THISISLAGOS MIDDAY NEWS UPDATE JULY 8, 2018
Ambode reiterates commitment to improving grassroots (Guardian)
Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode has reiterated his administration’s commitment to good governance and inclusive leadership, especially at the grassroots, noting that the state is ready to support at all times. Ambode stated this during presentation of N500m grants to Community Development Associations (CDAs), for the promotion of self-help projects in communities across the state. He said real government is at the community level, reason why more priority is given to them by his administration. The governor reiterated his administration’s commitment to good governance and inclusive leadership, urging the communities to remain selfless to their commitments, as the state is ready to support them at all times. Read more
Managing crises: The Lagos Example (Vanguard)
An oil truck explosion of apocalyptic magnitude occurs in Lagos, fatally charring a frightening number of lives and maiming several others. Many more vehicles are burnt, some to ashes, with scores of stampeding citizens severely bruised in the process. Pronto, denizens of social media go into action, sending pictorial, video and textual coverage of the gory scenes into the virtual space. Soon, the phones of Nigerians begin buzzing with calls and messages from anxious compatriots in the diaspora eager to know the whereabouts of their loved ones in the country. Are they caught in the blaze? Are they close to the area of the accident? Are they safe? Where no immediate response follows, there is an urgent request to send back a message to reassure the agitated inquirer. Read more
3rd Anniversary of 8th Lagos Legislative Assembly: Highlighting the Importance of Legislature to Democracy (Independent)
The 3rd anniversary of the 8th Legislative Session of the Lagos State House of Assembly (LSHA) was recently celebrated with a special plenary session that had the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo and Governor Akinwumi Ambode, among other dignitaries in attendance. Also in attendance were leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) at local, state and national levels. The anniversary provided an opportunity for elected legislators in Lagos State, under the leadership of Rt Hon. Mudashiru Obasa to give account of their stewardship and to present their score card to the electorate for necessary appraisals. Read more
Leasehouz debuts in Lagos, Provides Premium Leasing Services (Independent)
Leasehouz, an online market platform where various assets, goods and services, sold by various vendors and partners are displayed for sale has debuted in Nigeria. The platform is powered by AssetKap Investment Limited is a newly established service solution company providing modern day asset solutions and other related services in Nigeria. Assetkap provides services in the areas of leasing, fleet management, financial intermediary/advisory and investments. Speaking during the announcement of the product lunch in Lagos, Mr. Ifeanyi Ogbor, the Chief Executive Officer of AssetKap, said Leasehouz offers to finance the purchase of assets displayed on platform for its customers in return for periodic installments structured conveniently. Read more
I may die if I quit controlling traffic –Otunba of Isolo traffic (Nation)
AT the Pako Roundabout in Isolo, Lagos, his face is a familiar one. Early in the mornings till afternoon, John Olukayode Tonade, popularly called Otunba, 59, makes the traffic experience of many residents of Isolo, Oke-Afa, Isheri-Osun, Ikotun, Egbe and others who pass through his duty post, worth their while. Directing, controlling, and chasing after errant drivers, especially commercial, who would rather he was not there to curb their excesses, Tonade is always at home at his ‘duty post’. But what piques an observer is the fact that he is always in the maroon trousers of the Lagos State Traffic Management Agency (LASTMA) without the top. Could it be that he has been sacked and refused to leave the job? Although sometimes, one or two fully kitted LASTMA personnel join him at the post with a posse of policemen, he seems to be the main attraction and is more often than not, a constant presence at the roundabout. Read more
Foreign Airlines: Lagos Airport most Expensive in the World (ThisDay)
Foreign airlines operating in Nigeria saturday described the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos as the most expensive airport in the world, attributing it to high and multiple charges the government agencies in the aviation industry have been billing them. The international carriers urged the government agencies to harmonise their charges, noting that with low charges, more airlines would come into the country, more revenues would be generated and more jobs created in the long run. Read more
Macrons date with the Lagos culture scene (ThisDay)
French President Emmanuel Macron’s visit to the New Afrika Shrine as a gesture of camaraderie and goodwill has been given the thumbs up by Lagos culture aficionados vultures, Okechukwu Uwaezuoke reports. Nice one, Mr Macron! Sure thing: that visit to the New Afrika Shrine visit was a deft move. With that the French President Emmanuel Macron won over the hearts of the easy-to-please Lagos youths! Talking about that Tuesday evening’s visit – so far, the first and only by any president – it also unarguably made him the event’s main headliner. Wasn’t it indeed really all about him? For not even the fact that the programme featured such main acts as Femi Kuti, Yemi Alade and, curiously, the Cameroonian Charlotte Dipanda, among others, could have altered the massive turnout of local culture vultures. Nor does it matter that the venue was teeming with industry’s leading lights. Read more
Land grabbers invade Lagos community, attack estates (Vanguard)
The peaceful environment of Satellite Town in Ojo area of Lagos State was disrupted recently by hoodlums, who unleashed terror on residents. The hoodlums, who the residents described as land grabbers, aka Omoniles, were said to have vandalised properties worth millions of Naira. Sunday Vanguard gathered estates affected include Luke Manuel, Sandfeild Estate, Daily Times Estate, Uba Estate, Kings’ Estate, Peter Memesi Estate, Owolabi Estate, Mobil Estate, Agip Estate and New Road Estate. Read more
NSC proposes truck transit parks to end Lagos traffic (Guardian)
The Executive Secretary, Nigerian Shippers’ Council, (NSC), Hassan Bello has identified setting-up of truck transit parks, with electronic intelligence traffic management system, as solution to the endemic traffic gridlock in Lagos State, especially the Apapa axis. Speaking at the third Lagos Traffic Radio lecture series, themed: Lagos State transport infrastructural support systems: Governor Akinwunmi Ambode strides, he stated that with the truck transit parks, congestion within the city would be cleared within three to six months. The NSC implied that more than 4,500 trucks and tankers traverse the LLR, either parked or canvassing for business. Read more
Air Travellers commend Air Peace’s All-Female Flight at Lagos, Abuja, Owerri Airports (Independent)
The all-female crew of Air Peace from Lagos to Abuja and Owerri Airports received commendations from air travellers, government officials and aviation regulators over the weekend. The female crew comprising Capt. Sinmisola Ajibola, Senior First Officer Quincy Owen, Instructor Rosemary Uagbor, Cabin Executive, Chidimma Chimezie and Cabin Executive, Opakirite George were commended for their record breaking feat. A statement by Mr. Chris Iwarah, the spokesman for Air Peace said that the all-female flight, which took off from the Murtala Muhammed Airport (MMA), Lagos, was operated days after Air Peace produced its first female Captain, Sinmisola Ajibola. Read more
Lagos State Govt. cleans up illegal dumpsite in Apapa (Vanguard)
The Lagos State Ministry of Environment on Saturday mopped up an illegal dumpsite at Coconut Area of the Apapa axis, to ensure a cleaner and healthier environment. During the clean-up, the Commissioner for Environment, Mr Babatunde Durosinmi-Etti, said that the black spot had been in the area for over a year. Durosinmi-Etti said that the mope up of refuse on the Apapa axis of Oshodi Expressway was necessary because of the hazard it posed for the residents of the environment. He said that the mope up would last for five days, after which bins would be placed at strategic locations in the area. According to him, the ministry is in collaboration with stakeholders to ensure a sustainable environment, after the clean-up. Read more
Rehabilitation of Lagos-Abeokuta highway: Julius Berger warns motorists on safety (Guardian)
Julius Berger Construction Company on Saturday warns motorists not to drive against traffic on the Lagos-Abeokuta highway as this was distracting rehabilitation works on the road. Mr Endre Fuhrmann, the firm’s Infrastructure Supervisor, gave the warning in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ota, Ogun. Fuhrmann said that the behaviour of the motorists had slowed down early completion of the job as the workers could no longer concentrate for fear of being knocked down by vehicles. Read more
Baba Lekki curses Maradona (Nation)
The ripples over the exit of the Green Eagles from the World Cup currently winging its way to a brilliant climax in Russia have not quite subsided. The recriminations have been fierce and unrelenting. Not even the coach, the dour and dutiful German, Herr Gertnor Rohr, has been spared the occasional bombardment. His tactical naivety, concerning the last ten minutes of the match against the Argentines, has come up for stringent and severe scrutiny. Nothing spoil—as they say, well except some people’s Estacode and holiday in the sizzling land of Vodka and iconic Tsars. A book has actually been written by a professorial killjoy that demonstrates with exacting statistics that the four-yearly soccer extravaganza actually contributes nothing to a country’s GDP or the overall wellbeing of its people. Soccer is the opiate of poor people and poor nations. Read more
Ex-players laud Ambode over World Cup viewing centres (Guardian)
Former Internationals have commended the Lagos State Governor Ambode Akinwunmi for the viewing centres created across the state for the duration of the 2018 FIFA World Cup. The players praised the governor for the initiative, tagged #MyLagosMyFootball, which according to them has gone a long way in fostering enthusiasm in sports among Lagosians, especially football. Centres created by the state government were through the Lagos State Sports Commission, in partnership with the International Breweries Plc, makers of Trophy Lager Beer, Hero and Budweiser, for Lagosians to be part of the football fiesta. Read more