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Tag: Ambode

  • Ambode okays expansion of 7km Tinubu road to four-lane

    Ambode okays expansion of 7km Tinubu road to four-lane

    GOVERNOR Akinwunmi Ambode yesterday approved the expansion of the 7km Igbo- Bola Ahmed Tinubu-Igbe road in Igbogbo-Bayeku Local Council Development Area (LCDA) of Lagos State to four-lane so as to reduce travel time within the council.

    Ambode, who spoke at a stakeholders meeting held to seek the support and co-operation of the various segments of the society and community leaders during the reconstruction period, stressed that rehabilitating the age-long road would go a long way to improve economic activities within the council and reduce the burden on Lagos mainland axis of the state.

    Represented by Commissioner for Commerce, Industry and Co-operatives, Rotimi Ogunleye, the governor explained that the road construction was part of the infrastructure development vision for the state. He noted that the road, aside opening up the Igbogbo- Igbe road for residential and commercial activities, will improve public safety through reduction in travel time, vehicle maintenance and transportation cost leading finally to an overall better standard of living.

    Ambode also said that the road will serve as a link to Ijede, Gberigbe, Imota where the State Government has established a Rice Mill turning out 32,000 metric tonnes daily an Industrial Park.

  • Residents laud Ambode as Lake Rice sales begin

    Residents laud Ambode as Lake Rice sales begin

    Lagos residents yesterday hailed the government following the commencement of the sale of Lake Rice in designated centres across the state

    At the Agricultural Development Authority (ADA) in Agege, one of the designated sale centres, people were seen buying the item at 50kg for N12,000, 25kg for N6,000 and 10kg for N2500.

    The government, which allowed only one bag per person, stated last week that the sale was in anticipation of the Eid-el-Kabir celebration.

    A Veterinary Doctor, Bayo Olufunwa, commended the orderly manner with which the sale was handled, saying that it did not take him too long to buy the rice.

    He said: “I have been buying this Lake Rice since inception when they started selling it in this area and I find the rice very good, very delicious. In fact it is better than the other rice I am used to.

    “As regards the organisation of buying, there was a bit of hiccup initially but the concerned authorities came and did everything needed to be done systematically and people are buying and are going freely.”

    Mrs Ojo, from Orile Agege, thanked Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, saying apart from its pocket friendly price, the rice was “also delicious.”

    “I just bought the rice and I must commend Governor Ambode. This is evident that the governor is passionate about the interest and welfare of the people.

    “We were treated very well by officials at the sales centre and the process was orderly. When I got there, we were asked to put down our names and they used the list to call us inside where we used our ATM Card to pay after which we were directed to the store to pick the rice with the ticket they gave us after payment,” she explained.

    Mrs. Adefemi Bilikis, who said she was surprised at how fast she was able to buy the item, encouraged others interested to go to any of the sale centres close to them to buy the rice.

    While explaining the process, the Agric Extension Officer in charge of Agege Depot, Ajayi Folayemi Musiliu said the state government had more than enough rice to sell to residents, adding that adequate measures were in place to ensure hitch-free sales.

    “Since we started, we have been able to put the crowd under control by asking them to put down their names. We have a hall where we tell them to sit and then we call them in batches of 20 and they will go towards the three POS that we have and they pay with their ATM. No cash, nothing but your ATM.”

    “Officials of the State Treasury Office (STO) will take the ATM into the POS and after that, you register and then you are taken to our two stores one for 50kg and the other for 25kg to pick the item.

    “With that, we are able to diffuse crowd trouble and as I am talking to you now, we have attended to over 100 people from that list. It is under control and we are happy about it.

    “Right now, we have five trucks of 50kg and there are 600 bags in a truck which translate to 3000 bags and I still have two other trucks waiting. For the 25kg, it is 1200 bags in one truck and I have done three and that is 3600. In essence, we have more than enough bags to sell to residents,” Ajayi said.

  • Ambode advises NYSC members on community development

    Ambode advises NYSC members on community development

    Lagos State Governor Akinwunmi Ambode has urged members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) to embark on development projects to impact positively on their host communities.

    The governor spoke yesterday at the NYSC Orientation Camp at Iyana Ipaja at the formal closing of this year’s Batch ‘A’ Stream II orientation course for corps members deployed to the state.

    Ambode, who was represented by the Commissioner for Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Relations, Mr Oluseye Oladejo, said the NYSC scheme impacted positively on the socio-economic development of the country, particularly the rural communities, through community development projects by its members.

    The governor urged the Corps members to ensure that the tradition was not only sustained but raised higher for those coming behind them.

    He described the induction course as a foundation for the national service, adding that corps members displayed a high sense of commitment, dedication and discipline throughout the orientation course.

    Ambode urged corps members to be diligent, dedicated and law-abiding in the discharge of their duties.

    The governor advised them to shun truancy and other forms of anti-social behaviours.

    He said: “I assure you that as you move into the various communities, you will find the environment conducive to live and work in.”

    Ambode implored employers to assign challenging duties to corps members and see them not as birds of passage or tools to be used and discarded.

    The governor pledged to always support the NYSC and improve the welfare of corps members serving in the state.

    He added: “On our part as a government, we shall continue to support the NYSC to achieve its objectives and the welfare needs of corps members serving in Lagos State shall continue to be our priority. We shall continue to give the youths the deserved opportunity to express themselves and contribute to the development of the state.”

    NYSC’s State Coordinator Prince Mohammed Momoh said the outgoing corps members would make great impact in the development of the state.

    He said: “I have no doubt in my mind that they will make a great impact in the development of Lagos State, not only by creating jobs for themselves but also by employing others.”

  • Inner Wheel to Ambode: build cancer centres

    The Inner Wheel Club, a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), has urged the Lagos State Government to build one cancer centre in each of the five old divisional areas of the state: Epe, Badagry, Ikeja, Lagos Island and Ikorodu.

    Mrs Fathiat Rufai, the 34th District Chairman of the Club, made the appeal in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.

    Rufai condemned the rate at which cancer was claiming the lives of people, especially women, across the country.

    “This is not encouraging; it is saddening. We need to create avenues to reduce the death rate of cancer in the state and across the country.

    “That is the reason why the organisation is calling on the Lagos State Government to help in building cancer centres in the five old divisional areas of the state.

    Rufai lamented at the increasing rate at which cancer was claiming the lives of people especially women across the country.

    “This is not encouraging; it is sadden. We need to create avenue to reduce the death rate of cancer in the state and across the country.

    “That is the reason why the organisation is calling on Lagos State Government to help in building cancer centres across the divisional areas of the state.

    “It will give patients the opportunity to have quick and easy access to where they can have treatment at early stage before getting worst,’’ she said.

    Rufai said that the NGO recently had a road show awareness on cancer in Lagos, which was part of the organisation’s project for this year.

    “Early detection of cancer can still be cured, therefore, women once they notice any strange lumps in their breasts or any part of their bodies should report to the clinic immediately.

    “Cancer kills; it has claimed lives of several women in the society. We are not happy about this occurrence,’’ she said.

    She urged the government to be proactive in addressing the disease in the state and across the society by providing cancer centres across the city.

    “We want the Lagos State Government to come to women’s aid by providing early solution to this disease.

    “We are your mothers, your wives, sisters, aunties and daughters, therefore, you need to come to our rescue in providing solutions to this disease at an early stage through building of cancer centres, and equipping them  with modern equipment and facilities,’’ she said.

     

  • Ambode approves second phase of CodeLagos

    Ambode approves second phase of CodeLagos

    •Governor to launch 300 new code centres Sept.

    Lagos State Governor Akinwunmi Ambode has approved the implementation of the second phase of CodeLagos project, which will be launched in September.

    The approval is coming on the heels of the successful implementation of the pilot phase of the project in which 5,464 pupils of primary and secondary schools across the state were trained.

    A statement yesterday by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Education, Obafela Bank-Olemoh, said 65 schools, comprising government and private, took part in the pilot phase.

    The statement said: “The training has delivered to the pupils critical life skills, including basic computing, computational thinking and use of basic computer programming tools, like Scratch and python, over a period of eight weeks. The feedbacks have been inspiring.

    “Of the 65 schools in the pilot, 23 are government-owned, of which seven are girls’ only, while two others are boys’ only.”

    The statement added that the experience and knowledge garnered from the pilot phase enabled the Ministry of Education to assess and fine-tune the framework and implementation model of the project for future rollout.

    It said: “This pilot phase has helped us to test our assumptions and implementation plans. We have observed what worked and what did not. We would put them into consideration for future rollout beginning with the next batch in September.”

    Also, the government has concluded plans to roll out the project in state-owned public libraries to ensure access to CodeLagos classes for more residents, especially those out of the conventional schools system, to benefit from it.

    Bank-Olemoh said more Lagos residents would take part in the training at any public library.

  • Ambode empowers 2,000 persons living with disabilities

    Lagos State Government yesterday distributed assistive technologies and mobility aids to over 2,000 Persons Living with Disabilities (PLWDs) in the state.

    Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, who was represented by his Deputy, Dr Idiat Adebule, said the state government has also concluded plans to employ 250 physically-challenged persons into the civil service and local government.

    Among the items distributed included brand new 30-seater Hyundai and 12-seater Hyundai Buses, 500 White Canes, 1 Index Express Embosser with Duxbury Braille Translation Software, 10 Accessible Desktop Computers With Jaws Screen Reader, 20 Tactile Metric Sets, 100 Taylor Frame, 60 Magic White Boards, six Magnetic Boards, 300 Wheel Chairs, 50 Special Wheel Chairs (Rough Riders for people with Spinal Cord Injury), and 25 Computer sets for people living with hearing impairment.

    In addition, 10 Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) dealing with issues of disability in the state were given N500, 000 each as grants, while 500 people with disabilities received N100,000 each as financial empowerment.

    Ambode explained that the gesture was aimed at moving them away from the charitable model of empowerment to a model that would make PLWDs self-reliant and wealth creators.

    Other physically-challenged bodies and individuals who are not captured in the first phase, he said, would be captured in the future.

    The development, he said, confirms the commitment of his administration to demonstrate in practical terms the commitment to ensure an all-inclusive government and to empower persons living with disabilities to become wealth creators and employers of labour.

    He said: “To reinforce our determination to support persons living with disabilities to realise their dream, a N500million Trust Fund was established last year on the first anniversary of this government for the welfare of persons with disabilities in Lagos State. This was followed with the inauguration of a board to ensure judicious management of the Fund.”

     Commissioner for Youth and Social Development, Mrs Uzamat Akinbile-Yusuf said the gesture would go a long way in enhancing the productivity of this category of persons and also facilitate their contributions to the socio-economic development of the state.

    She maintained that in line with the social inclusion policy of the state government, the administration of Akinwunmi Ambode will continue to ensure that the rights of PLWDs are protected and promoted through relevant policies and programmes.

    She said the gesture would reduce the menace of street begging across the state.

    The Commissioner urged the beneficiaries to see the empowerment as an opportunity to break away from the shackle of poverty by making judicious use of the grants and other assistive aids provided for them.

    “Beneficiaries of this gesture of the state government must imbibe the spirit of giving and contributions to society and see themselves as instrument of positive change,” she said.

  • Ambode calls for investment in wastewater management

    Ambode calls for investment in wastewater management

    Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode has urged investors to take advantage of the various opportunities in the state wastewater management. Governor Ambode gave the charge yesterday at a summit organised by the State Wastewater Management office in Ikeja, Lagos.

    The governor who was represented by the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Environment, Mr. Abiodun Bamgboye, said stock taking of wastewater management in the state has shown that the huge potential in the sector remained untapped.

    According to him, “The wastewater sector is a multi-billion naira industry which needs to be properly harnessed and tapped. The current population of over 22 million and existing wastewater infrastructural deficit of over 90 percent is a veritable opportunity for discerning investors and international companies in the sector.”

    Earlier, in his address, the Commissioner for  Environ-ment, Dr. Samuel Babatunde Adejare who was represented by the General Manager, Lagos State Parks and Gardens Agency, Mrs. Abimbola Jijoho-Ogun said there was still more to desire in a mega city that has moved from the use of pail latrines and night-soil systems by 85 percent of the State’s population.

    He further said the theme of the event – Wastewater Management in Lagos State: Charting a New Vision – identifies the improper wastewater management system that will ultimately lead to the spread and pollution of the environment as the government continues to pursue the goals of achieving an environment that is safe, secure and healthy across the State.

    Adejare, said a lot still needs to be done in order to adequately reposition the wastewater sector, expressing optimism that the recent passage of the Environmental Management and Protection Law 2017 and the attendant setting up of the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps (LAGSEC) will help actualise the objective.

    Also, speaking at the workshop, the Chief of Party Stop Diarrhea Initiative, David Atamewanen said the summit was a follow-up to the organisation’s support for the harmonisation of the WASH policy retreat previously held in Lagos state in a bid to chart a new course for wastewater management in terms of recycling and reusing for a cleaner and safer environment which could drastically reduce childhood diarrhea and other water borne diseases in Lagos state.

    Atamewanen who was represented by the organization’s Advocacy Adviser, Folake Kuti, said the Save the Children stop diarrhea project is collaborating with the Lagos state government for a sustainable prevention and control of diarrhea in the state which has the second highest childhood diarrhea infection after Oyo state in the south west of Nigeria.

  • Lagos spent N15bn on security in 2016-Ambode

    Lagos State spent N15billion last year on security, Governor Akinwunmi Ambode has stated.

    He spoke at a dinner in honour of the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, who was on a two-day working visit to the state.

    Ambode pointed out security, being one of the tripods upon which his administration is built, has improved drastically since he assumed office

    He attributed the development to the sustainability of the Lagos State Security Trust Fund (LSSTF), which has helped to champion funding of security agencies to carry out effective policing.

    Recommending the LSSTF model to other states, Ambode said the initiative has gotten serious buy-in by the public, revealing the private sector contributed over N5billion of the N15billion expended last year on security.

    The governor said: “There is no way the private sector would do that if they don’t believe in the cause of our Security Trust Fund.

    “So I want to recommend it also to others. It is something that could work in other states.”

    Ambode commended Idris for his commitment to ensure effective policing across the country, especially in Lagos.

    He urged him to continue to do more in that regard.

    Idris said that despite the cosmopolitan nature of the state that makes policing difficult, officers posted to Lagos were enjoying the very best in terms of equipment and welfare.

    He said the visit afforded him the opportunity to learn more strategies adopted in the business of securing lives and property.

  • We spent N15bn to beef up security in 2016- Ambode

    We spent N15bn to beef up security in 2016- Ambode

    Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode on Friday evening said the State Government spent over N15billion last year to beef up security and ensure the safety of lives and property.

    Governor Ambode, who spoke at a dinner held at the Lagos House in Ikeja, in honour of the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Ibrahim Idris, who was on a two-day working visit to the State, said security, being one of the tripods upon which he administration is built, has improved drastically since he assumed office.

    He attributed the development to the sustainability of the Lagos State Security Trust Fund (LSSTF), a template, he said has helped to champion funding of security agencies to carry out effective policing across the State.

    “Like the IGP said yesterday, the template of which we are using to run the Security Trust Fund is worthy of emulation and he has also averred that they would like to replicate it in other parts of the country and also for men of the Nigeria Police Force,” the Governor said.

    Recommending the LSSTF model to other States, Governor Ambode said the initiative has gotten serious buy-in by the public, revealing that out of the N15billion spent on security last year, the private sector contributed over N5billion.

    The Governor particularly commended the efforts of former Inspector General of Police, Mr. Musiliu Smith, who is the Chairman of the LSSTF, saying that the model he midwifed in 2007 has changed the face of security in the State.

    “That same template that he (Smith) brought to Lagos that we have continued to use in the last 14 years and it’s been working and in different forums, he has shared how he started it and how we have also improved on it.

    “For us to be having the private sector, just to give you a very clear example, as at last year, we have spent as a government close to the region of N10billion, but the private sector has actually contributed more than N5billion of their own money into the Security Trust Fund.

    “There is no way the private sector would do that if they don’t believe in the cause of our Security Trust Fund. So I want to recommend it also to others, it is something that could work in other States. Like you said, funding is a major issue for security in this country and then we can have partnerships with the private and public sector to also help in securing the country,” Governor Ambode said.

    Stressing that security remains fundamental to the development of the nation’s economy, the Governor assured that the State Government would continue to support the Police and other security agencies.

    Besides, Governor Ambode also commended the IGP for his commitment to ensure effective policing across the country and especially in Lagos, however urging him to continue to do more in that regard.

    “What we are doing tonight is in honour of the IGP as a testimony of our affection and acceptance to the quality of service he has continued to render to this country and most especially Lagos State.

    “I would like to say a big thank you for having that deep interest in Lagos and that you should never set your eyes off all the activities of Lagos.

    “We believe strongly that if Lagos is peaceful, here would be life in other parts of the country. I believe the task ahead is greater than the things that you have achieved in just a few months that you have been there and I believe you would make your own mark just like your predecessors,” the Governor said.

    Earlier, IGP Ibrahim Idris said that despite the cosmopolitan nature of the State that makes policing difficult, officers posted to Lagos were enjoying the very best in terms of equipment and welfare.

    He said the visit afforded him the opportunity to learn more strategies adopted by the State Government in the business of securing lives and property.

    “Like I said, Lagos has been a sort of pace setting State for us, it has given some areas that we are tapping from.

    “What I want to say is that possibly by the time we want to implement the Security Trust Fund, we are still going to tap from one of the Lagosians here, a retired Inspector General, for us to gain from his wisdom in that area,” he said.

    The IGP said he was highly honoured by the reception given to him since he arrived, saying that the hospitality of Lagosians was second to none.

    “I have been overwhelmed since I came to this State. I doubt if there is any other State that has this kind of hospitality that we have seen since yesterday (Thursday). Honestly, I am overwhelmed and I appreciate all the attention that we have received both from the royal fathers and from your office.

    “Virtually everybody in Lagos is very enterprising, you can feel the friendliness in the atmosphere, I want to thank all of you for the support you have given our police force and obviously for the support you are giving our officers on the ground,” the IGP said.

  • Ambode seeks NERC’s approval for power generation

    Ambode seeks NERC’s approval for power generation

    Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, on Friday led a delegation from the state to the National Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), Abuja, to get approval for generation of 3,000Megawatt of electricity in the state.

    The governor said the problem of power generation can no longer be left to the Federal Government alone.

    He also noted that the aspiration to create a secure and prosperous nation that is globally competitive would be difficult to achieve without stable power supply.

    He said: “While the Federal Government continues in its efforts to resolve the power crisis, it has become clear that the problems in the energy sector can no longer be left to the federal government alone to solve.

    “Upon my assumption of office, I made power generation one of my cardinal programmes in Lagos State. Within the first few months in office, our government initiated the Light-Up Lagos Programme as a platform to drive sustainable intervention in street lighting, rural electrification and embedded power.

    “Embedded power was designed as our flagship programme for direct intervention in the power value chain towards achieving a 24-hour power for Lagos.

    “Lagos State has always demonstrated its capacity and willingness to play a leading role in resolving the power sector challenges in the state, subject to the limit of the federal authority allowed regulations.

    “Having succeeded in powering government facilities, the next level of intervention for our government is to collaborate with other stakeholders in the power sector to design and implement a roadmap for uninterrupted power supply to homes and businesses in Lagos State.”

    According to him, the draft of the Lagos State Embedded Power Bill was finalised in May 2017 and submitted to the NERC for clearance before same can be forwarded to the State House of Assembly.

    The governor added: “The stakeholders’ meeting holding today (Friday) is a continuation of the ongoing engagement between NERC and the Lagos State Government on the Lagos State Embedded Power Programme.

    “We are convinced that the offer by our government to deploy the state’s balance sheet in support of power generation, transmission, distribution, gas supply, metering, collection and enforcement in Lagos State will significantly relieve the national grid and free more energy for distribution to other parts of Nigeria.

    “The proposed power programme will generate up to 3,000MW of power through accelerated deployment of various power plants in strategic locations across the state by private sector power providers within three to six years.”

    The state government, he said, would issue guarantees in support of the Power Purchase Agreements that would be signed between the distribution companies and the private sector embedded power providers to enhance bankability of the projects.