Category: South West

With the Blue Light rail of the Lagos Rail Mass Transit (LRMT) about 85 per cent ready, delivery by the fourth quarter of the year is not only achievable, but also attainable, Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA) Managing Director Abimbola Akinajo has said.

Giving the assessment yesterday during an inspection of the sea wall reconstruction and reclamation held at Elegbata, Ebute Ero, in the outer Marina axis, Akinajo, an engineer, said with the successful reclamation and rebuilding of the sea wall, achieving Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s mandate to deliver by the fourth quarter had become realisable.

She said: “The Blue Line is comfortably at 85 per cent completion and we are confident that by April, the structure for Marina would have been completed, and by June/July, our piers would have been done and we would be able to lay the tracks on them in readiness for the completion and test run by November.”

The LAMATA chief, who described the breakthrough as a milestone for LAMATA and the contractor, said with the construction of the piling, it would be easy to build the piers and complete the construction across the Lagos lagoon.

She said despite the initial study, which was carried out at that area, the contractors still had to contend with a huge volume of wrecks, and even when they got to the sea bed, they still met with wrecks and debris, which from the engineering point of view, made the project Herculean.

Akinajo said: “So, completing it and succeeding in reclaiming and constructing a new sea wall along the reclaimed portion is a huge relief and an engineering feat for the agency and the contractor.”

“For a long time, we have been stuck here because we could not cross the lagoon. You saw piers coming from the National Theatre, Iganmu area stopping somewhere before the lagoon, while at the other side, we have piers coming from the inner Marina area and stopping. So the linking, which we are starting today, signifies the completion of the linking of both ends. We now manage to complete the sea wall reclamation and repairs. We have to move inside for about eight metres and we are able to complete the sea wall for the entire stretch of the distance.

“This will allow us to complete the missing portion between the Iganmu end and the Marina station. For us it is a big milestone because now we can complete all civil infrastructure works for the Blue Line and put our tracks on it and put the rails on it.”

She was led round the project by the General Manager, Southwest, China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation, (CCECC), Kelum Lee, and the Lagos Rail Mass transit Blue Line Project Manager, Mr. Zhang Jon.

Lagos State Standing Tribunal of Enquiry into Chieftaincy Matters has refused to elevate the Baale of Igbo-Efon in Eti-Osa Local Government to the status of an Oba.

In its ruling, the tribunal chaired by Justice Titilola Ojikutu-Oshode said that the Abogun house claimed by the Baale had no royal link at Igbo-Efon.

The tribunal said that Abogum family could not prove that they were the first settlers at Igbo-Efon or had royal ancestry to deserve the elevation.

Justice Ojikutu-Oshode, however, accepted that Olukolu and Jinadu families settled in the community before Abogun and that Olukolu were of the Oluge ruling house of Ajiran, as corroborated by Oba Adetunji Akinloye’s testimony.

The tribunal said during cross examination by the counsel for Omo-oba Olukolu and Jinadu families, Mr. Olufemi Osinnowo, that the Baale agreed that he was too old and fragile to perform the duties of an Oba, but he would appoint someone to wear the crown after the upgrade.

The tribunal hoped that the witnesses of the Ojomu of Ajiran land chieftaincy committee and Omo-oba Olukolu and Jinadu families were witness of truth and it had no reason not to believe their testimony.

It said the existing Oba Akinloye of Ajiran is the only recognised Oba over Igbo-Efon and that the Oba and Ojomu chieftaincy family of Ajiran land are the rightful owners of the land at Igbo-Efon.

Lagos State Polytechnic (LASPOTECH) yesterday hailed Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu for upgrading it to Lagos State University of Science and Technology.

The governor had assented to the bills passed by the House of Assembly converting LASPOTECH to Lagos State University of Science and Technology, while Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education (AOCOD) and Michael Otedola College of Primary Education (MOCOPED) were merged to become Lagos State University of Education.

LASPOTECH Rector Dr Oluremi Olaleye expressed appreciation to the governor for the upgrade.

He said: “Lagosians are happy because the gesture will put Lagos on the global map of educational development, not minding the resources the governor has been putting in over the years. The workers and students of the polytechnic appreciate Mr Governor and also the Special Adviser on Education, Mr Tokunbo Wahab, for delivering this project. Wahab didn’t do it officially; he did it passionately as if his life depended on it. We thank him and we are sure his name has been written in gold. History will continue to remember them for this wonderful development they have brought to the state.”

The Rector also thanked House of Assembly Speaker Mudashiru Obasa and the Chairman, House Committee on Education, Owolabi Ajayi, for their foresight and resoluteness in ensuring the passage of the bill.

Ondo State Government has said it will begin implementation of the use of Treasury Single Account (TSA) in its bid to block revenue leakage and shore up its revenue.

It said efforts must be made to automate revenue collection and expand revenue sources.

This was contained in a communiqué by Secretary to the State Government Princess Oladunni Odu, at the end of a three-day retreat for political office holders and accounting officers in the public service, held at Owo in Owo Local Government.

The communiqué directed Ministries, Departments and Agencies to institutionalise the concept of “one administration” and implement the mandate in line with the REDEEMED Agenda of Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu.

“Parts of the degraded forest reserves in the state are to be utilised for cash crops for economic benefits, just as gender mainstreaming and related matters are to be continually prioritised by the government.

“Government to institutionalise citizenship engagement and sustain good labour/association relations.”

The Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Abdulrosheed Akanbi, yesterday hailed ex-deputy governor during the administration of Rauf Aregbesola, Otunba Titi Laoye-Ponnle, for supporting Governor Adegboyega Oyetola’s second term bid.

The monarch spoke in his palace when Oyetola and his team continued their strategic engagement tour named: ‘Have you in mind always’, at Iwo Federal Constituency comprising of Iwo, Ayedire and Ola-Oluwa local governments.

He assured the governor of his support in his second term bid.

Addressing Oyetola, Oluwo said: “This coming Osun State election, we (the Iwo community) want to use it to pray to God. My father prayed by supporting the former Oluwo, Oba Tadese, and it worked for my emergence.

“Any Iwo indigene that wants his or her prayer to be answered should stay where good fortunes are. Anyone who does not want prosperity can go otherwise by not joining the prayer.

“I have not seen a governor that prioritises the welfare of traditional rulers like Governor Oyetola. He augments the salary Federal Government is paying monarchs. Many kings will not say it. I cannot pretend that I am not collecting it. He is paying us monthly. Iwo is fortunate during the tenure of Oyetola, only a fool will reject such gesture.”

Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has sworn in Ope George and Dr. Oluwarotimi Fashola as Special Advisers on Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) and Agriculture (Rice Mill Initiative).

He also signed three bills, a law regulating real estate transactions in Lagos State; a law to provide for the registration of cooperative societies in Lagos State; and a law to regulate ownership, licensing and sale of pets and to prohibit and restrict people from having in custody dangerous animals in public places.

Sanwo-Olu said George and Fashola are joining the State Executive Council to add value to the system.

The governor said: “We believe this addition to our SEC will further strengthen our ability to deliver all we promised the citizens because we need people in strategic positions. We need people that have sufficient authority to be able to dispense their responsibilities.”

He noted that the bills he assented to would strengthen government’s and citizens’ engagement and relationships, and also help residents to live in an atmosphere where the rule of law was enshrined.

Oyo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) counterpart yesterday traded words over the 2023 general election.

APC said it would ensure that PDP was divided into two to pave the way for its victory, thus reclaiming power in 2023. But PDP described the threat as a mere joke, calling APC a leopard that would never change its skin.

The new APC Chairman in the state, Isaac Omodewu, while inaugurating the executives and local government chairmen of the party, urged members to unite and mobilise for the coming poll, saying the journey to take back the state from the misruling of PDP had started.

PDP in a statement by its Publicity Secretary, Akeem Olatunji, said the party was taking note of events in APC “because it reminds one of the draconian days of the last administration under the APC emperor.”

The Coca-Cola Hellenic Bottling Company (CCHBC),  a growth focused consumer packaged goods company and the parent company of the Nigerian Bottling Company (NBC) Ltd., has launched its Global  Sustainability Challenge as part of efforts to advance a circular economy and accelerate its World Without Waste agenda.

With call for applications now open globally, Coca-Cola HBC is looking to partner with startups across the world to find the next viable, scalable packaging and packaging collection technologies. According to a statement by the beverage giant, the winning solution will receive a monetary prize of 100,000 euros which will be awarded and paid by Coca-Cola HBC.

Commenting on the challenge, Zoran Bogdanovic, CEO of Coca-Cola HBC, said: “As a recognized leader in sustainability, we are looking to continually raise the bar to ensure that we support the socio-economic development of our communities and make a positive environmental impact”.

In his remark, the Managing Director of Nigerian Bottling Company (NBC), Matthieu Seguin, said, “The beverage industry has a responsibility to take action to address the packaging challenge currently facing the world. In the Coca-Cola System, we have continued to work with our partners, suppliers, and key stakeholders to build and implement sustainable packaging and recycling models to frontally address these challenges.

“This competition will not only amplify the role of technology in addressing the global packaging challenge, but it will also provide an opportunity for us as Coca-Cola Hellenic Group to incubate viable start-ups and bring together a powerful ecosystem of experts and stakeholders to galvanize action towards a World Without Waste.”

This initiative is in line with the Company’s Mission 2025 Commitments, an Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) strategy that is at the heart of its operations. In an ambitious move to accelerate its environmental sustainability priorities in 2021, the Company announced its commitment to achieving net zero emissions across its entire value chain by 2040.