Oyo Govt cracks down on street trading
By Deborah Oladejo, Osogbo
The Oyo State Government has announced plans to clamp down on traders selling by the roadsides and other related activities in the state.
The Chairperson of the Oyo State Rule of Law Enforcement Authority (OYRLEA), Hon. Justice Aderonke Aderemi (rtd.), disclosed this in a statement signed by the Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Prince Dotun Oyelade. She stated that the government would take decisive steps to address the issue.
Aderemi emphasized the need for citizens to embrace lawfulness and desist from displaying wares on walkways and roadsides, noting that such activities now attract fines and penalties.
“We need to maintain a clean environment, orderliness, coordination, and sustainability of the state’s infrastructural architecture to attract both foreign and local investors for the socio-economic development of our dear state. Roadside traders should prepare to face the full weight of the law and instant legal consequences,” she stated.
She expressed concern over the hours lost to traffic congestion caused by illegal roadside displays, which impede traffic flow. Aderemi also highlighted the negative effects of street trading on residents’ lives and the state’s image.
The OYRLEA enforcement team, in collaboration with the Oyo State Road Traffic Management Authority and the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, will carry out a comprehensive operation.
The exercise will include intense sensitization and awareness campaigns in major market areas such as Bodija, Sango, New Bola Ige, Oje, Gate, Dugbe, Challenge-Orita, Aleshinloye, Eleyele, Akobo-General Gas, and Bashorun, among others. Town criers will accompany the team to ensure maximum awareness before enforcement begins.
“The enforcement of this order is not intended to cause panic or misunderstanding among traders but to ensure compliance, safety, and a thriving, law-abiding environment for all,” Aderemi added.
She also warned against dumping refuse on road medians, roundabouts, drainage channels, and gutters.
