Borno orders evacuation of traders on highways as Maiduguri roars back to life

The Borno State Government on Thursday ordered the immediate evacuation of charcoal sellers and other traders on major highways in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital.
Following the return of commercial activities to Maiduguri following the exploits of the Nigerian military under the Operation Lafiya Dole, traffic and trading disorderliness have returned to the state capital.
However, the State Government is not pleased with the development, which is gradually making life unbearable for commuters and turning the town into an eyesore.
Alhaji Kaka-Shehu Lawan, the Acting Commissioner for the Environment, gave the order for the evacuation for the charcoal sellers and other traders when he visited the the Borno State Environment Protection Agency in Maiduguri.
The office area is not only crazy traffic wise but also littered with traders spilling onto the road.
Lawan said the order became necessary to prevent pollution of the environment and restore the beauty of the city.
Lawan, who is also the State’s Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, expressed disgust over the operations of the traders on the highways.
The commissioner said aside from polluting the environment, the traders also disrupted free flow of vehicular traffic in the city.
He said: “These people have taken control of certain areas operating without approval.
“Government will no longer tolerate them.
“We shall work within the enabling laws; Maiduguri is an ancient city, a city with long history.
“But you will find domestic animals roaming the streets or being sold on the streets; charcoal sellers taking over the place, you hardly find this in other capitals.”
The commissioner stressed that the agency must relocate them without delay to restore sanity on the roads.
Lawan said his visit was aimed at getting information first hand on the operations of the agency and commended the management for its hard work and dedication to duty.
The Sole Administrator of the Borno State Environment Protection Agency, Malam Nasiru Surundi, said the agency, established in 1986, had lived up to expectations by ensuring the protection of the environment in Maiduguri.
Surundi thanked the commissioner for the visit.