Laurine Emenike
The chairman of Rivers State Civil Society Organizations, Comrade Enefa Georgewill has said banning street trading without an alternative will increase unemployment in the state.
Georgewill also disagreed with the rules employed by the state government in carrying out the process.
According to him, the laid down procedures and timing of the policy amounts to putting the cart before the horse.
According to him: “Street trading and illegal pack are one of the major sources of income for Rivers people and any attempt to shut it down without alternative, will geometrically add to our army of unemployed people in the state. We call on the government to revive all moribund companies.
“Also, our organization and other experts have argued that there is a connection between unemployment and insecurity in the state. Any attempt to close this source of income without alternative will compound the insecurity situation in the state. We, therefore, call for caution.
“Also, drivers union have complained severally of lack of clear and known bus stops and packing cites in the state.
“We, therefore, ask the Rivers State government to call on the minister of transport to immediately mobilize to site and earmark clearcut packing spaces and bus stops.
“Also, 80% of the current markets were built during the military era more than 20 years ago; what that tells us is simple, that the city needs more new market.
“We, therefore, call on the government to build 20 new strategic, low income, night and day market in the state to accommodate these traders.
“We need a clean city that is true, but it will be inhabited by people who are eating.”
