Abuja Street Hawkers Protest Against Use Of Force

Photo Credit, Sahara Reporters
Photo Credit, Sahara Reporters
By Sahara Reporters, New York

“Hungry dey o! We go chop! Have mercy on us we hawkers, please Nigeria!” sang over 250 street hawkers led by one man on Thursday, as they walked more than one hour over a distance of 15 kilometres to protest the incessant harassment of Nigerian government officials.

Armed with only tree leafs, the women, some pregnant and others nursing mothers with babies on their backs, walked from Mpape, a densely populated suburb in Abuja, along the expressway through several districts till they reached the National Human Rights Commission headquarters located at Maitama in Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory. The women, mostly banana and groundnut sellers together with Ahmad Isah, a human rights activist, defied the scorching sun and speeding vehicles along the highways, to demand the task force of the Abuja Environmental Protection Board (A.E.P.B) treat them with respect, fairness and equity.
 
“Task Force arrest my 15 year old son because he’s selling banana. They collect N1,800 from him but they still lock him for one week two days,” said Grace Benjamin, who sells banana at Amigo Supermarket in Wuse 2 to cater for her 9 children. “They go say make I go Bwari, Area 11, Area 3, Area 10, Wuse Police station, Minister’s office, today here, tomorrow there. Because of this issue the money that I waste almost N10,000 before they release my son.”
 
The agency, saddled with the responsibility of enforcing environmental laws including prohibiting street hawking, has a notorious history of extorting, brutalising, intimidating and harassing Nigerians and foreign nationals alike. The AEPB task force in June had made to arrest an international human rights observer from Amnesty International, Lucy Freeman, for taking pictures and speaking to displaced people during the destruction of an Abuja slum known as Tora Bora, along the Garki-Apo Roundabout. Barely a week ago, their operations was reported to have led to the death of an orange hawker who was knocked down by a vehicle while trying to run away from them; likewise newspaper vendors recently threatened to go on strike following their incessant harassment.
 
A mother of six, Ugu Chizoba, while backing her baby, narrated events of Monday, November 21, when the environment task force officials in their AEPB branded black attire raided locations around Wuse Bus stop. “Them dey beat us as them dey pursue us. One carry hammer nack me for leg,” Several other women arrested and taken to the AEPB office in Area 3 said they had to pay varying sums ranging between N5,000-N10,000 to bail themselves. They were never given receipts.
 
“These women have been on the streets shedding tears. But no one, not even our House of Representatives have cared to listen to their cries,” said Mr. Isah, who aired their plight on the Brekete Family Show, a live radio human rights talk show he hosts. “I took it upon myself to help these women to undertake this peaceful protest to the doorstep of the National Human Rights Commission. These are mothers who are breadwinners seeking to make ends meet to cater for their families. They are not criminals so the AEPB should treat them with respect”.
 
When Samuel Musa, the agency’s spokesperson was contacted on Thursday he refused to comment, and forwarded the number of his superior whom he said was authorised to speak on the matter. But the superior, whom Mr. Samuel had refused to disclose his name, stated “Why should Mr. Samuel give you my number. I am not the spokesperson for the organisation. It is Mr. Samuel. Call him.” Mr. Samuel subsequently switched off his phone.
 
The National Human Rights Commission acting executive secretary, Oti Ovrawah, while receiving the protesting women promised to present their complaint before Bala Mohammed, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory.

“While there are rules which must be kept, there is also the need to do things right,” she said. “In coming to a solution to this problem, we have compiled the names and numbers of all the women; and with their petition we will take it to the minister. We will ensure this matter is treated with urgency.”
 
For the women, their cries are that the government should provide them with affordable stores from where they can sell their wares, as in their words, “We no dey steal, we no dey do ashewo [prostitution]. Na banana and groundnut we dey sell to feed our children. And na una big man, big madam with una children we dey sell for. We no find trouble. Please help us”.

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Street hawkers

Oh, Fresh Air the game is just started

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ABUJA STREET HAWKING

You are very stupid. if you don't want them to hawk on streets provide affordable store for them. That's how they make a living. This is why fuel subsidy should not be removed. Most Nigerians are not making enough money. Just because the criminals in the government can afford it, does not mean the nigerian populace can afford it. Cut top officials, ministers,senators, representatives, governors, and commissioners salaries by 40% and increase the minimum wage to N25,000.

ABUJA STREET HAWKING

For street hawking to abate, I suggest that the authorities should start arresting those who patronize street traders rather than vice vesa. The buyers are the ones who stop their Cars
and cause hold-ups, obstruct traffic, cause accidents and also litter the streets and highways with shells, wraps, trash cans, etc of the wares they buy. If the buyers are scared, the sellers will be discouraged. We all guilty including the law makers and law enforcement agents. We need stong environmental laws. Monthly sanitation is barely enough.

Realistic.

Yeah, to be honest and candid, Hawking is not good for every society. But as you must know, these hawkers are left with no choice as they must engage them self on some thing in order to see their daily bread. We do not have to blame them , we have to blame government for failing to create job for people to engage them selves into. Who doesn't want to work? Offcouse, every one wants to work but since government refuses to create job, what do you expect them to do. Since the exit of the white masters in 1960, Nigeria has no good leadership. Any one who refuse to agree with me should tell me what good leadership is!!. To know what is good leadership, there must be a steady lights, good roads, standard health centers, standard schools and jobs for the masses.

Mr. Positive Change

Mr. Positive Changen its painful to me that nothing has ever change in you too talkless of the whole country. If you back to your so call site
(www.positivechangenigeria.org) the thinking of the WHITE is what you still using you need to develop your tallent.
The first images that you need to put in your so call web site should be the hawker (banana seller) not the white man and you want change.
Also you need to enlighting them and provide for the too.

Mr. Positive Change

Mr. Positive Changen its painful to me that nothing has ever change in you too talkless of the whole country. If you back to your so call site
(www.positivechangenigeria.org) the thinking of the WHITE is what you still using you need to develop your tallent.
The first images that you need to put in your so call web site should be the hawker (banana seller) not the white man and you want change.
Also you need to enlighting them and provide for the too.

Let's be logical

I don't think the activist that led the protest is trying to say that street hawking is good, he is merely protesting against the manner in which street hawkers are maltreated as if they were criminals. Street hawking is not good for any society because it brings so much dirt which causes several diseases and also promotes various social ills including child labour which is very prevalent in our society. Until we all become logical in our dealings Nigeria will never attain what we all wish for it or rather those that want her to succeed.

it is only in this part of

it is only in this part of the world that governance i about making life difficult. Our leaders make demand without doing their own part. It is easier to shift responsibility to the people ' do this, do that' but what have you done? Imagine these people arresting hawkers and bike men in areas where there is no presence of government. I saw these lawless men sometimes ago arresting bike men in dawaki, an area without infrastructure. How do they want people to access this area? Please stop making life difficult for people you are meant to serve. We copy

The moment of truth is here.

The moment of truth is here. Let those who can perceive be careful.Situation in Nigeria is tinder for fire. There are foreboding fears.A unitary Nigeria is making every effort not to achieve any good result. It is time to shed and devolve power to the regions/states. It was expedient for the Military to have a strong centre. This is impossible under a sincere democratic Government. Jonathan, a man born two years to independence who had no shoes to school should hear the cry of the oppressed. Slow the absolutes around you down. They have always been available to all bad governments in the past. Tell the hawks that Nigeria is not a federating country, but a unitary one. Otherwise, how come that we have Attorney General of the Federation and not simply, Federal Govt. ditto for all offices of an absolute government. Nigeria is under a spell and it may burst soon. Revolution is here. No job for the youths. Insecurity has taken over the land.

LISTEN TO THE CRY OF THE OPPRESSED

The moment of truth is here. Let those who can perceive be careful.Situation in Nigeria is tinder for fire. There are foreboding fears.A unitary Nigeria is making every effort not to achieve any good result. It is time to shed and devolve power to the regions/states. It was expedient for the Military to have a strong centre. This is impossible under a sincere democratic Government. Jonathan, a man born two years to independence who had no shoes to school should hear the cry of the oppressed. Slow the absolutes around you down. They have always been available to all bad governments in the past. Tell the hawks that Nigeria is not a federating country, but a unitary one. Otherwise, how come that we have Attorney General of the Federation and not simply, Federal Govt. ditto for all offices of an absolute government. Nigeria is under a spell and it may burst soon. Revolution is here. No job for the youths. Insecurity has taken over the land.

The moment of truth is here.

The moment of truth is here. Let those who can perceive be careful.Situation in Nigeria is tinder for fire. There are foreboding fears.A unitary Nigeria is making every effort not to achieve any good result. It is time to shed and devolve power to the regions/states. It was expedient for the Military to have a strong centre. This is impossible under a sincere democratic Government. Jonathan, a man born two years to independence who had no shoes to school should hear the cry of the oppressed. Slow the absolutes around you down. They have always been available to all bad governments in the past. Tell the hawks that Nigeria is not a federating country, but a unitary one. Otherwise, how come that we have Attorney General of the Federation and not simply, Federal Govt. ditto for all offices of an absolute government. Nigeria is under a spell and it may burst soon. Revolution is here. No job for the youths. Insecurity has taken over the land.

The solution is very simple: Obey the rules

“While there are rules which must be kept, there is also the need to do things right,”

Would you not agree that the right thing to do is obey the rules.

Nigeria will be a better place if we all just follow the the RULES of the Land.

 These activists should be talking about the quality not  quantity of live. They should be talking about family planning.

@Positive Change Nigeria

Will you shut that youa mouth there before i find you and shut it up for you? eh? what do you know about civility? where should these people go to sell their wares? what honest jobs have u created for them? what have u, or ur fake organisation done to build cheap affordable stores for these kind of ppl? do you know how much a it cost to rent a stall anywhere in Abuja? see mumu positive change dey talk nonsense. where u come from? thunder destroy that youa mauth.

If in fact your organisation exists, it is your place to fight for the rights of such people as this, trampled upon with impunity by those who have the power. Rather than doing that, you state blather here. Ashamed of you

Good Work

It is high time these useless agencies stopped harrassing innocent and helpless women, corrupting and enriching themselves at their expense. These are women, some whose family farmlands had to be given up for Abuja to exist, the government has no plan for, yet the same government is making the near hell they are living in the more unbearable. I wonder for who the Nigerian government exist.

Street Hawking is Not Acceptable, Uncivilised & Must Stop

Positive Change Nigeria supports the abolishment of street hawking and other civic misconducts in Nigeria regardless of who is doing them. If you can't afford to own a priper shop in Abuja then relocate elsewhere. Government agencies must charge culprits according to established laws and receipts of payments/charges issued accordingly. Visit www.positivechangenigeria.org to farmiliarise yourself with our visions and objectives of our facebook page at 'Positive Change Nigeria to 'like' and support progressive change in Nigeria. ...it's time to put the country and her people first!

Street Hawking is Not Acceptable, Uncivilised & Must Stop

Positive Change Nigeria supports the extiction of street Hawking in Nigeria under any guise or situation. We must learn to do things right. Agreed these women are trying to survive but everyone cannot live in Abuja our Federal Capital if they can't afford what it takes. They should be made to seel their products in shops and established market locations. However the Abuja Environmental Management Agency/Task Force MUST make arrests according to existing laws. Offenders of this policy upon proper arrest should be subject to defined charge and default process with receipts of payments duly issues to culprits. To avail yourself to what we are trying to achieve at positive change Nigeria visit our website at www.positivechangenigeria.org or our facebook page 'Positive Change Nigeria', click 'like' to support our activities.
...it's time to cleanse Nigeria and put people first!

Useless Agencies

This is exactly what happens when meaningless agencies are formed and stark illiterates employed all in the name of job creation. You see such agencies in many cities in Nigeria. Some of these task force officials may have been street hawkers in the past. 

They even have the nerve to make arrests and collect bail! Anyway, they must have learnt from the 'best' . The Nigerian Police. And what's with the seige tactics employed by the task force? Are they fighting a war? In fact, most of these agencies need to be scrapped. 

I wonder why wickedness is so pervasive in Nigeria even as we claim to be so religious. This is a clear case of injustice. Nigerians complain about their leaders but they need to take a look at the way they treat people in their immediate environment.

 

Mallam Obi D. Sheheu is stupid

You are a big monkey! Dan banza dan iska kawai. Shashasha! Shege!

Orientation

truth must be told, my mouth was wide agape when I read that one of the women have nine children, the other six and so is most of them. you are having difficulty catering for the one you have so why have more?

Godbless you Mr. Brekete

I will use this medium to beg for support for the brekete radio show which is aired on week days at 104.5 fm Abuja and also that God should give us more of Isa Ahmed, if we have atleast one of his type in each state of the federation peoples voice will definitly be heard.For the task force in Abuja and the house of rep members we leave them to God to judge.the rep will milk us dry leave us with notin yet the little way d common man gets his daily bread they will become obstacle to it.they will prefer those mothers to stand at zone 4 for prostitution of which they are major customers, let God see them, for the Taskforce filled with hemp smokers and criminals what do u expect in a society where criminals are given national and presidential hand shake and honours.
we the brekete family members where we dont have god fathers but God as our father will continue to pray for you the country and Ahmed Isah.

Help

I want to seek on behalf of these people's who were living their lives in danger. Please lets the reps and senate's remember that they cant do without the poor people and they just have a limited time for them to finished this tenure. They should knw they are still coming back to them for their vote. Pleasehem to help you tomorrow..!heir

Useless Senators And House Members!!!

VALLEY OF DEATH
•Erosion wreaks havoc in South-East....

This was a headline news in one of Nigeria's daily. Now we have street hawkers protesting... How else can you judge a useless man? These bunch of animals called legislators or is it "legit-slaughters" are busy deepening their pockets Nigerians are Pickering on roads for daily survival and our lands are laid waste by the wantonness of these evil men called politicians... God will would your salvation come to Nigeria??????????????????????????

Crying for justice

NIGERIA is a country that that selfishness and injustice is incontrol. With the issue of APO killing in 2006 till now nothing have done over it yet.
The poor BANANA and GROUNDNUT seller what the Abuja Government to provide them affordable stores.

They Are Just As Nigerians As Our Ministers!

Nigerian human rights or civil society community has always been a failure because most Nigerians shouting human right or democracy mainly do so to attract Whiteman's attention!
If we had human right activists genuinely committed to the issue of human rights, issues like this should have been given the high profile it rightly deserves.
Treating fellow Nigerians like animals just because they are poor and untidy is worst than embezzlement of public funds!

No problem.

Take heart, our patience shall soon run out.

Take All These Off The Street

take all these off the streets of Nigeria. They make mess of our streets. They litter all over the streets. There has to be a way of doing business in Nigeria. They should go inside the markets to sell their products. These hawkers obstruct the traffics. People should obey the law. This is the reason the people who make the law are jokers themselves. How can a law maker aid the terrorists in Nigeria? How did these people got to be law makers in Nigeria? This is the reason why the laws they enacted is not worthy to be in the books. Nigeria is a sham. She needs people of intergrities. We should stop deceiving ourselves of this country called Nigeria. EFCC is a sham. How people have they been able to jail? The EFCC is also a corrupt Agency.

Nigeria oil producing

We patronize them... and we don't pay enough for the risk and prompt services they provide...

Someday somebody will rise and fix Nigeria by slashing the throats that drink our oil...

Revolution... asap...

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