Osun Assembly Passes Street Trading, Illegal Markets Prohibition Law

Yinka Kolawole in Osogbo

Osun State House of Assembly has passed into law the Street Trading and Illegal Market Prohibition Bill 2016.

A statement by the Chairman, House Committee on Information and Strategy, Olatunbosun Oyintiloye, said the passage of the bill followed a motion moved by the Leader of the House, Timothy Owoeye, seconded by Babatunde Olatunji representing Ife North Constituency at the plenary on Tuesday.

The bill, the statement said, is seeking to prohibit hawking or exposing goods, wares and articles for sale or offer service whether or not from a stationary positions in any place or streets in some major towns of the state or within the vicinity of any public building in the state.

The affected towns, it said, are Osogbo, Ile-Ife, Ilesa, Iwo, Ede, Ikirun, Ikire, Ila-Orangun and Ejigbo.

The statement added that the bill was also prohibiting the establishment or maintenance of any market by any person other than the state, local government or statutory corporations.

It added that the bill also discouraged extension of shops into the walkways, road setbacks and building lines, as well as indiscriminate pasting of posters or banners, advertising goods and services on sidewalls, bus stops, bridges or any other unauthorised space.