By Nneka Nwogwugwu
A cross section of hawkers and beggars operating in the Federal Capital Territory have reacted to the arrest order made by the Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB).
The Abuja Environmental Protection Board had recently announced that it is collaborating with security agencies to commence arrest of hawkers, corporate beggars and other illegals in the Federal Capital Territory.
The Director of AEPB, Dr Hassan Abubakar, made this known on Thursday in Abuja.
Reacting to this development, a sugarcane hawker who was arrested under pedestrian bridge by Zankli Hospital, Utako on Friday, said that they are being marginalized by the officials who frequently request for a particular amount to be paid to them.
The hawker who pleaded anonymous, said that he was arrested without his sugarcane wheelbarrow.
‘’The AEPB official collected N2000 from me and I was later released,’’ the hawker said.
According to him, hawkers usually pay N500 weekly to roving AEPB boys.
‘’They also raid on Saturdays and even Sundays,’’ he lamented.
NatureNews also gathered that there is regular raid of stationary petty stalls in very remote ghettos of life camp, Mpape, Lugbe, Dutse market and Galadimma junction.
Also speaking to another hawker in Galadimma Juction along Kubwa express way, she lamented that AEBP are not after protecting the FCT environs as they stated as their reasons for arresting them but are after the gains they can make from them.
She decried how her banana business have been affected from the officials, thus affecting her sales and daily income.
Another beggar who stationed along the Dutse-Bwari road, while speaking in Hausa, urged the government to provide better opportunities for them as they only survive with begging for alms.
He said the decision of AEBP will affect the provision of food for his family.
Asked if the AEBP officials also collect money as the hawkers claimed, he said, ‘’They don’t ask us for money. They only pursue us from the road.’’
Dr Abubakar, who gave reasons for the arrest, had said, “This is a very important exercise, a very special clean-up; we are going out for, exercises that come across all the departments of the board.
“We are going to remove all the rubbish on the road, the waste, illegal traders at the pedestrian bridges, corridors of the roads and streets.
“It is a very basic assignment; we are going to observe gutters, if there is any waste, our contractors will remove them because they have been paid for that.
“The Federal Capital City must be clean, that is our target and we must achieve it.
“We are also going to look at beggars that are on the streets, particularly those commercial workers moving at night along the Nicon Junction, Amingo Super Market at Wuse II, our people are ready to arrest them.’’