The Lagos State House of Assembly Tuesday called on the State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-olu to direct the Commissioner for Commerce, Industry and Commerce, Lola Akande to initiate strategies to protect the local traders in the state.
The House also called for the enforcement of the Lagos State Market Advisory Council Law.
The Assembly also decided to review the Lagos State Market Advisory Council Law with a view to upgrading it and make the law conform to current realities.
The resolution followed a motion moved by the Majority Leader of the House, Sanai Agunbiade on the need to protect local market men and women against foreign nationals.
In his argument, Agunbiade noted that the activities of foreign nationals in the market threaten trading which is capable of forcing local traders out of business.
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He added that some indigenous market men and women were being sidelined, saying that foreigners were selling directly to end users after manufacturing instead of passing the products through local traders.
The Deputy Speaker of the House, Wasiu Sanni
Eshinlokun, who presided over plenary said, though a market must be competitive; there should be free entry, stressing that the non-organised traders must be protected.
“It is generic; it is not to protect a section,” he said. Earlier in his argument, Tunde Braimoh demanded explanation on why the House should review the Market Advisory Council Law and at the same time called on the executive to enforce the same law.
Speaking in the same vein, the Chief Whip of the House, Rotimi Abiru said, stated that there was no law that prohibits the manufactures from selling directly to the end users, adding that everything depends on strategies adopted by the House.
“We have been craving for Foreign Direct Investment ( FDI), so we should not send wrong signal, there is need for caution,” he said.
In his contribution, Adedamola Kasunmu advised that there is need to have a stakeholders meeting with the House and the local market men and women.
Another member, Abiodun Tobun argued that though foreign nationals were welcomed to invest in the country, not to take away petty trading and opportunities of people of the state.
