THISISLAGOS MIDDAY NEWS UPDATE MAY 15, 2018
New Ile-Epo market will complement Lagos’ smart city drive (Guardian)
Stakeholders in the redevelopment of the N2 billion popular Ile-Epo Market in Abule Egba area of Lagos have said the rebuilding will complement the Lagos State government’s smart city dream. The market, in a dilapidated state, was demolished recently for reconstruction by a developer, Total Value Integrated Limited. Speaking during an inspection of the market yesterday, Secretary to the Agbado Oke-Odo Local Council Development Area, Alhaja Gbemisola Ayilara said the council is currently compiling list of original allottees of the old market in a bid to give them preference when the new market is completed. Managing Director, Total Value Integrated, Chris Onyekachi, said he and the council had been trying to ensure the displaced traders were relocated to the alternative market. He said the first phase of the redevelopment would be completed within four months, adding that the market, on completion would be affordable for the traders, and original allottees would be taken care of first before others. Read more
I will never leave PDP, Bode George vows (ThisDay)
A leader of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Olabode George, has vowed never to leave the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), saying that the party only needed to be strengthened for better performance in future. Speaking when the National Chairman of the Party, Prince Uche Secondus, paid him a condolence visit on Monday over the death of his son, Oladipupo, who died last Thursday in an Ikoyi Hospital in Lagos after a brief illness, George praised Secondus for rising above pettiness. The politician said that his son, who died at 42, was the crown prince of the family and that he would be greatly missed by everybody. Read more
Lagos procures modern equipment to enhance road construction (Guardian)
The Lagos State government through its Public Works/Drainages department has acquired three road printer paving stone laying machines to enhance road construction and maintenance in the state. The Head Mechanical (LSPWC), Gbenga Ogunlewe, who led a team of operators to the training ground, disclosed that the machines were procured to enhance road construction and improve the quality of work being done at construction site. According to him, they were purchased to work on water logged areas, where asphalt will not be suitable, saying it will also allow for easy maintenance of work at reduced cost compared to Asphalt work. Read more
FG promises early completion of N22.3b Lagos-Ota-Abeokuta expressway (Guardian)
The Federal Government has pledged early completion of Lagos-Ota-Abeokuta expressway to fasten socio-economic growth and international trade within Ogun and Lagos corridors. The rehabilitation and reconstruction of the about 80 kilometres road was last week awarded by the Federal Government to Julius Berger Plc at the cost of N22.38 billion. Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN), who spoke at the flag-off of the road reconstruction at kilometre zero, Ile-Zik, along Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway, regretted that the road had suffered several abandonments and contract variations owing to paucity of fund. Read more
Lagos Cooperatives Investment Hits N152bn (Leadership)
The Lagos State Government on Monday revealed that cooperatives investment in the state’s economy has risen to N152 billion in the last three years. The state’s Commissioner for Commerce and Cooperatives, Mrs Olayinka Oladunjoye who disclosed this at the annual ministerial press briefing said high net worth cooperative societies were being encouraged to invest into the productive and key service sector such as water, transportation and services. Oladunjoye also said over $735.8million (about N264billion) worth of finished goods have so far been exported from the Lekki Free Zone project in the last three years. Read more
FRSC partners Lagos traditional rulers on dangers of making calls while driving (DailyTrust)
Some traditional rulers in the Ojo area of Lagos at the weekend joined officials of the Federal Road Safety Corps, Unit 2.112, to sensitize commercial bus drivers to the dangers of using mobile phones while driving. The group went from one motor park to another in the area to give hints on road safety. The move was part of activities outlined by the FRSC to mark the West Africa Road Safety Organization’s 10th year anniversary. The group, led by the Unit Commander, Obagbemiro Adeyemi, visited motor parks that included those of GUO and Ekesons Motors along the Mile 2-Badagry expressway, which is an international route that links Nigeria to other West African countries. Read more
Lagos generates N5.5bn revenue from survey, new town devt (NewTelegraph)
Despite N10.2 billion drop in land revenue between April 2017 and 2018, the Lagos State government has raked in N5.5 billion from survey and new town development agencies, New Telegraph has learnt. According to the document on performance of the two agencies in the last one year, the Office of the State Surveyors General (OSSG) generated N1.2 billion, amounting to 118 per cent budget performance, while NTDA raked in N3.3 billion. Most of the revenues came from survey fee, land information, stamp duty, application fee, issuance of certificate of occupancies and consent fee, among others. Read more
Adewale Martins to visit St Lawrence July 1 (Guardian)
The Catholic Archbishop of Lagos Metropolitan See, His Grace, Most Rev. Dr. Alfred Adewale Martins (DD), will visit St Lawrence Catholic Church, Paiko, Idimu, July 1, 2018. During his visit, His Grace will dedicate the parish’s Chapel of Adoration and also administer the sacrament of confirmation to about 400 candidates. The sacrament of enables the faithful to be sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit, strengthening them in their Christian life. Normally, only the bishop confirms the Catholics in his diocese. The priest-in charge of the parish, Rev. Father Cosmas Mordi, said, “the visit would bring encouragement and hope to those involved in pastoral work and to all the people of the parish.” Read more
Lagos, Saudi hunger for big shares at Cannes Film Festival (Punch)
Many organisations are wooing the international community at the ongoing Cannes Film Festival, AKEEM LASISI reports from Nice, France. Beyond the red carpet glitz, gender protest and a feast of film shows, serious business is going on at the Cannes Film Festival, where countries, cities, institutes and agencies from different parts of the world are not leaving any stone unturned to sell themselves. It is a wide market of the present and the future. So everyone is busy, in very interesting ways, selling their film industries and entire tourism sectors. Among the brands trying to sell its film industries, however, the stories of Lagos and Saudi Arabia are instructive. While the pavilions of both nestle adjacent to each other, the spirits with which they are projecting their brands are similar, not minding the fact that one came as a state while the other, a country. Read more
Again, Lagos shuts illegal home, rescues 24 children (NewTelegraph)
Lagos State government yesterday shut down another illegal orphanage at Gbetewo village in Olorunda Local Council Development Area of Badagary and rescued 24 children. It was learnt that home, Labour for God, was shut while the operator absconded on arrival of government officials. Ages of the children rescued during the operation start from four months. Also rescued was a 17-yearold pregnant girl. The existence of the home came to the notice of the Research Department of Ministry of Youth and Social Development through a distress call which detailed the activities of the home to enforcement officers who swing into action to carry out the rescue operation. Read more
AGF, presidential panel fight over prosecution of suspects (Guardian)
There was a hot exchange of words yesterday at the Federal high court, Lagos, as the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), and the Special Presidential Panel for the Recovery of Public Property (SPPRPP), fought in the open court over the prosecution of five directors of National Art Theatre, Iganmu Lagos, charged with N500, 000 alleged gratifications. The exchange of words started when the matter was called for the plea of the suspects to be taken and two lawyers, Dr. Celsius Ukpong from the SPPRPP and Mr. A. K. Alilu, from the office of AGF, announced their appearance as prosecutors in the same matter. The five directors are George Ufot Ukanta, Abiodun Abe, Femi Joel, Ndubuisi Nwogu and Mrs. Doris Okafor, wife of a retired army General. Read more
Night club faults EFCC on arrest of Yahoo boys (Punch)
The management of a popular night club, Club 57, on Monday faulted the claim of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission that it raided the club and arrested suspected Internet fraudsters, popularly known as Yahoo boys. The EFCC officials were said to have invaded the club located on Awolowo Way, Ikoyi, Lagos, in search of Yahoo boys, allegedly causing some of the suspects to escape, abandoning their exotic cars. The commission had confirmed the raid in a Facebook post on its official page, saying it acted on an intelligence report on the activities of Yahoo boys at the club. Read more
Tortured Lekki residents: Tenants assaulted, detained me for nine hours, says caretaker (Punch)
A caretaker, Dominic Garuba, has accused some tenants on Lekki Palm City Estate, Ajah, Lagos State, of assaulting and detaining him. Garuba, 37, claimed that the men held him hostage for over nine hours, accusing him of conspiring with the house landlord, Emmanuel Majoka, to give police information about them. Punch Metro had reported that a tenant, Ayoyemi, and his brothers, who lived on the estate had moved into the house in March 2018 after allegedly paying N1.3m. Read more
Cultism: LASPOTECH expels 201 (NewTelegraph)
Determined to rid the polytechnic of social vices, the Rector of Lagos State Polytechnic (LASPOTECH), Mr. Samuel Sogunro, said the institution in the last three years has dismissed at least 183 students for cult-related activities.This was even as he said that the polytechnic, which has zero tolerance for bad misconduct, expelled no fewer than 19 students for examination malpractices and other academic misdemeanor. The Rector disclosed this during the eighth Congregation of the polytechnic, where he presented his three-year scorecard to the workers and other members of the polytechnic community. Read more
Police arrest 4 boat operators with N2m cannabis (NewTelegraph)
Detectives attached to the Special Anti- Robbery Squad (SARS), Ikeja, Lagos State Command, have arrested four suspects and recovered cannabis worth N2 million through waterways. The suspects, identified as Segun Bashiru (40), Yusuf Omotola (30), Kazeem Alabi (34) and Ismaila Anjola (33), were arrested at Ajidun creek by policemen who were on patrol of the area. The police said that the owner of the Indian hemp, Ola, bought the cannabis from the Benin Republic and tried to smuggle it through the Ajidun creeks into Ojo area of the Lagos State. It was learnt that the smugglers used to operate on land, but had to move to the waterways because of security challenges from law enforcement officers. Read more
Kings, Queens College, St. Finbarr’s, others through to semifinals (Guardian)
Kings College, Lagos, Igbobi College, Yaba, Queens College, Yaba and Ansar-Un-Deen Girls’ High School, Itire, have booked their spots in the semifinals of the GTBank Lagos Masters Cup Season Seven played at the Agege Stadium. Other qualifiers include Anwar-Ul- Islam Model College, Agege, St. Finbarr’s College, Akoka, Atlantic Hall, Epe and Ansar-Ud Deen Girls’ High School, Itire. Kings College defeated Chrisland Schools, Ikeja, 4-2 in a highly entertaining match. A brace from danger boy, Chwang Celestine, and two other strikes from Martins Emmanuel and Njoku ensured that they progressed to the semifinal stage of the competition. Read more
100 secondary schools battle for honours in Opeifa handball competition (Guardian)
About 100 secondary schools are involved in the fourth edition of the Lagos State Secondary Schools Handball Competition, which began at the Mobolaji Johnson Sports Centre, Rowe Park, Yaba. Sponsored by Transportation Secretary, Federal Capital Territory Authority (FCTA), Abuja, Comrade Kayode Opeifa, the competition features schools from the six educational districts of the state competing in the junior and senior categories. Opeifa, who was represented by Mr. Bola Ashiru-Balogun, at the weekend disclosed that the five-day event is part of his efforts to help the state in discovering talents and nurturing them. According to him, the competition, which began in 2015, has helped in putting Lagos and indeed the Southwest as the centre of handball development in Nigeria. Read more