As part of efforts by the Lagos State Government to effectively harmonize its enforcement operations on the Island towards ensuring a safe, secure and functional business for all stakeholders during the yuletide, the Office of the Central Business Districts will hold a One-Day retreat for enforcement officers of all MDAs in the State.
Speaking on the retreat which is scheduled to hold on Thursday, November 17, 2016, at Onikan Stadium by 9am, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Central Business Districts, Hon. Agboola Dabiri stated that the event is been organised with the mindset of ensuring that the yuletide in Lagos Island CBD is free of all impediments to free human and vehicular movement for the sake of traders, shoppers and all Lagosians in general.
The Special Adviser noted that the State Government is mindful of the fact that the yuletide period usually experiences influx of people from all walks of life coming around for one business or the other, hence the need for harmonization of enforcement activities for better performance by officers.
He said, “The busiest period for CBD personnel and field officers is the yuletide season where all hands are usually on deck to ensure that traffic gridlock is reduced to the barest minimum, walkways kept free of goods and products to ensure a free human and vehicular movement.”
Dabiri explained that reputable resource persons, in the field, have been engaged to make presentations to the personnel from MDAs like KAI, LASTMA, LAWMA, Mobile Courts, Nigerian Police as well as the State Task Force at the retreat.
The CBD boss also pointed out that the law banning street trading in the State will equally be effected in the period, warning traders as well as buyers to desist from engaging in street trading as heavy penalty will be meted out to offenders in form of jail term through mobile courts, forfeiture of items to the State Government or payments of heavy fines.
Meanwhile, the Office has embarked on the demolition of shanties and illegal structures impending ease of movement under the Idumota Pedestrian Bridge on Lagos Island.
The exercise, which was carried out today by CBD with the support of the Chairman Lagos NURTW (Idumota branch) and District Police Officer (DPO) of Ebute-Ero Police Station, was led by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Central Business Districts, Hon. Agboola Dabiri.
Speaking during the exercise, Hon. Agboola Dabiri, said the bridge which has been abandoned for more than ten years is now free for use by pedestrians, stressing that the exercise became imperative in order to free the area of heavy traffic and loss of man-hour.
According to the Special Adviser, “Everything will be done by the State Government to ensure that a suitable and conducive business environment reigns supreme within CBD, especially Lagos Island which is expected to experience high rate in human traffic during the yuletide.”
