THISISLAGOS MIDDAY NEWS UPDATE APRIL 24, 2018
Land charges: Don’t convert houses to religious buildings, govt warns (Punch)
The Lagos State Government on Monday said some property owners had been converting residential buildings into religious centres in order to avoid paying the Land Use Charge. The Commissioner for Home Affairs, Dr Abdulhakeem Abdullateef, who stated this at the annual Ministerial Press Briefing in Ikeja to mark the third year in office of Governor Akinwunmi Ambode’s administration, warned against the move, adding that such would not be tolerated. He said, “Many people are converting their houses to religious centres to avoid paying their Land Use Charge; that will not be tolerated. Let us keep ourselves within the ambit of the law. Read more
2019: Police to comb uncompleted buildings, dump sites in Lagos (Nation)
The Commissioner of Police in Lagos State, Imohimi Edgal, says dump sites, undeveloped lands and uncompleted buildings likely to house criminals will be combed as part of preparations for the 2019 general elections. Edgal told our reporter on Monday at the command’s headquarters in Ikeja that the measure was to check crime ahead of the forthcoming elections. According to him, many criminals have been living and keeping arms and ammunition at different dump sites as well as abandoned lands and buildings in the state. “We have not been paying serious attention to dump sites, abandoned lands and buildings. Read more
Register to aid planning, LASG tells residents (Punch)
The Lagos State Residents Registration Agency (LASRRA) has urged residents of Badagry and Epe areas of Lagos to register and obtain their registration cards so that the state government could adequately plan for their future. General Manager, LASRRA, Mrs. Olukemi Adelusi, said obtaining the LASRRA card would enable the holders to enjoy certain privileges as residents of the state which others outside the state would not enjoy. Adelusi, who led a team on a sensitisation campaign to Badagry and Epe, enjoined the residents to come out en masse to register, a statement said on Monday. Read more
NBA engages Lagos government on taxation, land use charge (Guardian)
The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Lagos branch has said it would engage Lagos state government on the controversial land use charge, taxation, land documentations and other topical issues in its law week programme scheduled to commence May 5, 2018. In a pre-event briefing by the conference planning committee presided over by the chairman of the branch, Chukwuka Ikwuazom, alternate chairman, Kennedy Ahia and chairman of the law week planning committee, Mr. Tola Oshobi (SAN), the premier branch said the weeklong event would be very exciting, educative and entertaining as a result of the rich programmes and faculties that would share ideas with members. According to Oshobi, the law week, with the theme: “Human Capital and the Legal Services in the 21st Century”, commences on May 5, with a health walk that would start from 6 am at the Lagos high court and terminate at the Falomo roundabout. “It is not arguable that a healthy man inhabits a healthy body. Our lawyers need to be as healthy to be able to do their work,” he said. Read more
Lagos saves N4.5bn from non-sponsorship of religious pilgrimage (Vanguard)
The Lagos State Government saved a total of N4.5billion in the last three years as a result of the decision of Governor Akinwunmi Ambode to stop the sponsorship of people for religious pilgrimages to Israel and Saudi Arabia, Commissioner for Home Affairs, Dr Abdulhakeem Abdullateef has said. Speaking on Monday at the annual Ministerial Press Briefing to mark the third year in office of Governor Ambode’s administration held at the Bagauda Kaltho Press Centre in Alausa, Abdullateef said funds saved from the development had been diverted into the construction of roads and other amenities to make life easier for residents. Read more
Govt seeks safety in chemical environment (Punch)
Lagos State residents have been implored to cooperate with the government by adhering to measures aimed at enhancing safety in the chemical industry and in other workplaces. The Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Relations, Dr. Jemilade Longe, made the plea on Monday at the opening of a sensitisation workshop organised by the Lagos State Safety Commission in collaboration with Didomi Company Limited in the Ketu area of the state. Longe, who was represented by the ministry’s Director of Administration and Human Resources, Mrs. Basirat Akinsanya, said, “The government is desirous of achieving a safer environment and healthier citizenry. We will continue to train and retrain safety officials until the desired goal is achieved.” Read more
S’West’s Quest for Regional Integration (ThisDay)
The South-west is looking up to Lagos State to drive the development of the region, writes Gboyega Akinsanmi. The Western Nigeria Governors Forum, a group comprising all state governors in the South-west geo-political, reconvened in Lagos recently. All the governors in the region, except Ogun State governor, Ibikunle Amosun, attended the meeting that focused purely on how to leverage regional integration to attain development. The theme of the meeting, ‘Consolidating the Legacy of Regional Integration’, captures the essence of the forum. Read more
How police chased my son to death, by father (Nation)
The Nwachinyere of Lagos High Chief Nnaemeka Obiekwe has relieved how policemen chased his 27-year-old son, Chigozie Promise to death. The incident occurred on April 11 when Chigozie was going to work. The distraught father of five said his son took a bike from Oshodi that fateful morning. Along the way, some policemen started chasing Okada riders and the bike man that carried him turned back driving against traffic back to Oshodi. They were hit by a speeding Tipper; Chigozie fell down and the tipper crushed him. Read more
Communities seek end to ‘political attacks’ (Nation)
Some communities in Ifelodun Local Council Development Area of Lagos State yesterday appealed to Governor Akinwunmi Ambode and Police Commissioner Imohimi Edgal to restore peace in their area. The council Chairman, Shuaib Fatai Ajidagba was attacked last Wednesday by some touts after he left a political meeting. Ajidagba accused former Deputy Speaker of Lagos State House of Assembly, Kolawole Taiwo of sponsoring the attack. But Taiwo on Sunday distanced himself from the attack. Read more
National Theater directors face corruption charge (Nation)
The Federal High Court sitting in Lagos on Monday fixed May 14 for the arraignment of four directors at the National Theatre for allegedly receiving N500,000 each from a Federal Government contractor. The alleged offence violated the Code of Conduct Act. The defendants are – former Acting General Manager/Chief Executive Officer of the National Theatre, George Ntanta, Director of Business Development and Events Management, Abiodun Abe, Director of Engineering and Technology, Ndubuisi Nwogu and Director of Planning, Research and Strategies, Doris Okafor. Read more
Quackery/regularization: LASG commences compulsory training for care-providers (Vanguard)
As part of measures to regularize operations and comply with acceptable international standard, the Lagos State Government has said that all care-giver operating in the state must henceforth undergo appropriate training with the aim of eliminating quackery in the sector. The state’s Commissioner for Youth and Social Development, Mr. Agboola Dabiri made the remark, yesterday, at a briefing ahead of three-Day Foundational Training on Professional Childcare, organized by the ministry in collaboration with Nanny Centre, operated by a certified member of International Nanny Association and a registered vocational trainer. Read more
#BBNaija: Finalists arrive Nigeria, Cee-C receives N2m from fans (Nation)
Big Brother Naija finalists have arrived the country Monday night, with controversial first runner up Cynthia Nwadioha, popularly known as Cee-C, receiving a dummy cheque of N2 million from her fans. “Team Cee-C”, as her fans called themselves, proved that they are indeed lovers of the ‘drama queen’, and they remain loyal no matter the odds. Cee-C had the second highest votes in the Big Brother Naija games but she did not go home with any monetary reward. Unlike other finalists, and some housemates, she did not win any of the sponsored tasks that could have earned her money gifts while she was in the house. Read more
Refuse menace: Lagos calls for cooperation with govt to eliminate refuse heaps from streets (Vanguard)
Against the backdrop of complaints from Lagos residents over heaps of refuse that have taken over the entire Lagos streets, the state government weekend called for renewed cooperation of the residents with the government, waste collection operators and Visionscape, to hasten the disappearance of refuse dumps from the streets. The Special Adviser to Governor Akinwunmi Ambode on Cleaner Lagos Initiative CLI, Adebola Shabi, who made this call, assured that with the cooperation and collaboration of all stakeholders to the cause of CLI, the heaps of refuse on Lagos streets which have become an eyesore, would be cleared in a question of days. Read more
Police arrest Lagos security man for impregnating daughter (Punch)
A security guard in Obadore, in the Igando/Ikotun Local Council Development Area of Lagos State, Taiwo Oyelabi, has been arrested by the police after allegedly raping his daughter for seven months. The 50-year-old reportedly impregnated the 21-year-old daughter while the incest lasted. Punch Metro learnt that Oyelabi and the victim’s mother divorced when she was two-year-old. Before the separation, they had had a set of twins together which included the victim. It was learnt that Oyelabi’s younger sister took custody of the twins and she later travelled to Cote D’Ivoire with them. Read more