THISISLAGOS MIDDAY NEWS UPDATE JULY 19, 2018
2019: Lagos women ready for APC’s victory, says Okoya-Thomas (Nation)
The Women Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos State, Mrs Jmoke Okoya-Thomas, has assured the womenfolk of support for the party’s landslide victory in next year’s general elections. She said the women’s wing had started mobilising support to ensure the victory of all APC candidates at the polls. Speaking alongside a thanksgiving service organised by the women’s wing to mark the successful completion of the party’s congresses and national convention, Mrs Okoya-Thomas urged the women to co-operate with one another and ensure peace and unity in the party. Read more
Deadline for completion of Ibadan-Lagos standard gauge not feasible, Lawmakers say (ThisDay)
The National Assembly Committees on Land Transport have cast doubt on the feasibility of achieving a completed standard gauge railway line from Ibadan to Lagos before the deadline of December 2019. The committees, which also noted that railway narrow gauge network which traverses the entire country, seemed not to be functioning at its optimum level, stated these when both committees at the National Assembly, paid an oversight visit to the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) and China Civil Engineering Construction Company (CCECC), in Lagos as well as had an inspection tour of the ongoing standard gauge project along Aduma, Papalanto axis of Ogun State recently. Read more
Southwest, Lagos APC congratulate Fayemi (Nation)
The Southwest All Progressives Congress (APC) has congratulated Ekiti State Governor-elect Kayode Fayemi on his victory. The zonal chapter said Fayemi deserved the victory, adding that his second term will usher an era of peace. A statement by the secretary, Ayo Afolabi, thanked the people of Ekiti for reposing their confidence in the party and the flag bearer. Afolabi, who noted that the journey to victory was long and tortuous, praised Fayemi for demonstrating courage in his renewed fight for the people’s freedom. Read more
LASG warns revenue collectors against corruption (Punch)
The Lagos State Government on Wednesday warned local government revenue collection officers against corruption, saying anyone caught diverting money would be punished. The Chairman, Local Government Service Commission, Babatunde Rotinwa, gave the warning at the inauguration of 2018 Certificate Course in Local Government Administration at the Public Service Staff Development Centre, Magodo. Rotinwa said, “I know that some local government revenue collection officers divert government’s money into private account. If we catch you, we will show you the way out. Be honest in your dealing.” Read more
LASG seeks support for SMEs development (Punch)
The Lagos State Government has said the activities of Nigerian Small and Medium Enterprises need to be projected to attract the business world.The government noted that the interest of investors in SMEs would provide relief for the country from overdependence on exportation of crude oil. The Commissioner for Wealth Creation and Employment, Mrs Uzamat Akinbile-Yusuf, stated this at the ‘Technical Workshop on Lagos State Non-oil Export Development,” organised by the wealth creation ministry in Ikeja. The commissioner, who said SMEs remained the catalyst for socio-economic change, employment and wealth creation, added that the sub-sector also ensured improved livelihood. Read more
NPSC chair: Lagos lawmaker hails Smith’s appointment (Punch)
The senator representing Lagos East Senatorial District, Gbenga Ashafa, has hailed the appointment of a former Inspector General of Police, Musiliu Smith, as the chairman of the Nigeria Police Service Commission. Ashafa said Smith would bring about the necessary reforms needed to transform the police. Ashafa, according to a statement on Wednesday, stated this during the consideration of the report of the Senate Committee on Police Affairs confirming Smith’s appointment. He said, “A former IGP Musiliu Smith is renowned to have conducted himself professionally at all his duty posts which endeared him to all law-abiding members of the various communities where he served and indeed the entire nation while he served as the Inspector General of Police between 1999 and 2002. Read more
West African surgeons extend safe practices’ operations to Lagos (Guardian)
The West African College of Surgeons (WACS) has commissioned its Permanent Secretariat in Yaba, Lagos state as part of its mandate to extend operations of safe surgical services to grassroots and development of surgical manpower. According to the body, the project, which is in line with the global health agenda, also seeks to enable self-sufficiency, reduce cost of examination and other services rendered to regional government as well as improving revenue base of the college. The body of surgeons was established in 1960, as the body responsible for the training of surgical consultants and allied specialist doctors for medical schools and teaching hospitals in West Africa. It currently has 22 nations far beyond the confines of the mother body, Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). Read more
Retool for better performance, Lagos (Punch)
Lagos State Head of Service (HoS), Mrs Folasade Adesoye, has urged Human Resource Management (HRM) practitioners to re-strategise and re-energise for optimal performance in public service delivery. Mrs. Adesoye spoke yesterday in Lagos while declaring opened a two-day retreat programme for human resource commissions, boards and related bodies in the state public service. The HoS, who spoke on the theme of the retreat: Transforming Governance Towards Sustaining a United Public Service, Through the Integration of Practices and Automation of Data Management across Commissions, noted that the challenges of HR management were complex and demanding. Read more
Lagos partners PharmAccess on finance scheme for SMEs (Guardian)
The Lagos State Ministries of Health, Wealth Creation and Employment in partnership with PharmAccess Group have introduced a financial framework for Small and Medium Scale Enterprises in the health sector to expand their businesses, while creating employment in the state. The financial framework, which was unveiled on Friday for the health SMEs will attract a 50 percent funding from the Lagos State Employment Trust Fund (LSETF), Bank of Industry (BOI) and Medical Credit Fund (MCF), with a total of N1, 075, 000, 000 disbursed for the scheme.Speaking at the workshop to unveil the scheme, Commissioner for Wealth Creation and Employment, Lagos state, Uzamat Akinbile-Yussuf said the private sector provides over 65 percent of healthcare services in Lagos, with SMEs in the healthcare space constituting majority of the providers. Read more
Lagos to engage Ikeja NBA in law reviews (Punch)
The Lagos State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Adeniji Kazeem, has solicited the contribution of the Nigerian Bar Association, Ikeja branch to the review of all the state laws due for review, including the Lagos State Tenancy Law, which is currently being worked on. The attorney general, who was listed among lawyers recently elevated by the Legal Practitioners’ Privileges Committee to the Senior Advocate of Nigeria rank, said this last week while hosting the newly-elected chairman of the NBA, Ikeja branch, Mr Dele Oloke, who paid him a courtesy visit in his Alausa office. Read more
Lagos public school candidates yet to get WASSCE results (Nation)
Two weeks after the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) released results of the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) for school candidates, SS3 pupils of Lagos State public schools have been unable to access their results. Mrs Kehinde Obasola, whose ward attends State Senior High School, Agege, said she was unable to access the result on WAEC’s website (www.waecdirect.org). “When I checked online, I saw ‘not yet released’ after typing in my niece’s details. She told me they said the result would be released next month,” Mrs Obasola said. A source from the Lagos State Ministry of Education who does not want to be named because of lack of authority to speak on the matter said the non-release of the result may not be unconnected to the non-completion of the payment of the examination fees by the Lagos State government. Read more
UNILAG gives guidelines for post-UTME screening (Vanguard)
The University of Lagos, UNILAG has said that the online registration for the Post-UTME screening exercise for admission into ALL courses/programmes for the 2018/2019 academic year will commence from 23rd July, 2018 to 3rd August, 2018. It states that candidates who made University of Lagos their first choice in the 2018/2019 UTME and scored 200 and above are eligible for screening, adding that candidates must possess five (5) credit passes at one sitting in relevant O/level subjects including English Language and Mathematics. Read more
Lagos to establish garment production hub (Nation)
To boost local market and drive non-oil export, Lagos State will soon establish a garment production hub. Commissioner for Wealth Creation and Employment Mrs Uzamat Akinbile-Yusuff made this known at a technical workshop on non-oil export development held at the LCCI Conference and Exhibition Centre, Alausa, Ikeja. She noted that the non-oil export development programme of Lagos State was an initiative created to provide solutions to economic problems as well as unemployment in the country. She said: ”The establishment of a garment production hub in Lagos State is designed to accommodate all garment making enterprises in a particular location, with a view to providing employment, reducing cost of production and fostering competitive international pricing, in further demonstration of our commitment to provide infrastructure that is capable of stimulating investors. Read more
Fidelity Bank supports Lagos Security Trust Fund (ThisDay)
Fidelity Bank Plc has donated N50 million to the Lagos State Security Trust Fund (LSSTF), as part of its contributions to improving security of lives and property in the state. The cheque was presented by the bank’s Executive Director, Lagos and South-West, Mrs Nneka Onyeali-Ikpe to the Executive Secretary, LSSTF, Dr. Abdulrassaq Balogun,at a ceremony in Lagos. Onyeali-Ikpe, who commended the Lagos State government for its commitment to preserving public peace, and protecting lives and property of Lagosians, said security was paramount to business success. According to her no activity can thrive in an atmosphere of uncertainty and insecurity. Read more
Truck, tanker drivers shun terminal because of N1,000 parking fee (Nation)
The Manager of Orile Parking Terminal, Mr Timothy Nkeonye, has complained about persistent low patronage of the terminal. They said truck and tanker drivers avoid payment of N1,000 daily parking fee. Nkeonye told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos yesterday that the truck and tanker drivers rather preferred parking on the highways. According to him, many of the drivers shun the Orile-Iganmu parking terminal to avoid paying N1,000 daily parking fee. Nkeonye noted that the 3000-capacity terminal had been experiencing low patronage since it was constructed in 2007. Read more
Tankers’ unending siege to Lagos roads (Guardian)
For over two years, Lagos has groaned under a siege created by truck drivers. The nuisance of articulated vehicles heading in and out of the Apapa ports, the largest and busiest in West Africa, line up several kilometres of access roads, exploiting government’s laxity towards enforcing relevant laws. At the best of time, traffic in the city could be chaotic but the absence of proper infrastructure in and out of the Apapa port has worsened the situation. The consequence is perpetual gridlocks on many of the roads in and around Apapa, which continues to put a dent on the finances and lifestyle of people and businesses in the area. Read more
Shop owners protest poor power supply, want IPP (Punch)
Small and Medium Scale Enterprises business owners, under the aegis of Association of Shop Owners in Sura Business Complex, Lagos Island, on Wednesday stormed the premises of the Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC) in Marina to protest against poor power supply. The aggrieved business owners, led by their Chairman, Mrs Bunmi Ajayi, said they were fed up with poor electricity and outrageous estimated bills given by EKEDC. They said they had resolved to source electricity power from an Independent Power Project (IPP) firm and were no longer ready to do business with EKEDC. Read more
40-year-old driver absconds with N4.5m car (Punch)
A40-year-old driver, Morris Udoh, has allegedly run away with a Toyota Camry valued at N4.5m. Punch Metro learnt that the car was given to Udoh on a hired purchase by one Patience Odamo. It was gathered that Udoh, who was to pay a weekly instalment of N40,000 to Odamo, ran away after he collected the vehicle on March 16 at Victoria Garden City, Lekki, Lagos. Our correspondent learnt that all means to find Udoh proved abortive as his phone number was switched off and he was not found in his apartment on Simisola Street, Surulere, Lagos. Read more
Fire guts Abia night club, bank office in Lagos (Punch)
Some property of the United Bank for Africa has been burnt as fire gutted the firm’s office on Victoria Island, Lagos, on Wednesday. Punch Metro learnt that the fire which started around 11.53am, was ignited as diesel was being poured into some generators serving the office. It was gathered that three generators, one Toyota car and diesel tank were burnt in the outbreak. Our correspondent learnt that the state fire service responded to the fire and put it out. The General Manager of Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, Adesina Tiyamiyu, confirmed the incident Read more
I am as guilty as charged, fake medical doctor tells court (Nation)
A fake medical doctor, Salisu Usman, yesterday confessed at an Ikeja Magistrates’ Court in Lagos that he had been treating patients, posing as a qualified medical doctor. “I am as guilty as charged,” Usman, 28, told court. Consequently, Magistrate Mrs B.O. Osunsanmi ordered his remand at the Kirikiri Prisons until July 20 for a review of facts and sentencing. The defendant, who pleaded for mercy, lives at Oluwalogbo, Isefun community in Ayobo, Lagos outskirts. Prosecuting Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Ezekiel Ayorinde, said Usman committed the offence on July 6 at Baden Junction in Ayobo. Read more
Oldest Nigeria practising lawyer, Pa Gomez dies at 90 (Vanguard)
According to report, the death of Pa Gomez was officially announced by the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, Lagos branch through its Chairman, Mr. Chukwuka Ikwuazom. Vanguard gathered that Pa Gomez as he was popularly called marked his 90th birthday some months back with pomp and pageantry. Announcing the lawyer’s passing away, the Lagos NBA branch chairman simply stated : “It is with a heavy heart that I announce the passing of Pa Tunji Gomez. Pa Gomez was until his death yesterday night, the oldest practising lawyer in Nigeria and a deeply loved member of the Premier Bar. “The Branch had, in recognition of his excellent service and uncommon devotion to the Branch, celebrated his 90th birthday in style a few months ago. Our deepest condolences go to his immediate family. We will greatly miss Pa Gomez and pray that his soul will rest in perfect peace. Read more
4th Lagos Badminton International Classics: Top stars scale first day hurdle (Vanguard)
Nigeria’s highest ranked Badminton female player Dorcas Adesokan was among notable players that survived opening day hurdle as hostilities began in the 4th Lagos International Badminton Classics. No fewer than 250 players from 22 countries are competing for honours in the championship which began on July 18 and ends July 21. Adesokan defeated Chineye Ebere, 21-13, 21-14 to record her first win in the competition, as number one seed, Muhammad Shamsul-Muzil beat Jafar Umar, 21-15, 21-13 while Godwin Olofuwa strolled pass 21-8, 21-7. Read more
