THISISLAGOS MIDDAY NEWS UPDATE MARCH 27, 2018
Buhari to commission Ikeja Bus Terminal (Nation)
President Muhammadu Buhari will on Thursday commission the world class bus terminal built by the Lagos State Government in Ikeja. The terminal, located just behind the rail line of the Nigeria Railway Corporation and about 1km from the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, is to offer connect to 22 routes and transport a projected 70,000 people daily. The bus terminal, an initiative of the Governor Akinwunmi Ambode administration in Lagos State, is one of 13 such terminals being constructed across the state in the first phase of the project being executed by Planet Projects. Read more
Lagos council chairmen back Ambode for second term (Punch)
The chairmen of 20 local government areas and 37 local council development areas of Lagos State say they have unanimously endorsed the state Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, for a second term in office. Rising from a meeting with the governor at the Lagos House, Ikeja, on Monday, the council chiefs said their decision to support Ambode was to allow him to continue with the infrastructural renewal and transformation of the state. Read more
New councillors get certificates of return (Punch)
The newly elected councillor for Ward B (Ogunoloko) in the Oshodi/Isolo Local Government Area, Mrs. Khadijat Jimoh, and her counterpart in Ward B (Dopemu) in the Agege LGA, Rashidat Adekunle, on Monday received their Certificates of Return from the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission. LASIEC Chairman, Justice Ayotunde Phillips, enjoined the winners to work together with their opponents and other stakeholders for the good of their respective councils. Phillips, who was represented at the event by a LASIEC Electoral Commissioner, Dr Bunmi Omoseyindemi, said, “I urge the new councillors to demonstrate commitment to the service of all the people in their wards and local government areas regardless of their political affiliations.” Read more
2019: Can Lagos deputy governor break second term jinx? (Nation)
In the last 19 years, Lagos State has produced three governors-Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, Babatunde Fashola (SAN) and Akinwunmi Ambode, who has been endorsed for a second term like his predecessors. Also, the state has produced five deputy governors-Senator Kofoworola Akerele-Bucknor, Otunba Olufemi Pedro, Prince Abiodun Ogunleye, Princess Sarah Sosan and Mrs. Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire-before Dr. Idiat Adebule came on board in 2015. But, none of them was re-elected. Can Adebule, university teacher, former Secretary to Government and All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain from Iba/Ojo break the second term jinx? Will she be as lucky as Second Republic Deputy Governor Rafiu Jafojo, who was re-elected with his boss, Alhaji Lateef Jakande, in 1983? Read more
Some Lagos residents to experience four-hour outage today (Punch)
The Transmission Company of Nigeria has announced that it will carry out an annual maintenance of its equipment at the Itire 132KV Transmission Sub-station in Lagos today (Tuesday) for four hours. The TCN said in a statement that there would be disruption of 34 megawatts of electricity supply to customers in Ago, Okota, Ilasamaja, Ijesha, Itire and their environs. It said the planned outage would enable its engineers from the Akangba Sub-regional Office in Surulere to carry out routine maintenance work on all the equipment in the Itire Transmission Sub-station and the 132KV insulated indoor switch yard for improved electricity supply to customers in the areas. Read more
Police refuse to arrest IPMAN member after issuing dud cheques (Punch)
The police at the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department, Yaba, Lagos, have yet to arrest an executive member of the Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, Babatope Adeeso, seven months after he was reported at the police unit for allegedly issuing dud cheques. The case was reported in September 2017 and assigned to a policeman, identified as Ike, who reportedly refused to arrest the fuel marketer. PUNCH Metro had reported that Adeeso sometime in April 2017 bought pairs of shoes, wristwatches, perfumes and clothes worth N496,000 for himself, wife and children, from a boutique operator, Mrs. Bola Omidiji, at 5, Education Close, UNILAG Estate, in the Magodo area of the state. Read more
FG released N2.5trn for capital projects in 2016, 2017— Budget Office DG (Vanguard)
MR Ben Akabueze, Director General, Budget Office of the Federation, said yesterday that the Federal Government released about N2.45 trillion for capital projects from 2016 and 2017 budgets. Ben Akabueze Akabueze disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja. Recall that N6.06 trillion was the total budget for 2016, including N1.75 trillion for capital projects while N2.18 trillion was for capital expenditure in the 2017 budget of N7.298 trillion. The director general said N1.2 trillion was released for the implementation of capital projects in 2016. Read more
Relocate your cows, UNIJOS VC tells staff (Punch)
The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Jos, Prof. Sebastian Maimako, has ordered members of staff of the institution who own cows on campus to relocate them immediately. The vice-chancellor gave the order during a symposium themed, ‘Herdsmen-farmers clashes today: Ecology, class and categorical politics in contemporary Nigeria’, organised by the the institution’sbranch of the Academic Staff Union of Universities on Monday. Read more
Why I spoke directly to Nigerian leaders –Bill Gates (Punch)
The Co-Chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Mr. Bill Gates, again on Monday criticised the Federal Government’s Economic Recovery and Growth Plan. Gates, in an interview with the CNN, said that the Federal Government’s investment in education and health was not good enough. “While it may be easier to be polite, it’s more important to face facts so that you can make progress,” the philanthropist told a room of Nigeria’s government elite that included the President. Read more
Mubi to get approval for free trade zone soon –Bindow (Nation)
Gov. Mohammed Bindow of Adamawa said Mubi would soon be granted approval by the Federal Government to establish a Free Trade Zone (FTZ). Bindow gave the hint, while speaking to newsmen in Yola on Tuesday. The governor said the Federal Government was considering Mubi to host the FTZ due to its commercial potential in the North East region. According to him, the area generates huge revenue running into millions of naira and has also generated about N4 billion weekly in the past. He also said the Mubi Cattle Market was the largest in the whole of the West Africa sub region. Read more
Man strangles wife to death, Disposes body into Lagoon (Leadership)
A carpenter, Nnana Ononaku, was on Monday brought before an Ebute Meta Chief Magistrates’ Court in Lagos, for allegedly strangling his wife to death and throwing her body into the lagoon. The accused, 45, resident of No. 89, Oke Eri St., Oworonshoki, Lagos, was charged with murder. His plea was not taken. Earlier, the Prosecutor, Insp. Cousin Adams, had told the court that the accused committed the offence on Feb. 15, at about 11.00 p.m. at Oke-Eri in Oworonshoki. Adams said that the accused strangled his wife, Iyabo Akinpelu, 48, before throwing her body into the lagoon. Read more
Customer mistakenly drinks insecticide at Lagos bar, dies (Punch)
The Lagos State Police Command has commenced investigation into the death of a visitor to a Chinese lounge and bar on Adeniran Ogunsanya Street, Surulere, Lagos. The visitor, Willie Uyime, had gone to the bar in company with his friends on Saturday to have fun. While they were drinking, PUNCH Metro learnt that Uyime unknowingly drank insecticide in a container placed on the table in front of him at the bar. After some minutes, he reportedly started gasping and was rushed to the Randle General Hospital where he was confirmed dead. Read more
One-legged robbery suspect found inside ceiling (Vanguard)
A disabled man, alleged to be running a one-man robbery squad arrested following his foiled attempt to burgle some shops at a shopping plaza in Shasha area of Lagos, was yesterday taken before Ejigbo Magistrate’s Court. Preliminary investigation revealed that the 34-year-old suspect, Akinola Akeem, usually come from Ijebu-Ode Ogun state to operate in Lagos. The father of four, as gathered, stormed Hub and Hub shopping plaza at about midnight, removed his artificial leg with which he climbed the ceiling of the storey building to gain entrance into two shops. Read more
CAF, NFF celebrate Taribo West @ 44 (SUN)
The Confederation of Africa Football (CAF) and the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) have both celebrate Super Eagles legend Taribo West who turns 44 on Monday. Africa’s football governing CAF and NFF took their social media handles to send their birthday wishes to the former Nigerian defender and Olympic gold winner. West started his career with Obanta United before playing for Sharks, Enugu Rangers, Julius Berger, Auxerre, Internazionale, AC Milan, Derby County, Kaiserslautern, Partizan, Al-Arabi and Plymouth Argyle during his playing days. Read more
Man U blocks Tosin Kehinde from Eagles training (SUN)
Manchester United teenage prospect, Tosin Kehinde, who recently pledged his allegiance to Nigeria ahead of England, will not honour coach Gernot Rohr invitation to train with the Super Eagles. His club, Manchester United, have kicked against the idea and the midfielder who now plays on the wings for the U23s of the Premier League giants in the Premier League 2 have been ordered back to Manchester. Read more
Real Madrid reportedly interested in Lewandowski and Hazard over Salah (Liverpooloffside)
Throughout the late summer and fall, Guillem Balague proved to be the one voice of reason coming out of Spain, routinely giving an accurate assessment of the Philippe Coutinho transfer saga. Now, according to Balague, Real Madrid have (thankfully!) set their sights on players not named Mohamed Salah. Instead, Ballague reports, Real Madrid are pursing Chelsea’s Eden Hazard and Bayern Munich’s Robert Lewandowski. “Hazard is desperate to come and Lewandowski is desperate to come,” Balague said in an interview with Sky Sports. Read more
Zuckerberg’s letter to MPs in full: Six-point plan over data use (Skynews)
Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg has told MPs he will not go before them to give evidence – but he will send a representative.
Here is the letter in full, sent to MPs by Zuckerberg’s head of public policy…
Dear Mr. Collins,
You wrote to Mark Zuckerberg on 20 March requesting that a senior Facebook executive appear before the Committee to give evidence in relation to the use of Facebook users data, stating that in your view this should be Mr Zuckerberg himself. Read more
Christopher Wylie, whistleblower at center of privacy scandal, testifies in U.K. (Cbsnews)
The whistleblower at the heart of the Facebook privacy scandal is testifying before British lawmakers investigating the increasing rise of fake news. Christopher Wylie has alleged that Cambridge Analytica harvested details of 50 million Facebook users and used the material in U.S. President Donald Trump’s 2016 election campaign. It is alleged the material made it possible to micro-target users with campaign material. At a news conference on Monday on a linked issue, Wylie declined to answer questions about whether the data was also used in Britain by the campaign to leave the European Union. He said he would discuss the matter when he spoke to lawmakers from Parliament’s media committee on Tuesday. Read more
Putin, at fatal mall fire scene, pledges action as anger mounts (Reuters)
President Vladimir Putin flew to the scene of a deadly shopping mall fire in Siberia that killed 64 people and promised angry residents on Tuesday that those responsible for what he called criminal negligence would be harshly punished. The fire, at the Winter Cherry mall in the city of Kemerovo, killed 41 children, according to the Interfax news agency, and the calamitous way it was handled has stirred anger and focussed attention on corruption and lax fire safety standards. Read more
