THISISLAGOS MIDDAY NEWS UPDATE MARCH 26, 2018
Lagos senators, council chairmen endorse Ambode for second term (Guardian)
All three senators representing Lagos State in the Senate have endorsed Governor Akinwunmi Ambode for a second term, citing the infrastructure projects being embarked upon in the state as reason for the endorsement. They also passed a vote of confidence on the governor during their visit to Ambode in Lagos yesterday. Representative of Lagos East, Gbenga Ashafa, said having assessed the state since Ambode took over as governor against his campaign promises, the governor was delivering on his promises. Read more
LASIEC laments low turnout for LG by-elections (Punch)
The Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission has said it will pay more attention to continuous voter education and sensitisation to combat voter apathy. The Chairman of LASIEC, Justice Ayotunde Phillips (retd.), on Sunday said the enlightenment became necessary following the low turnout of voters for the Saturday’s councillorship by-elections in Ward B (Ogunoloko) and Ward B (Dopemu) in the Oshodi/Isolo and Agege local government areas of the state respectively. The results of the polls released by LASIEC showed that Rashidat Adekunle of the All Progressives Congress, who won in Dopemu, scored a total of 918 votes ahead of her People’s Democratic Party contender, Olayiwola Lawal, who polled 408 votes. Read more
Lagos religious leaders endorse Ambode for 2nd term (DailyTrust)
Islamic and Christian religious leaders in Lagos State under the aegis of the Nigerian Inter-Religious Council (NIREC) have endorsed the candidacy of Governor Akinwunmi Ambode for second term in office. At the enlarged meeting of the group in Lagos, the State Chairman of NIREC, Alhaji Tajudeen Yusuf, said Governor Ambode, since assumption of office, had worked to impact on the state positively. Yusuf also lauded Ambode for allowing people of different beliefs to co-exist harmoniously despite recent happenings in other states. “The endorsement of Governor Ambode for a second term is a reflection of the wish of majority of Lagosians irrespective of religion, race or creed. This is because all projects initiated by the present administration are not only exemplary, but commendable,” he said. Read more
Everything is faulty about Land Use Charge – Group (DailyTrust)
The Building Collapse and Prevention Guild have joined other groups to condemn the 2018 Lagos State Land Use Charge Law. The guild while making its position on the reduction of the tax payable to 50 per cent said the whole exercise was faulty and that the state government should admit and do a rethink. The chairman of the guild Barr. Offiong Samuel Ukpong in a statement said the foundation of the assessment which is the crux of the matter has not been touched. “The major question is who did the valuations to arrive at those capital values,” he said Read more
Visionscape clears 2,000 illegal dump sites in Lagos (PremiumTimes)
An Environmental Utility Company, Visionscape Sanitation Solutions (VSS), has cleaned up over 2,000 black spots, otherwise known as illegal dump sites in Lagos State. The Director of Operations, VSS, Kiran Reddy, made this known during an interactive session with journalists on Friday in Lagos. Mr. Reddy said the black spots intervention started in July 2017 and the company had gradually moved to door-to-door collection of waste. According to him, Visionscape identified 5,000 black spots and these black spots weigh ranging from five tonnes to 150 tonnes. Read more
‘We’ll enforce Land Use Charge with human face’ (DailyTrust)
Why is the Lagos state government doing this at this particular time?
We are doing this because the governor of Lagos state realize quite sincerely that Lagosians deserve the best in terms of infrastructure renewal and building of new infrastructure. We looked at infrastructure for the next five years and what we will need to continue to renew infrastructure and buildings, excluding housing, education, health will cost us close to $50 billion. So, if we have to spend all our budgets without paying salaries and just put everything in capital expenditure it will take us up to 18 to 19 years to be able to fix. Read more
2019: Bola Tinubu-led reconciliation committee will give APC victory – NASS member(Vanguard)
The intervention of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu-led National Reconciliation Committee in resolving the internal crisis rocking the APC would guarantee the party’s electoral victory in 2019. Rep. Abiodun Olasupo, representing APC-Iseyin/Itesiwaju/Kajola/Iwajowa Federal Constituency, made the assertion in Iseyin on the sidelines of the 3rd Olasupo Abiodun Empowerment Series for Women. The empowerment was part of the activities to commemorate the 2018 International Women’s Day in the constituency in his constituency. Olasupo said that Tinubu’s appointment by President Muhammadu Buhari to lead the APC National Reconciliation Committee was the right thing to do to guarantee the party’s victory. Read more
Land Use Charge: Template in governance (Vanguard)
Governor Akinwunmi Ambode had promised in 2015 when he assumed office: “I shall run an open government of inclusion that will not leave anyone behind. No matter your age, sex, tribe or any other status. As long as you reside in Lagos, we will make Lagos work for you.” Such promises are not in short supply in our polity, but often when the sea turns turbulent, we find that the hands holding the helm become shaky when steadiness is required, panicky when composure is needed and timid when decisiveness will suffice. Thus, such promises often go unfulfilled. Society desires a firm hand at the helm in good times and in challenging times to ensure stability and attendant progress. Read more
Materials must be tested before building – LASG (Punch)
The Lagos State Government has said it will continue to insist on material testing in the built environment, pointing out that it is a major way of achieving zero-building collapse in the state. The Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Rotimi Ogunleye, stated this during a visit to the Lagos State Materials Testing Laboratory’s office in Ojodu, according to a statement on Sunday. He said the mandate given to the materials testing laboratory to regulate operations of private-owned testing laboratories across the state had made it compelling for the agency to live above board. Read more
No information on Leah, say Police (Nation)
The Police said yesterday it had no information on when Leah Sharibu would be released. Sharibu is still being held captive by Boko Haram. The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Ibrahim Idris who was in Maiduguri on Saturday told reporters that Leah Sheribu would be released on Saturday. But Police spokesman Jimoh Moshood in a statement yesterday said: “The attention of the Nigeria Police Force has been drawn to the publication on some Social Media platform and conventional media indicating that the Inspector General of Police said the last Dapchi school girl will be released soon. Read more
UNILAG to set up refinery soon — VC (Vanguard)
There are strong indications that University of Lagos, UNILAG, would soon set up conventional and standard locally-built refineries to boost the nation’s refinery capacity. The institution’s Vice-Chancellor, Professor Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, who made this known at the 1st Annual General Meeting, AGM, and 2nd Alumni Lecture of the UNILAG Faculty of Engineering Alumni Association, said as an institution that produced graduates in Chemical Engineering, students of the school needed to be exposed to refining process. Read more
Law allows Nigerians to defend themselves from attacks – Sagay (Nation)
Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption (PACAC) chairman Prof Itse Sagay (SAN) on Sunday said the law allows Nigerians to defend themselves from being massacred. He backed the advice by a former Minister of Defence and an elder statesman, Lt. Gen. Theophilus Danjuma (rtd.) that Nigerians should defend themselves against killers. Sagay urged the Federal Government to investigate Danjuma’s allegations that the armed forces were not neutral. According to him, the allegation that the armed forces guide the bandits to kill people and cover them up were “serious”. Read more
Taxify empowers women to set up SMEs (Vanguard)
International ride-hailing company, Taxify, has kicked off an initiative to empower more Nigerian women to begin Small and Medium-scale Enterprises. The company’s Brand Manager in Nigeria, Terver Bendega, told correspondent that the decision was borne out of the need to create a more conducive environment for driven women to own and scale their businesses. She explained, “Another reason it was important for us to create this initiative to empower more women is that our ecosystem revolves around women. We are especially proud of our female driver-partners who everyday are responsible for helping hundreds of people move. Read more
BBNaija: Anto, Khloe return to the house (Nation)
Anto and Khloe had returned to the BBNaija house to continue their quest for the grand prize after having the highest votes for a comeback from their fans. Anto scored 20.67 per cent votes while Khloe got 18.40 per cent votes. Khloe told viewers of the show that she would be setting a couple of things straight this time around. “Drama is Koko, Koko is drama. I’m here to set Cee-c straight. A mad man cannot tell a mad man he’s mad.” She added that she would deal with the housemates who like sleeping. Read more
3 charged with N80m cocoa beans theft (Nation)
Three workers of a firm, Starlink Global Ideal Ltd, have been arraigned before an Igbosere Chief Magistrates’ Court for allegedly stealing N80million worth of cocoa beans. Yomi Abodunde, Mutiu Yusuf and Saheed Hassan are standing trial on a two-count charge of conspiracy and fraudulent diversion of goods before Mrs. O. O. Oshin. The offence contravenes Sections 411 and 285(5) of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State, 2015. The police said the trio, who work in the haulage department, committed the offence with others between June 2017 and February, 2018. Read more
Traders block Abuja Airport Road over market demolition (Punch)
Angry traders on Saturday blocked the Umaru Yar’Adua Expressway over the demolition of Gosa Market along the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport area. The traders made bonfires on both sides of the road and prevented motorists and travellers from using the highway, leading to a long queue of vehicles. Our correspondent learnt that officials of the Abuja Metropolitan Management Council (AMMC) had stormed the market earlier in the day with armed policemen and pulled down open stalls and other structures in the market. Read more
70-year-old ex-cop tackles Lagos firm over salary arrears (Punch)
A 70-year-old security guard, Ibrahim Isa, has lamented his inability to recover the sum of N147,500 which he claimed a nylon producing company in the Agege area of Lagos State owed him as salary arrears. Isa was taken to his hometown in the Okene Local Government Area of Kogi State in January 2018 after he fell ill. His wife reportedly died in December 2017. The septuagenarian told Punch Metro on the telephone that aside the sickness and bereavement, which were taking a toll on his health, he could barely feed due to lack of funds. Read more
Bayern won’t sell Lewandowski to Real Madrid, Club Chair insists (Vanguard)
Real Madrid fans hoping to see Robert Lewandowski in Los Blancos colors will have to wait a little longer or better still stop hoping as Bayern Munich chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has said the striker is not for sale. The 29-year-old’s 32 goals haul this season has attracted a lot of suitors- the Santiago Bernabeu side being one of them. This interest is because with the European champions want a new striker who will compete with Karim Benzema. Read more
Klopp has no fear in bid to topple City: Matthaus (belfasttelegraph)
Former Germany captain Lothar Matthaus believes Jurgen Klopp can end Manchester City’s stranglehold on silverware in much the same way he did when Borussia Dortmund broke Bayern Munich’s dominance. Liverpool’s last trophy was the league cup in 2012, while their wait for a championship title stretches back 28 years, but Klopp has a history of succeeding against more powerful, wealthy opponents having won back-to-back Bundesliga titles in 2011 and 2012. The first opportunity will come in the forthcoming Champions League quarter-final against City, who have already won the Carabao Cup and are Premier League champions in waiting. Read more
Steven Gerrard’s reaction to Joey Barton mocking his book in 2007 was priceless (Givemesport)
Few people have been as critical of the England national team as Joey Barton. The former Manchester City, Newcastle and Burnley midfielder is no stranger to controversy and his views on how the Three Lions operate have not exactly been positive. Back in 2012 – when he was at Queens Park Rangers – Barton famously slammed Roy Hodgson’s to call up Jordan Henderson instead of him to replace the injured Frank Lampard. Read more
Sudan can protect its borders from Israel infiltration, official (Memo)
Sudan has “enough power to protect its borders from any Israeli penetrations through the neighbouring countries,” a senior member of the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) stressed yesterday. Speaking to Quds Press, Rabie Abdelati said: “There is no need to prove the Israeli existence in Africa … there are Arab countries which have relations with the Israeli entity and this is not our issue. But we do not want a neighbouring country to have such relations at our expense.” Read more
Israel team takes part in UAE car rally (Memo)
An Israeli team has been invited to participate in the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge which began on Saturday, Israel’s Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper revealed yesterday. The five-member team – two drivers and three technicians – are taking part in the five-day motor sport event in the UAE capital which is being held for the 28th time. The Israeli newspaper noted that this participation is a new indicator of the warm relations Israel enjoys with the Gulf states and is a “milestone in sports relations”. Read more
Gangnam Style soft diplomacy too much for North Korea (Telegraph)
North Korea may be willing to negotiate on denuclearisation, but allowing outlandish South Korean pop star Psy to inflict his “provocative” dance moves on Pyongyang is apparently a step too far. Seoul is reportedly pushing for the inclusion of Psy, one of the country’s best known artists on the world stage, in a K-pop delegation heading to perform in the North next week as part of a diplomatic effort to improve inter-Korean ties. A team of at least nine South Korean pop acts are set to join the visit, the first of its kind in more than a decade, ahead of a summit later in April between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in. Read more