THISISLAGOS MIDDAY NEWS UPDATE JULY 5, 2018
Oshodi interchange Skywalk Bridge ready (Nation)
The fixing of the Skywalk Bridge linking terminals one and two of the Oshodi Transport Interchange has been completed, the contractor, Planet Projects Limited, said yesterday. The work, which started on Sunday night lasted till early yesterday. It was supervised by some government agencies, with the support of the police, Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) and Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), among others. Planet Project Managing Director Mr Biodun Otunola said the fixing of the bridge was a milestone. All hands, he said, were on deck to ensure the interchange is delivered between October and November. Read more
Lagos youths urge participation in elections (Punch)
The Lagos State Youth Parliament has called on Nigerians to obtain their Permanent Voter Cards and vote in the 2019 general elections. The Speaker, Seriki Muritala, during a road show and sensitisation walk on Wednesday in Lagos, said there was the need for the youth population to leverage on its huge number to effect desired changes in 2019. A statement on Wednesday read in part, “The Speaker regrettably noted that a larger percentage of Nigerians don’t vote during elections, saying the development, as disclosed by INEC, informed a road show and sensitisation walk embarked upon by members of the parliament to tell the general public, especially youths, about the importance of voting and the need for them to get their PVC before the elections. Read more
Lagos APC to Lagosians: get your PVCs ready (Nation)
Lagos State All Progressives Congress (APC) Chairman Alhaji Tunde Balogun yesterday urged Lagosians to collect their Permanent Voter’s Cards (PVCs) ahead of next year’s elections. He also reflected on the reconciliation in the chapter, waving the olive branch to aggrieved chieftains who have taken the party to court over the recent state congress. Balogun, a former Commissioner for Home Affairs, spoke at this year’s empowerment programme organised by House of Representatives member Prince Rotimi Agunsoye for the people of Kosofe Constituency. At the programme, many party leaders, traditional rulers, community development associations, Christian and Muslim clerics and beneficiaries endorsed the legislator for a second term in the Lower Chamber, saying that he has lived up to expectation. Read more
Lagos Immunises 4.6 Million Children against Polio (ThisDay)
Following the second round of the 2018 National Immunisation Plus Days (NIPDs) aimed at vaccinating children of between ages zero to 59 months against polio in Nigeria, the Lagos State government has vaccinated 4.9 million children across the state. The campaign, which started Saturday June 30 to Tuesday July 3, 2018 at designated sites, covered 4859 houses, 752 fixed posts, and 1712 transit teams. Speaking during the last lap of the exercise in Agege local government secretariat, the Special Adviser to Lagos State Governor on Primary Healthcare, Dr. Olufemi Onanuga noted that the four day programme experienced massive turn out, as the state ensured there were activities which attracted children and caregivers for the exercise. Read more
LASG to introduce sign language in public places (Punch)
The Lagos State Government has begun the process of introducing sign language in public places. The state Commissioner for Youth and Social Development, Mr Agboola Dabiri, said the ministry would in the next few days release some basic sign language pamphlets for use in police stations, hospitals, banks and other public places. He said, “The sign language booklet is to address the difficulty faced by persons living with speech impairment to communicate when seeking services from some government and private institutions. Dabiri spoke at the 2018 Sign Language Training Workshop, with the theme, ‘Towards an Inclusive Lagos.’ Read more
Group partners Lagos on school gardening (Nation)
Helen Keller International, (HKI) Nigeria with funding from Mondelçz International Foundation in partnership with the Lagos State Government has flagged off gardening projects in nine schools in Ikeja and Ojodu Local Government Area, Lagos State. The groundbreaking ceremony was held at the school garden sites of Agindigbi Primary school, which had officials from Cadbury Nigeria Plc, a subsidiary of Mondelçz International Foundation, school pupils, teachers, parents, local government officials and LGEA officials, Ministry of Agriculture, Department for Development Partnerships, and community leaders. Read more
Lagos fails to unveil new investors for N844bn Fourth Mainland Bridge (Independent)
Despite repeated assurances by the Lagos State Government to unveil new investors for an ambitious and masterpiece infrastructure project, known as Fourth Mainland Bridge, in June 2018, the state government has failed to fulfill its promise. The failure has created disappointment in the hearts of some individuals who are keenly following the project. And as at the time of filing this report, neither the state government has named the investors, nor there is any information in public domain, explaining reasons for the delay. Read more
Developer to maintain Ile-Epo Market for 27 years (Punch)
The developer of the popular Ile-Epo Market in the Abule Egba area of Lagos, Total Value Integrated Limited, has been given a 27-year period to manage the market before handing it back to the council. The Chairman, Agbado Oke-Odo Local Council Development Area, Augustine Arogundade, stated this on Wednesday at the inauguration of full construction work at the market, adding that the contractor was building to standard. He said, “The traders in the market will be considered first when we want to allocate shops. We have given the developer the go ahead to start selling allocation forms.” Read more
Rotary Club provides Credit Facilities for Lagos Community (ThisDay)
The people of Ita Marun community, a sleepy village in Ibeju Lekki Local Government Area (LGA) of Lagos State, were excited recently as the Rotary Club of Lagos presented cheques for a micro-credit scheme approved by the club to some of the villagers in order to establish or grow their businesses. The cheques were presented by President of the Club, Rotarian Soboma Ajumogobia. Rotary Club of Lagos’s relationship with the community, which started almost four years ago, has been a source of happiness to the entire community. Some projects the Club has carried out for the community include, an industrial bore-hole supplying pipe borne water to all parts of the village, a solar-powered street lighting system, a palm kernel crushing plant, an incinerator and most significantly the revolving micro credit scheme. Read more
3 magistrates, 50 Customary Court judges join Lagos bench (Punch)
The Chief Judge of Lagos State, Justice Opeyemi Oke, on Tuesday swore in three magistrates and 50 Customary Court judges to boost the manpower of the state judiciary. At the brief swearing-in ceremony, which took place in her courtroom in Ikeja, the Chief Judge charged the new judicial officials to shun corruption, study to deepen their knowledge and discharge justice without fear or favour. She identified diligence, integrity, open-mindedness, courtesy, tact and courage as the indispensable attributes the magistrates and the Customary Court judges needed for success in their career on the bench. Read more
LASEPA pleads compliance against environmental pollution (Nation)
The Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA) has sought the cooperation of the public in making the State environment pollution free. LASEPA General Manager Antonio Ayodele, made this plea while declaring open the 5th annual workshop/seminar organised by the agency for Iron and Steel Sectors in Alausa, Lagos State. He said the seminar was to educate the companies on the need to protect the environment from being polluted during productions. “The iron and steel industries are one of the leading manufacturers within the state as their products are the strength of integrity in building and construction processes.” Read more
Time to Complete Lagos-Ibadan Express Road (Independent)
Recently,Wolfgang Goetsch, Managing Director, Julius Berger Construction Company, disclosed at its 48th Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Ibadan that with the signing of the 2018 budget by President Muhammadu Buhari, the company had been remobilised to resume work on Lagos-Ibadan Express road after months of removing its workers from the site. This confirms earlier claim in April of this year by Mr Babatunde Raji Fashola(SAN), Nigeria’s Minister of Works, Housing and Power that government would expend additional N64.1 billion in variation to the initial N70 billion agreed for repair of the Lagos-Sagamu segment of the road. Read more
N550m debt: Estate developer loses suit to stop EFCC arrest (Punch)
The Federal High Court in Lagos has dismissed a fundamental rights enforcement suit filed by the Chief Executive Officer, Safetrust Mortgage Bank, Mr. Akintayo Oloko, to stop the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission from arresting him in relation to a debt of N550m stemming from a real estate transaction. In a judgment last week, Justice Muslim Hassan dismissed Oloko’s case for lacking in merit, stressing that the court could not stop the anti-graft agency from performing its statutory duty. Read more
Lagos Tenancy Law: Old Wine in New Skin (Independent)
The Law is aimed at regulating the rights and obligations of landlords and tenants, and the procedure for the recovery of possession of properties by curbing the excesses of landlords who exploit tenants and the antics of tenants who refuse to fulfill their responsibilities. The Law applies to all properties in Lagos State, whether commercial or residential, except residential properties: owned or operated by educational institutions for its staff or students; serving as emergency shelters; and those used for medical, rehabilitative or therapeutic treatment. The law does not also apply in Apapa, Ikeja GRA, Ikoyi and Victoria Island areas of the State. Read more
Gripped by nostalgia, Macron worships at Afrika Shrine (Punch)
President Emmanuel Macron, on Tuesday night, made real his threat to visit the Afrika Shrine, Lagos, where he reunited with lovers of the afro culture. A ‘threat’ because that might be the way his plan to visit the centre built by Femi Kuti, scion of afro beat legend, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, first seemed to Nigeria’s political establishment whose relationship with Fela was usually problematic. He, however, got an ally in the Lagos State Government, which has not only worked closely with the Fela family but also been part of the promotion of the afro legacy. Read more
Lagos Tanker Explosion: Senate tasks FRSC, Police to Investigate Accident (Independent)
Following the fuel tanker fire in Lagos that killed about 12 persons and destroyed more than 50 vehicles, the Senate on Wednesday tasked the police and the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) to carry out a thorough investigation into the circumstances leading to the accident with a view to prosecuting anyone found culpable. The upper chamber also tasked Federal Ministry of Power Works and Housing and state governments to accelerate the development of trailer parks and installation of way bridges to manage trailer movement on roads. The motion to this effect was moved under matter of urgent public importance by Senator Gbenga Ashafa, (Lagos East, APC). Read more
Police question 4 for unsolicited job interview in Lagos (Vanguard)
The Lagos State Police Command says it has invited and interrogated four suspects for allegedly sending unsolicited job interview messages to members of the public. The command’s spokesman, CSP Chike Oti, told the Newsmen on Thursday that the suspects were invited following a complaint by a member of the public. He said the complainant (name withheld) claimed to have received a message for a job interview from the accused individuals. Oti added that the suspects were interrogated and set free because they were not into fraud as alleged. “However, investigations showed that they are not fraudsters. They are drug products promoters looking for vendors,’’ the police spokesman said. Read more
Polygraph test indicts teacher on ‘child defilement’ (Nation)
Did a supervisor with Chrisland Schools in Lekki, Lagos, Adegboyega Adenekan, accused of defiling a 35-month-old pupil, lie about his relationship with the girl? Yes, says a report of the polygraph test conducted on him by an expert, Mr Falola Adebayo. A polygraph machine is used to determine whether a person is deceptive or lying. Justice Sybil Nwaka of the Ikeja Domestic Violence and Sexual Offences Court will on October 10 rule on the admissibility of the report. Adenekan’s counsel Olatunde Adejuyigbe (SAN) objected to the admissibility of the report when the prosecutor, Babajide Boye, sought to tender it in evidence. Read more