The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Ambode

  • Residents hail Ambode’s roads repair

    Residents hail Ambode’s roads repair

    Some residents of Abule Egba yesterday lauded Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode for fulfilling his pledge to repair the inner roads used during the construction of Abule Egba Bridge.

    Contractors have moved to site to begin the rehabilitation of the inner roads in Abule Egba including Charity Road.

    The rehabilitation of the roads is expected to further enhance traffic flow in the area, which since the opening of the flyover has improved movement around the axis.

    A resident of Ile-Ogbo in Abule Egba, Mrs Temitope Oyekunle, praised the governor for keeping his words, saying the development has brought relief to people of the area.

    “On the day of the commissioning of the Abule Egba Bridge when Governor Ambode made the pronouncement that our roads would be fixed, personally I expressed doubt judging by the number of projects that have been carried out in our axis by his administration but true to the Governor’s words, contractors moved to site as announced and they are working at a fast pace.

    “I just want to commend the Governor for this and urge him to keep up the good works,” Oyekunle said.

    Another resident, Mr Olakunle Joseph said the quality of work being done on the inner roads was commendable, and it shows the seriousness of the government of the day to truly transform all parts of the State.

    Mrs Tolani Festus, who is a shop owner in the area, said the transformation being witnessed in Abule Egba and its environs was unprecedented in the history of the state.

  • Ambode’s wife cautions against child labour

    Ambode’s wife cautions against child labour

    Wife of the Governor of Lagos State, Mrs Bolanle Ambode, has called on mothers and guardians to pay more attention to the welfare of their children and wards.

    Besides, she enjoined them to stop child labour.

    She made the call yesterday while interacting with reporters at Ikeja, on the celebration of the 2017 World Day against Child Labour.

    Mrs Ambode said child labour was a crime against humanity.

    She said: “Child labour refers to the employment of children in any work that deprives children of the joy of childhood; interferes with their ability to attend regular schools, which is mentally, physically, socially and morally dangerous and harmful to the society. This practice is considered exploitative.

    “Every child should enjoy childhood when they must live in the love and care of their parents.”

    Healthy children, she said, were the future and power-house of any country, stressing that engaging in child labour amounted to spoiling and destroying the future of the children and the country.

    Mrs Ambode recalled that the state is the first in the federation to pass the Child’s Rights Law.

    She enjoined mothers and guidians to always extend love to their children and wards, ensure their enrolment in school and ensure that they grow with good memories of childhood.

    June 12, every year is set aside as World Day Against Child Labour, to raise awareness on the plight of child labourers across the world.

  • …Facts behind emotions

    It all reads like a fairy tale. Bolanle, wife of Lagos State Governor Akinwumi Ambode got the chaplain of Chapel of Christ The Light Alausa, Venerable Femi Taiwo sacked for allegedly disrespecting her during an anointing service on May 14.

    The sacked Chaplain allegedly irked the wrath of the ‘all-powerful’ First Lady when he refused to anoint her ahead of other members of the church. For his audacity, the innocent Chaplain was booted out in 24 hours from his official residence with his hapless family.

    No one will read such a report and not be moved. A ‘common’ chaplain has been relieved of his job for doing virtually nothing wrong. The First Lady, like most elite Nigerians, wanted preferential treatment and stormed out of the Chapel, refusing all entreaties to be appeased.

    It’s all so easy to take sides in a matter of this nature. In fact, most Nigerians have. But it’s better to separate facts from fictions. It’s safer to consider the issue dispassionately without holding brief for either party. It’s nicer to get over the emotive reactions to consider what’s really at stakes.

    Away from the events of that day, where is the evidence the sack had anything to do with the First Lady? Did the sack letter originate from her desk or bear her signature? This is germane to ask because the Chapel also formally stated its day-to-day operation is not under the office of the First Lady. The Ministry of Home Affairs, as it is well-known, coordinates activities of the chapel.

    What beats discerning minds is the desperation to pin the sack on Mrs. Ambode. Could someone somewhere be targeting her to rubbish her husband whose performances in two years even the blind attest to? Why is this coming right on the dot of the administration’s second anniversary? Is there a chance that someone thinks this is a perfect diversion from the good works of the governor?

    This is pertinent to ask instead of allowing emotions to override our reasoning. Can the priest, in all honesty, face God and claim to be above board? If the Lagos State Government hired him, can’t it also fire him?

    To those playing the well-rehearsed religious card, it is necessary to let them know Palace Priests are always vulnerable to such likelihood. God designed the church to act as a check on government. But when the church chooses to align with government, it is always have a bad ending. It creates the infamous ‘CAN, my foot!’ explosion of former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

    If indeed Venerable Taiwo has been wronged, let him leave the battle to God. Isn’t that what they preach to us every Sunday? Now is the time to do the same.

         By Boye Alade

  • Ambode set for low-key birthday celebration

    It was American poet, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, who wrote that the heights reached and kept by great men were not attained by a sudden flight. While their companions slept, they were up at night, toiling. Longfellow’s assertion is a reflection of both the character and rise of Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, from relative obscurity to the leadership of the richest state in Nigeria.

    Even while he worked his way up as an assistant treasurer in a local government, Ambode was tenacious and unrelenting, focusing on his goals and aspirations with supreme concentration. And the higher he rose, the more his humility and sense of responsibility.

    Since he assumed the mantle of the leadership of Lagos State, Governor Ambode has set about putting smiles on the faces of residents with a string of projects that have made him the toast of Lagosians, who have been singing his praises.

    The unassuming number one man in Lagos and loving husband of Bolanle Ambode turns 54 on June 14. But rather than throw a lavish birthday party, the humble governor is likely to seize the chance to once more demonstrate his love for humanity as he has been doing for the past few years. For the third year running, he plans to use his birthday to raise awareness and funds for the fight against cancer.

  • Ambode pledges inclusive growth in Lagos development

    Ambode pledges inclusive growth in Lagos development

    Lagos State Governor Akinwunmi Ambode has restated the commitment of his administration to ensure all-inclusive growth in its developmental agenda.

    Ambode spoke at this year’s Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation (WAPA) Connect Conference with the theme: Fostering Domestic Harmony Through Multi-Perspective Analysis and Graphic Display/Entrepreneurship in the 21st Century.

    The governor said the conference, which was organised for grassroots women, in was in furtherance of its inclusive growth policy.

    He said: “This essentially demonstrates our commitment to build a Lagos that works for all, irrespective of gender and socio-economic status.”

    Ambode, who was represented by Deputy Governor Dr Oluranti Adebule, said violence against women and the girl-child led to the establishment of the Domestic Violence Response Team (DSVRT) as well as the Mirabel Centre to assuage victims and enable them adjust to normal life.

    The governor’s wife Mrs. Bolanle Ambode said Lagos State believes women’s economic empowerment is crucial to poverty alleviation and domestic harmony.

    She said: “All efforts, therefore, must be geared towards interventions to address issues about women in the state.”

    Commissioner for Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation Mrs. Lola Akande said the intention of the conference was to bring together leading and experienced women in private and public sectors to share and exchange experiences about issues on gender inequalities.

    The ministry, Mrs Akande said, had made direct impact on the community through critical intervention and organised programmes to end violence against women.

    She SAID: “To this end, the Lagos State government, through the Ministry, has trained women in skills (tuition free), using presently 17 functional Skill acquisition centres spread over the five divisions of the state, namely Ikorodu, Badagry, Ikeja, Lagos Island and Epe.”

  • Lagos committed to building world class public service, says Ambode

    Lagos committed to building world class public service, says Ambode

    The Lagos State governor, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode, has expressed his determination to build a public service peopled by workers willing to deploy their leadership potentials in the greater good of the state.

    He said this is the only way the state workforce can continue to retain its leadership position in the country.

    He urged public workers to be willing to initiate actions, maximise efficiency of time and resources, provide guidance and instill confidence in the citizens, concerning the policies and programmes of the government.

    Ambode made this known while drawing the curtain on a five-day training for the newly employed officers of the state at the Public Service Staff Development Centre, Magodo, Lagos.

    The governor, who was represented by the Commissioner for Establishments, Training and Pensions, Dr Akintola Benson Oke, said to achieve this, he would continue to increase access of all categories of officers to training and retraining in order to ensure that adequate capacity needed to drive the smart city ideals to push the state forward are imbibed by all.

    Oke, in a speech titled: Preparing for a career in the Lagos State public service, delivered by the ministry’s Permanent Secretary Mr Senayon Hundeyin, the governor expressed  hope that the training had exposed the workers to essential problem solving skills needed to excel in the public service.

    “By this training, we hope you have been exposed to how you can develop the mind set needed to deploying these skills as this is mandatory for your success in a rapidly changing world as this is in our quest to build a public service of our dreams.”

    In his remarks, PSSDC’s Acting Director-General, Mr. Olufunmi Ajose-Harrison, said the induction, which was the third in the series, was organised for 220 workers that cut across all Ministries, Department and Agencies of the state.

    The course, according to him, was primarily designed to re-orientate the new entrants into the state public service about laid down procedures and familiarise them with the work environment.

    He said the training has exposed the new officers to the vision and strategies of the government, the rules and regulations guiding their conduct in public service, delineate public finance techniques and the management of government resources and the development of requisite skills to improve their career in the public service.

  • Ambode has revolutionalised governance in Lagos—Razak

    Ambode has revolutionalised governance in Lagos—Razak

    Chief Lanre Razak is a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos East Senatorial district. In this interview with EMMANUEL OLADESU, he speaks on the Ambode administration in the last two years and preparation for the local government elections.

    How will you rate the Governor Akinwunmi Ambode administration in Lagos state so far?

    If Governor Ambode were to be a student in your class, what grade will you give  him? Distinction, I believe. He has performed wonderfully well and all that he requires is the support of everybody to continue this magical feat he is performing. You can imagine how many bridges, roads, lay bys that he has built in a short time to eliminate traffic bottlenecks in Lagos; save man hours making it possible for the transporters to be making quick turn around and this is a lot of achievement. There are certain things you may not consider serious in governance but the governor has introduced scientific approach in resolving hitherto traffic problems in Alapere, Oworoshoki and Third Mainland Bridge. All these he achieved in two years, a period that other people would have been settling down for real governance. He has also commissioned the two newly-built bridges in Ajah and Abule-Egba to help reduce travel time and boost economic activities within the corridors. He has been working round the clock to make Lagos globally competitive city-state, by improving connectivity in the state and providing permanent solutions to the challenge of ensuring a free-flow of traffic within the city. If you visit the Lekki axis now, the Jubilee Bridge has eliminated the traffic jam usually experienced in the area. We want to thank God for his life, we want to thank God for what the governor has done so far and  pray God will give him good health and wisdom to continue the good job in the next two years and beyond.

    Are there lessons that other governors can learn from Lagos state especially in revenue generation?

    Mr. Ambode is a financial wizard and the way he has been doing it and implementing people-oriented projects, I believe other governors have a lot to learn and borrow a leaf from him. From his achievements, it is difficult to tell that he is a financial expert, also a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria, ICAN, or an engineer. If you move round the state there is no area of governance that he is not touching positively and making steady progress. I believe strongly that other state governors are watching and will like to emulate him. Take for example the LAKE Rice project, which is a joint venture between Lagos and Kebbi states to ensure there is food security in both states and reducing the cost of rice. That is why we don’t feel the pinch of the existing ban on importation of rice through the land borders seriously in Lagos state because of Ambode’s LAKE Rice.

    What are your reflections on Lagos at 50?

    In the past 50 years, Lagos state has been lucky to have men with good vision and commitment to run her affairs both military and civilian. Take for example the Alhaji Lateef Jakande administration started very well and recorded tremendous achievements for everyone to see even today decades after he left office. The next civilian government was led by Sir Michael Otedola now of blessed memory who was there for two years. Also, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu came on board in May 1999, you can still see the wonders he performed. He laid the solid foundation upon which immediate past governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, SAN and the incumbent Mr. Ambode are excelling in governance. Recall that the annual budget of Lagos state increased by over 1000percent when Asiwaju Tinubu became governor. Then people especially taxpayers were worried that there would be additional tax burden on them but that didn’t happen. What he did was to plug existing loopholes and leakages in the revenue collection system and the money saved government made available for the provision of basic needs of the people. I know that Ambode is using that platform excellently because he was a civil servant then and working seriously on it. This year, we have N800billion budget for Lagos state which is the highest by any state government. When he unveiled the budget estimate, some people thought it was not possible to propose such a high figure but the governor has proved that it is indeed possible and achievable. Out of the amount, only 40percent of the targeted revenue is coming from the Federation Account while the remaining 60percent is being sourced from the internally generated revenue, IGR and the government is doing a wonderful job. What Tinubu did then I recall was to have a strong man to chair Lagos State Internal Revenue Service in person of Mr. Tunde Fowler who is now performing the same feat at the federal level as chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service. We in Lagos are lucky to have had Tinubu who introduced a sound and efficient financial mechanism to place Lagos at very high level financially and his successors have not disappointed but improved tremendously on his foundation.

    What are your expectations about the forthcoming local government elections in the state?

    Luckily, the APC will walk over every other political party because the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP is dead. They were voted to power but members of the party didn’t know how to manage their success and they destroyed everything and no serious politically minded person who saw what PDP did to this country between 1999 and 2015 will stand for PDP again. That is the problem, they will not stand for the party but I can assure you that the APC will record 100 percent victory during the council poll.

    What is the assurance that those who would be elected chairmen would complement the work of the governor at the grassroots level?

    I can assure you that those elected on the platform of the APC will queue behind to deliver democracy dividends to the people. All the chairmen and councilors coming on board are already seeing the wonderful achievements of Governor Ambode, they must emulate the governor and provide quality leadership and good governance in their respective local governments and local council development areas. And the governor has provided a mechanism to ensure delivery of  quality governance and be rest assured that all our chairmen and councilors will definitely perform excellently.

  • Abducted students’ parents storm Ambode’s office

    Abducted students’ parents storm Ambode’s office

    Parents of the kidnapped students of the Lagos State Model College, Igbonla, Epe, stormed the office of the state Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode on Wednesday and demanded the release of their abducted children.

    Six students were abducted from their hostels about 14 days ago by gunmen in police uniform.

    The parents, some of whom could not hold back tears, said the kidnappers informed them on Tuesday that four of their children are now sick.

    The kidnappers also told the parents they would no longer negotiate or allowed them to speak with the children, insisting that they wanted to negotiate with the government.

    The parents urged the state government to do something urgently about their children’s plights.

    A woman, who craved for anonymity, begged the government to get her child identified as Isiaka out of the kidnappers’ den.

    Mrs. Toyin Philips, mother of one of the abducted students, Pelumi, wept profusely and demanded government’s intervention in the matter.

    She said: “I want my son back. I sent my son to the school because there was no money. If I had the money they are demanding for, would I have sent my son to that school?”

    “We are the one negotiating with the kidnappers. The kidnappers said they wanted N100 million. Government, please, don’t let our children die. Ensure their release today,” lamented another parent, Mrs. Agbaosi, whose son Judah, was among those kidnapped.

    The Spokesman of the parents, Mr. Dapo Adesega, lamented that their children had been with the kidnappers for 14 days and that government had not deemed it necessary to communicate with them.

    “If you don’t communicate with us, how do we know that government cares for our plight? If we had not come here today, we won’t have heard anything from the government,” he told government officials sent to address them.

    “Nobody from the government has come to us since the incident occurred two weeks ago. We did not come here with placards because we want government to help us. Please, government should help us. We have been trying to negotiate with the kidnappers but they rejected our offer because it is too small.”

     

     

  • Road construction: Residents laud Ambode

    Residents of Ikuomola Street in Alimosho Local Government Area have praised Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, over the construction of their road.

    They spoke yesterday when the Special Adviser to the Governor and Chief Executive Officer of Lagos State Public Works Corporation (LSPWC), Mr. Ayotunde Sodeinde led officials of the corporation to inspect the construction.

    A resident, Mrs Olawunmi Caroline, said the governor’s intervention would put an end to the age long suffering residents in the area have been going through.

    “This road was in a deplorable state that even okada riders refused to ply once it rains. Our children that go to school have fallen inside the flood, besides no vehicle can come into the street, but everything changed recently when we saw bulldozer coming into the street to commence construction.”

    She said since then, the excitement of residents has known bounds, adding that the road when completed would boost economic activities of the people living there.

    Another resident, Folashade Adeboye, who owns a property on the street, said it was the first time a functional road was being constructed in the street.

    “I have lived here since 1982 and this is the first time that road is being constructed here. I am particularly excited because the values of our properties will appreciate.”

    Sodeinde said work commenced on the road in February adding that the road will be delivered before the end of the month.

    “When we first came to look at the road we could not drive in as the whole street was flooded. But we can see from what the residents are saying that the situation has now changed.

    “I honestly did not know how this road was discovered by the governor, this can tell you that he is a man that has his eyes everywhere in the state and has promised to spread development to all,” he said.

  • Ambode promises more dividends of democracy

    Ambode promises more dividends of democracy

    Lagos State Governor Akinwunmi Ambode has promised to provide more dividends of democracy to the citizens of the state. He made the promise during the Lagos at 50 celebration by the three local governments –Oshodi,Isolo and Ejigbo – which held at the Youth Centre, Ejigbo.

    Ambode, who was represented by his Special Adviser on Communication and Communities, Hon Kehinde Bamigbetan, said he would not let the people of the state down, adding that Lagos would cater for all, whether they are from the state or not.

    He said Lagos has come this far because of some good citizens of the state who are law-abiding, pay their taxes regularly, protect government’s properties and assist their neighbours.

    Ejigbo Local Council Government Area (LCDA) Sole Administrator Hon Ibrahim Adigun and his counterparts in Oshodi and Isolo were at the event. Adigun urged the people of Ejigbo on the need to be more obedient and be supportive of his administration, thanking for their assistance.

    The event was spiced with march-pasts by artisans, traditional dances by the Ibo Atilogun, masquerade displays, among others. The people of the LGAs wore a uniform dress specially  designed for the occasion.