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Governor Sanwo-Olu sets up special squad to flush out beggars, hawkers and miscreants
Lagos State Government has concluded plans to commence a massive evacuation exercise of beggars, hawkers and miscreants off the roads across the metropolis with the setting up of a special task squad.
The Commissioner for Youth and Social Development, Olusegun Dawodu, stated this on Wednesday at a press conference that had the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso, and the Commissioner of Police, Hakeem Odumosu, in attendance, in Alausa.
He also expressed the government’s determination to eradicate street begging and all forms of nuisances off the state.
Dawodu stressed that the measure has become necessary to rid Lagos of all forms of environmental degradation, nuisances and risks associated with their activities and thrash the menace to the dustbin of history in Lagos State.
He said: “Beggars on our streets and roads constitute a considerable nuisance to law-abiding citizens who are entitled to go about their businesses without any fear or hindrance.
“This is what the administration of Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu promised Lagosians upon assumption of office.
“This is what it is delivering; this is what it will continue to deliver.
“Lagos State, with a population of over 20 million people, is one of the fastest-growing cities in the world.
“Lagos State has representatives of all the ethnic groups in the nation with thousands coming into Lagos daily in search of a better life.
“The results of this influx of people, are among others, is pressure on infrastructure and societal ills.”
He added that street begging is a social vice that the state cannot afford to watch attain an uncontrollable level before it acts, otherwise all the good plans and programmes to transform the state would be adversely affected.
“The same goes for street hawking. This has become big business to some groups of people.
“Our investigation revealed that beggars and hawkers (children and adults) are transported regularly from other parts of the country to Lagos with the sole aim of doing this odious “business” that demeans humanity and abuses innocence in the case of children, who are being pushed into this degrading trade.
“If there is ever a time for us to roll up our sleeves and toil day and night for this menace to be confined to the dustbin of history in Lagos State, it is now.
“Of course, the reasons for this are not far-fetched. The activities of these people on our streets impede human movement and vehicular traffic, constitute an environmental nuisance and worst still, constitutes security threats.
“Intelligence reports have revealed that some of the so-called beggars go about with dangerous weapons, and assault and rob innocent Lagosians.
“Therefore, as a government, we cannot afford to let this continue.
“Thus, a Special Team has been set up to tackle this menace frontally. The operation of this Special Team will commence in the next few days.
“The task we are undertaking is not only to sanitise our society, but also to restore the dignity of these set of people who have been sent on to the streets for alms begging and hawking.
“Therefore, to tackle this menace, the Lagos State Government through the Rehabilitation and Child Development Departments of the Ministry of Youth and Social Development has maintained a Rescue Unit saddled with the responsibility of rescuing and protecting the destitute and the vulnerable.
“This we do by combing the nooks and crannies of Lagos State to rescue and protect the destitute, mentally-challenged, street children and beggars off the streets.
“And after being rescued, our rehabilitation centres and child-friendly homes usually provide them with treatment, psychosocial therapy and vocational training with the aim of making them useful to themselves and the society.”
The commissioner said in embarking on the enforcement, the state government will also deploy a lot of human and material resources towards enlightenment and sensitisation via different media platforms.
