THISISLAGOS MIDDAY NEWS UPDATE APRIL 25, 2018
Ambode and the race for Lagos House (ThisDay)
As the 2019 general election inches closer, Gboyega Akinsanmi discusses the implication of the gale of endorsements Lagos State governor, Akinwunmi Ambode has been receiving lately. From the beginning, the voyage has not been entirely smooth. Many times, as Lagos State governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode observed at a recent session, storms, mostly within and rarely without, threatened to terminate the voyage abruptly. Yet, according to him, with faith in God, the voyage has been a huge success despite challenges. Ambode’s remark, however, is not a case of a candidate adjudging himself in a contest. Before now and then, different interests – opposition parties, civil society organisation (CSOs), organised private sector (OPS), community-based organisations (CBOs) and global community – at different times have examined and scored him high. Read more
Ambode at US business parley, woos investors to Lagos (Vanguard)
Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State has invited international companies to invest in the state, predicting that the state will become the investment destination of choice in West Africa. In his keynote message to members of Business Council for International Understanding, the prestigious American business organisation in Washington, DC. Ambode said: “Lagos is open for business and our focus is on adding value and working with those who will add value to Lagos and Lagosians”, the governor told more than 30 investors at the exclusive event. Read more
Lagos APC bans chair, others from re-election (Nation)
The Lagos State All Progressives Congress (APC) has banned its chairman, Chief Henry Ajomale, members of the state executive council, wards and local government executives that have served three or four terms in office from seeking re-election. APC stalwart Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, who announced the decision, said it was aimed at injecting new blood into the party’s leadership. Tinubu, who spoke at the APC stakeholders meeting in Lagos yesterday, said party officials who have served three or four terms at the ward, local government and state levels should leave. Read more
Ambode trains workers in information management (Nation)
Lagos State Governor Akinwunmi Ambode said yesterday that in its determination to make workers in its employ the envy of all, the government was organising a training for senior civil servants in information management. The governor, represented by the Commissioner for Establishment, Training and Pensions, Dr. Akintola Benson Oke, spoke while declaring open a two-day training for senior management staff with the theme: “Information Management for Positive Perception of Lagos State government”. It was organised by the Lagos State Ministry of Establishment, Training and Pensions, in conjunction with Messrs. XLS Consult Ltd, at NECA House, CBD, Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos. Read more
Ambode urges workers to be govt spokespersons (Punch)
Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State has urged workers in the state employ to take the pains to disseminate proper information about government activities to the public, nothing that such would erase speculation in governance. The governor spoke on Tuesday while declaring open a two-day training programme titled, ‘Positive Perception of Government Programmes: The Role of The Lagos State Civil Service,’ in Ikeja. Ambode, who noted that proper information management would showcase government’s competence and fairness, stated that such were necessary ingredients to ensure proper perspective in governance. Read more
Osinbajo urges tolerance as Deeper Life opens new auditorium (Guardian)
Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, has called on Nigerians to rise against religious intolerance in the country, assuring that the Federal Government would do everything possible to protect their rights to freedom of worship anywhere. Osinbajo who made the call yesterday, while commissioning the 30,000 capacity new headquarters Church auditorium of the Deeper Life Bible Church in Gbagada, Lagos, said religious intolerance remained a major challenge against the country’s socio-economic revival. He assured that President Muhammadu Buhari had mandated him to intervene in areas facing such challenges to achieve peaceful co-existence among all section of the country. Read more
LASAA, outdoor advertisers set up committee to resolve issues (Vanguard)
A source says issues to be addressed by the committee include media buyers, agency rate review, vacant board discount policy; 12.5 percent in the harmonized law, health and safety concerns, structural stability among others. The meeting which held at the head office of LASAA in Ikeja, Lagos had major outdoor advertising practitioners in the state present. The constituted committee had seven members from OAAN and eight members from LASAA. Read more
LASG screens caregivers, demands quality service (Punch)
The Lagos State Government says it is ready to screen caregivers operating in the state to ensure quality service delivery to children and the elderly. The Commissioner for Youth and Social Development, Mr. Agboola Dabiri, said the government would collate the data of the caregivers operating in the state with a view to regularising their operations and making them to comply with global standards. Dabiri, according to a statement on Tuesday, spoke in Ikeja during a on three-day ‘foundational training on professional childcare’ organised by the ministry in conjunction with Nanny Centre, operated by a certified member of International Nanny Association and a registered vocational trainer. Read more
Lagos makes N103.476bn revenue in three months (Punch)
The Lagos State Government on Tuesday said its internally generated revenue for the first quarter of 2018 was N103.476bn, as against N96.7bn recorded in 2017. It added that the IGR was 81 per cent of the total revenue of N141bn generated in the quarter. The Commissioner for Economic Planning and Budget, Mr. Segun Banjo, stated this during the ministry’s press briefing to mark the third year in office of Governor Akinwunmi Ambode’s administration in Alausa, Ikeja, noted that the performance of the state’s 2018 budget of N1.046tn was heading in the right direction. Read more
Lagos traders clash with LCDA over market demolition (Vanguard)
Members of Ile-Epo Commodity Market Association, Lagos, have raised the alarm over moves to demolish the market by Agbado-Oke-Odo Local Council Development Area, LCDA. The traders toook to the streets in a peaceful demonstration, bearing placards with inscriptions such as: “We say no to demolition”, Ambode, please come to our rescue”, “Ambode save Oke-odo market from demolition.” Financial Secretary of Araromi Oke-Odo Market Association, Mrs. Egbu Augustina, told newsmen that the market leaders had kicked against the demolition because of thousands of traders, especially widows, who will lose their source of livelihood. Read more
Saving Lagos from the truck Armada (Punch)
Towards the closing years of the 16th Century, the Spanish Armada, a Spanish fleet of 130 warships, sailed from La Coruna escorting an army from Flanders, to invade England and overthrow Queen Elizabeth I. Then, in the 1970s, Nigeria experienced the “Cement Armada,” a deluge of cement that overwhelmed the Lagos Ports. It took the stern resolve of Brig Benjamin “Black Scorpion” Adekunle to end the “benign invasion.” Today, close to the 2020s of the 21st Century, there is a massive lockdown of Lagos roads by articulated vehicles seeking to approach either the Tin Can Island Ports, or the petroleum products’ tank farms along the approach to the port. It is also a common sight to see trailers parked between Loco Bus Stop and Adekunle Bus Stop on the Murtala Muhammed Way that stretches from Yaba Flyover to Oyingbo. Read more
Globacom targets October 2019 for completion of Glo 2 project (Guardian)
Information and Communications Technology firm, Globacom, has commenced work on its second submarine cable, Glo 2 with a completion timeline of 18 months to October 2019. It unveiled the project’s plan at a contract-signing ceremony between Globacom and global telecom solutions vendors, Huawei, in Lagos yesterday. Giving details of the project, Globacom’s Regional Director (Technical), Sanjib Roy, said the submarine cable would be built along the Nigerian coast from Alpha Beach in Lagos, where Glo 1 landing station is located to the Southern part of the country. Read more
Dangote Foundation Donates N120m Secondary School Complex in Lagos (ThisDay)
Business magnate and Africa’s richest man, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, through his foundation, has donated an equipped secondary school valued at N120 million in Lagos to Nawair-Ud-Deen Comprehensive College, Mushin. The newly built school is equipped with laboratories and conducive for learning. Speaking at the inauguration and handing over of the building, Dangote said the foundation started in 1993 with the principle of “to whom much is given, much is expected” and looking at the less privileged ones have compelled it to provide some relief. Read more
Fallen Heroes: Uranta, Birmah, Odumakin, others inaugurate #WeCare Movement in Lagos (ThisDay)
A Non-Governmental Organisation, “#WeCare Movement” (WCM) was on Tuesday inaugurated in Lagos, to help support families of Nigeria’s fallen heroes. The NGO which was inaugurated at the Sheraton Hotels in Lagos had Nigerians from all walks of life in attendance including a former Minister of Education, Alhaji Dauda Birmah; one-time Miss Nigeria, Ms. Binta Sukai; Senator Tokunbo Ogunbanjo; Businessman Flutist, Mr. Tee Mac Itseli; premier Gender activist, Ms. Ene Ede; and Mr. Peter Esele, former President of the Trade Unions Congress of Nigeria (TUC) among others. Read more
World Malaria Day: Access Bank propose accelerated investment to bring malaria to zero (Guardian)
Corporate Alliance on Malaria in Africa, CAMA in partnership with Access Bank Plc and other Corporate Society Organisations will tomorrow, April 26th, hold a Malaria forum in Lagos tagged “Accelerating Investment to Bring Malaria to Zero”. The forum which seeks to bring together a group of business executives, corporate health managers, technical experts, government officials, program implementers and global health community to discuss strategies to accelerate investment to bring malaria to Zero in Nigeria and Africa will take place at Access Bank Office in Victoria Island, Lagos. The gathering aimed to showcase the impact of malaria investment by the private sector on key indicators such as key achievements and innovations. Read more
Falz’s security aides rough-handled me –Kate Henshaw in mock claim (Punch)
In a mock claim whose overall intention is suspected to be a way of drawing attention to an ongoing movie shoot involving some of Nollywood’s Who is Who, actress Kate Henshaw alleged that one of the security aides of Falz the Bahd Guy rough-handled her. On Tuesday, Henshaw took to her verified Twitter handle @HenshawKate to share her experience and wondered why the rapper needed to go about with four “assistants.” However, a call to Henshaw’s manager, Funke, revealed that she was on set with the Falz and another actress, Funke Akindele-Bello, who also commented on the tweet, saying, “#istandwithkatehenshaw #saynotorudecolleagues“. Henshaw’s manage also noted that the tweet was suspected to be an attempt to get fans talking and nothing serious. Read more
Nigerian Artiste Myro Set to Drop ‘Lagos Soweto’ (Guardian)
Singer Myro is set to drop new music and video titled Lagos Soweto under the Guardian Music label imprint in collaboration with Masterpiece Entertainment. Building a steady growing fan base with singles Ocha, Plantain featuring Oritsefemi, Odi O.k with a noteworthy T-shirt merchandise and more recently dancehall vibe Sugar, he is ready to drop the up-tempo, party-friendly tune, Lagos Soweto. The track is produced by new kid on the block ‘Prof Beat’, mixed by industry’s finest Suka Sounds. The video was directed by Ceelah Rex and shot on location in Lagos, Nigeria by the Ibru Studios and Guardian Productions. Read more
Alleged Badoo sponsor, Abayomi, loses N500m claims against police (Punch)
The Federal High Court in Lagos on Tuesday declined awarding N500m damages against the Nigeria Police Force for the arrest, detention and parade of Alhaji Alaka Abayomi before the media on July 31, 2017 as an alleged sponsor and godfather of the murderous ritual group, Badoo. Though Justice Muslim Hassan knocked the police for Abayomi’s detention beyond 24 hours without a court order, he declined the prayer to award exemplary damages of N500m in favour of the oil marketer against the police. Read more
Lagos couple found dead in apartment (Punch)
There was confusion on Sadius Crescent, Araromi-Ile, in the Morogbo area of Lagos State, after the decomposing bodies of a couple were found in their apartment. The remains, which were found on Saturday, were removed by policemen from the Morogbo Police Division. This is just as an electrician, Abiodun Odutu, got electrocuted while reconnecting electricity to his house on Yusuf Asika Street, Ijegun, Isheri-Oshun. Punch Metro learnt that the identities of the deceased couple had yet-to-be established as their co-tenants were said to have fled the neighbourhood upon the discovery. Read more