Former Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Bode George, has called on Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, to address the escalating harassment, extortion and physical abuse of traders by state officials and security agents.

In an open letter to the governor, Bode George expressed grave concerns over the plight of traders, highlighting that many face constant harassment and are subjected to heavy levies.

The PDP leader lamented that traders are harassed and flogged like criminals by government agents, despite their contributions to the state’s economy. He said: “Lagos is known as the Centre of Excellence, but these traders are not being treated excellently by some security agents and government officials daily.

Apart from lamenting the multiple levies they pay to councils and at the same time subjected to extortion most horrendously by some thugs and rough-necks, they are also harassed and flogged like criminals. “I was born in Lagos and I grew up here.

I know street trading has been part of our culture and tradition for decades, even before Independence on October 1, 1960. Many professionals today like lawyers, doctors, engineers, accountants and others were financed educationally by what their parents made through street trading.”