Enugu gives roadside traders seven days to vacate
The Enugu State Government has issued a seven-day ultimatum to roadside traders in Abakpa Nike to vacate, and warned motorists against one-way driving.
The Enugu State Ministry of Transport on Wednesday gave a seven-day ultimatum to roadside traders to vacate trading in the Abakpa Nike axis of Enugu. The ministry also warned against one-way driving, warning that motorists caught driving against traffic would be impounded and made to pay a fine.
The State Commissioner for Transport, Dr Obi Ozor, gave the warning in a statement issued by the ministry’s Public Relations Officer, Mrs Chinwendu Odumegwu, in Enugu. Ozor said that the ministry has identified a campaign to sensitise the general public. He said the exercise covered major corridors, including Ukwu Aki, Texaco, Nowas, T-Junction and Nkwo, where traffic violations and road obstructions had continued to affect the free flow of traffic.
According to him, drivers and tricycle riders were sensitised on the dangers and penalties associated with driving against traffic, while traders were given a seven-day ultimatum to vacate roadways and other obstructed areas. He emphasised that the current exercise was focused on sensitisation, but warned that strict enforcement and prosecution of offenders would commence after the grace period expires.
The ultimatum is a recognition that roadside trading and one-way driving are major challenges in Enugu. The traders have been given a week to vacate, and the warning against one-way driving is a reminder that traffic rules must be obeyed. The enforcement will test the government’s resolve.
This echoes the 2021 enforcement of traffic rules in Lagos, which also saw ultimatums and subsequent enforcement. The mechanism then was different, but the result was the same: a government asserting its authority on the roads.
The winners: law-abiding motorists, who will benefit from free-flowing traffic; and the Enugu State Government, which is enforcing the law. The losers: roadside traders, who must vacate; and one-way drivers, who face penalties.
Bottom Line: Roadside traders have seven days to leave. One-way driving will be punished. The question is whether the enforcement will be sustained or just a one-off.