A total of 3,028 NCE graduates of the Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education, Oto/Ijanikin (AOCOED) would bid the institution farewell at her 35th convocation on Wednesday, July 22.
The Lagos State Governor, who is the Moderator of AOCOED Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, approved the convocation. He would attend with his top principals, a statement signed by AOCOED Deputy Registrar, (Information/Public Relations Unit) Adebowale Odunayo, said.
Odunayo, who is also the Chairman, Media Sub-committee of the convocation Ceremony Committee, said activities for the landmark event begin tomorrow with a jumat service at the college mosque, ditto for the interdenominational Christian service at the college chapel on Sunday.
The Provost, Adeyemi College of Education, Ondo, Ondo State (now Adeyemi University of Education, Ondo) Prof. Olukoya Ogen, would deliver the convocation lecture on Tuesday.
The lecture, which has as theme: ‘Teacher preparation efforts: Challenges and the way forward’ holds at the institution’s DDP Hall at 10.00am.
Lagos State Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, yesterday warned residents against indiscriminate felling of trees. He reiterated his administration’s commitment to preservation of the environment and mitigation of global warming via tree planting.
Flagging-off the 2015 tree planting campaign, the 8th in the series, at the Technical College in Ikotun, Ambode said this year’s theme: “Tree, The Lungs of The Earth” was apt as it clearly underscored the importance of the exercise in sustaining human life through air purification.
He said tree planting remained the cheapest and simplest option for tackling climate change challenge and its effect on lives. Statistics and projections about the impact of climate change on the earth planet, particularly the gradual depletion of the rainforest, reinforced the need for all hands to be on deck, Ambode said.
The governor enjoined the public to embrace tree planting as a way of life in order to restore the dignity of the earth, saying for every tree that must be removed, at least five must be planted.
He hailed Lagos State Parks and Gardens Agency (LASPARK) for its advocacy that has resulted in the planting of about 5.9 million trees and the creation of over 96,000 jobs for artisans and professionals.
“Today, let me reaffirm this administration`s commitment to preservation of the environment, mitigation of global warming and its attendant climate change through the annual tree planting exercise. We will not relent, we will continue in our effort. I will now flag-off the exercise that would take place simultaneously in 180 locations across the state. Tree planting exercise remains the cheapest and simplest option and strategies to tackle the challenge, hence our resolve not to relent in this exercise”, the governor said.
Earlier, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of the Environment, Permanent Secretary Hakeem Ogunbambi an engineer, said the 2015 tree planting exercise is a worthy step to stem the tide of environmental degradation and inordinate exploitation of earth’s resources.
He said the gathering was unique because it was the first of its kind by the Ambode administration.
Ogunbambi said the exercise was taking place simultaneously in all the 20 Local Government Areas (LGA) and 37 Local Council Development Areas (LCDA) with six areas designated as ceremonial sites across the state.
Highlight of the event was the presentation of award plagues to outstanding students, teachers, individuals and corporate organisations who participated in the ‘Me and My Tree’ programme.
Oriade Local Council Development Area Executive Secretary Bola Badmus-Olujobi urged residents to embrace tree planting as a panacea for climate problems.
The council chief, who gave the change at Learing Field School on Assembly Road during the yearly Lagos Tree Planting, urged residents to take the exercise seriously to complement Ambode’s efforts in tackling flood and climate change.
Olujobi urged residents to join hands with her administration and the state government in making Oriade LCDA a tree- friendly council area.
Dignitaries at the event include LASPARK Managing Director Dr. Mrs Titi Anibaba, traditional rulers, House of Representatives member representing Lagos Mainland Constituency Jide Jimoh and Executive Secretary, Lagos State Technical and Vocational Education Board (LASTVEB) Olawunmi Jasper among others.
Lagos State Governor Akinwunmi Akinbode yesterday came to the aid of a lone accident victim on his way to the office.
He alighted from his car to assist Miss Angela Anukam, who had an accident on Osborne Road, Ikoyi.
Anukam was driving a wine Toyota Corolla with registration number EKY 415 CG when she lost control and rammed into the road median around 8.15am. The car somersaulted, according to eyewitnesses.
Ambode ordered his convoy to stop for him access the situation and help the victim.
The governor released the ambulance in his convoy to carry the unconscious Anukam to the Lagos Island General Hospital.
Her sister, Amaka, who was contacted, said she was treated and discharged free of charge on Ambode’s order.
Amaka said the ambulance also took her sister back home at 3, Efosa Ehiedu Close, off Modupe Thomas Estate Ajah. The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) towed the vehicle from the scene to prevent traffic gridlock.
Ambode’s Chief Press Secretary Habib Aruna said: “What the governor has done is typical of him. It is indeed a demonstration of his concern to the wellbeing of every resident and Miss Angela is not an exception”.
“He has also with this act, shown his commitment to an all inclusive approach in protecting the lives and properties of citizens in the state”.
In what could be best described as a show of concern, Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode on Monday alighted from his vehicle to assist in the rescue of an accident victim.
The victim, Miss Anukam Angela, who was driving alone in a wine-coloured Toyota Corolla car with registration number EKY 415 CG, at about 8:15am, lost control and ram into the median of the road along Osborne Road, Ikoyi before the vehicle somersaulted.
Worried by what could have befallen the occupants of the car, Governor Ambode who was heading to the office, through the direction before the incident occurred, ordered his convoy to stop at the scene so as to enable him access the situation as well as help rescue the passengers.
The Governor immediately instructed the ambulance attached to his convoy to convey Miss Angela, who was in a state of shock, and could barely move or talk, to be taken to the Lagos Island General Hospital for treatment.
Angela’s sister, Amaka, who was contacted shortly after the incident, said she was treated for minor injuries and discharged free of charge on the order of the Governor.
She said the ambulance also conveyed her sister back to her residence at 3, Efosa Ehiedu Close, off Modupe Thomas Estate, Ajah, while the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) assisting in towing the vehicle away from the roadside to prevent traffic gridlock.
According to the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr. Habib Aruna, “What the governor has done is typical of him. It is indeed a demonstration of his concern to the wellbeing of every resident and Miss Angela is not an exception”.
“He has also with this act, shown his commitment to an all inclusive approach in protecting the lives and property of citizens in the state.”
SIR: There is no doubt that Lagos State government has over time, tried to repair or construct roads and streets in Lagos in-line with its dream of making the state a mega city.
However, I am pained by the state of Ilaje-Bariga road. The road has become unmotorable and impassable by both human and vehicular traffic. The road has become so bad that it robs residents of the area of any joy in living a modern Lagos. A resident who has lived in the area since his childhood, poured his heart out concerning the road, stressing that the road was last tarred during Lateef Jakonde’s regime in the early 1980s and ever since then, nothing has been done about the road. The state of the road has turned the area backward grounding economic activities.
I am using this medium to call on the governor, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode and the Local Government chairman, to urgently come to the rescue of the residents by fixing the bad road.
Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, on Friday pledged that his administration will seize the opportunity of the huge potentials in the hospitality sector to create jobs for youths in the state.
The governor, who spoke at the official commissioning of The George, a hospitality centre in Ikoyi, Lagos, said the government will expand the frontiers of the hospitality industry in the state to attract investment.
He said the current economic realities in the country had made it necessary for the state to explore a non-oil sector to ensure sustainable revenue growth.
Ambode said relevant policies and incentives will be put in place to create an enabling environment for the development of the sector, which according to him is a key driver of his administration’s agenda.
“This is a happy occasion because it has reaffirmed the status of Lagos State as first choice investment destination. It also confirms the untapped opportunities in tourism and hospitality sector in the state.
“Lagos State is known as the Centre of Excellence for a number of reasons. One of these is the accommodating nature of our people and the various tourism and recreation sites that abound in the state.
“We are committed to putting in place relevant policies and incentives that would create an enabling environment for the development of the hospitality sector as a key driver of our administration’s development agenda,” the governor said.
He also called on other investors to key into the various opportunities that abound in the tourism belt spread across the state.
“Lagos is open for business. We assure you of the safety of your investments and we will continue working to make your investment worthwhile in all cases,” he added.
Lagos State Governor Akinwunmi Ambode has directed the Task Force on Environmental Sanitation and Special Offences to enforce the law restricting street trading and begging.
Secretary to the State Government (SSG) Mr. Tunji Bello, in a statement yesterday, explained that the government is concerned about the resurgence of beggars and street traders across the metropolis, adding that there is need to enforce the law to avoid environmental nuisance.
The statement reads: “At the State Security Council Meeting on July 7, it was resolved that the act of street trading that has continued to hamper free flow of traffic on Lagos roads which further constitutes nuisance and security threat to law abiding citizens will no longer be tolerated.
“Therefore, street traders and buyers will, henceforth,be arrested and prosecuted. The Task Force on Environmental Sanitation and Special Offences has been mandated to ensure the Law of the State against street trading is enforced to the letter”.
It said the security agencies have resolved to beef up security in the state to ensure that it remains safe.
“We’ve had security reports on the activities of persons who pose as beggars, especially in traffic, but their sole aim is to perpetrate evil. We are putting a search light on this trend and one way to do that is to ensure that we take preemptive measures to forestall this development”, the statement said.
The Parents’ Forum and pupils of the Aunty Ayo Girls Comprehensive Senior Secondary School Obalende (AAGCSSS), Lagos have sent a Save Our Soul (SOS) message to the Lagos State Governor, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode, to revisit the decision of his predecessor Babatunde Raji Fashola to hand over the school to the private owners.
The school was founded by the late Mrs Ayo Manuwa for the education of less-privileged girls. She handed it over to the state government in the 80s.
The parents are appealing to Ambode to stop the process of returning the school to the family of the late Manuwa, a process that has already begun.
Chairman of the Parents’ Forum, Mr Saheed Olalere, fears that if given to private owners, children from poor homes would be denied access to education, a policy he said was against the wish of the late founder.
Making the appeal over the weekend at the retirement programme of the school’s Principal, Mrs Janet Adebo, Olalere said: “As at today, only two public schools are in Obalende, and by allowing private ownership of AAGCSSS, the less- privileged in the society will not have access to education.”
Giving other reasons for the government not to hand over the school, Olalere claimed that the new owners were not direct descendants of the late founder and do not share her philosophy but are only interested in the school’s real estate.
“No direct descendants of the late Manuwa attended meetings held during Fashola’s era. The extended family members and some officials of the Ministry of Education, who know the history of the school and want to exploit it, were those present at the meetings.
“The renewed interest of the exploiters is because the school remains the biggest government-owned secondary school in terms of land mass and students’ population in the Ikoyi-Obalande axis. The land mass is the core of the problem,” he said
Olalere said returning the schools would be against the wish of its founder, who voluntarily relinquished the school to the government. Moreover, he said the late Manuwa also founded two other schools – Aunty Ayo International School, a private school, and Aunty Ayo High School – which was taken over by the family while Mrs Sarah Sosan was deputy governor/commissioner for education.
The Parents’ Forum wants Ambode to find out why the governing council of Aunty Ayo International School wants to go against the wish of the founder.
Supporting Olalere, the Chairman of the Obalende Landlords Association, Prince Soji Ladejobi, appealed to the governor not to let poor students be deprived of education.
Some of the pupils also appealed against the sale of their school, urging Ambode to use his office to secure their access to affordable education.
The dis-engagement for private ownership is ongoing in the school, as no new pupil has been admitted over the last two years.
But a source in the Ministry of Education, who pleaded not to be mentioned, debunked the parents’ claim that some elements in the ministry were interested in the school. As claimed by the parents, the source also said it is not compulsory that the direct descendants of the late founder must be on ground during meetings, noting that once there are other blood relations that should negotiate on behalf of the family, a deal could be struck.
Speaking with our reporter on phone, the source said: ”If the school has a large land mass, how would that benefit those in the ministry?”
“The issue is simple. The government forcefully took over some schools from their owners some years ago. The government has now decided to return same school to them with certain conditions attached; and those who met the conditions are reclaiming their schools.
“The parents need not be afraid because the government prioritises the interest of the children, and will ensure the last student to leave the school is protected without paying a dime. But parents cannot say they don’t want the government not to return the schools to their real owner.”
The source, however, asked the aggrieved parents to write a letter to the Commissioner for Education, adding that perhaps that would assuage their fear.
Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State on Wednesday directed the Task Force on Environmental Sanitation and Other Special Offences to ensure enforcement of the law prohibiting street trading and begging in the state.
A statement signed by the Secretary to the State Government, Mr Tunji Bello, expressed government’s concern over the return of street trading in major areas of the state.
It said not only does this constitute environmental nuisance, the development also poses a security threat to residents.
The statement said that there was an existing law in the state prohibiting street trading.
It urged those interested in doing business to seek for space in the various modern markets redeveloped by the state government to enhance their business activities.
“At the State Security Council meeting on July 7, it was resolved that street trading has continued to hamper free flow of traffic on roads.
“It also constitutes nuisance and security threat to the citizens and will no longer be tolerated.
“Therefore, street traders and buyers will henceforth be arrested and prosecuted.
“The Task Force on Environmental Sanitation and Special Offences has been mandated to ensure that the law of the state against street trading is enforced to the letter,” the statement said.
It said that all security agencies had resolved to beef up security in the state to ensure that it remained safe for residents and investors.
The statement also urged residents not to encourage the trend by patronising street traders, saying doing so indirectly aids and abets crime.
It also decried the prevalence of street begging, saying that some unscrupulous persons hide under the guise of seeking alms to rob unsuspecting members of the public.
“To this end, efforts will be made to rid the state of street beggars and the destitute.
“We’ve had security reports on the activities of persons who pose as beggars, especially in traffic, but their sole aim is to perpetrate evil.
“We are putting a search light on this trend and one way to do that is to ensure that we take pre-emptive measures to forestall this development,” the statement said
NIGERIANS have been urged not to see governance as “a one month show”, but a collective effort between leaders and followers.
A cross-section of members of the association.
Lagos State Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, President, Muslim Association of Nigeria (MAN) Alhaji Sulaiman Yusuf, the association’s National Missioner, Alhaji Sheikh Sulaiman Eleshinmeta and Dr. Tajudeen Yusuf of the University of Lagos spoke at a Ramadan lecture organised by the National Council of MAN in Lagos.
They said the lecture, titled: ‘’Governance, leadership and followership: Imperative for Nigerian National Development”, was apt and relevant, following the crisis facing the nation’s democracy.
Ambode, who was represented at the event by Mr. Olalekan Akoju, said no matter how committed and forthright a leader may be, his success would be determined by the amount of support he enjoys from the people.
The governor added: “The importance of followership as a pre-requisite for progress and development is clearly alluded to in the Holy Quran, when Allah enjoined obedience not only to Him and His messengers, but also to those in position of authority.”
He said he was committed to serving the best interest of all people, creating job opportunities for the youth and ensuring the general wellbeing of residents in a safe and secured environment.
He appealed to Lagosians to play their part by performing their civic duties, including payment of taxes and obeying the laws of the land.
‘’For instance, when people pay their taxes, government is financially empowered to provide social amenities that make life more comfortable and meaningful for the people,” Ambode said.
He enjoined the association’s members to continue to pray for his administration’s success.
MAN President, in an interview with Southwest Report, said Nigerians were embarrassed by the National Assembly crisis.
His words: “It takes us back to what we had in Ibadan in those days when people threw chairs and tables. Our politicians need to learn more, they need to be tolerant and they need to be faithful to the cause they are pursuing.
“One of the things we discussed here today was selflessness. The moment leaders do not imbibe selflessness; there will be issues on ground. Nigerians expect our lawmakers to take issues of leadership and trust seriously.
“Lawmakers must understand how to reach a compromise. Nigerians are expecting better performance and that was why they voted for change. The way our politicians started was a setback. They need to prove otherwise so that the people can rekindle their hope in them.
A cross-section of members of the association.
“On the part of the citizens, we need not to be idle. We have to continue to engage our leaders. Let them know what we have on our minds. Let them know this is not what we voted for and they should sit up and do the right thing.
“Many people are out there and they have not been paid their salaries. That is the kind of thing we should engage our leaders on.
“We are at a crossroad now because we all know that the economy is bad and so, the lawmakers need to sit up and work closely with the President to ensure the economy is revived, services, infrastructure are improved upon.”
The guest lecturer noted that the theme of the lecture from an Islamic viewpoint means that leaders and followers should come together and form a good government.
He added that it was important for Muslims to educate themselves about the significance of the holy book always and during Ramadan.
Quoting from Holy Quran, he said: “To form a government warrants leadership, which is the mechanism for administering the affairs of all creatures. It brings humanity closer to Allah and far away from perils through social justice, welfare improvement and security.
“Leadership is a trust from Almighty Allah who says ‘I would place a leader on earth’’ Q2:30. The leader placed on earth was Adam – the ancestor of mankind whose duty was to guide his children, who produced the leaders of families, communities and nations.
“For stable governance, both the leaders and the followers are counselled by Prophet Muhammad (SAW) to be patriotic when he said: ‘Love of one’s country is part of faith in Allah’.
“To avoid disagreement between the leader and the followers, Allah says: ‘’Obey Allah’s commandment, obey His messengers and obey those who are in authority. If you differ in anything, refer it to Allah and to his messengers. That is the best and most commendable in the end. Q4:59.”
The university lecturer advised politicians to “get their acts together as quickly as possible because Nigerians are yearning for positive change”.
He urged them to put aside personal ambitions and ensure that the interests of the masses are protected.
Dr. Yusuf told the citizens to keep monitoring the activities of leaders to make them accountable.
The association’s national missioner prayed for peace and growth of the nation and the citizenry.
The lecture was attended by members of MAN branches, its executive members and Muslims from all parts of the country.
