By IDRIS OLUKOYA

Small scale traders along Aiyetoro roadside, Epe, groaned on Tuesday as men of the Kick Against Indiscipline (KAI) stormed the area to dismantle their stalls.

The men of the environmental outfit arrived the area early in the day to remove the structures they claimed were obstructing free movement.

Members of the team, shunned media enquiries on the exercise and earlier steps taken before descending on the area.

A trader, Mr Joe Bolingo, told NAN correspondent that the exercise started around 7:15a.m.

He said there was no warning or official notice to such effect, before their dislocation.

Bolingo said that he was not against the demolition, but the government should have made provision for shops for the traders and poor masses before taking such steps.

“It is sad that we have a government which does not make provision for the people before asking them to evacuate their shops, and that is very bad.

“We have thousands of traders across the Epe community selling on the roadside because everybody cannot pay for shop rent.

“We have to trade in places like this to feed our family. They should make provisions for us by providing a place for us to sell, then we can leave the road.

“Most of us do not have money in banks and at home, we depend on a daily sales to feed our families; the demolition is affecting us, affecting our families, because everyone trading here has a family.

I have five children; this ugly development will affect my business and also affect the feeding of my family. I don’t know what to do next,” he said.

Another trader, Mrs Yetunde Olagunju, said that the exercise came suddenly.

“We just saw the KAI officials today and they started carrying our goods and demolishing our shops, ” she said.

A 50-year-old trader, Mrs Lawrence Awoyinka, appealed to the government to allow them to trade on the roadside, owing to the fact that they earn their living through the shop.

“The government should allow us because this is where we get our daily bread, we do no have any other place, some women here are widows, no husband and this place is the last hope of so many people.

“I was sleeping inside my shop expecting customers, I suddenly saw some officials came knocking at my shop and asking me to pack my goods, which I did.

“But they refused to let me carry my table, they destroyed all our tables, but did not destroy our goods, ” she said.

Mr Debo Ayinla, a trader, said that he lost a huge amount to the exercise.

Ayinla urged the Lagos state government to provide alternative solutions to traders at Aiyetoro market.

“We don’t have any other place to sell, our children and wives depend on our petty trade business.

“The government should be for the people and offer the masses good governance,” he said. (NAN)

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