Ekiti State Government has banned all roadside trading activities and ordered roadside traders in Ado Ekiti, the state capital.
The State Commissioner for Information and Values Orientation, Mr Akin Omole on Wednesday said said all trading on the roadside are to relocate to approved markets without further delay.
Omole stated that the government’s order was given after due consultations and in agreement with the Ewi of Ado Ekiti, Oba Rufus Adejuyigbe.
He said government officials, in conjunction with a committee set up by the Oba had earlier been going round to sensitize all stakeholders on the need to relocate to new and existing markets within the metropolis.
The Commissioner noted that Ewi of Ado-Ekiti supports the government’s decision, saying ‘the ban on roadside trading was to forestall a repeat of the disaster the occurred in nearby Iworoko community last year when the driver of a loaded trailer lost control and ran into a market killing many people and destroyed property worth millions of Naira.’
The Commissioner however noted that the directive does not affect traders in approved shops and stalls.
He explained that the directive was for the safety of the people from avoidable accidents, improved hygiene in market places and to forestall preventable outbreak of diseases.
Akin Omole stressed that government frowned at the practice of roadside trading, describing it as detrimental to the safety of both sellers and buyers as well as constitutes environmental nuisance,
