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Tag: Ambode

  • Workers’ effectiveness crucial to Lagos transformation, says Ambode

    It is important for the Lagos State Civil Service to be as effective and  productive as it can be, much more than ever before, Governor Akinwunmi Ambode has said.

    He said this is because  his administration has gone to implement, on the largest scale imaginable, series of programmes that are designed to transform state for the better.

    The governor, represented by Commissioner, Lagos State Ministry of Establishments, Training and Pensions, Dr. Akintola, Benson, spoke at the opening session of a training programme Tagged: Management And Execution Of Projects organised by the Public Service Staff Development Centre (PSSDC) held in Lagos.

    He said, as we all know, in order to execute these programmes, the input and support of the civil service is required, thus the need for the state to continue to train officers of the civil service.

    He added that the training which is designed to ensure that officers of the civil service are effectively managing their time and are being productive is  very important.

    He said: “Good time management enables people to work smarter, not harder so that they get more done in less time, even when time is tight and pressures are high. Failing to manage time damages effectiveness and causes stress. The focus of this training is the management and execution of projects.Project management includes identifying requirements, establishing clear and achievable objectives, balancing the competing demands from the different stakeholders and ensuring that a commonality of purpose is achieved.

    “It is clear that unless there is a structured and scientific approach to the practice of management, organisations would find themselves adrift and hence would be unable to meet the  challenges that the modern era throws at them. Hence, the importance of project management to organisations.

  • Group endorses Ambode for second term

    Group endorses Ambode for second term

    A group, the All Christian Leaders & Ministers Forum (ACLMF), has endorsed Lagos State Governor Akinwunmi Ambode for second term.

    Speaking at the weekend after a prayer session at Overcomers Pentecostal Prayer Ministry, Abule-Egba, Lagos, the National Coordinator, Dr. Samuel Ogedengbe, said Ambode should be re-elected because of his good performance and zeal for development.

    He said Christians prayed for the emergence of a Christian governor during 2015 campaign, “and our prayers were answered.”

    Ogedengbe said Ambode had lived up to expectation and urged residents to get their permanent voters’ cards before the next general election to exercise their franchise.

    Ambode’s representative at the event, Rev. David Verrals, his special adviser on Christian Religion, said the endorsement by ACLM was proper because of the governor’s superb performance.

    He urged residents to support the government in making Lagos a smart city.

    The highlights of the event included prayers for Lagos State and Nigeria.

  • Ambode deserves re-election, says PDP lawmaker in Lagos

    Ambode deserves re-election, says PDP lawmaker in Lagos

    The only Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) member in the Lagos State House of Assembly, Oladipupo Olorunrinu, has said Governor Akinwunmi Ambode deserves a second term for transforming the state.

    The lawmaker hailed the governor for his people-oriented programmes, saying criticising his administration would mean that he (Olorunrinu) had also performed woefully as a lawmaker.

    He said: “The government is doing well. This government is not just about Governor Akinwunmi Ambode. It includes the Executive, the Legislature, which approves the projects of the government, as well as the Judiciary. You cannot have a head without a neck. So, for me, the government is working hard and we are happy.”

    Seven PDP members in the Assembly defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

    Olorunrinu declared his support for use of Card Reader in the 2019 general election.

    The lawmaker said the usage of the device must be perfected, saying the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) should give parties a level-playing field to operate and ensure transparency in the polls.

    Asked if the PDP was ready for the 2019 polls, Olorunrinu said the party was prepared, having successfully done its convention, which he said was not easy to achieve.

    Reacting to the alleged killings in Benue State and other parts of the country by Fulani herdsmen, the lawmaker expressed appreciation to the media for the wide coverage.

    He added that cattle rearing is not a problem but that the motive behind it is the main issue.

    Olorunrinu said: “Rearing of cattle is not a problem. It is the motive and the agenda behind it that the government has to attend to.

    “The media should embark on a research for this. They should lay emphasis on this. You can have a good business but a wrong intention. For instance, jihad itself is not bad, but some group of people have made a means of survival through this.”

    On the intervention of the Federal Government, Olorunrinu advised the National Assembly to tackle the matter headlong.

    He urged governors to tighten security around their people.

    Olorunrinu said: “The Executive and security agencies should rise to the occasion and do something about this. They should be proactive. All the governors should take the bull by the horn and protect their citizens.’’

    The politician hailed the Lagos State government for its Neighbourhood Safety Corps (LNSC), adding that state police is democratic.

    He said: “It is something every state, which means well for the citizens, should embrace. It is even a means to provide employment for the people. Why are the states waiting for approval of the National Assembly for state police?

    “The states’ security forces don’t need to carry arms or shoot people; even the federal police don’t kill anyhow. You have to know how to apprehend culprits.

    “Knowing that there is security somewhere alone reduces crime. The LNSC makes it easy to gather information and intelligence for the police. Once your neighbours know they are being watched, they would be careful. Once you have the mentality that the security agencies are close to you, you would be careful.”

  • Resurgence of waste will soon be over, Ambode assures

    Resurgence of waste will soon be over, Ambode assures

    •Inaugurates new board of environmental sanitation corps

    The resurgence of waste on major highways and streets of Lagos will soon be over Governor Akinwunmi Ambode assured yesterday.

    He said the government was working round the clock to tackle the menace.

    Ambode spoke after inaugurating the new board of the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps (LAGESC) to be headed by a retired Assistant Commissioner of Police as Corps Marshal, Daniel Isiofia.

    The governor said the new waste management policy of government encapsulated in the Cleaner Lagos Initiative (CLI) was designed to holistically address the challenges in the sector.

    He said adequate officials of LAGESC transformed from the former Kick Against Indiscipline (KAI) have been employed to police all nooks and crannies of the State to curb indiscriminate dumping of waste and other acts inimical to clean, hygienic and sustainable environment.

    Ambode, who was represented at the inauguration by his Special Adviser on Education, Obafela Bank-Olemoh, said concerted efforts were ongoing to clear the heaps of refuse across the metropolis.

    He assured there would be marked improvement in coming days. He said: “We are all living witnesses to the restructuring we are trying to do in the environmental sector.

    “That restructuring culminated in the introduction of CLI which is focused at ensuring that the way we clean Lagos is comparable to what is being done in first class cities in the world.

    “As a result, we are changing the way environment in Lagos is being managed and to help us to achieve that, this Sanitation Corp is important.

    “But more importantly now is to speak to the fact that yes, we are having some challenges in the area of waste management in Lagos today.

    “We all live in Lagos but I want to reaffirm that we are doing everything to ensure that this becomes a thing of the past.”

    The Governor, who recalled similar challenges in the State in 1999 under the administration of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, expressed optimism in the workability of the new initiative, saying that the challenges with the teething stages would soon be over.

    “Let me assure the people that in the coming weeks, there will be improvement.

    “We are already witnessing a high-level of improvement; we promise that throughout this week and throughout next week, people will see a marked improvement in our State as more equipment come in to the country and we are able to deploy the equipment accordingly.”

     

  • Rain of tributes as Ambode, Anyaoku, Fashola, Obi, others mourn Ekwueme

    Rain of tributes as Ambode, Anyaoku, Fashola, Obi, others mourn Ekwueme

    It was a rain of tributes yesterday for Nigeria’s first elected Vice President, the late Dr Alex Ifeanyichukwu Ekwueme.

    Lagos State Governor, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode; Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola; former Anambra State Governor, Peter  Obi, and Africa’s richest woman, Folorunsho Alakija, all extolled  Ekwueme’s integrity and statesmanship.

    They and others, including former Commonwealth Secretary-General, Sir Emeka Anyaoku, spoke at the commendation service for Ekwueme at the Cathedral Church of God, Marina and the ‘Evening of Tributes and Music’ at the Muson Centre, Lagos Island.

    Other guests at the events included Ogun State Governor, Ibikunle Amosun; former Ekiti State Governor and Minister of Solid Minerals Development, John Kayode Fayemi; former Ogun State Governor, Chief Olusegun Osoba; former Abia State Governor, Chief Orji Uzor, among others.

    Ambode described Ekwueme, who died in London last November 19 aged 85, as “a leader among leaders.”

    He said Ekwueme was “a well respected elder statesman who carried himself with dignity and exuded knowledge, experience and maturity.”

    Ambode noted the “exemplary patriotic roles” played by Ekwueme.

    He said: “Significantly, his answer to the still-problematic National Question grabbed public attention in a multi-ethnic and multi-cultural country searching for unity, stability and an equitable power-sharing formula.

    “Dr. Ekwueme had proposed six geopolitical zones as the federating units that would rotationally produce a five-year single-term presidency. The six geopolitical zones are Northwest, Northeast, North central, Southwest, Southeast and South-south.”

    “There is no doubt that Dr. Ekwueme was a creative political thinker. Although his novel proposal during the 1994-1995 National Constitutional Conference (NCC) that produced the 1999 Nigerian Constitution was not formally included in the constitution, it is to his credit that the idea of six geopolitical zones has been informally embraced and today informs aspects of governance in the country. In this respect, his contribution to the country’s political evolution has an enduring quality.”

    Fashola, who paid his tributes via a video interview said Ekwueme was “a truly great man.”

    He recommended Ekwueme’s credibility and high values as worth emulating.

    Obi described Ekwueme as a nationalist and urged other politicians to emulate him.

    He told The Nation that Ekwueme was one of Nigeria’s best leaders ever.

    Anyaoku said: “He was not a typical leader. He left a legacy of diligence, hardwork.”

    Subomi, Ekwueme’s friend and former Lagos neighbour, recalled how their bond of friendship was cemented after Ekwueme returned to his house in Apapa from the east after the civil war. He noted God used Ekwueme to direct opportunities his way.

    Alhaji Lateef Okunnu SAN, Ekwueme’s former school mate at King’s College, Lagos, said Ekwueme would have made Nigeria great if he had become President.

    Mrs Alakija recalled Ekwueme’s brilliance.

    She said: “He was extremely sharp and would always recognise anyone who was sharp. He loved dancing. He would dance and dance.”

    Bishop of Lagos and Dean Emeritus, Church of Nigeria, (Anglican Communion), Most Rev. Adebola Ademowo, the Bishop of Lagos and Dean Emeritus, Church of Nigeria, (Anglican Communion), described the late former Vice President as a selfless and God fearing Nigerian statesman.

    He said: “We cannot compare him to the politicians of today as he single-handedly supervised the construction of Oko Comprehensive Secondary School, among many things he did, he spent his money for the good and benefits of Nigerians.

    Ekwueme will be buried in his hometown Oko, Anambra State on February 2.

  • Ambode gets kudos for Agege Bridge

    Ambode gets kudos for Agege Bridge

    THE Leader of Agege Local Government Legislative Arm Anigbajumo Akolawole, has praised the Lagos State Governor Akinwumi Ambode, on the construction of the Agege Pen Cinema Flyover Bridge.

    He also thanked Ambode for his contribution towards infrastructural development in Agege Local Government Area.

    Akolawole urged the road users to bear the traffic challenges within and outside Agege due to the bridge construction, noting that such is part of the sacrifice to pay for our community to be developed.

    According to him, the alternative routes created by the government around the Agege Pen Cinema are now available for use.

    He commended all Divisional Police Officers in Agege as well as other security agencies for their efforts towards maintaining law and order on the roads.

    Akolawole urged them not to relent by ensuring continuous security of lives and properties.

  • Community commends Ambode for Arts Theatre

    Community commends Ambode for Arts Theatre

    Abule-Ijesha community in Yaba Local Council Development Area (LCDA) have commended the state governor, Akinwumi Ambode over the siting of an Art Theatre in the community.

    The community condemned a statement credited to a market leader that they would not support the siting of an Art Theatre in the area.

    At a stakeholders’ meeting, a youth leader in the community, Ahmed Jimoh, said criminals use the market as a hide out.

    He said: “Abule- Ijeha people are fed up with incessant attacks coming from that market and many of the shops are empty. Hoodlums use the place as their abode. The few traders there had on several occasions appealed to youths to help them dislodge the hoodlums and this often leads to brutal confrontation. It would be a big relieve for the residents if the market could be converted to a more productive venture.”

    Baale of Abule ljesha Chief Kolawole Dawodu said the Arts Theatre would create employment, beautify and eradicate insecurity in the community.

    The Chairman Community Royal Development Committee, Mr Adeboye Odunsi said the project will enhance the status of the area and create employment for the youths.

    Yaba LCDA Chairman Kayode Adejare Omiyale said the project was initiated by his predecessors.

    “Immediately I assumed office, I intensified consultations to actualise the project. I visited the market to inform the traders of the new development and the direction of the government on the moribund market. Any decision taken is in the best interest of the people and the council,” Omiyale said.

    He enjoined the traders to support the project, saying efforts were being made to relocate them to a more conducive location.

  • Ambode keen on marketing Lagos tourism values

    Ambode keen on marketing Lagos tourism values

    The administration of Governor Akinwunmi Ambode is very keen on marketing the tourism values of Lagos State to business and leisure travellers across the globe.

    This was disclosed by Mr Steve Ayorinde at a reception organised by the management of the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture on Monday when he assumed office as the new Commissioner in the Ministry.

    The former Commissioner for Information and Strategy until the cabinet reshuffle effected on Thursday, January 11, 2018 said that ‘’the Ministry and the team under his watch will work with other State institutions and agencies to deliver a top notch economically beneficial tourism marketing strategy built on attractions and exposure of Lagos to the global tourism audience’’.

    He posited that the Lagos economy in 2018 will be largely driven by tourism activities laced with socio-economic values and implored the staff of the Ministry to be “ready for targets and constant reminders of the need to keep eyes on the ball to meet those targets.”

    The Special Adviser to the Governor on Arts and Culture, Mrs Aramide Giwanson, while welcoming Mr Ayorinde, expressed her joy in the new spirit to deliver the mandate of His Excellency, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode to make Lagos a preferred tourism destination in Africa.

    The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Mr Fola Adeyemi while presenting Mr Ayorinde to the management staff of the Ministry assured the staff of the Ministry that a renewed strength and vigour will be provided by the new leadership to move the creative industry and the tourism value-chain to higher steps on the ladder for productivity and enhanced economic value.

  • N50m fraud: Fraudster clones Ambode’s phone line

    N50m fraud: Fraudster clones Ambode’s phone line

    The Lagos State Government on Tuesday commenced trial of two suspects arraigned for allegedly attempting to defraud the State Government of N50m by cloning the official line of the State Governor, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode.

    The suspects – Rilwanu Jamiu and Balogun Oyewole were arraigned before Justice Sedoten Ogunsanya of the Lagos High Court in Igbosere on three-count charge bordering on the alleged crime.

    Specifically, they are standing trial for alleged possession of fraudulent document, impersonation and attempt to commit felony.

    While testifying before the court, the State’s Accountant General, Mrs Abimbola Shukurat Umar revealed how she received a text message from the suspects on February 10, 2016, purportedly from Governor Ambode, directing her to transfer the sum of N50m to a designated Keystone Bank account.

    Umar, who was led in evidence by the State’s Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Adenijii Kazeem, said she found the message suspicious and highly irregular of the official accounting protocol.

    She said the text prompted her to bring the message to the attention of the Governor, who, after distancing himself from the message, ordered the immediate investigation of the matter.

    The investigation, which was conducted by the Department of State Security (DSS), led to the eventual arrest of the defendants, who were subsequently charged before the court.

    The prosecution also called Mr Wale Odu, Director of DSS, Lagos State Command, to give evidence in the matter.

    In his testimony, Odu confirmed that the investigation leading to the arrest of the defendants was conducted by his team.

    According to him, investigation revealed that the second defendant (Oyewole) is one of the directors and shareholders of a firm, Clayder Limited to whose Keystone Bank account, the N50m fraud money would have been paid.

    The matter was later adjourned to February 14, 2018 for continuation of the trial, while the defendants were to continue to be remanded at the Kirikiri Medium Security Prison.

  • Ambode appoints Ajanaku SA on Information, Strategy

    Ambode appoints Ajanaku SA on Information, Strategy

    Lagos State Governor Akinwumi Ambode has approved the appointment of Mr. Idowu Ajanaku as his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy.

    The appointment is with immediate effect.

    A letter by the Head of Service (HOS), Mrs. Folasade Sidikatu Adesoye, said the appointment is in line with Ambode’s vision to strengthen the state’s information machinery with the aim of making it more people-oriented and effective up to the grassroots.

    Ajanaku, a multiple award-winning journalist and political strategist, was the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Media and Strategy. He is expected to use his wealth of experience to promote the Ambode administration, having worked with Vanguard and The Guardian for over one and a half decades.

    He holds a Bachelor’s degree in History and International Studies (Second Class Upper) from the Lagos State University (LASU) and a Masters degree with distinction in History and Strategic Studies from the prestigious University of Lagos (UNILAG).

    He is also a fellow of Martin Luther King Centre for Leadership.