THISISLAGOS MIDDAY NEWS UPDATE JUNE 4, 2018
Ambode urges Muslims to be good after Ramadan (Punch)
The Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, has enjoined Muslims to continue to uphold the tenets of Islam beyond the month of Ramadan by showing love to one another. Ambode spoke at a special Ramadan Iftar (lecture and dinner) organised by the Deputy Governor, Dr Idiat Oluranti, at her official residence in Ikoyi, on Saturday. The governor, who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Tunji Bello, noted that since Islam was a religion that preached peace, Muslim faithful should love one another and strengthen their relationships with others irrespective of their beliefs, tribes or culture. Read more
Conduct of Lagos Congresses in 37 LCDAs Valid, Say APC Leaders (ThisDay)
The Chieftains of All Progressives Congress (APC), Hon. Olawale Oshun and Prince Tajudeen Olusi yesterday faulted the decision of the National Working Committee (NWC) for not approving the results of congresses conducted on the basis of 20 local government areas (LGAs) and 37 local council development areas (LCDAs) in Lagos State. The chieftains claimed that the congresses were validly conducted in line with the decision of the Supreme Court that validated the creation of 37 LCDAs and Article 10 of the APC Constitution that recognised “Area Council” as part of the party organisation. Read more
Ikeja Electric plunged us into total darkness, Magodo residents lament (Punch)
Residents of Gateway Estate, Magodo Phase I, in the Isheri area of Lagos, have been left in total darkness after Ikeja Electric Plc cut off power supply to them on Tuesday. Our correspondent gathered that the electricity distribution company cut off supply to the estate on the grounds that some residents were indebted to it. The Chairman, Magodo GRA Phase 1, Gateway Zone Community Development Association, Mr. Bode Ojomu, in a telephone interview with our correspondent, described the power firm’s action as “an act of lawlessness.” Read more
Lagos APC to sue party’s NWC for overruling congress (Punch)
The Lagos chapter of the All Progressives Congress on Sunday said it would sue the National Working Committee for overruling its state congress. The Assistant Publicity Secretary of the party, Mr Abiodun Salami issued the threat in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Lagos. He was reacting the overruling of the main congress of APC at ACME on May 19 by the NWC over issues of legality. Another congress was convened the same day by a chieftain, Mr Fouad Oki on the grounds that the ACME congress lacked legal basis as it was conducted based on wards in 57 council areas instead of 20 approved by INEC. Read more
Nigerian youths ready for leadership –Young Alliance (Punch)
A pressure group, Young Alliance, has said Nigerian youths are prepared for leadership positions in the country. Young Alliance, which described itself as a movement of young professionals with the aim of mobilising Nigerian youths to become leaders, added that millions of youths were being encouraged to get their Permanent Voter Cards. A leader of Young Alliance, Dayo Alebiosu-Bush, at an interactive session in Lagos said he decided to support the group because it was time for young people to dominate the political space with the guidance of the older ones. Read more
Lagos needs innovative ideas to manage waste – Ayodele (Punch)
As a professor of community health, what do you think can be done to address the issue of waste management in the country and Lagos in particular? The issue of waste management and flood control is a serious problem and it seems no government has been able to control it. In fact, there was a military coup in Nigeria that one of the reasons for taking over was waste management in Lagos; I think it was during Abacha’s regime. That is to say that historically, it has been a problem and the government has been trying but evidently, they are not succeeding. Read more
Lagos Police, Taskforce to begin Clampdown on errant Motorcycle Riders (ThisDay)
Come June 15, 2018, the Lagos State Police Command and the Taskforce on environmental sanitation will begin a clampdown on errant commercial motorcyclists popularly known as ‘okada’. The clampdown is to be targeted at those without plate numbers, those plying on the 465 restricted routes and bridges, those who are not under any approved union and those without their union apron and identification. This decision was sunday taken by the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Imohimi Edgal, after some commercial motorcyclists razed a police patrol vehicle at the Ibeshe area of Ikorodu over the death of their colleague. Read more
Ekiti Shooting: Bamidele moved to Lagos for Post-Surgery Treatment (ThisDay)
A former member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Opeyemi Bamidele, has been moved to Lagos for medical treatment as a follow up to the surgeries he undertook for the gunshot wounds he sustained during a rally organised for Dr. Kayode Fayemi on Friday. At the welcome rally organised by the All Progressives Congress (APC) for its governorship candidate for the July 14 election, Bamidele and five other persons were shot among the crowd when a policeman mishandled his riffle and released sporadic gunshots into the crowd. Bamidele, who was hit in the stomach and legs, was immediately taken to the Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital, Ado Ekiti for prompt emergency care. A statement by his media aide, Ahmed Salami, on Sunday said Bamidele was flown to Lagos by a chopper with registration number 5N-BSW belonging to Flying Doctors Nigeria, which landed at about 3.05pm at Christ’s School, Ado Ekiti metropolis. Read more
Riders mark International Cycling Day in Lagos (Nation)
The United Nations (UN), in partnership with Cycology Club, a 300-member non-profit organisation, has marked the first ever International Cycling Day in Lagos. UNIC Lagos Director Ronald Kayanja said the UN declared the International Cycling Day to encourage the use of bicycles as tools of empowerment. He said people including women and youths could use bicycles to move their products to the markets.nAccording to him, in line with the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 13, the use of bicycles will help to reduce carbon monoxide emission from the massive use of cars as means of transportation.mIt will also encourage urban cities to create routes for bicycles just as there are for cars. Read more
More tributes for Aboderin, as sympathisers flood residence (Punch)
More tributes have continued to pour in for the late Chairman of Punch Nigeria Limited, Mr. Wale Aboderin, who died on Wednesday at the age of 60. When our correspondent visited his Ikeja residence on Sunday, sympathisers continued to pay their respects to the deceased, whom they described as a jovial, friendly and generous man. They were largely weighed down with sadness and grief, as they shook their heads in disbelief over the loss. Read more
Lagos West Baptist Women put smiles on Children Faces (Independent)
Lagos West Baptist Women under the aegis of the Women Missionary Union (WMU)of The First Baptist Church came together last Saturday to put smiles on the faces of less privileged children. The grass root outreach had over 200 children selected from different public schools within Ojodu-Berger, Ikeja, Dopemu and other areas of the state, in attendance alongside their parents. The children were gifted with stationery, school bags and lunch at the venue of the outreach, First Baptist Church, Orile-Agege. Mrs. Esther Ogunbile, Chairperson of the group said the Lagos West Baptist Women chose to “hold the outreach to point the importance of education and the need to show love to the poor.” Read more
Lagos retirees paid N859m in May (Punch)
The Lagos State Government said it had released N859.05m to pay accrued pension rights to 158 public service retirees under the Contributory Pension Scheme for the month of May. According to a statement on Saturday, the Commissioner, Lagos State Ministry of Establishment, Training & Pensions, Dr. Benson Akintola, said this while addressing retirees at the 51st retirement benefit bond certificate presentation ceremony in Lagos. Akintola said 9,045 retirees had had accrued pension rights of over N37.54bn paid into their Retirement Savings Accounts from inception of this administration to date. Read more
Lagos to Sanction Owners of broken down Waste Compactors (Independent)
The Lagos State Government says it is prepared to sanction owners of broken down waste compactors, which usually cause delay at dumpsites. The state Commissioner for the Environment, Mr Babatunde Durosinmi-Etti, gave the warning in a statementon Saturday, after he paid an unscheduled visit to Soulus Dumpsite. Durosinmi-Etti said that such vehicles would be made to go through re-certification process before they could use any dumpsite in the state. He decried a situation in which compactors broke down incessantly at dumpsites, causing unnecessary delay and loss of man-hour. The commissioner said that such inefficiency was capable of bringing hardship to Lagos residents and jeopardise government efforts to achieve a cleaner and sustainable environment. Read more
Waste merchants make fortune, recycle refuse in Lagos, Ogun dump-sites (Guardian)
Oke-Afa dumpsite on the border between Isolo and Ejigbo, Lagos State, to passersby, may just be another raised ground dedicated to warehousing human waste and refuse, but this is not the case for the hundreds of Lagosians, who have found solace, succour and shelter at the site. Located beside the canal that swallowed up the Ikeja bomb blast victims in January 27, 2002, the dumpsite is an enclave of ghetto dwellers and street urchins, though mostly populated by northerners. Besides, the merchandise of recycling waste is the major attraction of many to the hill. The site is an open dump, meaning any individual is free to enter and scavenge for any reusable item and the dump is a source of employment for close to 2,000 scavengers. Read more
Much Ado about Measurement Bowls in Lagos Markets (Independent)
One of the challenges facing buyers of food items are facing in most markets, particularly in Lagos is the act of compromising measurement bowls for grains and other measurable foodstuffs. Suffice to say that the action often manifest in punctured holes or willful adjustment on tools of measurement in order to make consumers pay more for little quantities of food items. Foods that are sold in bowls include; garri, rice, beans, maize,millet and other edibles. In 2010, the Lagos State Ministry of Commerce and Industry introduced a standard measurement bowl to market women in Lagos with a view to nipping in the bud the disturbing level of sharp practices by traders in the state. Read more
Dirty Lagos buses (Guardian)
It is conventional that, whenever we, as Nigerians are confronted with challenges, the usual mantra that is invoked is: “Prayer to God is the solution.” It is believed that “prayer’’, “prayer” and nothing, but “prayer” is the solution to our numerous problems. But, can our resort to “prayer” without pragmatic efforts solve problems? I doubt if it is the panacea for every challenge. Two instances readily come to my mind. In the early 1970s, my radio-mechanic assured me that, if he retired into seclusion for prayer, he would successfully accomplish the task of repairs. Instantly, I concluded that he was incompetent and a failure. The second instance was a student who confidently told me that if she prayed on to her bath- water, she would succeed in her examinations. The lazy drone spent hours praying in the bathroom, but failed her examinations. I have it on the authority of the ancient Romans: `Ora et labora`, meaning. “Pray and work”. The Romans did not exhort us to pray, and fail to work. Therefore, actions and not prayers alone can solve our problems. It is against this backdrop that our public utilities are examined. Read more
Alleged fake lawyer lands in police net (Punch)
An alleged fake lawyer, Uche Nwajiakwu, has been arrested by the Ojo division of the Lagos State Police Command. It was gathered that Nwajiakwu was picked up on Friday, May 25, on the premises of the Ojo Magistrates’ Court after he reportedly applied for a bail for his client. Punch Metro learnt that some experienced lawyers observed that Nwajiakwu’s presentation was “too poor,” which made them reported him to the police that arrested him. Our correspondent was told that the outcome of a police investigation into Nwajiakwu’s activities reportedly revealed that he did not study law in any Nigerian university or anywhere else in the world. Read more
Wanted dreaded Lagos Cultist in Police Net (Independent)
Abdulrazak Kareem, a suspected dreaded cultist who had been on the wanted list of the police has been arrested. He was arrested last Friday by the operatives attached to the Adeniji Adele police station. Abdulrazak Kareem popularly known as Falapa was wanted over alleged killings, gang war and destruction of property in Lagos Island. Police sources said Kareem who was alleged to be the leader of the Okepopo boys was arrested on Friday after months of fleeing. It will be recalled that sometimes in September 2017, a gang war broke out between the Okepopo boys and the Onola boys which residents attributed to supremacy in the community. Read more
Fire kills sexagenarian who slept off while cooking (Punch)
A 60-year-old man, identified only as Monday, has been burnt to death after fire gutted his residence on Foundation Close, Opebi, in the Ikeja area of Lagos State. Punch Metro learnt that the victim had slept off while cooking and the food he was preparing on the gas cooker got burnt. Fire reportedly engulfed the apartment, destroying property in the house. Our correspondent gathered that efforts by officials of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency and the Lagos State Fire Service who responded to a distress call, prevented the fire from escalating. It was learnt that the victim’s corpse was discovered after the fire was put out and was taken away by officials of the State Environmental Health Monitoring Unit. Read more
Lagos to host FIBA World Cup qualifiers (DailyTrust)
The Indoor Sports Hall of the National Stadium, Lagos is to host the second window of the 2019 FIBA Men World Cup qualification games. The venue is expected to wear a new look ahead of the first game between Mali and Rwanda on Friday, June 29th 2018. The choice of bidding to host Group B games by the President of the NBBF, Engineer Musa Kida was in line with the promise of attracting international basketball championships to Nigeria before his election last year. “When the opportunity presented itself, we never hesitated because it’s part of our drive to develop basketball and make Nigeria a basketball hub in Africa. He explained that the desire to take basketball to the doorsteps of all strata of the basketball families influenced the choice of the Indoor Sports Hall of the National Stadium for the first ever world cup qualification series to be hosted by Nigeria. Read more
NTTF mourns as Ajetunmobi dies in Lagos (Independent)
The leadership of the Nigeria Table Tennis Federation (NTTF) has confirmed the death of one of the country’s table tennis star, Seun Ajetunmobi. In a statement on Saturday, NTTF Secretary General, Anthony Idaye, said Ajetunmobi, 33, died at a Lagos hospital in the early hours of Friday after a domestic accident at his Lagos residence. “On behalf of the President, the executive board members and the entire table tennis family in Nigeria, I regret to announce the sudden death of one of our National Team players – Seun Ajetunmobi, which sad event occurred early morning of June 1, 2018, in a Lagos hospital. Read more