NAN-H-50
Dealers
By Kazeem Akande
Lagos, Sept. 23, 2016 (NAN) The Phones and Allied Products Dealers’ Association of Nigeria (PAPDAN), Lagos Chapter, on Friday appealed to the state government to reopen shops of its members sealed about two weeks ago.
The marketers told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that in two weeks, they had lost revenues running into millions of Naira.
NAN reports that over 200 shops in the Lagos Central Business District, Ikeja, were sealed up by the state ministry of environment for illegal extension and non-beautification of the business community.
Mr Obieze Ochokwu, the Chairman of PAPDAN in Idowu Lane Business axis, said that the taskforce which locked up the shops hinged it on non-compliance with the state beautification code for the community.
Ochokwu said all the shops situated in the affected area were supposed to comply with unique colors of beautifying the environment.
According to him, some of his members did not receive any notice from the government before the enforcement.
“We are appealing to the state government to reopen the sealed shops to allow our members continue their business.
“Majority of the shops have complied and have been painted in the unique way that government wants them to be.
“We have also found solution to the alleged extension that government has termed illegal along the major roads.
“So, we are appealing to the government to come to our aid and open the shops for our members to continue their trading,’’ the PAPDAN official said.
Ochokwu, also the Head of Taskforce Compliance at the computer village, said the association had directed all its members who were yet to comply with government’s demand to do so.
A PAPDAN member, Mr Tony Okereke, whose shop was sealed, said that the action of the government had affected his business seriously.
“Government did not give us notice before embarking on the enforcement.
“My brother, I must confess I have lost nothing less than N800,000 for the two weeks my shops were locked.
“We did not receive any notice from the government on the beautification of the major roads before they sealed our shops.
“We are begging the government to open our shops, because we are starving,’’ Okereke said.
Mrs Janet Akpan, a major distributor of phones and their accessories, also pleaded with the state government to reopen their sealed shops for business.
Akpan said that majority of the shops along the major roads had complied with the government directive and painted their shops in the designated way for proper beautification. (NAN)
AKA/COF/SOA
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(Edited by Oluyinka Fadare)