Some hawkers in Cross River State on Sunday commended the state government for initiating the Hawkers’ Rights Protection Bill and urged the state’s House of Assembly to expedite action on it.
The hawkers told the News Agency of Nigeria in Calabar that sending the bill to the legislature demonstrated the concern of the state Governor, Prof. Ben Ayade, for the masses in the state.
The governor had last week told journalists that he had sent a bill on hawkers’ rights protection to the assembly.
Ayade said explained that the bill was for a legal framework for hawking to thrive in the state.
One of the hawkers, Aniete Bassey, described the initiative as people-oriented and said that the bill, if passed, would provide food for many families.
Bassey, who hawks clothing materials, said: ‘This is very commendable because it touches the downtrodden.
“This will enable the poor masses to go about their businesses without fear of molestation.
“I have five children that I feed through this business.”
Ikechukwu Udenwa, a hawker of electrical appliances, told NAN that the law would help small-scale businesses to thrive in the state as wished by the governor.
Udenwa said: “I came to this town with a small capital to do business; so I decided to hawk for now until I make more money to rent a shop.
“With this government protection, I can trade anywhere in the city.”
An orange seller, Nkoyo Etim, also expressed happiness over the proposed bill, saying: “Maybe, the law will prevent some people from coming to ask us to pay some fees daily to government.”
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