THISISLAGOS MIDDAY NEWS UPDATE JUNE 1, 2018
X-Raying 3 Years of Ambode’s Leadership (Independent)
Like a captain already certain of the routes to navigate to get to the destination, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode took over mantle of leadership and commenced sailing the ship of Lagos State on May 29, 2015 albeit on a shaky note which was not unusual with any expedition with a bigger picture in mind. The Governor was just about settling in for business of governance when the corollary of the rocky start began to be felt in major sectors especially security and traffic management. Naturally, tempers flared and people started asking questions to the point of raising doubt about the ability of the Governor to step into the “big shoes” left by his predecessor, Mr Babatunde Raji Fashola now Minister of Power, Works and Housing. In the face of the initial turbulence, Governor Ambode kept calm and remained focused on the big picture and soon, the story changed and people who castigated him initially started showering accolades on him for sterling performance in office. Read more
2019: PPC launches party in Lagos (Vanguard)
The National Chairman of Providence People’s Congress, PPC, Mr. Benson Adetona has decried the level of insecurity in the country. Adetona, who spoke during the launch of PPC Lagos Chapter, said that the situation is worse now as it has gotten to the extent where Nigerians can no longer sleep with their two eyes closed. His words: “We are experiencing local colonisation on daily basis and people just disregard the rule of law while governance is not how it is supposed to be. Things we usually see in horror films are what we are experiencing today and it appears as if the situation has no solution. Most of the political parties we have in the country have done things the way they know. Read more
Lagos agency reviews activities, seeks fresh ideas (Punch)
The Lagos State Government says it has concluded plans to meet with over 400 suppliers, contractors and other stakeholders that are part of getting materials needed for governance in the state. The General Manager of the Lagos State Public Procurement Agency, Mr Idowu Onafowote, stated this on Thursday at a press conference on the inaugural annual general meeting of the agency, which had been scheduled for next week Tuesday. Onafowote explained that the government decided that the agency must be meeting with stakeholders annually in order to review its activities and get fresh ideas on globally accepted standard in the procurement industry. Read more
Ambode Support Group asks Ndigbo to Vote Gov (Independent)
As the 2019 elections draw close, a campaign support group, which is seeking a second term in office for Governor Akinwumi Ambode of Lagos State, has urged Igbo people in the state to support the governor. The group, Itesiwaju Ipinle Eko Vanguard, led by Seyi Bamigbade, its coordinator in Lagos, visited the palace of Igwe Nwabueze Ohazulike, Eze Ndi Igbo, where he asked Igbo people in Lagos to endorse and vote for Ambode in 2019 election. Bamigbade said that Ambode has performed creditably in the state, adding that he has brought good governance to the people of the state by executing projects that have positively affected the people at the grassroots. He listed many projects, which the Ambode administration has done in the bid to convince Igbo people why they should vote for Ambode, adding that if they want a continuation of good governance and execution of more projects in the state, they should vote for the governor. Read more
Firm partners Lagos govt to end malaria (Punch)
A non-profit organisation, Orbus Global Solutions, says it has partnered the Lagos State Ministry of Health and its Primary Health Care Board in a bid to support efforts to eradicate malaria. The move was in commemoration of the World Malaria Day, which held recently. In a statement on Thursday, the firm stated that the partnership reinforced team effort and commitment on the fight towards ending malaria by creating awareness towards reducing the burden of the disease, as well as improving the people’s quality of life. With the 2018 theme of the WMD being, “End malaria for good,” the commemoration of the event held at Ikorodu and Alimosho areas of the state, which the firm described as areas known for high malaria prevalence. Read more
Ambode’s wife splashes gifts on NAN editor’s quadruplets (Nation)
The Ejiofors, who had a set of quadruplets last December after seven years of marriage, yesterday became the latest beneficiaries of Lagos State Governor’s wife, Mrs Bolanle Ambode’s benevolence. Through her project, Hope for Women in Nigera Initiative (HOFOWEM), she donated cash, baby beds, mattresses, diapers, boxes of clothes, socks, pants, shampoo and disinfectant to the babies – who are all boys – at their Gowan Estate, Egbeda home. Represented by the Assistant Director of Public Affairs in her office Mrs Folashade Kadiri, Mrs Ambode said every expression of love to kids always healed the society and prompted growth. Mr Peter Ejiofor, a Deputy Editor-in-Chief at the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) and his wife were blessed with the babies last December 28. Read more
LASU Land: Ambode reduces cost to trespassers by 67% (Guardian)
The Lagos State Government says it has reduced the cost to trespassers of the Lagos State University (LASU) land at Ojo by 67 per cent. Gov. Akinwunmi Ambode, who was represented by the Deputy Governor, Dr Idiat Adebule, made the disclosure at a stakeholders’ meeting on Thursday at Alausa, Ikeja. Ambode said that by the directive, trespassers were now to pay N1.25 million instead of the initial N3.9 million. The governor said the reduction followed a due process and the general state of the economy. Besides, he said that the landlords would now be tenants to the state government instead of LASU authorities. The News Agency of Nigeria reports that some 682 hectares of land belonging to LASU were encroached on by trespassers. Read more
Lagos welcomes market expansion through intra-African trade (Punch)
The Lagos State Government has urged African leaders to leverage the opportunities of the African Continental Free Trade Area agreement in order to create a single market for businesses operating on the continent to flourish. The Director-General, Nigerian Office for Trade Negotiations, Ambassador Chiedu Osakwe, who stated this, noted that it would facilitate market expansion, ease of doing business and ensure that Lagos would become an African economic hub. Osakwe spoke at a recent stakeholders’ forum on the AfCTA organised by the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry. He stressed that AfCTA would emerge as the largest trade bloc in the global economy by number since the coming into force of the World Trade Organisation, encompassing 1.2 billion Africans and Gross Domestic Product of $2.5tn in 2018. Read more
Lagos invites intending pilgrims for BTA (Vanguard)
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. This was announced by the Honourable Commissioner for Home Affairs and Lagos State Amir-ul-Hajj Dr. AbdulHakeem AbdulLateef 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, 000.00 for $800 at the official rate of N305.00 to a dollar as directed by the Federal Government of Nigeria. Read more
NYSC at 45: Lagos embarks on cleaning, free Medical Outreach, Tree Planting (Independent)
As part of activities marking the 45th anniversary celebration of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), the Lagos State Secretariat of the Scheme on Thursday joined traders at the Ipodo Market in Ikeja to clean up the environment as part of the sensitization exercise for the celebration. At Ipodo, scores of corps members led by the Lagos State Coordinator, Prince Mohammed Momoh and other NYSC officials at the Ikeja Local Government Council arrived at the market as early as 7am to join in the routine sanitation of the popular market. Speaking with newsmen on activities lined up for the anniversary, that is also being celebrated simultaneously across the across the country, Prince Momoh stated that the cleaning activity was being concurrently held at the three zonal offices of the Scheme that covers the nooks and crannies of Lagos State. Read more
Winners emerge in Alimosho Spelling Bee contest (Nation)
Winners have emerged in the Spelling Bee competition held in Alimosho Local Government Area. Johnpaul Njemnaobi of Shasha Nursery/Primary School took the first position while Daniel Akwomakou of Shasha Community High School led in the secondary school category. Twelve schools – eight primary and four secondary schools – participated in the competition which held at the council secretariat. The council chairman, Mr. Jelil Sulaimon, advised the pupils to listen to their questions very well before answering them. He said the competition was held to hone the pupils’ skills in spellings. Read more
Wizkid speaks on ‘Made in Lagos’ (Punch)
Following his successful hit single, “Soco” released, three months ago, Wizkid has announced that the members of his record label will be releasing a joint extended play record titled, Made In Lagos. Speaking with Tim Westwood, an English DJ and presenter after his concert at the O2 Arena, Wizkid said that his 10-track album that was on the way would be “just pure Wizkid” project with no additional features. Wizkid made history last Saturday with his performance at the AfroRepublik concert held at the 20,000 capacity 02 arena, Greenwich peninsula, South-East London. Read more
60 per cent of vehicles on Lagos roads have faulty brakes (Guardian)
The Commissioner for Transportation, Lagos State, Ladi Lawanson, has said over 60 per cent of vehicles tested at the state’s Computerised Vehicle Inspection Service have faulty brakes. Lawanson made the disclosure during the inauguration of additional four Computerised Vehicle Inspection Service (LACVIS) centres. He said: “Other vehicles failed due to issues relating to lighting, suspensions, tyres and so on. These efforts have been tripled with the launch of the eight new centres, which will provide a faultless and human error-proof system that will indicate the state of your vehicles. Read more
Tension mounts at Lagos International Trade Fair (Vanguard)
The tension within Balogun Business Association, operator of the multi-billion naira International Centre for Commerce, ICC, at the Lagos International Trade Fair Complex, Lagos State, has continued to mount as some members and stakeholders have vowed to challenge the present executives of the centre, which they said was unconstitutional installed. To this end, a Lagos based law firm, Equity Chambers, through its Principal Legal Counsel, Mr. Kenneth Ugwu, has issued a letter to both the Executive Management of the Association as well as the association’s Board of Trustees on the issue of management of the financial and physical assets of the association. He also claims that executives of the association were elected few months ago with an amended constitution not approved or registered by the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) in the manner stipulated in the Companies and Allied Matters Act. Read more
‘How former Rep defrauded me N240m’ (Independent)
Austin Ugochukwu, a businessman, on Thursday, told a Federal High Court in Lagos how Anthony Akala, a former member of the House of Representatives, and other members of his group defrauded him of N240 million, while pretending to help him convert the money to United States dollars. Akala, also known as General, and others were arraigned before Justice Hadiza Rabiu-Shagari of the Federal High Court, Lagos, on charges bordering on conspiracy, fraud and obtaining under false pretenxt, by men of Force Criminal Intelligence and Investigation Department (FCIID), Alagbo-Ikoyi, Lagos. Standing trial alongside Akala are: Saidi Oke, Bashir Mohammed and Umar Ali. Read more
NAF vows to flush out militants in Lagos (Punch)
The Nigerian Air Force says it has recruited 7,000 personnel in three years and vowed to flush out regrouping militants in Lagos and the country as a whole. The Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, said this while speaking with journalists at the inauguration of some buildings for its personnel at 041 Communications Depot, Shasha in Lagos. According to him, the Air Force will continue to flush them out just like we have been doing. “We have been in Lagos, Taraba and other states in the country. Very soon, something is going to be worked out which will involve not only the Air Force but all military formations. Read more
Battered wife stabs husband to death (Punch)
A teacher, Abimbola Olamide, has been arrested by policemen from the Lagos State Police Command for allegedly stabbing her husband, Dare Akinbobola, to death at their residence in the Ikorodu area of Lagos State. Punch Metro gathered that there was an argument between the couple on Wednesday, which degenerated into a fight. In the ensuing brawl, Olamide was said to have stabbed her 28-year-old husband with a knife, killing him in the process. In a video clip of her confessional statement, which went viral on Thursday, the mother of two said she acted in self defence. Read more
Lagos bizman remanded in prison for allegedly raping Facebook friend (Vanguard)
An Ikeja Chief Magistrate’s Court, yesterday, remanded a businessman, Ebuka Eze, in prison over alleged rape of a 16-year-old girl he met on Facebook. Chief Magistrate P. E. Nwaka ordered Eze, 27, to be remanded in Kirikiri Prisons, while the case file was sent to the State Director of Public Prosecutions, DPP, for legal advice. The accused, who resides at 25, Ayodele Street, Mafoluku, Oshodi, Lagos, is being tried for rape. Earlier, the prosecutor, Inspector Christopher John, told the court that the accused committed the offence on May 19 at his residence. He said the victim, who is a friend to the accused on Facebook, had responded to an invitation to his house, where she was raped. Read more
Policeman guarding Lagos hotel kills UNIZIK graduate (Punch)
A 28-year-old graduate of the Nnamdi Azikwe University, Jude Okoronta, has been allegedly shot dead by a policeman guarding Ileviaoje Hotel in the Ijegun, Ikotun area of Lagos State. Punch Metro learnt that the incident happened around 11pm on Wednesday. Our correspondent gathered that the victim was waiting for a motorcycle to take him home and was in front of the hotel when he was allegedly shot by the yet-to-be-identified policeman. An eyewitness, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said there had been a fight between two men in the hotel. Read more
Niece sets uncle ablaze in Lagos (Vanguard)
A 39-year-old woman, Sholade Adegoke, who allegedly set her uncle ablaze over refusal to move out of her apartment, was on Thursday brought before a Surulere Chief Magistrates’ Court, Lagos. Adegoke, who resides at No. 23, Oyenuga St., Ijeshatedo, Surulere, Lagos, is standing trial on a two-count charge bordering on assault. The Prosecutor, Insp. Ikechukwu Edumodior, told the court that the accused committed the offences on May 12, at the same address. Edumodior said the accused had told her uncle, Mr. Ibikunle Akinpelu, who was looking for accommodation, to occupy a two bedroom at Onyenuga Street for a period of time. Read more