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TRADERS and artisans have taken over walkways and pavements in most major roads in Osogbo, thereby denying pedestrians free movement.
The walkways which were constructed for pedestrians for smooth movement have been turned to mini-markets where traders and artisans unrestrainedly displayed their products and goods.
Some of the roads with walkways that been abused are; Stadium-Lameco, Alekuwodo-Oke Fia, Igbona-Ayetoro, Olaiya-Aregbe, Ota Efun-Kobongbogboe, among others.
Notable products on the walkways are furniture, second-hand-clothes, artist products, foodstuffs and drinks.
Most of the traders and artisans considered the walkways as a rightful place to display their products, making them to disallow and abuse pedestrian who make attempt to pass or point out the wrongness of their conduct.
Some of the traders who spoke with the medium at Alakuwodo, Igbona and Ota Efun markets said they resulted to using the walkways because of lack of fund to secure a shop.
According to Miss Victoria Olaniyan, a cloth seller at Igbona market, most of the traders in the market did not secure a shop because they only come during the market day which is every Tuesday of the week.
Olaniyan said she moves from one market to another and occupies the walkways to display her clothes.
She said: “I have been coming to this market for the past five years and I usually display my wares on this walkway.
“Most of us selling clothes here cannot secure a shop because we only come every Tuesday of the week and we have other markets we do visit”.
When asked if she knows the walkway is meant for pedestrians, Olaniyan said ‘pedestrians have resigned to their fate as there is nothing they can do about it’.
A Fish seller at Ota Efun market, Glory Adegoke, said government and market officials are collecting money from them for using the place.
According to Adegoke, residents of the state prefer to buy from the roadside to entering inside the market, hence her decision to procure a space on the walkway.
She however said she was ready to go back to the shop if the government can provide and mandate it for all the traders.
Adegoke said: “The reason why I decided to be selling my fish here is because most customers do not want to enter inside the market. Most of them prefer to buy from those selling by the roadside and at the end of the year, I have to pay shop rent.
“I paid some amount of money to government and market officials for this place but I sell more than I normally do when I was using my shop inside the market.
“Although, I am not a fan of using the walkway because of the danger attributed to it, I am ready to go back to the shop if the government can mandate all of us to go back.”
Residents Want’s Government to Intervene
Residents of Osogbo who spoke with this medium urged the state government to intervene and send those using the walkways away from there.
An Athlete, Sola Fabunmi, said he could not carry out his routine morning exercise around stadium again because of the traders using the walkway.
He disclosed that the situation is impending sports development in the state as most of the walkways that ought to be used for exercise and getting fitter have been turned to mini-market.
He said: “Before the artisans turned this place to their mini market, I use to jug on the walkway every morning but I can no longer do that.
“At first, I tried to use the roadside but there was a day a car nearly knocked me off. Since then, I quit jugging and there are lots of people like me who quit because of this.
“The effect of what is going on-on our walkways is that sports development in the state is being impended and there is need to look into it by the concerned authorities”.
In his own view, Abass Sulaimon, a resident of Mallam Tope, Osogbo, wants the government to evict those using the walkways, saying they are meant for pedestrians and not traders.
“It is very unfortunate that we are still at this level of underdevelopment in our country. How can a normal person turned walkways meant for pedestrians to his or her own mini-market where buying and selling will take place?
“I think it is high time the government rose to the challenge and give the users ultimatum to quit the place and anybody who disobeys the order should be prosecuted”, he said.