By Christopher Oji
The Lagos State Task Force has read the riot act to traders, warning them to stop defacing monumental arcades or risk prosecution.
Spokesman, Mr Adebayo Taofeek, told Daily Sun that while many of the arcades were primarily meant to preserve our cultural heritage and archives for academic research, others were for relaxation.
“The ‘Tinubu Arcade in central Lagos, which was re-constructed by the present administration, was named after Madam Efunroje Tinubu (1810 – 1887), a female aristocrat and trader.
The arcade has been seriously abused with environmental nuisances particularly hawkers who blocked road setbacks and walkways constructed around the arcade.
“The operatives of the Lagos State Task Force led by the Chairman Olayinka Egbeyemi, dislodged the street traders in collaboration with officials of Kick Against Indiscipline (KAI) at ‘Tinubu Monumental Arcade’ located in Lagos Island Local Government Area.”, he said.
According to him, environmental nuisances particularly street trading around Tinubu Square and all other monumental arcades’ provided by Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, is worrisome.
Egbeyemi noted that the agency will enforce the environmental sanitation laws on any culprit.
Meanwhile, the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation and Special Offences Unit (Task Force ) has relocated from Alausa, Ikeja to Multi-purpose Agency complex, Bolade, Oshodi.
The relocation, which affected some other government agencies, was meant to strengthen operations.
Other government agencies affected with the relocation are Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), KAI, Nigeria Legion and Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Mobile Courts.