…Says ‘Inciting People Against Govt Unpatriotic’
A human rights and pro-democracy outfit, Speak Out 24/7, has pledged its support and loyalty to the governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, over the steps he is taking to sanitize the state.
Spokesman of the group, Comrade Kunle Adeosun, told reporters weekend that the “clarification of our stand over Governor Sanwo-Olu’s latest attempt at correcting the anomalies in the state is borne out of the negative attitude of some people, who are hell bent on blackmailing the administration with a view to misleading the public.”
Adeosun averred that there is nothing legally wrong in waging wars against street trading, because it is against the global declaration to curb child labour and prevent the Nigerian child from dropping out of school.
He therefore cautioned those inciting the public against the administration to desist from their unpatriotic conduct, asserting that “This government is on the right track and thus deserves to be supported.”
Echoing the leader of the group, Comrade Razaq Olokoba, Adeosun said, “Street trading should be abolished in line with the universal declaration, because it is one of the recruitment grounds for child labour which is responsible for the higher percentage of school drop out.”
Regreting that Nigeria has one of the highest records for school drop out, Adeosun further added that “Street trading is a buffer for criminals operating on our road.”
Adeosun lamented that all the structures of the market closed by the government woefully failed integrity test and sanitation compliance.
With the government intervention, Adeosun is of the conviction that “our city would be prevented from been tagged the dirtiest and most contaminated city on television documentaries; and closing the market is part of the measures to prevent this.”
The concerned activist therefore warned that “law breakers should not be pampered but be re-premanded,” asserting that “the fact that majority of people are breaking the law is not good reason to keep bending our laws.”
