THISISLAGOS MIDDAY NEWS UPDATE AUGUST 2, 2018
‘Get your PVCs, return Ambode as governor’ (Nation)
The Special Adviser on Civic Engagement to Lagos State Governor, Benjamin Olabinjo has urged Lagosians to participate in the on-going Permanent Voters Card (PVC) registration exercise, noting that it is their only power to re-elect Governor Akinwunmi Ambode in 2019. Olabinjo gave the advice when he received Team ‘A’ Plus Volunteers’ Area Coordinators. He said: ”I want to thank you for this great initiative to sensitise our people on the need to register and collect their PVCs before the registration window closes on August 27, because your PVC is your power , strength and voice.” Read more
FEC approves N72.9bn for Apapa road in Lagos (Vanguard)
The Federal Executive Council (FEC) on Wednesday approved N72.9billion for the reconstruction of the road from Apapa to the toll gate on Lagos-Ibadan expressway in Lagos state. Minister of Works, Power and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, made this known to State house Correspondents in Abuja after the weekly cabinet meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari. Fashola said the decision was taken to provide a long term solution to the road, which had suffered a lot of grid lock in recent times. Read more
Corrupt LASTMA officials will go, says GM (Nation)
Any Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) official found wanting will be shown the way out, its General Manager (GM) Olawale Musa has said. He spoke on Tuesday at the authority’s Oshodi headquarters during the decoration of 444 officers with their new ranks and the valedictory ceremony for a former director, Peter Okonji. Musa warned the officials against acts capable of dragging LASTMA’s name in the mud. The promotion, he said, was in fulfilment of the government’s promise to boost public servants morale through improved welfare, prompt payment of salaries and allowances, trainings and creation of a friendly-working. Read more
Lagos’ ICT Cluster Takes Off, Targets $10bn Revenue (ThisDay)
With the aim to create its own industrial clusters with a revenue target of over $10 billion in the years ahead, the Lagos State government has announced the commencement of the Yaba ICT Cluster project, known as KITE@Yaba or Knowledge, Innovation, Technology and Entrepreneurship (KITE). The state government in a statement on Tuesday, said the aim of the project was to provide an enabling environment that would facilitate and support the development of a technology cluster and ecosystem within the Yaba district of Lagos. The Commissioner for Science and Technology, Mr Hakeem Fahm, stated that “KITE@Yaba is a public-private partnership (PPP), driven by the government and supported by several industry experts and advisors along the technology value chain.” Read more
Work begins on Lagos rail standard gauge (Nation)
The Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC) has said the construction of the Lagos-Ibadan standard rail gauge has started fully as the challenges of underground pipelines and cables have been resolved. NRC’s Lagos District Manager, Mr Jerry Oche, told News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that work had started on the laying of standard rail gauge from the Lagos axis. He said: “We all know that the standard gauge in Lagos axis – from Apapa to Ijoko in Ogun State – is in the same corridor with narrow gauge. “Now, so far so good, the government is serious about delivering the project on schedule. There is an increase in the pace of work on the Lagos axis. Read more
Apapa gridlock: Truck owners demand compensation (Punch)
Following the persistent gridlock along the Lagos ports access roads, truck owners have said that they deserve to be compensated for the number of days their trucks spend in the queue trying to gain entry into the ports. The Chairman, Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria, Haulage Section, Tin Can, Apapa/Kirikiri Chapter, Isiaka Olalere, said this in an interview with our correspondent in Lagos. Olalere noted that averagely, truck owners made N150,000 per trip which should not last more than two days, adding that in a situation where the truck spent three weeks in the queue did not augur well for the health of the drivers and their business. Read more
Lagos, Pham Access partner on Primary Health Service (ThisDay)
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
Oba of Lagos to open 37th ANA national convention (Vanguard)
Culture and art-loving monarch, Oba of Lagos, Oba Rilwan Akiolu, will declare the 37th Association of Nigerian Authors, ANA national convention slated for October 25 to 28th, 2018 open in Lagos. The Olowo Eko, who has also accepted the offer to be the royal patron of the association, in the presence of his chiefs and elders during a courtesy visit led by ANA Lagos Chapter Chairman, Mr. Yemi Adebiyi, who was accompanied by Mr. Akin Adeoya, chairman, Local Organising Committee for the convention, Lagos 2018; Hon. Feyi-Abiodun Samson Oyeniyi, Lagos State Chapter Public Relations Officer II and spokesman for the LOC, and Ms. Yinka Kadiri, chairperson of Publicity/Media Management Read more
Med-View Airline begins transportation of pilgrims from Lagos Airport (DailyTrust)
Medview Airline on Thursday began the transportation of its quota of 10,000 pilgrims from the Hajj Camp of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the first flight, a B747-200 aircraft carrying 320 pilgrims from Lagos State, departed the MMIA on Thursday at 7.35a.m for Saudi Arabia. NAN reports that 2,001 pilgrims from the state are expected to participate in the 2018 pilgrimage according to records released by the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON). The Executive Director, Business Development, Alhaji Isiaq Na’allah, Medview Airline, told newsmen that the airline would also transport pilgrims from Kaduna, Maiduguri, Ilorin as well some from Guinea Bissau and Niger Republic. Read more
I want to go to school, says visually-impaired (Nation)
A 40-year-old visually-impaired man, Rotimi Sowemimo, has called on Nigerians to help him gain admission into the Pacelli School for the Blind, Oshodi, Lagos. Sowemimo told The Nation that he would fend for himself if educated. “I want to go to school. I want to be able to use my hands well. I believe I can be useful to myself and the society. That is why I am pleading with Nigerians to assist me to go to school,” he said. Sowemimo, who lives at 13 Shittu Street, Idi-Araba, Mushin, is also seeking assistance to regain his sight. Read more
Marine police rescue 3 in Badagry boat mishap (Punch)
The Marine Police on Thursday said its men rescued three persons on Pashi river, Badagry, Lagos State, when their boat capsized on July 29. DSP Uchenna Itinyi, the Divisional Marine Officer, Badagry, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Badagry. Itinyi said the men were coming from Cotonou, Benin Republic, and the boat was loaded with different goods when it capsized. He said the police officers, who were on 24 hours water patrol when the incident occurred, immediately moved to the scene and rescued the passengers. Read more
Police rescue ‘child kidnapper’ from mob (Nation)
The police yesterday rescued a suspected kidnapper from a mob in Agege on the outskirts of Lagos. The woman was alleged to have abducted one-year-old child. The incident was said to have occurred in the morning at 1, Gbayilola Street, Agege. It was gathered that the woman identified as Timede Peace David, had gone to the compound and took out the child. While approaching the gate, a neighbour saw her and queried her movement. She was asked her to identify herself because her face was strange but the suspect was unable to say anything tangible. The said neighbour, it was learnt, raised the alarm, which attracted other occupants, passers-by and they descended on her. Read more
Ondo youths block Lagos-Benin Expressway to protest blackout (Punch)
Hundreds of youths in the Ondo South Senatorial District of Ondo State on Wednesday trooped out to the Lagos-Benin Expressway to protest against poor power supply to communities in the district for the past 10 years. Punch Metro gathered that over 1,000 communities in the six local government areas of the senatorial district had been without electricity for over 10 years after they were allegedly cut off from the national grid following their alleged indebtedness to the then Power Holding Company of Nigeria. Read more
4 policemen detained as FSARS ‘kill’ teenager (Nation)
Operatives of the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad (FSARS), Ikeja yesterday shot a teenager dead in Lagos. The incident occurred at Ilepo, Satellite Town, while the operatives were said to be chasing criminals. It was gathered that they fired sporadic shots, one of which hit the teenager, said to be on errand. The news of the teenager’s death sparked protests on the social media, fuelling the clamour for the scrapping of the FSARS. Reacting to the incident, police spokesman Chike Oti, a Chief Superintendent (CSP) said four of the policemen had been detained for questioning. Read more
2018 Lagos HOS Cup begins Monday (PMnews)
The 13th Edition of the Lagos State Inter Ministerial -Agency Football Competition, tagged “Head of Service Cup’ will kick off at four designated Centres on the 6th of August, 2018. The Competition, which was introduced in 2006 is to foster the spirit of sportsmanship and camaraderie in the Public Service, as well as promoting physical fitness among Public Servants and since the commencement of the football tournament, the Competition has lived up to its expectation. Read more