By Stanley Onyekwere
The Newspapers Vendors Association, Abuja (NVAA) has raised an alarm over a purported Police order given to its members at power house junction, Asokoro District, Abuja, to vacate the area, with effect from tomorrow (Thursday).
Chairman of the association, samuel Jimoh, who disclosed this in statement tagged “Matter of Concern’ issued yesterday, said the directive issued by the police under Asokoro division, when enforced will displace over 30 members, as the affected area is one of the fast selling points action in the nation’s capital city.
Jimoh said when he contacted the Police crime unit of the Asokoro division, to find out what the reasons were, the man in charge only responded by saying that it was based on intelligence gathering and could not say more.
“The police under Asokoro division have ordered that the newspaper vendors at power house junction should vacate the junction with effect from Thursday.
“But when I contacted the crime division to exactly find out what the reasons were, the man in charge only responded by saying that it was based on intelligence gathering and could not say more,” he said.
He adds: “We are appealing to the appropriate authority for time in view of our ongoing vendors ‘accreditation exercise, as we are repositioning to curtail insecurity bedeviling the Federal capital territory (FCT) and the country at large.”
Peoples Daily reports that the Association had on started on June1 kicked off membership verification exercise, in order to ensure effective regulation and strict compliance with business activities at approved newsstands, after which unverified vendors shall not be allowed to carry out their usual sales activities in the FCT.