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Lagos to Redeem Pledges to Families of Ohu, Ugbagwu Oct 19
BY BERTRAM NWANNEKANMA
THE Lagos State government has concluded plans to redeem its pledge to give a house to the family of the former Assistant News Editor of The Guardian Newspaper, Mr. Bayo Ohu.
Ohu was killed on September 20, 2009 by unknown gunmen in his house at Egbeda, Lagos State.
Also to get a house from the state government is the family of Edo Sule Ugbagwu, a reporter with The Nation Newspaper also killed by gunmen at his house in Lagos on April 26, 2010.
The Guardian learnt that the houses, which are receiving finishing touches, would be delivered to the families of the slain journalists by Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola on October 19, 2010.
The Chairman, Lagos State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Alhaji Alabi Wahab Oba, revealed this in an interaction with some journalists in Lagos on Wednesday.
According to Oba, Fashola gave the October 19 date to him during an interaction on August 30, 2010.
Ohu, 45, was shot dead by unidentified gunmen as he answered a knock at the front door of his house. The six gunmen took a laptop and cell phone, according to the journalist's relatives and local news reports.
Ugbagwu, 42, was shot twice in the head after he shouted at the armed men to leave his house. He was taken to a local hospital and then moved to the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Ugbagwu's killers, The Guardian learnt, left his house immediately after the shooting and drove off without taking anything.
Meanwhile, to mitigate the suffering of the families of journalists, when their bread winners die, Oba has urged journalists in the state to take advantage of the recent insurance policy introduced by the union.
According to Wahab, under the initiative, families of journalists, who subscribe to the scheme by registering with N6,500, are entitled to N1.6 million compensation in the event of death.
He said the scheme was to serve as a relief to the families of journalists considering the hazards of the job in the country.
Source: The Guardian, 3rd September 2010.
NDDC plans N1.8tr Calabar – Lagos road
Joseph Jibueze
A 650-kilometre road running from Calabar, Cross River State, to Lagos is to be built by the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) at N1.8trillion.
The road will reduce travel time from Port Harcourt, Rivers State to Lagos f three hours from about nine hours, NDDC Managing Director Chibuzor Ugwoha said yesterday in Lagos.
He said NDDC would require the assistance of all stake-holders in Niger Delta to complete the project.
Ugwoha said: "The coastal road design is ongoing. Later, we'll table it. It's going to be a significant milestone. We'll be looking at other partners – the Federal Government, oil companies, international donors, state governments and others for support. NDDC cannot do it alone.
"NDDC is committed to ensuring that it is done. It will go a long way in changing the economic fortunes of the Niger Delta."
Ugwoha was speaking with reporters at a ceremony to mark his first year in office.
NDDC, he said, had created jobs for 2000 graduates through its Technical Aids Corps (TAC) in the past one year.
According to him, despite being owed N500 billion by the Federal Government, NDDC would soon complete 45 projects valued at over N180 billion have been completed.
Ugwoha said 24 youths sponsored to South Africa by the NDDC, have obtained international certificates in welding. They will assist in training 700 more youths in the skill.
About 100 others are currently undergoing training in oil and gas in Norway; 65 are being trained in drilling.
On health, he said over 1.5 million people have benefited from NDDC's free health programme, adding that a dialysis centre and a world class hospital would soon be built.
Ugwoha said it was necessary to develop the region's human capacity in line with the local content policy to enable the people drive infrastructure development in the Niger Delta.
"We discovered that we needed to refocus. We felt that solving the Niger Delta problem should begin with the people acquiring appropriate skills to develop themselves. Economic activities should be connected to the development of the individual person," he said.
On why it took long to complete some projects sometimes, Ugwoha said it was because of the region's topography. He said: "For instance, before construction is started, land has to be reclaimed. Then a special foundation has to be laid, all handled by different contractors.
"Hence, a project that would have been completed in 12 months elsewhere may be completed in four years in the Niger Delta, and may cost five times as much.
Ugwoha said the Niger Delta Master Plan had not been dumped. "We're operationalising the Masterplan," he said.
Sometimes, he said, people misunderstood the NDDC's role. "NDDC was created as an interventionist agency, to collaborate with other development agencies to bring about the much-needed development in the region."
The commission, he said, had not received any "undue pressure" from any governor to gain special advantage for the state.
On who benefits from NDDC programmes, he said: "You must not know anybody on the NDDC board to benefit from the commission's programmes. People who do not even know our head office have benefited by simply submitting applications online. If Nigeria must grow, we need to support merit. Everybody should be treated on equal basis."
Source: The Nation, 3rd September 2010.
Fashola to immortalise Fawehinmi
BY TUNDE ALAO
LAGOS State government plans to immortalise the late legal icon, Chief Gani Fawehinmi, in recognition of his contributions to the socio-economic and political development of the nation.
The initiative, which is part of the Lagos government's resolve to immortalise men and women whose outstanding contributions in their time have influenced the socio-political, as well economic lives of the people, will take place on September 5, 2010, at Gani Fawehinmi Garden, opposite Owena Park, Ojota. This will coincide with the first anniversary of his transition.
Making this known in Lagos yesterday, Commissioner for the Environment, Dr. Muiz Adeyemi Banire, said the state Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola would dedicate the garden and unveil the statue erected in memory of the legal luminary.
According to Banire, the choice of Ojota was informed by the fact that the late Fawehinmi lived all his life for the masses, a majority of who live in the area and "appreciate his invaluable contributions to the democratic setting and the dividends accruing to them presently".
Banire described the late Fawehinmi, who lost a protracted battle with lung cancer on September 5, 2009, at the age of 71 years, as an "outstanding social crusader and a great hero who deserved more from a country to which he gave all he had, to set it free from the vice-like grip of repressive and retrogressive elements".
"Immortalising such people of great virtues can neither add nor reduce from their stature and image already cast in the mind of the people, but it will act as impetus to the younger generation to emulate their virtues knowing full well that their contributions will not be in vain", Banire said.
According to him, it is an avenue to also impress it on them that one's pursuits and achievements needed not be influenced or measured by material wealth, which one is bound to leave behind.
The event is expected to act as a rallying point for other heroes of democracy such as the late Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola, Dr. Beko Ransome-Kuti and Prof. Ayodele Awojobi.
Meanwhile, school principals in Lagos have commended efforts of the government to ensure a flood-free environment in many school premises in the metropolis.
They also urged the government to continue the tempo so that at resumption of school, students would enjoy flood-free school environment.
One of the school officials, Mrs. E.N. Okeke, Vice Principal Administration, Oshodi Comprehensive Senior High School, commended the state government for taking the initiative to de-flood the schools.
She lamented the inability of various groups, including the school's former Parents-Teachers' Association (PTA) to fully complete initial drainage programmes, which she noted, had aggravated the problems of flood in the school since 2006.
Source: The Guardian, 2nd September 2010.
Patients suffer as doctors strike bites harder in Lagos
By Sola Ogundipe & Chioma Obinna
LAGOS—PATIENTS attending Lagos State government owned hospitals have continued to bear the brunt of the indefinite and total strike called by doctors employed by the State government.
This is just as the body of striking doctors, yesterday, passed a vote of no confidence on the 20-man committee set up by the State to negotiate their demands.
The strike has paralysed activities in all government owned health institutions in the State, as doctors operating under the auspices of Medical Guild withdrew their services for the fourth day, forcing patients to seek healthcare services elsewhere.
Reacting to the development, Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, LASUTH, Chief Medical Director, Dr. Femi Olugbile told Vanguard in an interview that the hospital management was handling the development as best as it could.
He said: "We are seeking to do the best we can and also to manage the situation as best as we can. We are seeking to ensure that the strike does not last an excessively long period and does not pose excessive agony on the people. We are working very hard to ensure matters are resolved urgently and are also seeking to maintain the care of the people in our custody."
However, Chairman, Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria, MDCAN, LASUTH branch, Dr. Muhammed Salisu said in a statement that the idea of the committee was "a futuristic project constituted only to address issues of pay policy for all workers in the State."
He said the committee was originally to address the pay policy of all workers in Lagos and not the controversial Consolidated Medical Salary Structure, CONMESS.
Salisu said the State, against the advice of the Nigeria Industrial Court, persistently referred them (doctors) to an enlarged committee set up to review the pay policy of all workers who cannot even recommend payment of salary for any group.
He said: "The committee has no right to recommend any salary to be paid to anybody. They have no power to say this is what should be pay to anybody. They are only constituted to look at the policy and report back the government after 24 working days, of which we are not sure of this being ready before the end of the year. We have trusted them before, they failed us."
The doctors who said they were ready to shift ground on their demand urged the State government to, at least, offer a figure on how much they could pay, adding: "It is so bad that the government has not shown any sincerity in the negotiation table. They never offered any figure for us to juggle around with. Our doors are open for negotiations."
Also speaking, the Chairman, Medical Guild, Dr. Ayobode Williams said the essence of CONMESS was to minimise internal brain drains in the health sector, stressing: "We believe that governance is a collective responsibility of all and, therefore, urge the general public to prevail on the Lagos State government to put appropriate machinery to quickly resolve the present crisis.
"We are concerned about the health of the good people of Lagos and believe that a doctor in a good frame of mind is important in dealing with health needs of the people. We, therefore, urge the Lagos State government to treat this issue with all the seriousness and urgency that it deserves."
Source: Vanguard, 1st September 2010.
LAGOS: Ban on Okada riders begins today
Joke Kujenya with Agency Report
THE ultimatum, issued months ago to operators of commercial motorbikes "aka Okada riders" within the Lagos metropolis, takes effect from Thursday (today), September 1, 2010.
Consequently, the Lagos State Police Command has warned all commercial motorcycle riders within the state to comply with the government's directive banning them from major highways and roads within the metropolis.
Okade riders are being banned from plying major highways, carrying pregnant women, carrying women that back their babies, riding on the pavements, taking under-age children to school, playing music while in motion as well as not operatng beyond 10.00pm in all locations within the state.
The new rules also ban okadas from plying all bridges linking major roads across series of lagoons.
Lagos Police Commissioner, Marvel Akpoyibo in an interview with a media station, said that his officers have been empowered to arrest and prosecute any defaulters.
He said the idea behind the directive is to bring order to the operations of the thousands of motorcycle operators within the state.
Already, public information leaflets produced in conjuction with motorcycle riders' unions have been handed out to several riders listing the new set of rules.
Initially, government's effort to improve safety by requiring okada riders to wear helmets had been greeted with resistance.
The leaflet also detailed stricter enforcement of existing rules, including a ban on multiple passengers and on carrying school-aged children.
On the leaflets, pictures of 5 passengers on one bike, that of a rider balancing four sacks of rice are marked with 'X's, and a set of traffic lights is marked with a big tick.
Also listed are major roads where okadas will be banned from September 1, 2010.
The state government recently held a townhall meeting with Okada unions and their riders during which some of the riders said the government must provide them with new jobs in the light of the stringent laws.
One of the riders, Paul Oluwagbemi, 32, said: "How do you take a man's means of livelihood without giving him something else to do? Before you know, people will turn to crime."
Some of the Okada riders also accused the police of hiding under the laws to despose them of their bikes while extorting large sums of money from them in the guise of enforcing the laws.
Source: The Nation, 1st September 2010.
Lagos govt warns of imminent flood, ocean surge
By Olasunkanmi Akoni & Monsur Olowoopejo
Lagos State Government has warned Lagosians to be careful whenever they visit the oceans and lagoons in the state as there is possibility of an ocean surge and flood in November.
The state Commissioner for Waterfront Infrastructural Development, Mr. Adesegun Oniru, gave this warning yesterday at a press briefing to alert Lagosians on the rising sea level in Lagos.
His said: "At this time called 'spring time,' the level of water will rise half a metre above normal. This happens twice a year in mid-June and from 1-15 of every November.
"There is expectation that the ocean and lagoon will be high. It is a natural occurrence due to the movement of the moon, but there is nothing the state government can do but to protect the state against it. There is no way the state government can control it."
It last for three days where the most destructive activities in the state occur."
Noting that wind from Atlantic ocean could also lead to high tide as was witnessed a year ago when 20 vessels were destroyed on Lagos shoreline, Oniru said: "We are not trying to create panic on the rising sea level in the state but to make Lagosians aware of what is going on around them and also to make sure that they are careful around the Atlantic Ocean and lagoons at this time that the state government has mentioned."
Oniru said high waves and surges had occurred within the last three weeks but due to the protection in place by the state government, Lagosians did not observe it.
He added that in the bid to further prevent damage in Lagos, the government established three watch towers to monitor the development and alert the citizenry.
Source: Vanguard, 31st August 2010.
Why House can't probe Fashola —Speaker
By Olasunkanmi Akoni & Gbenga Akanmu
LAGOS—Speaker of Lagos State House of Assembly, Mr. Adeyemi Ikuforiji, has advised a group, True Face of Lagos, to go to court and vacate the court injunction restraining the House from investigating its allegations of financial impropriety against Governor Babatunde Fashola.
Ikuforiji spoke after a petition of the group accusing the House of shirking its responsibility was read on the floor of the House by the Deputy Clerk, Sola Ogayemi.
This is coming as the Speaker urged Lagosians not to politicise the concessioning of the Lekki-Epe Expressway which he described as the first of its kind in Africa.
The petition entitled: Stalling of Investigation of Corruption Allegation Against the Executive Arm by Lagos House of Assembly, accused the lawmakers of adopting "a sit-down-look approach to the allegation of corruption and fraud in the executive arm six months after the damaging allegations."
The petition by the Chairman of the group, Comrade Adebayo Adeshina, said running to the court to stall the investigation meant the government had something to hide.
Go to court, Ikuforiji tells petitioner
However, Ikuforiji said the House must abide by the law and could not do anything contrary to the law.
He said: "Let True Face go to court to lift the injunction and see if we cannot do our work. But as long as the injunction remains, there is nothing we can do about it."
The petition said: "Why would the government rush to court to stop its being investigated if truly they are innocent of the allegation? He (Governor) ran for cover under frivolous and questionable court injunctions.
"We have already been proved right by the turn of events as demonstrated by the jittery desperation of the state government doing everything to stall investigation of the corruption allegations."
House accused of bias
The group also accused the House of bias because when it protested to the House, the way the Speaker spoke to them "was a clear sign that they were not ready to do anything. If the government goes to court to stop the investigation should the House just do nothing about it and allow the issue to die?
"We are vindicated by the actions of the government. It only goes to show that the government has skeletons in its cupboard."
Adesina urged the House to carry out a comprehensive investigation of the matter and report its findings to the public, adding, "we appeal for justice. Don't confirm allegation that you are playing a waiting game for the life span of the legislature to elapse."
It's blackmail, legislator reacts
Reacting to the petition, Mr. Babatunde Ogala, frowned at the language of the petitioner, saying it was nothing but an attempt to blackmail the House.
According to him, "the House must obey court injunctions. It must go to court if they so wish instead of blackmailing us. We should in very strong terms condemn this attempt to blackmail the House."
Source: Vanguard, 31st August 2010.
Clampdown On 'Okada' Riders Begin In Lagos Today
GEORGE OKOJIE, LAGOS
The much awaited enforcement of laws regulating the operations of commercial motorcyclists otherwise known as Okada riders commences today in Lagos State.
LEADERSHIP investigation carried out on Tuesday revealed that officers of the state task force have already detailed its members to strategic locations to ensure full compliance with the laws it hoped would nip the problem constituted by the Okada riders in the bud.
The Chairman of the task force on Environmental and Special Offences, Mr. Bayo Suleiman, a superintendent of police, said the special task force have been briefed on the strategy to adopt in their operations.
Noting that police and military personnel are at forefront of breaking the law in the state, he warned the police officers, military personnel and other para-military organisations to comply with the directives or face the full wrath of the law.
Supporting the initiative, the Brigade Commander, 9th Mechanised Brigade, Ikeja cantonment, Brigadier General Tetrza Mu'azu, said all officers operating or riding motorcycles were expected to comply with the laws and regulations relating to motorcycle operations in the state.
He assured that the Armed Forces would ensure full compliance and enforcement of the laws, stating categorically that no member of the armed forces belonged to any motorcycle transport association.
The Lagos State governor, Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola, had before now directed all security operatives and agencies in the state to henceforth arrest any motorcycle operator who violates the state's laws and regulations on motorcycle operations.
To this end, Fashola at the recent stakeholders' forum had reached a stage where it must ensure that all motorcycle operators in the state did so in accordance with the laws and regulations.
As the enforcement begins, Fashola warned law enforcement agents against brutalising offenders during arrests, noting that there was no law that empowered security agents to brutalise or take laws into their hands.
Source: Leadership, 31st August 2010.
Lagos Assembly orders return of supplementary budget proposal
By CHINELO AGINA
Lagos State House of Assembly has ordered that the proposal for approval of the 2010 supplementary budget be returned to the executive arm of government for further clarification.This decision was made yesterday at the plenary session following the submission of the report of the ad-hoc committee on economic planning and budget led by Kolawole Oshunsanya.
In its report, the committee noted that the House had approved N390 billion for the 2010 budget proposal of which N54 billion was approved for loans. It wondered why the fund had not yet been used.
Speaker of the House, Ikuforiji Adeyemi in his remarks stated that the demand for an additional N26 billion as contained in the supplementary budget proposal was not feasible going by the fact that the said amount was to be sourced through loans.
His words: "The House is not convinced on the need for the supplementary budget, and financing it will mean borrowing to the tune of N26 billion and it should not be encouraged. Not long ago, the House approved over N54 billion which will be sourced through loans and the executive arm of government has so far received over N172 billion worth of bonds from the capital market. If this N26 billion that the executive is asking for is approved, will it not further plunge the state into more debts?
Between 2008 till date, we have had about N36 billion in the sinking funds while we are over N100 billion indebted. The amount is far less than the huge debts the state is gradually incurring. At the rate the sinking fund is going, it will be very difficult for the state to pay back, and we will only be leaving huge debts for our generations to come."
In his own contribution, Hon. Sanai Agunbiade stated that the executive did not clarify on what the proposed N26 billion was to be used for while the N54 billion which had been approved had not been used or accessed by the government.
"The reason for the demand of an additional N26 billion is very questionable. Why do they need this money and why has the money that was previously approved by the House not been used. In a few months time, 2010 will come to an end and we will be talking of 2011.
We cannot just accept to approve a budget when the last one that was approved cannot be accounted for. The executive should give clarification on what the money is intended for" he stated.
At the end of the plenary, the House declined approving the budget proposal and decided that it will be returned to the executive arm of government for further clarification on the need for the money.
Source: Daily Sun, 31st August 2010.
Lagos Lights Up Rural Communities With Projects
BY TUNDE ALAO
Last week ushered in a new lease of life for residents of rural communities in the old five local governments regarded as rural communities across Lagos State – Epe, Ikorodu, Ibeju-Lekki, Badagry and Alimosho. Reprieve came their way when the Lagos State Ministry of Rural Development provided them access roads, water boreholes, rural electrification, provision of jetties and solar electrification projects, among others.
Many of the projects commenced late last year, while some were awarded in 2010. And to ensure that quality job delivery was achieved, the ministry last week embarked on project inspection, handing over those that were adjudged to meet expectations to the various communities, while amendment are to be made on those that were below expectation.
Among the projects commissioned were 12 modernized water jetties; one solar-powered toilet, 10 community halls, 70 rural electrification projects, 117 water projects, 200 transformer installations, 119 solar stations and replenishment of water bodies.
At Museyo Village in Ibeju-Lekki Local Government, where 500KVA transformer was installed, power supply from the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) had for along time been erratic, and whenever there was power supply, the current was usually low, making even the light provided by the PHCN not useful.
According to a community leader, Mr. Gbenga Ogunnaike, "the provision of the transformer to the community is a welcome development. Prior to this, the light being given to us by PHCN was very bad; but with this transformer, people have started moving in to complete their houses."
In Eti-Osa and Ibeju-Lekki Local Governments, several projects, such as rural electrifications, a Neighbourhood Watch complex and a Modified Type 'A' small-scale water project to serve the entire village, were commissioned to ease the pressure of seeking water supply from the streams, or at the home of their traditional ruler, who alone had a borehole.
"We are very excited about this water project. Before now, we depended on well water, not minding its quality and we can only get the well from the Baale's palace, but today, we are happy there is water for everybody in the community," a resident of the village, Mrs. Olabimpe Abosede, said.
Neighbourhood watchposts were also provided for the communities in Orile-Ilasan, Aro, Ilado, Ogoyo, Otunla, Alatishe, Okun Debojo, Solu-Alade, Eleko, Museyo, Akodo, Ita Marun, Olomowewe, Okun Folu and Akodo-Ise.
In Epe Local Government, several projects, such as community halls, rural electrification projects, water jetty, modified type A water projects and garri processing equipment were handed over to communities such as Ogunmodede, Eredo, Noforija, Odoragushin, Odo-Siwola, Ibonwon, Ketu, Ejinrin, Mosafejo-Ejinrin, Agbowa-Ikosi and Ado-Ikosi.
At the handing over of the projects, Commissioner for Rural Development, Prince Lanre Balogun, warned against vandalisation of the infrastruture, adding that culprits would be adequately punished. He said the Neighbourhood Watch officers had been drafted to areas where these projects were located to keep an eye on them and ensure that they were not vandalised.
Also, the state government had threatened to withhold payment to all contractors in the rural areas whose performance fell below the expectation of government.
In Ikorodu, projects handed over are rural electrification, water, Neighbourhood Watch post, mini-health centre, community halls, poultry, among others. Some of the communities that benefitted are New Era, Igbo Olomu, Oke-Oko, Ajomo, Agbede Ebuwawa, Surulere, Agodo, Eruwen, Aga, Igbogbo-Bayeku, Omitoro, Ewu-Elepe, Ijede, Gberigbe Ojelade, Gberigbe Ojuto and Agunfoye-Asoga.
Chairman, Ifesowapo-Oluwakemi Community Development Association, Mr. Akinyan Olugbenga, whose community got water and rural electrification projects, commended the government for the gesture and assured that the community would protect the projects to prevent them from being vandalized, as well as ensure adequate maintenance.
"The government had played its role in providing us social amenities, while the maintenance and security of the projects rest on us," he said, while appealing to the state for the construction of the main road leading to the community, which is dilapidated, as well as construct drainage in the area.
Source: The Guardian, 22nd August 2010.
LASG raises annual health vote from N2.5b to N42b
ANONYMOUS
The Lagos State Government says it has increased its health sector allocation from N2.5 billion in 2000 to N24 billion in 2010.
The Commissioner for Health, Dr. Jide Idris, told journalists in his office in Alausa, Ikeja, that the vote increase was as a result of the importance the government placed on healthcare. The commissioner disclosed that 5,000 health workers were recruited in the last three years as part of efforts to boost healthcare delivery.
``This is in spite of the state's limited resources so that we can cope with the ever-increasing population,'' he said. On the resident doctors' strike, Idris said the state government reviewed their wages in 2009, adding that a monthly 39 per cent pay rise had also been approved for doctors and dental surgeons.
``Following the recent negotiated upward review of wages in the health sector last year, there has been an average gross monthly salary increase of 39 per cent for medical doctors and dental surgeons. ``Health professionals are also benefiting through the phased distribution of vehicles and the facilitation of accessing housing mortgage schemes.
``Like other civil servants, they also enjoy 40 per cent rebate on state land,'' the commissioner said. Idris said that Continuing Medical Education and exchange programmes had been introduced to enhance the skills of the medical professionals.
``More than 1,500 different categories of clinical staff, including 48 doctors, have benefited from training programmes. ``We have an arrangement with a German University for exchange programmes and two sets have already enjoyed this. Plans are at advanced stage for the third set to go,'' he said.
Source: Business Day, 22nd August 2010.
Fashola commissions Lekki one-stop-shop
LAGOS—Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, SAN, yesterday commissioned the landmark one-stop-shop and administrative complex at the Lekki Free Zone, saying that the prosperity of the Lekki Free Zone and the Lekki-Epe area is tied to the success of the tolled Lekki expressway.
The Governor who spoke at the commissioning of the Lekki Free zone's administrative complex added: "the prosperity of this region depends on that road and how efficiently it works, adding: "If you want investors to come we have to encourage that road to be built and other such roads in addition.
"It must be mentioned that the success of the Lekki Free Zone and its potentials to be the biggest and most successful on the African continent depends on the transportation network that supports movement of goods and services in that area", adding that this explains why the government embarked on the reconstruction of the 49.5km Lekki Expressway through toll concessioning as a precursor to the coastal roads.
He appealed to the host communities to cooperate with the concessionaire and take full advantage of the committee set up to review areas of difficulty.
"This is what is happening elsewhere that we seek to emulate. We cannot wish to have what they have and choose to ignore what they do. There may be dispute, but it can always be resolved. We should not jeopardize our collective prosperity" he added.
"For almost 30 years, the Badagry area showed so much potentials but the land value did not appreciate, industries did not flow there. This is the lesson we must learn", he said.
He said he has written to the Federal Government on the need to identify critical road projects such as the one that will link Ikorodu and Epe as some of the road projects that must be undertaken as investment incentives if the country truly means to implement Vision 20:20.
Governor Fashola also said he has also taken up the issue of gas to the Free Zone with the Federal Government to ensure supply of electricity to the zone and its neighbours, adding that this represents the minimum development projects that should be provided if Nigeria seeks to be one of the leading economies in the world.
The governor said the state has already paid over N700 million as compensation to land owners in the parcel "A" area of the project while it is working with beneficiaries in parcel "B", adding that Certificates of Occupancy (Cof Os) for 750 hectares of land which would serve as resettlement within the zone would soon be ready for delivery to the people where they can engage in farming and other cottage activities.
Governor Fashola also informed that other benefits in stock for the people of the area are a 110 bed maternal and child care hospital as the first phase of a general hospital, as well as a model 1050 students' capacity classroom block.
Incentives for investors
Other incentives being planned for the investors and communities in the area, according to Governor Fashola, include the construction of an International Airport, a sea port, a gas powered Independent Power Project (IPP), sewage treatment plants, refineries and so many other facilities.
He described his presence at the event as an affirmation of his campaign promises that the Free Trade Zone is an irrevocable project whose implementation he would champion, adding, that the commissioning of the Administrative Complex and One Stop Shop represents the face of the zone and signals the commencement with over 2000 square metres office space for use by the investors and government agencies who are desirous of first class services.
He said at the last count over 70 local and foreign companies have signed a Memorandum of Understanding and have made financial commitments signifying interest in the zone.
"Another 53 companies have registered in the Free Zone investment agreements while 12 companies have executed investment agreements that have ensured that over 800 Nigerians and 70 Chinese nationals have been employed within the zone especially in construction", Governor Fashola said.
…says project tied to success of free trade zone
The Governor commended the Federal Government and the Nigerian Export Processing Zone Authority (NEPZA) for the Lekki Free Trade Zone regulation which is contained in the 2010 Gazette which spells out the rules and regulations applicable in the zone as well as the incentives available.
He also applauded the activities of several notable individuals who have contributed to the success story of the LFTZ since it started seven years ago.
In his remarks, Chairman of the Lekki Free Zone Development Company, Engineer Segun Jawando expressed joy that despite the challenges and obstacles faced in the process of putting it on its feet, the project has come to reality.
Engineer Jawando who gave a brief background of the project from conception, commended Governor Fashola for his commitment in realizing the project noting the Governor was involved in the project from conceptualization when he was the Chief of Staff to the immediate past Governor of the State, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Describing the project as the largest in Africa, the Chairman said with the commissioning of the Administrative Complex, the Zone has been positioned to receive investors who, according to him, "are already knocking on our doors", adding that they would soon be at the Zone. He appealed to the host communities to embrace the project describing them as lucky to be beneficiaries of such international project.
Also in his comments, the Managing Director of Lekki Free Zone Development Company (LFZDC), Mr. Chen Xiaoxing, described the commissioning of the Administrative Complex of the Zone as "a signal" for the company to take off in earnest.
Xiaoxing who lamented that the company has lost sometime already and "will like to fly", commended Governor Fashola for his support and commitment to the take off and success of the project.
Assuring that the company would deliver a world class Free Trade Zone to Lagos State, the Managing Director declared, "We have the willingness and determination to make this a Trade Zone a masterpiece. Our confidence is derived from the support of the Governor of Lagos State, the Chinese Government and with the support of the host communities we will make a huge success of this project"
Source: Vanguard, 20th August 2010.
Hope for economy as Lekki-Epe Free Zone stays on track
Sunday Oguntola, Lagos
THE Lekki-Epe-Free Zone project –an individual park for manufacturing, oil and gas, real estate and leisure – is soon to go on full steam.
Lagos State Governor Baba-tunde Fashola (SAN) yesterday inaugurated the landmark One-Stop-Shop and Administrative Complex of the business zone, declaring that the project would greatly boost the economy of Lagos.
It was a day of praises – for former Governor Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, initiator of the project – and Fashola, who is keeping it on track.
The complex is to house the Customs, Immigration and the Police. It has communication equipment that will facilitate the work of the agencies.
Fashola said the prosperity of the Free Zone and the Lekki-Epe area is tied to the success of the Lekki Expressway.
The governor said: "The prosperity of this region depends on that road and how efficiently it works. "If you want investors to come we have to encourage that road to be built and other such roads in addition".
"It must be mentioned that the success of the Lekki Free Zone and its potentials to be the biggest and most successful on the African Continent depend on the transportation network that supports movement of goods and services in that area."
Fashola said the government embarked on the reconstruction of the 49.5km Lekki Expressway through toll concessioning as a precursor to the coastal roads.
He urged the host communities to cooperate with the concessionaire and take full advantage of the committee set up to review areas of difficulty.
"This is what is happening elsewhere that we seek to emulate. We cannot wish to have what they have
and choose to ignore what they do. There may be dispute, but it can always be resolved. We should not jeopardise our collective prosperity" he added.
"For almost 30 years, the Badagry area showed so much potentials but the land value did not appreciate, industries did not flow there. This is the lesson we must learn", Fashola emphasised.
He said he had written to the Federal Government on the need to identify critical road projects such as the one that would link Ikorodu and Epe as some of the road projects that must be undertaken as investment incentives if the country is to truly implement Vision 20:2020.
Fashola also said he had also taken up the issue of gas with the government to ensure supply of electricity to the zone and its neighbours, adding that this represents the minimum development projects that should be provided if Nigeria seeks to be one of the leading economies in the world.
The governor said the state had already paid over N700 million as compensation to land owners in the Parcel "A" area of the project while it is working with beneficiaries in Parcel "B", adding that Certificates of Occupancy (Cof Os) for 750 hectares of land which would serve as resettlement within the zone would soon be ready for delivery to the people where they can engage in farming and other cottage activities.
Fashola said other benefits in stock for the people of the area are a 110-Bed Maternal and Child Care hospital as the first phase of a General Hospital as well as a model 1050 students capacity classroom block.
Other incentives being planned for investors and communities in the area, according to Fashola, include the construction of an international airport, a sea port, a gas powered Independent Power Project (IPP), sewage treatment plants, refineries, among other facilities.
He described his presence at the event as an affirmation of his campaign promises that the Free Trade Zone is an irrevocable project whose implementation he would champion, adding, that the inauguration of the Administrative Complex and One Stop Shop represented the face of the zone and signals the commencement with over 2000 square metres office space for use by the investors and government agencies who are desirous of first class services.
He said at the last count over 70 local and foreign companies have signed a Memorandum of Understanding and have made financial commitments signifying interest in the zone.
"Another 53 companies have registered in the Free Zone investment agreements while 12 companies have executed investment agreements that have ensured that over 800 Nigerians and 70 Chinese nationals have been employed within the zone especially in construction area", Fashola said.
Chairman of the Lekki Free Zone Development Company, Mr. Segun Jawando expressed joy that despite the challenges and obstacles faced in the process of putting it on its feet, the project had come to reality.
Jawando, an engineer, who gave a brief background of the project from conception, commended Governor Fashola for his commitment to the project noting the governor was involved in it from conceptualisation when he was the Chief of Staff to the immediate past governor of the state, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Describing the project as the largest in Africa, the Chairman said with the inauguration of the Administrative Complex, the Zone had been positioned to receive investors who, according to him, "are already knocking on our doors."
Managing Director of Lekki Free Zone Development Company (LFZDC), Mr. Chen Xiaoxing, described yesterday event as "a signal" for the company to take off in earnest.
Also present at the event were members of the State Executive Council, the Consul General of the Chinese Embassy in Nigeria, Mr Jan Chenchi, traditional rulers, members of the diplomatic community and other notable dignitaries.
Source: The Nation, 20th August 2010.
Fashola lists benefits of Lekki Free Zone
EDITOR
THE landmark One-Stop-Shop and Administrative Complex at the Lekki Free Zone was commissioned yesterday by Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola who asserted that the prosperity of the economic axis and that of the Lekki-Epe area depended on the success of the tolled expressway there.
The governor said: "If you want investors to come, we have to encourage that road to be built and other such roads in addition.
"It must be mentioned that the success of the Lekki Free Zone and its potentials to be the biggest and most successful on the African Continent depend on the transportation network that supports movement of goods and services in that area."
Fashola said this was why the government embarked on the reconstruction of the 49.5km Lekki Expressway through toll concessioning as a precursor to the Coastal roads.
He appealed to the host communities to co-operate with the concessionaire and take full advantage of the committee set up to review areas of difficulty.
"This is what is happening elsewhere that we seek to emulate. We cannot wish to have what they have and choose to ignore what they do. There may be dispute, but it can always be resolved. We should not jeopardise our collective prosperity", he added.
"For almost 30 years, the Badagry area showed so much potentials but the land value did not appreciate, industries did not flow there. This is the lesson we must learn", Governor Fashola emphasised.
He said he has written to the Federal Government on the need to identify critical road projects such as the one that will link Ikorodu and Epe as some of the road projects that must be undertaken as investment incentives if the country truly means to implement Vision 20:2020.
Fashola said he has also taken up the issue of gas to the Free Zone with the Federal Government to ensure supply of electricity to the zone and its neighbours, adding that this represents the minimum development projects that should be provided if Nigeria seeks to be one of the leading economies in the world.
The governor said the state had already paid over N700 million as compensation to land owners in the Parcel "A" area of the project while it is working with beneficiaries in Parcel "B", adding that Certificates of Occupancy (C of Os) for 750 hectares of land which would serve as resettlement within the zone would soon be ready for delivery to the people where they can engage in farming and other cottage activities.
Fashola also listed other benefits in stock for the people of the area to include a 110-bed Maternal and Childcare hospital as the first phase of a General Hospital as well as a model 1,050 students capacity classroom block.
Other incentives being planned for the investors and communities in the area, according to Governor Fashola, include the construction of an International Airport, a seaport, a gas-powered Independent Power Project (IPP), sewage treatment plants, refineries and so many other facilities.
He described his presence at the event as an affirmation of his campaign promises that the Free Trade Zone is an irrevocable project whose implementation he would champion, adding that the commissioning of the Administrative Complex and One-Stop-Shop represents the face of the zone and signals the commencement with over 2,000 square metres office space for use by the investors and government agencies who are desirous of first class services.
He said at the last count, over 70 local and foreign companies have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and have made financial commitments signifying interest in the zone.
"Another 53 companies have registered in the Free Zone investment agreements while 12 companies have executed investment agreements that have ensured that over 800 Nigerians and 70 Chinese nationals have been employed within the zone, especially in construction", Governor Fashola said.
Chairman of the Lekki Free Zone Development Company, Segun Jawando, describing the project as the largest in Africa, said with the commissioning of the Administrative Complex, the Zone has been positioned to receive investors.
The Managing Director of Lekki Free Zone Development Company (LFZDC), Chen Xiaoxing, described the commissioning of the Administrative Complex of the Zone as "a signal" for the company to take off in earnest.
Also present at the well-attended event were members of the State Executive Council, the Consular-General of the Chinese Embassy in Nigeria, traditional rulers, members of the diplomatic community and other notable dignitaries.
Source: The Guardian, 20th August 2010.
Lagos reassures HIV/AIDS, TB patients of support
BY ISAAC TAIW
THE Lagos State Government has given an assurance that it would continue to make adequate provisions for the healt-care needs of Lagosians including those living with HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis.
The Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Jide Idris gave the assurance on Friday while addressing representatives of the Women and Children of Hope an organistion for Women and Children Living with HIV/AIDS, led by its Executive Director, Lucty Attah at the State Secretariat, Alausa, Ikeja.
The group, according to Attah, had come to protest the enormous difficulties people living with HIV/AIDS and those suffering from tuberculosis have been facing in the designated hospitals in Lagos.
She said the frequent complaints of shortage of the necessary drugs has been having devastating effect on women and children living with the ailments and thereby increasing the number of orphans.
"While we appreciate and acknowledge the great work of the Lagos State Government towards promoting and protecting the health of Lagosians and persons living with HIV/AIDS in particular, we have noticed that since the cut back in support for these essential drugs by the United State and European governments , the kind of attention and co-operation we have been receiving from hospitals have tremendously depreciated.
"It is either that the drugs are not available or they give insufficient drugs while those that are newly infected are not even attended to at all.
"In the case of tuberculosis, we were told that the drugs were virtually not available" she said.
In his response, Idris said though the problem could be traced to lack of co-operation and necessary assistance from the Federal Government, the Lagos State Government would not relent in its effort to ensure those necessary drugs were made available.
"While I want to assure you of the Lagos State Government's readines to adequately cater for those suffering from HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis, we sometimes have problem with the agencies in charge of this while we try to ensure we do not get fake drugs.
"We might have had our initial inhibitions, but I assure you that we have overcome them and henceforth patients will be adequately attended to" he said.
Source: The Guardian, 17th August 2010.
Fashola opposes uniform pay structure in states
BY KAMAL TAYO OROPO
GOVERNOR Babatunde Raji Fashola of Lagos State has faulted a policy where Federal Government pay structure are imposed on states oblivious of the financial capacity of the federating units to pay such salaries.
Speaking on Monday at the inauguration of the Committee on the Development of Pay Policy Review and Salary Determination in Lagos State, Fashola reiterated that Nigeria's federation has reached a point where very hard and sensitive position must be undertaken.
He said the country purportedly practice a federal system of government, but the reality on ground is that while the constituent units, the states, which have the highest degree of burden, are at the short end of the stick, the Federal Government takes the lion share of earnings.
He said the government was deeply concerned by the ways and means in which activities of the Federal Government on salary and administration had consistently erupted agitations and in some instances, resulted in industrial unrests from trade unions, causing disharmony in many states of the federation.
He added that in spite of the challenges in meeting with salary obligations and against the backdrop of fears of possible retrenchment, Fashola stated that the state workers had nothing to fear.
"Let me make this point abundantly clear, the Lagos State government has no desire to lay off any of its workers. We are not going to sack anyone, let this be clear to everyone and the committee," he added.
The governor added: "Lagos State expresses strong reservation to the arrangement as most breadwinners who belonged to the cadres being extricated; i.e. drivers, cleaners etc; in the Public Service would be thrown out of job, if implemented.
"To date, we still offer pensionable appointment to drivers, cleaners and other categories of junior members of staff. Also, the state still operates the Harmonised Salary Structures where all components of allowances are clearly stated as opposed to the Consolidated Salary Structures", Fashola said.
Lamenting the situation whereby the Federal Government would announce unilateral policy decision and some unions in the states would say they do not have any problem with subsisting arrangement in their staff, but they must embark on sympathy strike with their colleagues elsewhere.
Fashola said various state governments should be allowed to set their priorities and undertake to focus on such priorities, stressing: "If a state feels that its priority is in health care, such state may as well go ahead and offer bigger and more attractive salary to health workers, even more than the Federal Government."
Prior to the Consolidated Salary structure, the National Salaries, Income and Wages Commission, had been setting the benchmark for salary administration in the Federal, State and Local Governments with salary structures known as the Harmonised Public Salary Structure (HAPSS) and the Harmonised Tertiary Institution Salary Structure (HATIS).
But despite the introduction of the consolidated salary structure at the federal level, all the 36 states of the federation still preferred the HAPSS and HATISS since it clearly spelt out the basic salary and all other allowances including job specific allowances.
Source: The Guardian, 17th August 2010.
Lagos Accident: Survivors Narrate their Ordeal
•'I thought it was just a bad dream' •Police, FRSC: 15 people dead in crash
By Chiemelie Ezeobi
Survivors last night began narrating how they survived Sunday's ghastly accident opposite Michael Otedola Housing Estate along Lagos-Ibadan highway, Lagos in which 15 vehicles got burnt.
Meanwhile, the Police and Federal Road safety Corps (FRSC) have claimed that only 15 persons died in the multiple auto accident.
Spokesman of the Lagos State Police Command, Mr. Frank Mba (SP), also said 18 other persons sustained injuries of various degrees and are being treated in various hospitals. In addition, he said 10 vehicles of different makes were burnt beyond repairs, while about 10 others were damaged as a result of the accident.
A survivor of the crash, 28-year-old Akin Olajide, likened the accident to a bad dream.
"We came to Lagos from Ibadan that day and as we were going back, our bus found itself in the midst of the fire. I was confused and didn't know what to do because we were overshadowed by the smoke and then I woke up to find myself in the hospital," he told THISDAY from his hospital bed at Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Ikeja.
Another survivor, Mrs. Felicia Adewumni, thanked the consultants at LASUTH for having a human face and not letting them die.
"Despite the strike, they have been taking care of us and for that I thank them so much", she said adding that the government should link them with their relatives at Ibadan who obviously had been looking for them.
An eyewitness said he saw a man whose wife, mother-in-law and three children were burnt in the inferno and he could only recognize his car at the Oregun dump site where the scraps of the burnt and charred vehicles were towed to.
However, in a strange twist of fate, about 5 meters away from the accident scene, another disaster was averted by the swift and prompt action of the policemen and LATSMA officials on ground.
At the scene of the incident, despite towing the vehicle off the road for easy traffic flow, there was a gradual build-up of traffic on the bridge and then suddenly a fuel tanker lost control and started rolling backwards almost crushing a saloon car and others behind it but for the officials who moved in and started directing cars from behind the trailer.
Mba said 15 bodies, including that of an infant, who died as a result of the accident, were picked up by the police.
Mba said most of them were burnt beyond recognition.
The figure of the dead was also confirmed by the Lagos State Sector Commander of FRSC, Mr. Jonah Agu, whose men joined in the rescue effort immediately.
In a statement, Mba discounted the theory of roadblocks as the cause of the accident.
"The truth of the matter is that Lagos State Police Command has no road block mounted on our highways and none could probably have been mounted on top of the bridge where the accident occurred. If police men were on road block duty at the time of the accident, they also would have formed part of the first victims of this carnage.
"Preliminary police investigations revealed that the accident was caused by a reckless trailer driver whose vehicle had suffered a break failure. The trailer driver lost control, and consequently rammed through a long line of other vehicles before eventually going up in flames.
"This position was also corroborated by the report of the Vehicle Inspectorate Officer (VIO) who examined the trailer soon after the accident.
"According to the VIO, 'the driver of the articulated vehicle drove recklessly on high speed, thereby hitting a commercial bus which went up in flames on impact. This led to multiple collisions'."
Source: This Day, 17th August 2010.
Three Soldiers, Five Policemen Perished
Written by Wisdom Patrick, Lagos
Three soldiers and five policement were among Victims of the inferno that claimed over 40 lives in Lagos on Sunday, LEADERSHIP investigations revealed last night.
An official of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) at the dismantled Lagos/Ibadan tollgate, Mr. Vincent Obioma, confirmed to Leadership that three soldiers were among passengers at the tollgate bus stop soliciting free ride to their destination.
He added that a driver of one of the vehicles consumed in the fire blaze, who managed to escape from the disaster, said on his hospital bed that he gave three soldiers a lift on their way to Ibadan before the accident happened and that it was by sheer luck that God spared his life.
The FRSC official also stated, "The driver only wanted to know if his fellow occupants of the vehicle were able to escape alongside with him. I think he felt for them. When he was told they could not make it, he screamed and went into unconsciousness.
"We are planning sending a report to the army formations in Lagos to alert them of the development and also check their personnel list, possibly carry out physical personnel identification to ascertain whether or not they lost any of their personnel to the inferno."
The official also said the tanker had a policeman in front with the driver and that he was burnt beyond recognition.
He added: "Then, some of the policemen that mounted illegal road-block that allegedly caused the incident also lost one of their men to the fire."
It was also gathered from the FRSC operative that there were three other policemen in commercial vehicles in which the FRSC had chastised the driver for not using his seat belt and that it was not long after they had released the bus that the accident occurred.
"I am sure they also perished alongside other passengers in the bus because the bus is burnt beyond recognition," he said.
Obioma blamed the police of feeding the public with wrong information about the number of casualty.
According to him, "They knew that it was their men that caused the accident, so they wanted to coverup the alarming figure of the deaths. It is unfortunate."
It would be recalled that the police in Lagos had said that it was only three persons that died in the accident while over 12 vehicles were burnt, a claim that the FRSC operative described as "incorrect and selfish".
It was also gathered that some of the injured in the hospital were responding to treatment, contrary to the police's earlier information that there was no survivor.
Meanwhile, the Lagos State governor, Babatunde Fashola, has indicated interest to pick the medical bills of the victims at the hospital. He also described the incident as unfortunate and prayed God to give the families of the deceased the fortitude to bear the loss.
Source: Leadership, 17th August 2010.
Lagos To Benefit From 'Clean and Beautify' Initiative
TOSIN IGE
LAGOS State has been selected as one of more than 20 states that will benefit in this year's Clean and Beautify initiative, commencing on August 21. Places that are expected to be sanitised include Health Centre, Satellite Town; Abatoir, Oko-Oba, Agege; Akowonjo Round-About; Mechanic Market, Okokomaiko; Area 'G' Police Barracks, Ogba; Area 'F' Police Barracks, Ikeja, Femi Ayefugba Street, Surulere, among others. The project would involve more than 50,000 people, putting in over 150,000 man-hours of service, and would be carried out, simultaneously, in more than 30 countries all over Africa. The activity is organised by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, in partnership with Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA).
Source: The Guardian, 15th August 2010.
Lagos Partners Firm On Tourism Portal
BY ANDREW IRO OKUNGBOWA
AS the pilot scheme for the regulation and standardisation of hotels and other related tourism establishments in Lagos State gathers steam, the state Ministry of Tourism and Inter- Governmental Relations has entered into partnership with Cham, a computer firm, to develop a travel and tourism portal for the industry.
Speaking at the stakeholders forum held at Cham's Ikeja, Lagos office over the week, the state Commissioner for Tourism, Senator Tokunbo Afikuyomi, said the new move is to ensure that the outcome of the regulation and standardisation exercise is made available to the public in a standard, more efficient and easy to access mechanism.
Afikuyomi said every registered outlet in the state would be put online with all their details in order to give the public compact and detailed information on the products and services available in the industry.
He assured the various operators and stakeholders of the benefits of cooperating with the government in its quest to create a level playing field for the industry and bring it up to speed with international best practices.
Some of the benefits that accrue from the tourism portal, according to Afikuyomi, include making the operation of the industry easier, exposing the products and services available in the state to a wider audience, creating new impetus as well as cheaper and easier access for promotion.
Afikuyomi stressed that the partnership with Cham is achievable as the company is not just a vendor but has the backbone, the technology and the expertise to assist the state.
It would be recalled that the renewed effort by the commissioner to insist on regulation and standardisation of the industry is based on the amendment of the Hotel Licensing Law 2010 by the state House of Assembly which was assented to by the state governor last month.
He revealed that the first set of the hotels and other related tourism establishments in the ongoing pilot scheme would be presented to the public during the World Tourism Day to be hosted by the state on September 27, this year.
Source: The Guardian, 14th August 2010.
Lagos bans okada from expressways
By Mudiaga Affe
The Lagos State Government on Tuesday disclosed that commercial motorcycle riders, popularly known as Okada, would be barred from operating on Third Mainland Bridge, Ikorodu Road, Apapa-Oshodi expressway and other key areas in the metropolis from next month.
The government also said that in order to promote lawful operation by Okada riders within the state, riders and passengers would be compulsorily required to put on crash helmets at all times, among other regulations.
The Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Opeyemi Bamidele, and the Special Adviser to the Governor on Transportation, Mr. Kayode Opeifa, made the disclosure at an interactive session with journalists, to herald series of public enlightenment on the regulations.
At the interactive session, which was immediately followed by a sensitisation road show to Ikeja and its environs, the presence of members of the umbrella body of Okada operators, ANACOWA Motorcycle Owners and Riders Associations, led by the state Chairman, Mr. Ade Ikuesan, was noticed.
He said after the public enlightenment period which would continue for the rest of August, the state government would have zero tolerance for violators of the laws guiding the operation of motorcycle riders, adding however that the law was not a new one.
"Commercial motorcycles are not meant to be ridden in Lagos, but sadly, both the riders and passengers are not covered by the law.
"We are trying to see how we can make the best out of the sad situation that is why we are trying to improve on the roads, waterways and light rails.
But in the meantime, we have to check the menace of these riders," Bamidele stated.
As contained in a pamphlet of coverage areas distributed by the ministry of transportation, motorcycle operators would be prohibited from operating in Lagos Central Business District Area; Ozumba Mbadiwe (from Bonny Camp to First Roundabout); Awolowo Road, Bourdillion Road, Gerrard Avenue, Alexander Road, Osborne Road, Alfred Rewane Road, all in Ikoyi; and Outer Marina.
Other areas include the entire network of roads around the Lagos State Secretariat, Alausa; Mobolaji Bank-Anthony Way to Maryland junction; the stretch from Moshalashi-Oshodi-Abule Egba to the boundary with Ogun State and all bridges in Lagos.
Also, Okada operators have been barred from carrying pregnant women, school age children and women with children.
The operations of riders in some parts of Victoria Island, Ikoyi and Ikeja have been confined to 8pm, and 10pm in other parts of the state.
Source: Punch, 11th August 2010.
German Embassy Provides Borehole, School Furniture To Agbenaje
By Bisi Alabi Williams
THE gap between private and public schools is widening. Despite government's relentless efforts to adequately address educational challenges in Lagos State, there is still a lot of work to be done to make public schools a place of pride.
A recent survey conducted by Development Support Initiative (DSI), a non governmental organization with a passion to address the needs of women, youths and the less privileged, showed that many public schools in the local government councils in Lagos suffer neglect and dilapidation; some of the research result revealed no school furniture, overcrowded classrooms, poor water and sanitation, no toilets, and no libraries.
During the mapping and scooping exercise, schools like Denton Junior Secondary School, Eletu; Ejigbo Junior High School; Herbert Macaulay Girls Senior Secondary School, were found in dilapidated conditions. While schools like Ilasan Primary School, Ilasan Junior Secondary School, Banjo Primary School, and Ebenezer Primary School were discovered to experience severe flooding when it rains.
Against this backdrop, the German Embassy is partnering with DSI to construct boreholes in some communities and provide desks, tables and chairs for some of the affected schools. Last week, German Ambassador to Nigeria, Walter von der Driesch, commissioned a borehole at Agbenaje Community, Ipaja and provided school furniture for Oki Primary School, Ipaja Road, Lagos.
Addressing the gathering, Caroline Eick, who represented the German Ambassador, said the consul's intervention in community development projects is aimed at improving the lives of the people.
"Our focus is in bringing different people and countries of the world together to achieve a better world. Education is a big issue that requires collective effort, which is why the embassy decided to contribute towards enhancing the process of learning and make life better for school pupils."
She charged authorities of the school to make good use of the desks, tables and chairs for pupils as the embassy would visit often to assess its progress. Eick challenged the pupils to tell their friends and family about their school and the good work going on there, which will in turn boost student enrolment as many parents will be encouraged to send their children to Oki Primary School.
Executive Director of DSI, Mrs. Jacqueline Odiadi, said the commissioning at Agbenaje is the third project in Lagos this year to be commissioned under the DSI/Germany partnership. "Agbenaje in Ipaja is another of such communities, which is yet to enjoy the benefits of being part of the cosmopolitan city of Lagos. I, therefore, rejoice with women and children of Agbenaje, who as in most communities, are tasked with the responsibility of going in search of water every morning and evening." She advised community leaders to ensure the safety of the project, by maintaining the borehole for the benefit of the whole community.
Responding on behalf of the school, Mrs. Rachael Olufunke Sholeye, Head Teacher of the school, thanked the German embassy and DSI for their kind gesture towards the development of education in the state and in creating conducive learning environment for pupils.
Source: The Guardian, 8th August 2010.
Police introduce new crime control strategy in Lagos
BY ODITA SUNDAY
LAGOS State Police Command may have embarked on a new and modern style of policing as it has introduced home visitation by top police officers as one of the proactive measures to nip crime in the bud.
The Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Command, Mr. Marvel Akpoyibo while briefing Police Affairs reporters, urged Lagosians to see the new measure as a way of sustaining the current low crime tempo in the state.
According to him, the visiting rounds would be embarked upon by only Area Commanders, Divisional Police Officers and Senior Police Officers (SPOs) around the various neighbourhood.
"The area commanders and DPOs have been going from one house to the other, disseminating their names and their phone numbers and asking them, I mean the public, to call on them if they had any need to do so. They find out whether you are having any challenges or not. They will leave a paper with you containing their names and their numbers. Not every home has been visited, but gradually, and with time, everybody would be visited," Akpoyibo said.
On some frightening text messages, which had sent panic to residents of Lagos and its environs, the police boss expressed regret that the sources of these messages have continued with the nefarious act despite warning by the command.
"In spite of our earlier appeal and advice that this trend should be stopped forthwith and that Lagosians should discountenance these messages, it is regrettable to note that these faceless groups appear unrelenting in their satanic mission of spreading these mischievous mails aimed at misleading and unnerving law abiding citizens. A classical example is the recent false alarm raised about the purported collapse of the Third Mainland Bridge in Lagos," he said.
According to Akpoyibo, the message which was widely circulated via GSM text messages, Black Berries instant messages and internet web pages read as follows:
"Breaking news! The middle part of Third Mainland Bridge just had a sharp crack and is about to collapse!!!Drivers beware!!!!Send it to your loved ones asap!!!!......TV is currently showing live updates on this unfortunate occurrence".
"The command for the umpteenth time therefore, wishes to appeal to members of the public to discontinue forthwith with this unpatriotic attitude. Citizens are advised to take advantage of the toll-free emergency lines in Lagos state (767 and 112) or call the police control rooms on 07035068242, 07055350249,07055462708 or 08065154338 to pass useful information to the police and other law enforcement agencies," the police commissioner said.
Meanwhile, the command has, in conjunction with the National Communications Commission (NCC) and relevant GSM\internet service providers, commenced investigation into the bogus text saga aimed at unraveling the persons and motives behind the despicable act.
He also said that the Federal Government is addressing the issue of sim card registration. "It is hoped that the registration of sim cards would reduce the reckless use of mobile phones. All of us would be better-off if these sim cards are registered and their owners profiled, their photographs and finger prints recorded," Akpoyibo assured.
Source: The Guardian, 6th August 2010.
Igbo Coalition asks Ndigbo to support govt programmes
Ambrose Nnaji
The Igbo Coalition in Lagos State has called the Igbo Community to support the programmes of the Action Congress(AC) ruling government.
The group said that it would mobilise members to vote for the party in 2011 elections.
Its leader, Chief Chris Ekwilo, expressed satisfaction with the achievements of Governor Babatunde Fashola (SAN), describing him as a worthy successor to Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.
He spoke at a rally organised by the party in Ojo Local Government Area.
"What the governor has achieved so far in the areas of infrastructural and developmental projects cannot be over emphasised. His few years in office have transformed Lagos into mega city.
"I want to call on all Logicians especially the 'Ndi Igbo' to rally their support forFahola in his efforts to transform Lagos State. Igbo congratulate Action Congess for the feat', he added.
He said that the Igbo community in Lagos had benefited, not only from the on-going developmental projects and free medical care but also from political appointments.
Ekwilo appealed to Igbo business men and women whose structures were affected during the sanitizing exercise to see it as their contribution to the developmental efforts of the governor.
Ekwilo appealed to Fashola to give more slots to Igbo in the cabinet to boost their sense of belonging.
Another chieftain of the group, Chief Chris Nwakouna, lauded the chairman of Ojo local government, Hon. Durosinmi, for his progressive programmes.
He described the chairman as an achiever and a man of peace who ensured that the Igbo in the community were reunited.
"Ndigbo in Ojo Local Government, Area after a thorough study of your administration and the landmark and excellent achievements recorded within the two years of your tenure, unanimously and unequivocally resolved to fully identify with you and organised this rally as a solidarity for your good works in office.
'You have redefined leadership and governance and have made the dividends of democracy to be felt in all nooks and crannies of the local government irrespective of tribe and party affiliations. Your giant strides in the road construction, construction of drainages, erection of street lights, construction of blocks of classrooms, the payment of bursary awards to both indigene and non-indigene poverty alleviation programme are but few of your unrivalled achievements which even the worst critics cannot but applaud", he said.
The Eze Ndigbo of Ojo, Chief Jokin Ojukwu, also eulogized the good work of the chairman and urged him to sustain the tempo of development in the council.
Hon Durosinmi promised to expedite action to complete on going projects for the council.
Source: The Nation, 3rd August 2010.
Fashola Pledges to Increase Igbo Participation in Cabinet
Ambrose Nnaji
THE Lagos State government under the administration of Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola has once again restated his resolve to give equal opportunities to the Igbo community to participate in the affairs of the state governance.
He has also re-assured his commitment to the safety and security of lives and property of indigenes and non-indigenes in the state.
He made this promise following a request by the Igbo political group in the Action Congress (AC) on the state government to increase the Igbo political slots in the cabinet both at the state and local government levels.
The governor made this known in his speech delivered during the inauguration ceremony of the Old Alimosho Chapter of the Igbo United Political Coalition, held at Igando-Ikotun Local Council Development Area Secretariat, Ikotun, Lagos at the weekend.
Represented by the Hon. Jino Ajaye, the governor, who stated that Igbo leadership in the state has contributed in no measurable way to the socio-economic growth of Lagos state, noted that in a true democratic setting, ethnic or political belief should not be a barrier to the smooth running of any government.
According to him, no meaningful economic development would be achieved in the state where rancour, kidnapping, ethnic and tribal sentiments were the order of the day.
Politics is for all of us. The democracy we are witnessing today, the transformational changes, the developmental stages in the state were made possible because we are in true democratic period. Lagos State has now grown to a mega state because your contribution has been added to it. We are not doing it alone, we are doing it in conjunction with all your efforts, the governor said.
Meanwhile, the Igbo representation in the Lagos state cabinet has been commended by the state government. It would be recalled that the office of Budget and Planning has been occupied by Igbo born indigene since the Tinubu-Fashola administrations and has been described as one of the best, vibrant offices that has sparked off a lot of economic developments in the state.
While appealing to Lagosians to be law abiding and go about their businesses without fear or molestation, the governor assured that adequate security has been put in place to protect lives and property of the people.
In his address, the chairman, Igbo United Political Coalition Alimosho Local Government Area, Hon. Onuegbu Theophilus, who revealed that the group has already mapped out strategies to ensure that the Action Congress was voted back into office in the 2011 general elections, however, regretted that some members of the Igbo political coalition in Alimosho were denied registration in some LCDAs and wards during the 2007 general elections.
He said that some AC leaders in Alimosho saw the Igbo United Political Coalition as a rival group and threat to true democratic principles.
According to him, the influx of the group into the party was a magnanimous swell-up to the numerical strength of the party and an assurance of the South-East and South-South block vote for the Action Congress in the Lagos State.
He further decried the non representation of the Igbo Political Coalition since the inception of the present LCDA government in the six LCDAs in Alimosho.
We have no Councillorship appointment, no Special Advisers appointment, no Senior Special Assistant appointment except in Igando-Ikotun LCDA, Onuegbu said.
Adding, our fair share of dividends of democracy both at state and local government levels including hajj/Jerusalem pilgrimage slots, Board Membership appointments have not been duly accorded to us.
Hon. Theophilus, who condemned personal interest and tribal sentiments in the running of any government, urged the party leaders to be fair and patriotic in the discharge of the dividends of democracy. Saying, in a democratic dispensation, everybody has the right to vote and be voted for.
The Igbo United Political Coalition was part of the Lagos State Action Congress which came up in 2006. It was a coalition of many groups, forums, caucuses and fronts that sprang up to pull support for the Action congress during the campaign period of 2007 general elections , Onuegbu said.
This coalition was structured with multiple tentacles that galvanized together non-Yoruba language speaking ethnic groups from Abia, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Delta, Bayelsa, Edo, Cross River, Ebonyi, Enugu Imo and Rivers States .
In Alimosho L.G.A. which comprises six local Council Development areas-(LCDA), Igbos have over 48 percent of the population while other ethnic groups from South-South geo-political zone consist about 22.6 percent of Alimosho population, he concluded.
Source: The Nation, 1st August 2010.
Oil Spillage Worsens In Lasore
BY GBENGA ADETUNJI
For the residents of Lasore community in Ikorodu, Lagos, living in the same neighbourhood with the United Nigerian Textiles Plc (UNTP), manufacturers of Nichem Textiles, is like living next door to an enemy.
However, the relationship between the community and the company, sited in the area almost three decades ago, turned sour a few years back when the firm began to flush its toxic waste materials into the lagoon, which then served as the source of livelihood for the entire community. Specifically, they carried out their main occupation—fishing—in the water.
The Guardian had visited the area some months ago and reported the degradation of the environment. Since then, however, efforts to stop the textile company from flushing its toxic fluid into the lagoon has proved abortive. Even the Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA) appears helpless in the face of the company's indifference to the plight of its host community.
When The Guardian again called on the Baale of Lasore-Abuja community, Safari Abiodun, he described the activities of the textile company, as "inhuman and uncivilised." Abiodun informed that the community has already begun to record deaths, especially of the young ones. "And as a result of this, doctors always tell us that the people are dying as a result of the toxic waste in the neighbourhood," he added.
He stressed that farming and fishing, which had been the occupation of the community, had since stopped. "The main occupation of Lasore community is farming and fishing. And we were well known for it. But it is quite unfortunate today that it has become a thing of the past.
Since no help seems to come from any quarters, the community appears resolved to tackle the problem its own way. "We are not going to allow our young ones to be dying every year. We are going to block all the channels that the factory is using to flush their waste materials and when this happens I am convinced that they will like to fight back and I want to say that we are battle ready for them," Safari threatened.
Also, a resident and one of the landlords in the community, Babalola Alade, claimed he had informed LASEPA about their plight on many occasions but the agency's officials, he alleged, had been compromised by the company.
Alade said: "The company has contributed nothing to the community in terms of provision of social amenities like good roads, pipe borne water, health centres and schools.
However, in a reaction to the allegations made by the residents, Executive Director of UNTP, Ebenezer Fabiyi, said the company had contributed immensely to the development of the area. According to him, the advent of the company in the community enabled them to have access to electricity.
He added that the company had also provided modern borehole with a standby generator for the community, to enable them have access to clean water.
"And just recently, we renovated some schools in the community to make learning conducive for children. Besides, the company has employed a large number of their young ones in the community and its environs," said Fabiyi.
On the allegation of water pollution caused by the waste materials discharged from the firm, Fabiyi said: "We are aware that the waste is making life unbearable for the community and we have taken drastic measures to reverse the trend. We have embarked on dredging of our gutters and the biological treatment of our waste."
He stressed that the company would do everything possible to provide other basic social amenities for the community.
Efforts to get the reactions of LASEPA were fruitless, as no one was ready to comment on the issue. But a staff merely informed that the agency had sent a memo to the textile company to clear the waste.
Source: The Guardian, 1st August 2010.
Ugly Weekend: 7 Die, 3 Injured in Lagos
By Ifeanyi Okolie
Tragedy struck in most part of Lagos State, weekend, when seven persons lost their lives in separate incidents, including an auto crash which claimed the lives of four traders and left three others seriously injured.
Sympathisers wept when the remains of four roadside traders were being pulled from under a trailer with number plate XB 121 FEE, which ran over them along Old Ojo Road, by Agboju Bus Stop.
The 35-year-old driver of the ill-fated truck (names withheld) who is currently in Police custody at Satellite Police Division, was said to have been driving at top speed when he lost control and ran into the traders, whose stalls were in front of the popular Agboju Market.
Eyewitness account
An eyewitness, Solomon Okolie who spoke with Vanguard, said the incident occurred at about 9:30 p.m. He said the truck driver was being chased by some Policemen from Oluti Bus Stop, after he had ran over a jeep and left its occupant injurred.
According to Solomon, the truck driver on arriving Agboju Bus Stop, lost control and swerved several times before running over the traders which include two women, simply identified as Mama Uche and Mama Samuel.
Along Ajah-Epe, too
In a similar incident, two persons, simply identified as Felix and Peter Ahmed, lost their lives in an accident and one other Emeka Onyedima sustained serious injuries. Their car number plate GD 87 EKY, which was said to be moving at high speed, somersaulted repeatedly at Abule-Folly Village along Ajah-Epe Expressway. The injured victim was however rushed to the hospital.
Electricity pole kills one
Evangelist Favour Amechi lost her life at Olodi Apapa area of Lagos State, when an electrical pole fell on her at 8 Akpiri Street, off Emody Street, Olodi Apapa.
She was rushed to Tin Can Hospital, Apapa, where she was later confirmed dead. Her body has been deposited at the Isolo General Hospital for autopsy.
However, the Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Frank Mba, while confirming the report, advised Lagosians to steer clear of all electrical poles and other Power Holdings Company of Nigeria, PHCN, installations and to report all defects to the appropriate authorities.
Source: Vanguard, 26th July 2010.
Lagos Govt Criticises BBC Over Documentary Series On State
LAGOS State Government has formally raised a very strong objection to a three part documentary series titled "Welcome to Lagos" which is currently airing on BBC 2 on Thursday evenings, saying Lagos does not deserve such negative coverage particularly at this stage of rapid development, just as Nobel laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka has described the programme as colonialist and condescending.
In a formal letter of complaint signed by the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Opeyemi Bamidele, the state noted that negative representations would only damage the state government's efforts to build a better state for its ever growing population.
Also reacting to the documentary in an interview with The Guardian of London published as part of a news report on April 28, this year, Soyinka said that the BBC2 observational documentary, which follows various people in poor areas of the city was the most "tendentious and lopsided" programme he had ever seen.
According to him: "There was no sense of Lagos as what it is -a modern African State. What we had was jaundiced and extremely patronizing. It was saying 'Oh, look at these people who can make a living from the pit of degradation".
"What I saw I found very unjust and sensational. What I saw was not an honest reportage. The problem is the title- it programmes the mind of the viewer in advance and sets the overall context."
"One could do a similar programme about London in which you go to a poor council estate and be speaking of poverty and knifings. Or you could follow a hobo selling iron on the streets of London. But you wouldn't call it Welcome to London because that would give the viewer the impression that that is all London is about," Soyinka added.
In the letter to the BBC, Mr Bamidele voiced the state's concern about the promos for the series, which began running several weeks before the first part of "Welcome to Lagos" which was aired on April 15, this year.
Mr Bamidele also said: "The challenges of keeping Lagos moving forward are huge; and we are proud of the work we have done to improve Lagos in just three years while consolidating on the proud achievements of the preceding administration which handed over to us on May 29, 2007."
He noted that the vast majority of Lagosians live life far from the image portrayed in the series adding that the state government has made huge strides in the area of health, particularly in maternal care and has also made progress in providing clean water for its rapidly expanding population.
Bamidele in the letter also objected to the series being titled 'Welcome to Lagos", adding that it is often tempting for broadcasters to commission programmes that show the worst of countries particularly when that country is in Africa. "For too long, we have seen only the most negative of images and stories about Nigeria make it on to foreign TV.
"We are aware that independent production companies are often tasked with delivering the most eye catching and sensational stories. In this case, the producers of "Welcome to Lagos" chose to seek out such stories in the worst part of Lagos. But calling the series 'Welcome to Lagos' is akin to a Nigerian production team filming a rubbish heap in Peckham and calling the programme 'Welcome to London", the Commissioner added.
He lamented that Paul Glyn and his team spent several months in Lagos and indeed stayed in a comfortable hotel in the heart of the city and had ample time and opportunity to film alternative images of the city but chose to focus on the poorest and most desperate parts.
"The vast majority of Lagosians live life far from image portrayed in the series. It must be noted that most viewers will never see Lagos for themselves. Therefore surely the BBC and other reputable media organizations have a duty to provide a balanced and fair representation of the city".
The Commissioner assured that the state would welcome the BBC back to the state and would like to offer any assistance the team requires to produce a programme that offers a broader insight into what life in Lagos is really like.
Source: The Guardian, 1st May 2010.
Fashola assures on Lagos rail project
By Joseph Onyekwere and Abimbola Aboyemi
THE Governor of Lagos State, Babatunde Raji Fashola has said that his administration is committed to the building of the Lagos Railway Project before the end of his tenure, to ease transportation crisis in the city.
The governor explained that the infrastructural challenges in the state are due to the emerging mega city status of Lagos State.
According to him, the natural habitat of human beings in the villages was being abandoned for a fast city life, thereby increasing the demand for energy and other infrastructure.
"Clearly, in a city, that is, as at the last count, about 18 million people, growing at the rate of about three to five per cent yearly, would have enormous challenges," he said.
Fashola, who spoke recently in Lagos at the public presentation of the book: Law, politics and development, the challenges of an emerging mega-city, essays published in his honour, said the mega city status was bestowed on Lagos by the Urban Habitat Development Agency of the United Nations.
"They have shown clearly that over 50 per cent of the world's population have moved into the cities compared to what happened about 30,40 years ago. Cities of 10 million and above fall into that category. So we have become a mega city since 1999," he said.
In his own address, the chairman of the Ikeja Branch of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Dave Ajetomobi described the governor as one of the greatest administrators of our time, who has restored hope to Nigerians that this country will not continue in the wilderness of lack of leadership.
He stated that the rapid transformation of Lagos State since inception of the governor's administration is unprecedented, adding that his administration has become a bench mark to measure the performance of others within and outside the state.
On the decision to publish the book, Ajetomobi said: "This honour is meant to send a strong signal to all and sundry that the governor's constituency (the bar) is solidly behind him as he strives to make Lagos a truly a centre of excellence."
He, therefore, condemned the documentary of a foreign media organisation, which portrayed Lagos as a slum city, saying it was borne out of envy.
Source: The Guardian, 29th April 2010.
Fashola Commissions Oluwole Market
Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN), on Wednesday offered a recipe for the accelerated infrastructural renewal of the various slums in Lagos saying the way to go is for the various land owners in the areas to pool their lands together to attract big investment support.
Governor Fashola, who spoke at the official commissioning of the first phase of the New Oluwole Urban Market in Central Lagos, also disclosed that the state government is embarking on a total re-planning of the Island along with other parts of the state.
The governor said the successful development of the former Oluwole slum should serve as an eye-opener to families owning lands in other slums that now constitute eyesore on the Island adding, "I have often said, the Lagos of our dreams is daily getting within our reach."
Pointing out that the Oluwole Model could be used to rebuild offices, create new flats and apartments for residential purposes in the Lagos Central Business District, Governor Fashola solicited, "We encouraged families to do what we have done here whenever they can agree and pool their small parcels of land together to attract investment support.
"This is the way we can re-build Isale Eko, Offin, Olowogbowo, Oke-Arin, Balogun, Kakawa and so many other parts of our historic and beautiful Island", he said advising that all involved should use the services of professionals such as Architects, Estate Surveyors, Lawyers, Town Planners and others in order to ensure that the proper thing is done.
Reviewing the journey that finally led to the emergence of the New Oluwole Urban Market, Fashola recalled that the decision to acquire the Island of Lagos was made in 1951 by the Colonial Government which, by its Acquisition Notice, acquired over 2, 500 hectares of land "with the intention of renewing it into an urban model of re-development."
He said the acquisition extinguished all legal titles to the land leaving the former owners with only the right to seek compensation: "The truth is that compensation was paid to owners and occupiers, but for various reasons, they did not move out", adding that while the project tasked previous administrations, lack of continuity and stability in the polity made implementation elusive.
"As the years wore on, Oluwole area assumed a notorious reputation not only as a slum but as an enclave of criminals who specialized in forgeries and sophisticated crime such as international passport racketeering, credit card fraud, drug cartel, certificate, currency and visa forgeries among others," he said.
He recalled that the plan to renew the slum was revisited in 1999 when Asiwaju Bola Tinubu took up the challenge and "reached an out of court agreement with the various parties involved in the litigations on Oluwole" adding that the consultations with a private investor – Messrs ARM Properties Limited to raise funds to rebuild the place into a modern market as well as the design, had been completed before the advent of his administration.
"Our responsibility when we assumed office was to keep that process going," the Governor said adding, "We finalized the terms with the developer, met with the families, to explain our purpose, renegotiated compensation with them and provided 39 flats for the 39 families to relocate in Shasha Housing Estate."
Fashola commended all those who took part in the negotiations including the state Commissioner for Planning and Urban Development, Town Planner Francisco Abosede, his Justice counterpart and Attorney General, Mr. Olasupo Sasore (SAN), the General Manager of the LSDPC Mr. Biodun Oki and Mr. Yemisi Coker who, according to him, "acted more as an arbitrator between the Government and the various family interests."
The governor also commended the state's Judiciary which, he said, "acted with the utmost dispatch and in a most investor-friendly manner by refusing to stop the development as it is done in other commercially bustling capitals across the world and instead proceeded to deal with the case on its merit."
Expressing joy that this is yet another private partnership transaction concluded by the state government for the benefit of the people, the Governor declared, "It demonstrates the capacity of this Government to negotiate complex and challenging transactions, it demonstrates the compassion of the Government to secure a better life for her people."
Speaking on the occasion with journalists, Chairman of the Lagos Island Local Government, Mr. Wasiu Sanni commended the commitment of Governor Fashola's administration to the infrastructural development of the State adding that the feat performed by the administration in the renewal of Oluwole is a testimony to the Governor's passion and love for Lagos.
"What we are seeing today is what has been long expected. Today, we can sit comfortably in our homes and in this vicinity without being harassed by gun men as was the case during the Oluwole days," the chairman said.
In his remarks, the Chairman of the Lagos East Local Council Development Area, Hon. Mufutau Kadiku, said the development of the New Oluwole Urban Market "is going to enhance the rapid development of the Island. It will attract investors and make life more comfortable with the residents."
"We are happy about what Governor Fashola is doing. He is a man of action. We will continue to follow and support him," the Chairman said adding that the Governor has demonstrated that he is a man to be trusted.
Also speaking with journalists on the New Market, Elder Statesman, Senator Habib Fashinro thanked Governor Fashola for succeeding not only in improving Oluwole but also demonstrating that it is not only for government to take away peoples' lands but to improve the land and the life of the people.
Pointing out that in the former acquisition in 1951, the government neither consulted the people nor valued the land, Senator Fasinro declared, "But today, particularly in this Oluwole case, I praise the Government for their concern for other peoples' feelings".
"I should say this like a Yoruba man. The Oluwole people may be grumbling today, but they were given compensation worth what the value of money was at that time. But unfortunately they sat down instead of moving out until the money in their hands was no longer enough to do any meaningful thing. In spite of that, this government came to their aid and still paid them for this. I praise this Government for this," he said.
Source: Daily Champion, 29th April 2010.
N20bn Fraud: Uneasy Calm in Lagos Secretariat
By Gboyega Akinsanmi
Sequel to the arrest of a major contractor of Lagos State Government, Dr. Olatunji Olowolafe by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for alleged N20 billion fraud, the public servants were seen at groups in different blocks of the state secretariat, discussing allegations of financial scams brought against the administration of Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN).
THISDAY checks also revealed that members of the State Executive Council spent the early hours of yesterday discussing the arrest and its implications on the administration, a situation which brought about an uneasy calm in the council meeting.
At the Office of the Deputy Governor, Princess Adebisi Sarah Sosan and the state Ministries of Education and Health among others, the civil servants were curious to glance through reports related to the on-going investigation into allegations of alleged financial misappropriation and contract inflation.
THISDAY gathered that top government personnel in such ministries as Health, Education and Finance have been invited by the anti-graft commission for questioning and clarification on some issues before the end of this week.
Among those invited include Commissioner for Health, Dr. Jide Idris; at his finance counterpart, Mr. Rotimi Oyekan, and the deputy governor, who oversees the state Ministry of Education may be invited as the probe progresses.
According to THISDAY checks, the civil servants at the ministries of health, finance and education were gripped with fear because Olowolafe, who is the Chief Executive Officer of Messrs. Deux Project undertook most of their projects.
It was also revealed that that Olowolafe supplied most of the state hospital equipment, and that the scam largely involved the ministry of health where Dr. Jide Idris, a former permanent secretary in the ministry, supervises as a commissioner.
Source: This Day, 27th April 2010.
Lagos Mega City Dream And BBC Documentary
By Bayo Olupohunda
A new documentary feeding on the stereotypical image of Lagos is currently running on the BBC. Cynically titled "Welcome to Lagos", the documentary is a three-part observational series that explores life in what it called the sharp end of one of the most extreme urban environments; a city that is negatively considered by some to be an apocalyptic vision of the urban future. Lagos is the fastest growing mega city in the world.
The documentary reveals a different side to life, focusing on the humanity, resourcefulness and compassion of the people who live and work in some of the roughest parts of town of Olusosun dumpsite site and the slums of Makoko.
This documentary would not be quite what the state government had in mind when it launched a massive transformation of the city through infrastructural upgrade to counter the prevailing negative stereotypes that prevail abroad.
The documentary has set the Nigerian blog-sphere alight as debate rages on the true purpose of the programme. This latest stereotype, coming just a few months after the mega city was rated by the Economist Intelligence Unit, a think tank body of the influential Economist magazine as the fifth worst city to live globally, did not however take into consideration the transformations that have occurred in Lagos through the vivid and frantic efforts of Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola, which have also received global recognition culminating in governor addressing audience at Harvard University recently.
Nigerians have always been sensitive about the negative portrayal of the country abroad and many have claimed that the international media and in particular BBC has rarely had the country's true interest in mind in their depiction.
The BBC indeed commissioned this latest documentary series on Lagos looking at some of the less attractive sides.
In the three part programmes, series producer Will Anderson assembles a number of hugely likeable, articulate and witty people who live on garbage heaps, in beachside, shanty towns, slums and on stilts in the Lagos lagoon. Their tales build a compelling portrait of a city brimming with entrepreneurial flair, resilience, tough-mindedness and hope.
The series starts with the scavengers who pick over piles of fetid rubbish at the 100-acre Olusosun dump to find scraps of anything that can be recycled and sold. The dump has generated a self-contained community, providing a livelihood to 5,000 people, with its own cinemas, barber-shops, bars and restaurants. It is highly ordered and managed by an elected chairman, who metes out discipline to anyone that breaches the mutual trust on which the community's many businesses depend
It is rare to see the dynamic of the informal sector captured so vividly in the documentary, which official statistics often fail to recognise - and which the authorities tend to see as a nuisance - but which in large parts of Africa provides the main source of employment. The documentary also presented young men working in the slums of Makoko, who plunge to the bottom of the lagoon and return with buckets of sand for building material.
Also in the documentary, there is the agricultural college graduate with a steady trade in animal feed made from boiling the blood of cattle slaughtered at the market. The series presented the precarious situation in which these people live.
In the background is the threat of state intervention by authorities through the Kick Against Indiscipline (KAI) and the Environmental Task Force who are clearing these slums and trying to instill civic pride. To them, these micro-entrepreneurs with their capacity to spread into any available space are obstacles to a more grandiose future in which Lagos could be Africa's answer to Singapore.
Apart from the documentary itself, it is ironic and bewildering that Will Anderson and his BBC crew members were driven in a motorcade complete with sirens and mobile policemen to their hotel when they arrived Lagos for the filming of the documentary.
Anderson posted the following statement on the BBC TV blog "Everyone thinks of it as a noisy, dirty, dangerous city, probably because all we ever hear about it on the news is the corruption, religious violence and dodgy email scams, our insurers had insisted that we were met at the airport by a team of armed policemen, who would escort us and all our expensive filming equipment safely to our hotel. I have never been so embarrassed in my life. As our convoy sped through town, sirens wailing, blue lights flashing, it seemed to me that this was by far the best way to advertise our arrival to all the criminals in the city."
Several interpretations are being read into this remarkable and counterintuitive new BBC television documentary about slum dwellers in the distressed mega-city of Lagos. It is said to provide a compelling case for Nigeria's economic potential and its greatest but often overlooked asset: its people. The aim of the documentary is that slum dwellers in mega cities such as Lagos are the future and their ingenuity has something to teach developed countries as cities everywhere become more crowded and resources dwindle.
The Federal Government through the Nigeria's High Commissioner to UK, Dalhatu Tafida, in a strongly worded letter to the Controller of BBC2, Ms. Janice Hadlow, called the documentary "sinister".
The protest letter also noted "that sites of slums and ghettos were global phenomena, arguing that "even in London, it is not uncommon to see people (not Nigerians) scavenge dustbins in search of food and other valuables."
But it seems Alausa, the seat of Lagos State government, would not be distracted by such negative stereotypes of the mega city as the governor has not responded to this latest documentary. I think it is not just enough for the Federal Government to condemn continuous media assaults such as this one on Lagos, maybe it is time the special status on Lagos is reconsidered because this city is our window on the world.
Source: The Guardian, 25th April 2010.
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