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Newspaper Vendors, AEPB and the Strike By Emeka Oraetoka
Probably worried by the environmental situation of the Federal Capital City [FCC] upon assumption of office, the director of AEPB perhaps decided as a matter of priority to reposition the board by carrying out a clinical operation on the city, in many areas under the board. To this end, hawking in all its ramifications was to stop, at least, in the municipality, in accordance with the relevant environmental laws; indiscriminate erection of kiosks by newspaper vendors was also slated for sanitization.
About five months ago, the director general/chief executive of AEPB, directed the searchlight of the board towards sanitizing the distorted newspaper selling and distribution network in FCC. This writer was reliably informed that her first task was to initiate a meeting of stakeholders in the newspaper distribution industry in FCT. Another meeting was said to have taken place afterward, where it was agreed that the list of members of the union-Newspapers, of FCT was to be submitted to the board. The idea was to know the number of newspaper vendors in the Federal Capital City. They were to be given Tags for identification. It was agreed after much debate and dialogue that membership registration fee should be paid, according to reports. When suspicion arose, according to information, that the planned exercise will leave some established members of unio n displaced from their original positions, it was reportedly resolved that any member identified as having been staying in a particular place will still retain the same position at the end of the repositioning exercise.
Information had it that later, the Vendor Association sought another opportunity to see the chief executive of AEPB, this time for another reason, other than submission of the list of its members, they were told that the director was busy with other issues, that she can only listen to them if they are ready with list in question. Reports have it that till date, they [the Union] have not brought the list for the onward granting of identification tag, almost five months after agreement was reached between AEPB and Vendor Association. Information has it that AEPB was forced to embark on confiscation of these vendors papers, when it became obvious to them that they were not ready to honour their own part of the agreement earlier reached. To make matters worse, the vendors were alleged to be selling pure water and recharge cards in the kiosks allocated to them, thereby environmental nuisance in the municipality.
It was also gathered that when complaints of the nuisance activities of vendors in central area, comprising NICON Hilton junction and some parts of federal secretariat; got to the authorities in AEPB, they were asked to stop hawking papers around there areas. They however, did not heed the order of AEPB. Reports have it that these vendors are on daily basis constituting nuisance in these areas; to the embarrassment of not even the people living in FCT, but foreign visitors; especially around NICON hotel. It was also gathered that apart from hawking papers, they sell re-charge cards, which invariably litter the ground at the end of the day. This writer was reliably informed that the task force set up to confiscate and try the defaulting vendors, were strongly detailed to arrest only those hawkers around the prohibited areas. Those having established se lling positions were however, allowed to continue with their business unhindered.
Pronouncement: the concept of strike in conflict resolution is not totally an aberration, especially in workers, government negotiations; but in view of the current efforts of government at privatization and other reform Programme, the idea of strike is fast becoming obsolete as a means of conflict resolution as the economy is being deregulated in line with global trend. The striking Newspaper Vendors should also realize that the ultimate losers in the last strike were the low-income earners in FCT. The gilded ones turned to the Internet to read newspapers during the strike period. The vendors should also realize that most Lagos axis publishers might resort to direct supply of newspapers to the Ministers, Parastalas and other Government agencie s that are major users of information in the Newspapers in FCT in the future, should there be strike.
Emeka OraetokaInformation Management Consultant, Wrote in from Garki Abuja.
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