Lasustech Bread Vendors lament over Management’s directive to relocate to Students Activities Center

Laspotech Bread      Photocredit: Adekoya Adebowale

• Decried low patronage and conflict among vendors

• Bakery records low sales after the directive was issued

Safiu Kehinde

LASUSTECH Bread Vendors have lamented the school directive to relocate them to the Students Activities Center.

The Governing Council and Management of the Lagos State University of Science and Technology (LASUSTECH) had, earlier this week, ordered the relocation of the bread vendors across its Ikorodu main campus.

As contained in a newsflash issued by the Institution’s Directorate of Information and Public Relations, the bread vendors were to relocate with immediate effect and are write to the Directorate of Students Affairs for space allocation at the activities centre.

In reaction to this, several vendors expressed their displeasure over the decision as they pointed low patronage and conflicts, among others, as the implications of such move.

According to one of the vendors, Mrs. Comfort Ogbor, confining all of them to the activities centre will invoke unhealthy competition while they will also record low sales and patronage.

“Despite we selling at different places, the quarrel is still there. You will see vendors confronting each other over customers. Now putting all of us in a single spot, just imagine how that will look. Some will go to the extent of invoking jazz on one another and there will be enmity.”

“Outside there, we do see people coming from Badagry, Seme, and other far places to patronize us. There was a year, when the bread we currently sell for 200 Naira was then sold at 100 naira, a clergyman approached me, requesting if he can get 8000 loaves of bread. I had to give the man the bakery’s contact.” Mrs. Comfort said.

Similarly, another vendor, Mrs. Isabella Christian, disclosed that they do record low sales at the activities centre as the Students rarely patronize them.

“Our market does not move at activities. Most of our customers are commuters and the students hardly patronize us.”

“You can’t because of a loaf of bread go all the way down to activities. Besides, it is the passersby outside the school gate that mostly patronize us- not even students.” She said.

Meanwhile, one of the bakery staffs simply identified as Miss Temitope, decried the drop of bread purchase by their customers while noting that the management gave no reason for the decision.

“For now, we heard it was based on the fact that the school is upgrading into University standard, but we do not know the truth yet.” Miss Temitope said.

She further confirmed that there is low patronage at the activities centre.

“In terms of the bread vendors, there is no sales at activities. We once put it to test through one of them. She took twelve loaves of 150 Naira bread and sold just ten throughout the day. Now imagine them being at activities, how many will they sell?” she added.

Also confirming the Management’s directive, another vendor popularly known as Iya Ijede, admitted that they were not given any reason for the decision.

“We were not given any reason for the decision. Even those at the bakery were not. They just issued out newsflash to us and sent text messages.” She said.