THISISLAGOS MIDDAY NEWS UPDATE APRIL 23, 2018
Ambode promises good governance (Punch)
Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State says his administration will continue to keep the ideals and philosophy of the late human rights activist, Chief Gani Fawehinmi, alive by ensuring social justice and good governance. Ambode said this on Sunday while inaugurating a new 34-feet statue of the late Fawehinmi at the new Liberty Park in the Ojota area of the state. The governor, who was represented by the state Deputy Governor, Dr Idiat Adebule, noted that the new statue of the late activist was a demonstration of his administration’s belief in the ideals and principles of social justice, which Fawehinmi was known for during his lifetime. Read more
Groups kick against Gbajabiamila’s fifth term agenda (Guardian)
Socio-political groups under the aegis of Surulere Unite have kicked against the fifth term agenda of the House of Representatives Majority Leader, Femi Gbajabiamila.The group which comprises Free Surulere Movement, Not Too Young to Run, Committee of Friends, JAMCO, Agbekoya and Save Surulere Movement said the 16 years of the Majority leader’s administration is enough, as 20 years would be too much for one man from a single ward. The groups said, as the All Progressives Congress (APC) card carrier members, representing residents of Surulere, they are ‘tired and sick’ of Gbajabiamila’s administration as there has never been legislative and structural development in the constituency. Read more
Ambode: Lagos being shortchanged in resource distribution (ThisDay)
Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, has disclosed that the state is being short-changed in resource distribution, citing unreliable national population statistics the federal government relies on to distribute resources. Ambode urged all residents of the state “to troop out and collect their Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs),” noting that failing “to participate in our civic obligation is the long result of the shortchanging of the resources that is distributed across Nigeria.” He disclosed this at a meeting he addressed in Apapa recently alongside the Deputy Governor, Mrs. Idiat Adebule, Secretary to the State Government, Mr. Tunji Bello and Oba of Lagos, Oba Rilwan Akiolu, among others. Read more
Lekki-Epe has high returns on real estate investments – Developer (Punch)
The Managing Director, Obika Realtors Limited, Mrs. Ekamma Ufot, says the Lekki-Epe axis of Lagos has high returns on investments for investors in real estate. Ufot made known during allocation of plots of land to some subscribers in the Royal Residence Estate being developed by Obika Realtors in Eluju town, Ibeju Lekki. She said people in the middle class, who desired to own properties at affordable rates, could also be beneficiaries of real estate investments in the fast growing area with the largest development in Lagos in recent times. Read more
Structural engineers laud Oshodi bus terminal construction (Punch)
Members of the Nigerian Institution of Structural Engineers have urged the company constructing the Oshodi Bus Terminal in Lagos, Planet Project, to ensure quality delivery. They said this during a facility tour of the work site, noting that the structural design was world class. The President, NIStructE, Mr. Eddy Atumonyogo, expressed satisfaction with the level of work done on the site already, saying that the government should be confident to award contracts to Nigerian engineers. He commended Planet Project for ensuring that almost 100 per cent Nigerians were employed to work on the project. Read more
Quantity surveyors seek improvement in profession (Punch)
Quantity surveyors in Lagos State have expressed concerns over the challenges facing the profession. They spoke at a business luncheon organised by the Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors, Lagos Chapter, which provided a platform for interaction among members. During the luncheon, the experts brainstormed and proffered solutions to some of the identified challenges. Among the challenges identified were constrained markets due to economic issues, devaluation of quantity surveying services through excessive and unhealthy completion on fees, intrusions by other professionals into quantity surveying related services, as well as inadequate skilled and experienced practitioners. Read more
Ikorodu homeowners decry activities of land grabbers, others (Guardian)
Seven months after 17 houses were brought down on the orders of the Lagos State Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development, the owners of the affected homes and lands are still crying out to the Lagos state governor, Akinwunmi Ambode to come to their aid and ensure that justice is done and they get appropriate compensation. The residents of Opere Street, Lagoon View Estate, Owode-Ibese in Ikorodu are still floundering in the wind, confused and counting their losses, which is running into billions of Naira. Spokesperson of the residents, Victor Armstrong, revealed that several plots and twists have continued to emerge as several individuals and families are claiming ownership to the area in dispute, with each party throwing their might and asking residents to ratify the land with them. Read more
How human error crashed Associated Airlines aircraft in Lagos –AIB (SUN)
The Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB) over the week released the final report on what led to the crash of the Associated Airlines aircraft, an Embraer 120ER with registration number 5N-BJY, on October 3, 2013 in Lagos. The AIB report said the aircraft was destroyed by the impact of the crash and the post-crash fire that engulfed it. Of the 20 passengers on board the aircraft, 16 of them died while four survived. The AIB linked the crash to human errors on the part of the pilots and regulatory officials from the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA). The report reinforces the thinking within the industry that 98 per cent of air accidents are caused by human errors and not necessarily the airworthiness of the aircraft. The report relied on recordings of conversations on the black-box between the chief pilot, co-pilots, engineer on board the aircraft as well as physical examination of the wreckage of the aircraft. Read more
How Deeper Life’s 30,000 capacity hqtrs was built, by officials (Guardian)
For years, Gbagada in Lagos State has served as a Jerusalem of some sort, boosting the religious, aesthetic and socio-economic status of the axis; becoming a dream destination to Deeper Christian Life Ministry (DCLM) members and other worshippers. When a befitting headquarters began at Ayodele Oke-Owo Street in June 17, 2005, it was not a surprise to the residents that the Deeper Christian Life) headquarters will be situated in the community.Messrs Trevi foundation, a foremost contractor engineering firm in Nigeria handled the pilling works to the project, which occupies about 7,000 square metres land area for the main building, aside the auxiliary car parks and other facilities. Read more
LASG trains residents to create jobs (Punch)
The Lagos State Government says it will intensify efforts to make residents employers of labour through a series of intervention programmes meant to create jobs. It added the desire to do such had made it to upgrade and expand the existing skills acquisition centres in the state to ensure that every citizen, irrespective of their social status and condition, has access to employment opportunities. The Commissioner for Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Mrs. Lola Akande, stated this on Friday at the 2018 press briefing of her ministry in commemoration of the third year in office of Governor Akinwunmi Ambode. Read more
5,159 Women get Vocational Training in Lagos (Leadership)
Lagos State Government at the weekend revealed that about 5,159 students have undergone different vocations training in its various Skill Acquisition Centres across the State in the last one year. The state’s Commissioner for Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Mrs. Lola Akande disclosed at the at a Ministerial Press briefing held in Lagos in commemoration of the third Year in Office of Governor Akinwunmi Ambode stated that to tackle the unemployment structure of women in the state, the government has organised short and long-term vocational training programmes for women; young female, widows, vulnerable and disabled women across the State. Read more
2 UTME candidates get scholarships (Punch)
Two indigent students in Lagos State have been awarded university scholarships for their brilliant performance in the Senior School Certificate Examinations and Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination. The beneficiaries – Miss Oladunni Akisanmi and Master Agwu James – won the scholarships at the second edition of the annual University Scholarship Award of the Education Endowment Fund, organised by the Hope for Women in Nigeria Initiative – the pet project of the wife of the Lagos State Governor, Mrs. Bolanle Ambode.
Ambode, while presenting the scholarships at the HOFOWEM office in Ikeja, commended the students for excelling in the selection process and for their brilliant performances in the examinations, a statement said on Sunday. Read more
Lagos LUC: Academia calls for valuation procedure review (Punch)
Real estate and tax experts at the University of Lagos have called for the review of certain aspects of the Lagos State Government’s Land Use Charge. One particular aspect focused on was the property valuation method used to determine the LUC rates. According to the professionals, the 40 per cent general relief on all assessed capital values does not in any way provide relief for persons not in beneficial occupation of their properties. Most of them noted that the state government’s valuation should be based on annual rental value, a tax method that focuses on the average gross rental income a property is expected to generate in normal market conditions. Read more
Lagos Consumer Protection Agency and filthy markets (Independent)
Marketplaces in Lagos in the recent times are by each passing day becoming eyesores as they are increasingly being littered with filths that are infested with flies and exude pungent smells, thereby threatening the collective health of consumers. Markets that are seemingly competing to be the dirtiest are Mushin, Ketu, Mile 12 and Ladipo markets. According to Godson Igwe, who trades in textile materials, “Virtually all the markets in Lagos are inundated with filths, such as plastic waste, decayed food crops and choked gutters.” As observed by Daily Independent, the situation remains the same in markets that cut across Egbeda, Ejigbo, Ikotun, Ikeja, Iyana Ipaja, Victoria Island up to Ikorodu and Ajah. Read more
Fear of epidemic: Lagos residents apprehensive as mountainous refuse dot dumpsites (SUN)
Lagos State, Nigeria’s commercial nerve centre, is winning so many battles, but losing in a major one at the same time. In less than three years, the Akinwunmi Ambode-led administration has successfully made government’s presence felt with developmental projects in several parts of the state, particularly in areas not reached by previous administrations. Yet, signs of impending epidemic in the state have continued to multiply for several months. Growing heaps of refuse across major roads, communities and streets, as well as unmanageable dump sites in the nation’s former capital city signal that Lagosians are in for a serious trouble in the days ahead. Beyond the health threat, which the situation portends, residents of the state have more reasons to lament the degeneration, which the state that prides itself as the Centre of Excellence has undergone in recent times. Read more
How peace in LASU stimulates multi-faceted development (Guardian)
It has been two years since you assumed the headship of this institution as the vice chancellor of Lagos State University. How has the journey been so far?
I will start by thanking the Lagos State government for the development projects that have been consistent with our institution. When this administration started, we had a situation where the government came in, tarred the entire road of the university, put in lightings and changed a lot of things. Government has continued to support us with our subvention to ensure that salaries are paid on time to members of staff. Again, we have continued to enjoy the very robust support of the state government in terms of funding to support our accreditation exercise, as accreditation is the life of any institution. The state government has continued to support us to measure up with global practices and other institutions in the world in terms of what is expected of us as an academic institution. Read more
LASG impounds 98 motorcycles for traffic offence (Punch)
Operatives of the Lagos State Task Force on Environment and Special Offences (Enforcement) Unit have impounded 98 commercial motorcycles allegedly plying restricted routes in the Apapa area of the state. It was learnt that the motorcycles were seized over the weekend during an enforcement operation on highways in the community. Punch Metro gathered that the raid was carried out on the orders of the state Commissioner of Police, Imohimi Edgal, in response to reports of criminal activities from the area. The Chairman of the agency, SP Olayinka Egbeyemi, in a statement on Sunday, said the operation followed disobedience to several warnings given to commercial motorcycle riders to desist from plying restricted routes, particularly highways and bridges. Read more
Boat operator deflowers Lagos pupil who rejected love proposal • I am ready to marry her – Suspect (Punch)
The Lagos State Police Command has arrested a 31-year-old boat operator, Ayo Festus, for allegedly raping a Senior Secondary School one pupil, Lola, in the Igbogbo, Ikorodu area of the state. Punch Metro learnt that the suspect deflowered the victim while she was working for her guardian at a shop on Solawon Street. Festus, who had an apartment in the house where the shop was, allegedly took the victim into his room and raped her. Read more
Inmate slumps, dies in Kirikiri Prison (Guardian)
An accused standing trial at the Ebute-Metta Magistrate Court, Kabiru Adeyemi, has reportedly slumped and died at the Ikoyi prison in Lagos. The accused sudden and mysterious death was announced in court by the prosecutor, Inspector Chinalu Nwadione, during the resumed hearing of the case of fraud involving the deceased, his wife, Fumilayo Akinboju, one Jay Jay, and others over allegations that they defrauded more than 400 house seekers of over N20 million they collected as rents for two apartments in the Coker, Aguda and Iponri areas of the state. Read more
‘Prudent Energy League to drive handball’s development programme’ (Guardian)
President of Handball Federation of Nigeria, Mr. Sam Ocheho believes the Prudent Energy Handball League, scheduled to begin on April 27, will help the federation’s drive to grow the sport in the country. The league will feature teams drawn from across the country. Speaking to The Guardian at the end of the 2018 U-12 and U-15 national handball finals at Rowe Park, Yaba, Lagos, Ocheho said he was excited with the level of skills displayed by the young handball players from over 25 teams that attended the competition in Lagos. Read more
Grange School wins Zenith Bank/Ikoyi Club swimming tourney (NewTelegraph)
Grange School, at the weekend, emerged champions in the primary category of the 3rd Zenith Bank/Ikoyi Club School Swimming Gala. At a colorful event which had 11 schools in attendance, Grange bagged nine gold, five silver and six bronze medals to win the tournament which had over 200 participants in 33 events. 2017 winners, St. Saviour School, Ikoyi settled for second place while Children International School (CIS) came third. Amina Adegunwa of Grange School and Chigwam Nkechita of St. Saviour School were declared joint MVP for the girls while Abduljabar Adama of Grange was voted MVP for the boys after scooping four gold medals. Read more