Firm Decries ‘Area Boys’ Harassment
From Tunde Sanni in Ibadan, 04.04.2009

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Oyo

[b]Managing Director of Mojat Consult, a consultancy firm to the Oyo State Government on Signage and Outdoor Advertising, Mr. Remi Adeniji has cried out over the negative activities of street urchins otherwise called “area boys” in his firm’s bid to discharge its duties.
At an interactive session with newsmen, Adeniji said the “area boys” were in the habit of swooping on his workers thereby extorting money from them as conditions to allow the erection of structures meant to beautify the state capital.
Though he admitted that the area boys were creation of the political class, he however stated that the time has come to deploy the energies of the hoodlums to some gainful ventures if the effort of the government on the beautification exercise was to bear meaningful fruit.
“I never anticipated them  and so did not bring them into reckoning. With the way they are going, I will report them to the governor so that they would be called to order.
“I think the state has passed that stage of hooliganism. We are now in a new era where hooliganism hitherto elevated to high heavens is being relegated. I know it is the problem of the government and the government has recognised that and very soon, there shall be sanity.
He added that governments had concluded arrangements to rehabilitate them so that they would not be creating unnecessary nuisance in the city.
The government too, is feeling the problems posed by these people and very soon something concrete would come out of it,” he said. He revealed that the social misfits are forcing contractors to cough out between N4, 000-N5, 000 on daily basis in all places being renovated by the private companies on behalf of the government.
Adeniji said with the way the hoodlums were going, they could scare away investors who, out of genuine interests, may want to establish companies in the state.
The Mojat boss attributed the activities of the hoodlums as an extension of the negative traits in some human beings, “our psyche in terms of development is very low. We don’t assist in the growth of the society. We are only interested in destruction and pull him down at all costs.
He pointed out that his firm counted on the goodwill of corporate organizations like commercial banks in the state to partner with it in the task of making the state capital a center of attraction.
Adeniji stated that with his efforts, the Nigerian Brewery Company {NBL} has agreed two bus stop sheds while he has secured the nod of some banks for the beautification of 25 roundabouts in the state capital.
He said, “the beautification of the city is being done free of charge by banks and NBL as part of their corporate social responsibilities. Anytime, the contractors get to the roundabouts to start work, the area boys would ask them to pay between N4, 000 and N5, 000 daily. If they fail to pay it, they won’t be allowed to work.
“The government is ready to beautify about 25 roundabouts in Ibadan. But, these area boys are making things difficult for us. Just yesterday, at the Secretariat, some area boys came to trouble us at Iwo road and Secretariat; they demanded money from the contractors. And they we have to part with the money before they allowed them to work. How long shall we continue like this”, he wondered.
Henceforth, residents in the city would not be allowed to place signage which includes signboards, posters and bill boards indiscriminately adding that the firm would be removing such signage from places they are not wanted. [/b]