The Ogun State Government has cautioned indigenes of the state against the indiscriminate display and sales of goods on its roads.
The caution came on the heels of the recent accident that occurred at the Toll gate area of Ota in the Ado Odo Ota Local Government Area of the State, which led tO loss of lives and property.
The State Deputy Governor, Noimot Salako-Oyedele, who was on site to assess the accident scene on the instance of Governor, Dapo Abiodun, gave the admonition on Wednesday.
Salako-Oyedele stressed that street trading is a vice that unnecessarily puts those engaging in it in harms way and vulnerable to accidents such as the one that has just occurred in the area.
She noted that the government has provided market stalls for the use of commercial activities in the best interest of citizens, asking why people will reject such convenience to risk their lives and future under the guise of trading.
She said, “We know that accidents can happen, we also have to put in place behavioral practices that reduce the extent of these accidents. We have called on our people to stop street trading, let us adhere for our safety sake”.
According to her, she was personally pained at the incidence, especially as it was her homestead, extending the condolences of the government and people of the state to those affected.
The Deputy governor promised that surviving victims of the incident will be adequately taken care of, and the government will continue to look into preventive measures to forestall such occurrences in the future.
She appreciated the Olota of Ota, Oba AbdulKabir Obalanlege, the leadership of the Local Government Council and his team, operatives of the FRSC, TRACE alongside the road unions for stepping in quickly to deal with the situation as soon as it occurred.
Earlier in his remark, the Olota of Ota, Oba Obalanlege, condemned road side trading, saying the loss of lives could have been averted if the people had adhered to the instruction not to trade beside the road.