THISISLAGOS MIDDAY NEWS UPDATE JULY 29, 2018
Ambode restates commitment to workers welfare (Nation)
The Lagos State governor, Akinwunmi Ambode has reiterated his commitment towards the welfare of servicing and retired public servants in the state. The governor gave this assurance at a public forum at the weekend. The event was at the seminar for teachers preparing for retirement. While declaring the event opened, Governor Ambode, who impressed on the prospective retirees to look forward to retirement with joy, assured that his administration will remain committed to the continuous wellbeing of Lagos state civil servants, including those in active service and pensioners. Read more
Obanikoro: It’s an insult to call Lagos no man’s land (NewTelegraph)
The news is everywhere that you are aspiring to represent Lagos West in the Senate. Can you confirm this?
Yes. I am running and it is important that I do this. I am not contesting out of desperation, rather for the preservation of our heritage. I am not desperate because I believe power belongs to God. In addition, I am running because I believe having served at various levels and increased in stature by the grace of God, I can do more in the service of Lagos. Read more
Ambode, Shittu, honoured at online merit award (Nation)
Key drivers of Nigeria’s online revolution were recently honoured at the maiden edition of Nigerian Online Merit Awards (NiOMA) for outstanding contributions to the success and development of internet in the country. The event, which held in Lagos, was in three categories. First category: Newspaper website of the year. Bank website of the Year; second category: MDA website of the year, state innovation e-project of the year and state website of the year; and third category: ICT Icon of the Year, e-Governor of the year and the Minister of the year. Among the awardees were: e-Governor of the Year, awarded to Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State; Minister of the Year, which went to the Minister of Communications, Adebayo Shittu and ICT Icon of the Year, awarded to Zinox Group Chairman, Leo Stan Ekeh. Read more
Apapa gridlock shows FG doesn’t understand ease of doing business — Ologbese (Vanguard)
President, Association of Good Leadership Advocates Peace Development, Lagos, Dr Olusegun Ologbese has berated the Federal Government for insensitivity to the Apapa gridlock in Lagos. Ologbese in an interview, said for an area where Nigeria derives about 75 percent of its revenue to be comatose shows that the government doesn’t really understand the concept of ‘Ease of Doing Business.’ “How can you be talking about ease of doing business when people cannot access the port area to carry out their business? You cannot predict when you will access the port to load your container and get out. Many businesses around the area have folded up and the security around the area is worrisome. The situation has made us the laughing stock of the international community. Read more
2019: It is between Saraki and Buhari — Okupe (Vanguard)
A chieftain of Accord Party and former presidential spokesperson, Dr Doyin Okupe, has projected that the 2019 presidential election would be a battle between Senate President Bukola Saraki and President Muhammadu Buhari. Okupe was analysing the defection of some National Assembly members from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) on Channels Television Politics Today, on Friday. Asked to explain his projection, Okupe said, “If Saraki is wise, the best thing for him to do would be to contest 2019 presidential election, because, as it stands in Nigeria presently, Saraki is becoming the most important political figure outside the Presidency. Read more
Normalcy returns to Lagos airport (Tribune)
Normalcy has since returned to the international wing of the Murtala Muhammed Airport as the defective scanning machines which broke down on Friday had been repaired and now working adequately. The news filtered Friday that four of the scanning machines broke down, disrupting flights, as many passengers were stranded for hours. Speaking to the Saturday Tribune on Saturday, the General Manager, Corporate Communications at the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Mrs Henrietta Yakubu, though confirmed the breakdown of the scanning gadgets, swiftly declared that they had been repaired and were working. Read more
SANITATION: ‘Making Lagos clean is everyone’s responsibility’ (Vanguard)
The Cleaner Lagos Initiative has called on the agencies saddled with the responsibility of ensuring that Lagos is free of dirt to be alive to their responsibilities. It also observed that it is the responsibility of all stakeholders to ensure that proper environmental sanitation is carried out. It further urged the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps, LESESC to ensure that sanitation laws are enforced, while PSP Waste Collector Operatora focuses on municipal solid waste collection. While the Ministry of Environment was reminded of community sweeping, Visionscape is charged with the task of developing waste management infrastructure and waste collection intervention programme. Read more
Lingering Apapa Gridlock: ‘One-way’ of too many fatalities (Vanguard)
For many eye-witnesses, it was a familiar accident and tragedy. Yet they were shocked beyond words as the fatal accident was an avoidable one. The scene was the popular Ijesha Bus-stop on the Oshodi-Apapa Expressway. The victim of this tragic incident was a pregnant woman who made the mistake of trying to cross the expressway rather than use the pedestrian bridge there. She was knocked down by a fast-speeding commercial bus popularly known as danfo that was being driven against the traffic. She died on the spot, while the fate of her unborn baby remains unknown. Read more
Nigeria: Tears as Lagos Government demolishes Owonifari Market (Guardian)
Tears freely flowed, yesterday, in Oshodi area of Lagos State, as the Owonifari Market was again demolished, to pave way for the ongoing Oshodi Ultra-modern Bus Terminal. Recall that in January 2015, the Governor Akinwumi Ambode-led administration ordered the demolition of Mosafejo section of the market, which shared boundaries with the shopping arena, and a section of Owonifari Market following, which government directed traders from Owonifari market to relocated to Isopakodowo in Oshodi. Read more
Lagos, Pham Access partner on Primary Health Service (ThisDay)
The Lagos State Government in collaboration with PhamAccess Group has launched a programme to assist small and medium scale enterprise in the health care sector. The collaboration is aimed at improving primary health care in the state. The programme was recently launched by the Ministries of Health and wealth creation and employment. “The financial framework for health SMEs will be given 50 per cent funding as support from the Lagos State Employment Fund (LSETF), Bank of lndustry (BOI) and Medical Credit Fund (MCF). A total sum of N1, 075,000,000 is being garnered as support for the scheme”, the partners stated. Read more
‘Overpopulation killing King’s College’ (Nation)
Former teachers and old boys of King’s College Lagos have lamented the negative effect of overpopulation on the quality of education service delivery in the 119-year old school. They spoke at programmes to mark the 30th graduation anniversary of the 82-88 set held Friday and yesterday. At a symposium with the Theme: “The King’s College Conundrum: Where do we go from here,” participants lamented that the same facilities that they used decades ago when class sets were 60 or 80, now supports class sets of 600. Former Principal King’s College (PKC), Mr Sylvester Onoja who also served as Commissioner for Education in Kogi State, blamed the overpopulation on non-transparent and non-merit-based admissions policy that resulted in pupils being admitted through the back door. Read more
181,000 Lagos pupils sit for placement test into JSS (Guardian)
One hundred and eighty one thousand pupils from public and private primary schools in Lagos State, yesterday, participated in the 2017/2018-placement test into Junior Secondary School (JSS 1), across the state. The Executive Chairman, State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Dr. Ganiyu Sopeyin, who monitored the exercise at the Immaculate Heart Comprehensive Junior School, Maryland, and Mende Junior High School, Maryland, congratulated the pupils for reaching another milestone in their academic pursuit. While advising them to be orderly and calm during the exams, he told them to read and listen to instructions on the examination papers and the supervisors. Read more
ANA Lagos set to host writers, starts advocacy on reading (Guardian)
The executive members of the Local Organising Committee (LOC) for the 37th yearly international convention of the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA), visited Rutam House, the corporate head office of The Guardian Newspapers, on Thursday, to intimate the newspaper house of its events holding at Lagos Airport Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos from October 25 to 28. The LOC Chairman, Akin Adeoya, said the three-day event would be unique, especially as it will be hosting over 1,000 writers from the 36 states and Abuja. He disclosed that this would be the first time in 25 years Lagos State is hosting the convention, adding that the last one it held was in a way dissipated because of the death of the then president of the association, the late Ken Saro-Wiwa, who was executed by the government of General Sani Abacha. Read more
Rotary Club of Lagos Island installs Kumar Gulati as 3rd President (Nation)
The Rotary Club of Lagos Island has installed Rotarian Kumar Gulati as its third President, to lead the affairs of the club for the period 2018-2019. Giving his address, the Immediate Past President, Rotarian PHF Sanjeev Tandon commended the District Governor and members for all the support he got as the pioneer leader. Tandon listed some of the projects executed in 2017/18 to include: Membership development; development of Rotary Foundation with a target contribution of $10,000; Mission for Vision support through which so many people benefitted from; clean water project (providing water for a minimum of 5 schools); setting up of free medical checkup camps and blood donation camps support among others. Read more
Shoneyin, Bantu, others attend Culture at Café One series (Guardian)
Lovers of fine art and African culture are in for good times, as the recently launched Café One, a fusion of gourmet coffee, workspace and events destination announced a series of arts and lifestyle events tagged, ‘Culture at Café One’. The weekly event holds on Sundays. The debut event was headlined by multi-talented alto vocalist, music producer and songwriter, Joyce Olong, followed by award winning journalist and performance poet, Wana Udobang, popularly known as Wana Wana. Widely known for her work as an On-Air-Personality, Wana Wana put together a riveting performance from her sophomore poetry album, In Memory of Forgetting, which included the thought provoking Catfish, Showgirl and This Is Not A Feminist Poem and others. Read more
Boat mishap: Lawmaker commiserates with Lagosians (Nation)
The member representing Ikorodu constituency 1 and Majority Leader of the Lagos State House of Assembly, SOB Agunbiade, has commiserated with the people of Ikorodu division over the tragic death of some people in a boat mishap that occurred at the Ebute Terminal. The lawmaker condoled with the relatives, friends and other well wishers of the victims of the unfortunate incident. While promising to continue to work hard to see that waterways remains a safe mode of transportation for citizens of the state, Agunbiade said the death of the victims who were drowned in the boat accident, is quite regrettable. He appealed to operators of ferry services to improve on the safety measures being put in place for passengers as well as staff members go out to sea daily. Read more