THISISLAGOS MIDDAY NEWS UPDATE MAY 28, 2018
Our achievements in 3-yrs divinely-inspired – Ambode (SUN)
Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State, on Sunday, attributed the remarkable achievements recorded by his administration in the last three years in all sectors and sections to the hand of God, saying the feats attained across the length and breadth of the state were divinely-inspired. Governor Ambode, who spoke at a Special Thanksgiving Service held at Lagos House in Alausa, Ikeja to mark the third anniversary of his administration, said it was obvious from the upward trajectory of the State that God was involved in the process of thinking, planning and executing policies and programmes for the people, which according to him, had resulted in wonderful accomplishments for the State. “In two days time, we will be three years in the saddle of this major task. There is no other way to celebrate and that is why we are doing this service because we believe strongly that there is no way we would have made the level of progress so far made without some supernatural hands and we want to give God all the thanks. Read more
Lagos shuts Schools for Children’s Day, Midterm Break (Leadership)
Lagos State government has shut its schools for the celebration of children’s day and midterm break. Our correspondent gathered that though the 2018 children’s day celebration fell on Sunday 27th of May, 2018 , Monday was declared for school children to celebrate with their parents. This decision is coming on the heel of federal government declaration of Tuesday May 29, as democracy day. In the same vein, some schools also declared midterm break which made the holiday longer than expected. As a result of long holiday declared by some schools, it is expected that recreation centres and shopping malls will experience more patronage. Read more
Lagos kids find bonding at Children’s Day (Punch)
No fewer than 100 kids converged on Kanu Ndubisi Park On Sunday to celebrate their day. The kids’ party, with the theme, ‘Creating Safe Spaces for Children: Our Collective Responsibility,’ was hosted by the Lagos State Government to celebrate the 2018 Children’s Day. Nine-year-old Joshua Iyiola was among the children present at the celebration and he told our correspondent that the coming together of children to celebrate their day was a way of fostering friendship and giving kids a sense of belonging. Read more
Ambode honours parents of Lagos kid artists (Punch)
It was an inspiring moment for parents of tens of Bariga, Lagos-based child artists on Sunday evening when the state Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, honoured them. The young artists are members of Footprints of David, who used to hawk goods and wander about the Bariga area but have become celebrated singers and dancers. The group that has also travelled to different parts of the world was founded by Seun Awobajo. At a Children’s Day programme held at the State House in Alausa, Ikeja, Ambode commended the boys and girls but noted that he chose to specially acknowledge the parents for supporting Awobajo to develop their talents. Read more
LASG to link Bariga to Third Mainland Bridge (Punch)
The Lagos State Government is set to link the Bariga community to the Third Mainland Bridge with the upgrade and reconstruction of Odunsi Road. Governor Akinwunmi Ambode assured residents, who will be affected by the project, that they would be adequately compensated. The governor, who was represented by the Commissioner of Information, Kehinde Bamgbetan, said this at a stakeholders’ meeting with residents of the area. During the meeting, the residents appealed to the government to create alternative routes, ensure water supply and consider those who had Certificates of Occupancy on their properties. Read more
2019: AtikuHouse2House inaugurated in Lagos (Vanguard)
AtikuHouse2House, AH2H, Support Group, Lagos State chapter has been inaugurated in Lagos. Inaugurating the 13-member committee, headed by Mansa Musa, the National Coordinator of the organization, Col. Chinyere Obi (ret.), charged the committee to help win Lagos for Alhaji Atiku Abubakar in the 2019 presidential election, stressing that Atiku has what it takes to rescue the country. She said: “Now that I have inaugurated the AtikuHouse2House Support Group, I am urging you to go all out and tell the people about Atiku Abubakar and not about me. Read more
Lagos task force begins clamp down on council traffic officials today (Guardian)
Operatives of the Lagos State Task Force would today, Monday, begin a major clampdown on illegal activities of local government traffic officials across the state. The Lagos State Task Force chairman, Olayinka Egbeyemi, made this known in a statement yesterday that the Commissioner of Police in Lagos, CP Imohimi Edgal, ordered the clampdown. Egbeyemi said the illegal activities of notorious traffic officials were worrisome to the state government as cases of extortion of motorists continue to rise. According to him, the council traffic officials were harassing Lagos motorists under the guise of enforcing the Lagos State Road Traffic Law of 2012. Read more
LASG urges increased vigilance among residents (Punch)
The Director-General of the Lagos State Public Service Staff Development Centre, Olufunmi Ajose-Harrison, has said Lagos residents need to be security conscious and protect government property in their areas. Ajose-Harrison, who said the state had moved from a mega city to a smart city, urged Lagosians to also volunteer information to security agencies. He spoke at the closing ceremony of a three-day training workshop in Magodo, a statement said on Sunday. He said, “As we move to a smart city, security is key and we need to train people in the knowledge of security. Our security personnel must be trained and everybody must be security conscious. It is about safety of our communities.” Read more
Muslim public servants want Ambode reelected (Guardian)
Muslim public servants in Lagos State have called on all faithful to support the re-election bid of Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, for his numerous landmark achievements, that has significantly transformed that landscape of the state, bringing unprecedented development, rapid modernization, and unparalleled infrastructure growth to the state. At the Jumat Service and special prayer organised by the Lagos Ministry of Home Affairs in commemoration of Democracy Day, the Muslim community in Alausa and Ikeja area, as well as Muslim Public Servants converged to pray for continuity of peace and religious harmony in the state. Read more
Lagos to maintain slashed LUC rates (BusinessDay)
It is not likely that Lagos State government will further review downwards the rate applicable to commercial property in its 2018 Land Use Charge (LUC) law. The LUC is a consolidation of ground rent, tenement rate, and neighbourhood improvement levy. Thus, the tenement rates law, the land-based rates law, the neighbourhood improvement charge and all other similar property rates or charges, laws or amendments to any such property laws cease to apply to any property in the state as from February 2018. A source, which craved anonymity, told BusinessDay that the state government was not considering a further reduction in the LUC rates after it was forced to slash the original rates, but waiting for the Lagos State House of Assembly to give legal teeth to the already reviewed rates. “The LUC and the rates applicable to commercial property or any other property mentioned in the law is not meant to serve the government. Rather, it is a law that the state government believes will enable it serve Lagosians better by building the necessary infrastructure. Read more
Destiny Trust Centre unveiled to train less privileged kids on programming (Guardian)
As part of its empowerment and social inclusion drives, The Destiny Trust has opened a coding and innovation development centre, ‘Kids Innovation Hub’ at Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos for less-privileged children. The initiative, launched on Saturday, is aimed at empowering rehabilitated street children and other young people from low-economic backgrounds with computer programming skills and to support them in developing their ideas of relevant technology solutions, especially for education and entertainment. In the pilot phase of the project, the centre targets equipping about 500 less-privileged children with digital skills. Children with specialized interest in computer programming will be enrolled in the Hub’s advanced programmes for coding and programming. Read more
Lagos doctors reject appointment of non-medical practitioner as consultant (Vanguard)
Medical doctors working for Lagos State Government, yesterday, rejected appointment of a non- medical and dental doctor as consultant in the hospital setting, even as they appealed to authorities of the state to ensure that all healthcare facilities in the state were not closed for doctors to provide care for patients. At a briefing in Lagos on the platform of Medical Guild, the doctors called for the immediate withdrawal of the circular announcing the appointment. According to Chairman of the Guild, Dr. Babajide Saheed, such appointment in the hospital setting would lead to anarchy in the health system. He said: “Such a system will adversely affect patients care, and will prevent delivery of qualitative healthcare to the citizens of Lagos State. Read more
Lagos invites pilgrims for BTA (Nation)
The 2018 Hajj intending pilgrims have been urged to come forward for the processing of their Basic Travelling Allowance (BTA) at the Lagos Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board Office. Commissioner for Home Affairs Dr AbdulHakeem AbdulLateef announced this during a meeting with the 19 coordinators appointed by the state to manage the affairs of the intending pilgrims. According to him, pilgrims will be given the opportunity to exchange a minimum of N244,000 for $800 at the official rate of N305 to a dollar as directed by the Federal Government. He enjoined intending pilgrims to take advantage of the exchange rate and time to make proper arrangement for their Basic Travelling Allowance (BTA) as the Dollar rate is more expensive in the black markets and Banks. Read more
Codeine abuse: Lagos blame rise on neglect of mental health (Vanguard)
As battle against drug abuse rages, Lagos State Government has blamed the misuse of codeine containing cough syrup on the neglect of mental health sector in the country. The state government reaction came days after Federal Government banned issuance of permits for importation of codeine as an active pharmaceutical ingredient for cough preparations. Lagos State Commissioner for Health Dr. Jide Idris who spoke on activities embarked upon by the ministry in last one year, said: “The abuse on Codeine drug and others further show extent of mental situation in the country. And that is why we have decided to place emphasis on mental health. It is a serious issue. It is one aspect of health sector that people didn’t generally address.” Read more
Lifemate opens biggest Lagos showroom (Punch)
Furniture firm, Lifemate Nigeria Limited, has unveiled its biggest showroom in Lekki area of Lagos. According to the firm, the 6,800-square-metre showroom brings the number of its showrooms to 13 spread across Lagos, Abuja, Ibadan, Port Harcourt and Warri. The Managing Director, Lifemate, Derick Dai, stated at the opening of the showroom that the Federal Government as well as the Chinese consulate in the country had helped the company to achieve success since it began operations in Nigeria over a decade ago. Read more
Evaluating the impact of BRT System on Lagos Commuters (Independent)
As cities attempt to address their urban mobility problems, the alternative transportation options emerge. In order to have an efficient management of the vehicular and human traffic elements, there is need for improvement on the transportation network infrastructure and its proper maintenance. Dysfunction within any of the elements can lead to a breakdown of the system, and this is more apparent in urban transport systems in developing countries where congestion is witnessed every day. The introduction of Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) on March 17, 2008 in Lagos, the Lagos State Government has attracted several comments and studies from the media and academic world. Most of the studies focused on the impact of BRT on users’ mobility and traffic congestion in the city of Lagos. Read more
Lagos council, families resolve dispute on Oshodi land (Guardian)
A Lagos High Court, Ikeja has resolved the dispute on the parcel of land at Mafoluku, Oshodi, measuring approximately 4816.551 square meters on survey plan No. TAR/2782/049/2017/LA dated November 23, 2017. The resolution, which was entered as judgment by Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo, followed the filing of terms of agreement and settlement by the feuding parties on the disputed land. The parties namely; Oshodi-Isolo Local government area and those of Mafoluku, Oloro, Ogunoloko and Ndazura families had agreed to the terms of agreement and urged the court to so do. Read more
Niger police recover car stolen by mechanic in Lagos (Punch)
The Niger State Police Command has recovered a car stolen by a mechanic in Lagos and arrested a 35-year-old man, Bashiru Yakubu, of General Hospital, Kontagora in the Kontagora Local Government Area of the state for the theft. The suspect was reportedly arrested by a team of policemen in Minna on a tip-off while trying to re-register the stolen 307 Peugeot saloon car with Lagos registration number, JJJ271DB, at the Federal Road Safety Corps, Minna. The car was reportedly stolen in Lagos and was being taken to Niger State where it would be sold off. It was learnt that one Sylvia Hammond had given the car to one Lukeman, a mechanic for repairs, but he disappeared with it to an unknown destination. Read more
Lagos NYSC member slumps, dies 5 days to passing out (Vanguard)
Tragedy struck at Alausa Secretariat, Ikeja, when a National Youths Service Corps, NYSC, member, identified as Ibukun Arowolo, allegedly slumped and died five days to completion of his one year service. Vanguard gathered that Arowolo was deployed to the state Ministry of Economic Planning and Budget before he passed on last Thursday. It was learned that the deceased became uncomfortable after taking a meal and allegedly slumped, forcing staff in the ministry to rush him to Folarin Coker Hospital. Sources hinted that from the staff clinic, Arowolo was referred to the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, LASUTH, where he was confirmed dead. Read more