THISISLAGOS MIDDAY NEWS UPDATE MAY 3, 2018
Lagos affirms commitment to quality healthcare (Guardian)
Lagos state Commissioner for Health, Jide Idris has affirmed the state’s commitment to achieving sustainable and affordable healthcare delivery to reduce medical tourism. To realise this feat, he said government is leveraging on technology and value driven goals to meet international standard. He said this at the first International Nursing conference organised by Lead Nurse Africa International Foundation in collaboration with the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH). The Commissioner, who was represented by Assistant Head of Project unit, Dr. Tolu Ajomole, said the conference is needed to sensitise nurses on how things are practiced in the Western world to reduce the number of people that travel abroad to get medical attention. He added that nurses play critical leadership roles in ensuring a viable health care delivery system, which is geared towards achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). Read more
Ambode swears-in 3 new High court Judges, Perm sec (Vanguard)
Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode on Wednesday swore-in three new Judges of the State High Court, with a charge on them to be fearless in the discharge of their duties and to always allow professional ethics to govern their acts and utterances within and outside the court. The new judges are Justice Sururat Soladoye; Justice Olukayode Ogunjobi and Justice Yetunde Pinheiro. Speaking at the Banquet Hall, Lagos House in Ikeja while performing the ceremony, Governor Ambode said their appointment was a testament of the consistently high standards and professionalism having scaled all the hurdles set by the appointing bodies and declared as fit to be on the revered higher bench of the Lagos State Judiciary. Read more
JJT, Badagry, other parks boost recreation, tourism (Nation)
Parks and Gardens in Lagos State have lived up to expectation as they have become tourists and recreation havens. Commissioner for the Environment, Mr. Babatunde Durosinmi-Etti, who disclosed this at his Ministry’s annual ministerial briefing, which held in Alausa yesterday, said the recently established Johnson Jakande Tinubu Park, otherwise known as JJT Park, the Rafiu Jafojo Park and the Badagry Park, have continued to attract visitors from within and outside the country. The briefing was to commemorate the third year in office of Governor Akinwunmi Ambode. According to him, Governor Ambode’s Administration has progressively altered the state landscape through aggressive greening, tree planting, beautification, landscaping and establishment of parks and gardens. Read more
Visionscape makes remarkable progress in landfill (SUN)
The Lagos State Commissioner for the Environment, Mr. Babatunde Durosnmi-Etti has highlighted the state government’s commitment to providing the adequate infrastructure required, using the Visionscape initiative to support the environmental management of the burgeoning state with over 22 million residents. The ministerial press briefing held by the Lagos State Ministry of Environment presented a progress report on the activities of the government’s environmental reforms. Details of the briefing included the recruitment of over 13,000 Community Sanitation Workers till date to clean the inner streets, mechanised street sweeping to be managed by three private companies- Avatar, Wastecare, and Corporate Solutions, the completion of 48 mini-waterworks across the State including the implementation of innovative technology for water management, drainage maintenance remains with the Lagos State Public Works Corporation while Visionscape Sanitation Solutions in charge of constructing the first engineered sanitary landfill in Nigeria located in Epe has made marked progress on the Eco Park project. Read more
Visionscape to build more transfer loading stations in Lagos (Independent)
The Lagos State Government and the environmental utility group contracted to implement the new waste management policy of the state government encapsulated in the Cleaner Lagos Initiative (CLI), Visionscape Sanitation Solutions, have commenced discussions to build more Transfer Loading Stations (TLS) as part of efforts to align the state with global best practices. While clarifying the new direction for the CLI, Special Adviser to the Governor on the initiative, Engr Adebola Shabi, highlighted the collaboration and partnership between the Waste Collection Operators (WCOs) and Visionscape, as well as the heightened focus on infrastructural development. Read more
Visionscape positions TLS for waste efficiency (Nation)
Visionscape Sanitation Solutions (VSS) is at the forefront of tackling the rising scourge of plastics as transfer loading stations (TLS) across the state , which it has taken concession and management of, are at almost completion stage. The stations will serve as sorting centers for its recycling programme. They are located in Agege, Oshodi and Lagos Island. According to the firm, each TLS is strategically located to address collection efficiency and increase the trips for waste collection. For instance, while the Agege and Lagos Island stations will handle only solid waste, the Oshodi station will cater to medical and hazardous ones. Read more
Court affirms Lagos AG’s power to withdraw criminal case (Vanguard)
Justice Owolabi Dabiri of a Lagos High Court, yesterday, affirmed the authority of the state Attorney General, AG, to enter a nolle prosequi (withdrawal of criminal case) in a criminal matter pending before the court. Delivering judgement, Justice Dabiri laid to rest the controversies over the AG’s action to withdraw a criminal case instituted against Deepak Khilani, a British citizen & Sushil Chandra. Justice Dabiri dismissed the claimant’s action saying the Lagos State Attorney General validly exercised his power of Nolli Prosequi as granted in section 211 of the 1999 constitution in withdrawing the criminal charges against the two defendants; Deepak Khilani and Sushil Chandra. Read more
Lagos’ ‘bold march’ towards a smart city (Nation)
Has the status of Lagos State improved as a commercial and social hub in sub-Saharan Africa? Yes, say officials of the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development. MUYIWA LUCAS x-rays the ministry’s role in the last one year. The last time he came to Lagos State was three years ago. Thus, for Yinka Shodeinde, a Nigerian based in Europe, coming to Lagos for a brief holiday presented him with the opportunity of reuniting with his friends and family members. But Shodeinde’s much-sought- after fun was hampered by his inability to navigate the streets of Lagos smoothly due to the gridlock on the roads; the magnitude, which he claimed, he never experienced before travelling. The gridlock is a consequence of the unprecedented construction ongoing across the length and breadth of Lagos simultaneously, a situation that has now given the state a new name – ‘construction site.’ Read more
Unilag produces first class graduates in Chinese language (Vanguard)
Four students of Chinese language are among 245 first class graduates to take part in the 49th 2016/2017 Convocation of the University of Lagos. The Vice-Chancellor of the institution, Prof. Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, announced this at a news conference on Wednesday in Lagos. Ogundipe said activities lined-up for the three-day ceremonies would begin on May 8. According to him, the university will, for the first time, produce graduates in the Chinese language, with four out of 14 of them, in the first class division. He said the university would confer degrees, diplomas and certificates to 12,638 students in various disciplines at the convocation. Read more
UNILAG seeks abstracts for research fair (Nation)
The University of Lagos (UNILAG) is accepting abstracts for its 13th research fair holding in August. At a briefing ahead of the fair, Prof Abayomi Okanlawon, chairman of the organising committee for the fair, said the deadline for submission was May 14. He said authors of accepted abstracts would be notified of their selection on May 28, after which they would be expected to submit papers by July 16. Those who scale through would know if their papers were accepted by July 30. The fair themed “Resource utilisation and sustainable development” will also feature sub- themes, such as Future cities and Environment sustainability, culture, resource utilisation and the art, emerging issues of climate change, Integrated health system: modern and traditional, ICT, E-learning and open educational resources, among others. Read more
‘CCC Lagos West Central festival is for unity, talent hunt’ (Guardian)
No fewer than 320 youths from across the Celestial Church of Christ (CCC), Lagos West Central Province J participated in its yearly youth sports festival held at the weekend. The sports competition, with the theme: ‘Togetherness in Love,’ had youths from the different parishes under the Province J vying for honours in tennis, ludo, snooker, scrabble, chess, ayoo and draught. The elated youths, comprising both female and male from their various parishes, won various gifts and cash prices for their efforts. Speaking on the competition, the Head of Province J, Evang. Nathan-Bayo Olojede said the event was to engage the youths, create unity among them and empower them in different levels of sports. Read more
Simply Nigerian Fair 4th edition holds May 6 (Guardian)
The Simply Nigerian Fair (SNF) is set to hold its fourth edition in Lagos on Sunday, May 6, 2018. According to the organisers, the fair would promote local goods and encourage Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) with about 108 vendors displaying products from the home and lifestyle, fashion and footwear, fresh produce, plants and flower, hair and body with the food and drink category. Founder and Director of the Fair, Temi Shenjobi, said the fair, which is the fourth edition, is aimed at increasing the potential of SMEs to grow into sustainable and profitable businesses that can create jobs, promote ability, hardwork and heritage of Nigerians to the world. Read more
Lagos seeks pardon over environmental pollution, arrests 2, 097 offenders (NewTelegraph)
The Lagos State Government yesterday tendered an unreserved apology over emerging environmental challenges being faced in the state, describing the problems as unfortunate and a dent on its economic prosperity. The government also said the government had treated a total of 1,185 petitions out of which 60 per cent were abated, while the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps (LAGESC) arrested 2, 097 environmental offenders, comprising illegal street traders, hawkers, highway pedestrian defaulters, environmental nuisance polluters and cart pushers, among other achievements. Read more
LASBCA embarks on sensitization (Nation)
The Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) has reiterated the government’s zero tolerance for distressed and abandoned structures. Its General Manager, Lekan Shodeinde, an engineer, spoke during the agency’s sensitisation on the Lagos Island. Shodehinde said distressed buildings collapse more during the rainy season. He said the administration of Governor Akinwunmi Ambode was determined to achieve zero incidence of building collapse, without room for abandoned buildings, and illegal developments, among others, to ensure a better physical environment. Shodeinde said sustainable physical development required the participation of every Lagosian for implementation of laws and regulations. No responsible government, the LASBCA boss said, would watch her citizens die without taking precautionary measures. Read more
Court demands N360,000 for man accused of N360,000 fraud (Punch)
A car dealer, Nelson Oyem, has been remanded in the Ikoyi Prison after he was accused of defrauding a man of N360,000. Oyem, who was arraigned at the Ebute-Meta Magistrate’s Court, was granted bail in the sum of N100,000 with two sureties in like sum. The Chief Magistrate, Mr. O.A. Komolafe, however, added that the sureties should deposit the sum of N360,000 in the account of the Chief Registrar of Lagos State before the bail could be perfected. The 32-year-old was arraigned on April 17 on two counts of fraud and stealing. Read more
Woman abducts 2 children sent on an errand in Lagos (Punch)
The police in Lagos have arrested a middle-aged woman, Mary Henry, for allegedly abducting two children in the Yaba area of the state. The suspect, who lives on Akanni Street, Somolu, was reportedly caught with the kids – Mukaila Ya’u, 10, and Mariam Jubril, 2 – along Herbert Macaulay Way, Yaba. Punch Metro gathered that Ya’u was sent on an errand around 10am on Wednesday and Jubril had followed him. They were running the errand when Henry reportedly lured them. Our correspondent gathered that the woman was fleeing with the kids when she was trailed by a team of policemen from the Sabo division, led by the Divisional Police Officer, CSP Mary Ubangha. Read more
Lagos pastor arrested for allegedly raping nine-year-old (Punch)
A 54-year-old pastor of a church, Christ Abiding Church, on Bankole Street, Somolu, Lagos, has been accused of raping a nine-year-old daughter of his neighbour. The pastor, Udoh Okon, reportedly molested the girl in his wife’s shop on several occasions before the alleged crime was reported to the police on April 18. Punch Metro gathered that the mother of the girl had observed semen dripping out of her private parts while she was asleep. After pestering her, she allegedly told her mother that Okon slept with her and that he had been doing so since 2017. The Pedro Police Division consequently arrested the pastor, who was paraded on Wednesday by the state Commissioner of Police, Edgal Imohimi. Read more