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Tag: Ambode

  • Ambode to Baales: ‘Collude with criminals, be dethroned’

    Ambode to Baales: ‘Collude with criminals, be dethroned’

    Any Baales or chiefs found to be collaborating with militants and other criminals to destabilise Lagos State would have their title revoked, dethroned and prosecuted, Governor Akinwunmi Ambode has said.

    “Once you (the chiefs) are identified, you are gone,” he added.

    Reading the riot act to hundreds of Baales and chiefs at the Adeyemi Bero Hall, Ambode said the government would not fold its arms while some unscrupulous elements collude with hoodlums to make the state ungovernable.

    He spoke through the Commissioner for Local Government and Community Affairs Mr Muslim Folami.

    Folami said the meeting with all the Part II and Part III Baales and chiefs was sequel to the one organised at the palace of the Ayangbure of Ikorodu, Oba Kabiru Shotobi penultimate weekend where the Commissioner of Police Fatai Owoseni revealed that security reports had indicted some of the chiefs of aiding and abetting the militants in causing mayhem in the division.

    The discovery, according to Folami, made the government to resolve to apply the full weights of the law henceforth against any Baale or chiefs caught colluding with any criminal in the state.

    “To show you how serious we were, the governor directed that we summon all of you from all the five divisions of the state to inform you of our resolve as a government to protect lives and properties of all Lagosians and in doing this, we would deal decisively with anyone found colluding with criminals to disturb the peace-loving people of Lagos.”

    Early this month, militants had stormed the riverside community of Ishawo, in Ikorodu, killing a military captain, five other policemen and dozens of residents.

    Only recently, rival cult gangs had overrun some streets in Mushin causing mayhem, killing and destroying people’s properties.

    He said the government would continue to invest in the security architecture of the state with a view to being responsive to the safety needs of the people.

    “The Lagos State Neighbourhood Safety Corps, which we just established is another initiative by the government to secure all neighbourhoods from attacks from kidnappers, cultists, militants, vandals and other criminals threatening the peace of the state,” he said.

    He admonished all chiefs and Baales to be fully committed to helping the government to nip the spate of violence in the bud and not to join hands with undesirable elements to destroy the state.

    Folami also addressed the issue of land grabbing; urging these chiefs and community leaders to eschew greed, adding that anyone caught fomenting trouble in any part of the state would no longer be spared.

    In their response, the Baales and chiefs urged the government not to hesitate to flush out undesirable elements.

    One of the Baales, the Alakan of Imota Chief Abudu Sani, also called for transparency in the war against crime, alleging that some unscrupulous elements within the police also collude with criminals to destabilise their various communities.

    He said the Baales and chiefs would continue to collaborate with the government in order to sanitise the state.

  • Ambode’s advice

    Ambode’s advice

    •Time to address the disparate forex rates and high interest rates

    First it came from the lips of the Lagos State governor, Akinwunmi Ambode. A couple of days after, it was echoed by former Central Bank governor, Chukwuma Soludo. Governor Ambode made the prescient remark at the opening of the headquarters of Providus Bank in Lagos. He canvassed for the convergence in the foreign exchange (forex) rates and also interest rates’ reduction: “While we are delighted that…efforts have contributed to this resurgence of the economy, there is still more to be done. The next steps are to achieve a convergence in the forex rates, force down inflation to a single digit and reduce interest rates. These will enable more business people to access funds and meet their obligations.”
    At the Economic Discourse organised by the Institute of Chartered Accountants, Soludo spoke on the need to get the country out of the current multiple exchange rates’ regime and reduce the widespread disparity between the official and parallel market exchange rates of the naira to a maximum of three to five per cent, warning that: “the uncertainty that is created by that is so enormous”.
    We must admit that the two issues have been with us for a long time. Indeed, they lie at the heart of the grave distortions that continue to plague the Nigerian economy; the unfortunate paradox of a country said to be hungry for development but presses on with policies designed to achieve the exact opposite. Like other matters wrong with the macro-economy, the issues are such that the managers of the economy have long acknowledged but have fallen miserably short when it came to doing the needful.
    What we require at this time is a new paradigm that puts the nation’s long-term strategic interests aggressively forward. Unfortunately, none of those interests are being served as far as we can see. For instance, at the current lending rate of above 20 percent, the local business stands no chance against its foreign counterparts where rates are known to be as low as one percent. And this is aside the stifling infrastructure challenge, all of which make the Nigerian environment the giant killer that it is currently.
    The same can also be said of the current forex regime. It is, as one would imagine of a typically laissez-faire regulatory environment where smart operators have free rein to game the system to the detriment of the real sector and, by extension, the larger economy. The result is that those who badly need forex to bring in equipment and raw materials are denied access, while speculators and all manner of emergency forex dealers seem to have more than enough.
    Like every developing economy, particularly one caught in the vortex of rapid transition, we know that changes won’t happen simply by wishing them. They have to be made to happen. In this, the government, via the regulatory authorities must be seen to drive the process. While we agree that inflation needs to be contained, the current obsession of the apex bank with inflation targeting – under which it continues to hike the minimum lending rate – has not proven helpful to the local business that must compete in an unequal space.
    It is high time the CBN addressed the problem in a sustainable way. The same with the forex situation. Forex convergence, an ideal, would also not happen as long as it is profitable to game the system. It would not happen in an environment which offers bumper rewards for speculation as against wealth creation. With current modest improvement in the price of oil, the least the CBN can do is sustain the current momentum by making sure that those who need forex for business get adequate supply. And then clamp down on infractions on forex regulations.
    Governor Ambode’s suggestions were probably inspired by his insights into the frustrations in the working of Lagos State, our beachhead economy, with all its verve of commerce that sometimes puts it at odds with regulatory mainstays.

  • Charge to Ambode on Lekki Phase Two

    SIR: Shortage of affordable housing has been a teething administrative twinge of successive administrations in Lagos State.

    Giving the riverine taxonomy of Lagos landscape, availability of land for development is in much more restricted supply compared with most states of the federation.

    As the de facto commercial capital of Nigeria, Lagos population which is estimated at well above 20 million is becoming a social economic burden on infrastructural delivery.

    Notwithstanding the above narrative, Lagos seems to have missed a strategic and a huge housing opportunity in Lekki phase two. Lekki phase two with a land area of 514.53 hectares was designed and mapped out in 1996 to provide 3,095 residential plots, 64 commercial plots, 47 mixed development plots, 26 institutional plots and 17 recreational plots.

    This huge estate however is largely in a state of desuetude with more than 80 percent of the landmass wearing the antiquated look of a thick forest.

    The partially inhabited part of it remains isolated with security challenge as a major disincentive to neighbourhood ventures.

    The estate is already powered with electricity and almost all the roads are paved but land owners are not developing as expected owing to the exposure of the estate to insecurity.

    Governor Akinwunmi Ambode has a rare opportunity to change this narrative and convert this estate to a liveable real estate.

    Lagos State government should commission LSDPC to fence the estate and manage all access both ingress and egress.

    Owners of plots should be made to pay service charge for maintenance of infrastructure most of which have largely failed due to negligence.

    This singular act would not only turn this sprawling estate into developer’s delight, it would encourage plot owners to develop for habitation.

    One other disincentive to development in this estate is the governor’s withholding assent to hundreds of Certificate of Occupancy without which building approval can be processed.

    Lagos is losing huge revenue accruable from various inhabitancy value chain in Land Use Charge, Development Charge, Building Approval, Consent Fees and other sundry statutory revenues.

    If Governor Ambode takes a step in this direction, it would go a long way to ease the convoluted housing deficit in Lagos State.

     

    • Bukola Ajisola,

    bukymany@yahoo.com

  • Ambode tasks media practitioners on good governance

    Ambode tasks media practitioners on good governance

    Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, yesterday told media workers to live up to its major responsibility of advancing the cause of good governance while calling for a convergence between all stakeholders in the industry.

    Ambode, who spoke at the opening ceremony of the Biennial Convention of the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) held in Ikeja, Lagos with the theme, A Nation in Recession: Whither the Nigerian Media?, commended the guild for its outstanding accomplishments and contributions to the growth and development of the media and free speech in Nigeria. According to him, “Your role in this pursuit of resilience, therefore, is to lend the needed support in bringing our noble efforts to public consciousness. With your vital partnership, we are hopeful that other governments can borrow a leaf from the Lagos Model and translate same in their respective domains to promote good governance to the greater benefit of humanity.

    “There is a convergence among publishers, editors and journalists and the Nigeria Press Organisation can create that platform in which the whole essence of driving the selfless nature of good governance can really be achieved.”

    Ambode also urged the guild to do much more on censoring what is published on the front pages of their various newspapers, noting that the reports go a long way in shaping both local and foreign perceptions.

    “You are really the real drivers of good governance, because good governance is really the convergence of leadership and followership and you communicate it the most. So, sometimes, when you look at the kind of job you are doing it’s not really for the pay, it’s for the selfless service that you allow the society to come over and above anything else.”

    Speaking on recession, the governor said that contrary to the view held by most people, recession was not a crime but a period that calls for government at all levels to rearrange its expenditure and give more priority to capital expenditure.

    He said the current recessionary climate not only taught some hard lessons but presented a new challenge as well as an opportunity to think outside the box to change Nigeria’s story from “business as usual” to “business unusual”.

    Ambode also said that despite the shortfall of federal transfers occasioned by the dip in oil prices, his administration made conscious decisions to partner with the private sector through Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) to bridge the funding gap to deliver key/strategic infrastructure projects, especially the Fourth Mainland Bridge; Oshodi Transport Interchange; Badagry Deep Sea Port; Lekki Free Trade Zone, and Lagos Smart City projects, among others.

    Earlier, the president of the NGE, Mrs. Funke Egbemode, said the convention afforded members to rub minds and fashion out strategies that would help to stabilise the nation’s economy and also the media industry .The event which attracted the who’s who in the Nigerian media industry also saw the guild conduct elections into various offices.

     

  • Oworonsoki chiefs seek Ambode’s intervention in communal crises

    Oworonsoki chiefs seek Ambode’s intervention in communal crises

    SOME Chiefs in Oworonsoki, Lagos State yesterday sought Governor Akinwunmi Ambode’s intervention to stop the killings and civil unrest in the community.

    Besides, the chiefs are praying for an upgrade of minor chiefs “because as it is the Oba of Oworonshoki is the only Chief.  This is the reason there problems in Oworonsoki land”.

    The Balogun of Oworonsoki chief Mustaspha Ajisegiri, Aare of Oworonsoki Chief Bankole Ayotunde, Iyalode of Oworonsoki Madam Alice Bankole, Odofin of Oworonsoki Chief Kuwam Ajisegiri and Osi of Oworonsoki Chief Akinjobi Babalola at a briefing in Lagos, quoted a June 14, 1995, gazette of the Lagos State government in which chiefs are listed.

    They said: “Recently, the people of Idi-Araba, Mosafejo and Loni communities protested at the governor’s office, complaining that the Oba demanded that they should pay N2 million each for those who have been occupying their land for long years and N1 million each for those who recently acquired their land.  In order to maintain peace and tranquillity in Oworoland, we pray that your good office will see to the upgrade of minor chiefs and the entire problems in Oworoland”.

    Meanwhile, Chief Adeoye Ogundunmade, the Otun Baale of Ifako, has gone to court to enforce his right to his land at Ifako/Ogudu.

    Ogundunmade said a consent judgement delivered in Suit ID/390/94 by Justice Olayinka Adagun (retd) held that only five hectares of land were released by the government to the Saliu family the over 5,000 hectares, compulsorily acquired by the defunct Western Region at Oworo/Oke Cole in 1958.

  • Malaria Day: Ambode’s wife advises mothers on prevention

    Malaria Day: Ambode’s wife advises mothers on prevention

    Wife of Lagos State governor, Mrs. Bolanle Ambode, has urged mothers and mothers-to-be to prevent malaria rather than cure it.

    She spoke yesterday when she visited the mother of triplets, Mrs. Segun Akinmosin, at the Epe General Hospital, to mark this year’s World Malaria Day, with the theme: A Push for Prevention.

    According to her, this year’s theme was a clear demonstration that prevention is cheaper and far better than cure.

    Mrs Ambode advocated the use of insecticide treated nets, which she said were most effective in preventing malaria.

    The governor’s wife noted that the nets accounted for an estimated 69 per cent of malaria cases prevented through control tools.

    She said the current administration in the state placed the health needs of Lagos residents on priority list, adding that maternal health would continue to be a priority.

    A statement by the Assistant Director (Public Affairs) in the Office of the Governor’s Wife, Folashade Kadiri, said Mrs Ambode advised mothers to sleep under treated nets with their children.

  • Ambode, Fayose, Jonathan shocked

    Ambode, Fayose, Jonathan shocked

    Lagos State Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, Ekiti State Governor Ayo Fayose and ex-President Goodluck Jonathan have expressed shock and sadness on the death of former Osun State Governor Isiaka Adeleke.
    Adeleke, the first civilian Governor of Osun State and a serving Senator representing Osun West senatorial district passed on Sunday morning at the age of 62.
    Ambode, in a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Habib Aruna, said Adeleke’s death was a huge loss to the entire Southwest region and the Yoruba nation across the world.
    “I was deeply shocked to learn of his death this morning. Only last month, he was in Lagos to join us celebrate our party leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. He made his mark first as the first civilian Governor of Osun State and then as a senator. He was one of the most prominent lawmakers, who did not shy away from issues that affected Nigerians in general.
    “He was very passionate about Nigeria’s progress and contributed immensely to the expansion of progressive politics, especially in the Southwest. Senator Adeleke was a loving man, a peacemaker, a grassroots politician and a detribalised Nigerian, who was well loved by his people,” Ambode said.
    The governor prayed for the peaceful repose of his soul, urging his family to draw strength from the fact that he made meaningful impact during his lifetime.
    Ambode commiserated with the people of Osun State, especially the people of Osun West Senatorial Zone and Governor Rauf Aregbesola on the sad loss.
    Fayose, in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Idowu Adelusi, described Adeleke’s death as shocking and a painful exit of a political icon.
    Fayose said “the political history of Osun State will never be complete without the name of Senator Isiaka Adeleke, occupying a conspicuous space as one who braced the political trail of the state by being the first elected governor at the age of 36.
    “Despite being governor at a youthful age of 36, he contributed immensely to the state’s development and maintained his political relevance since the early nineties till his death.”
    The governor, who said he was sad and pained by the death, added: “Senator Adeleke will be sorely missed by the entire people of Osun State in particular and Nigeria in general.”
    He urged the family, the entire people of Ede as well as the people of Osun State to take solace in the fact that Senator Adeleke made indelible marks on the political and developmental sands of Osun State.
    “We will continue to pray, trusting that Allah in His infinite mercies will grant his soul Al-Jannah Firdaus,” he said.
    Jonathan extended his condolences to the family of late Senator Isiaka Adeleke as well as the government and people of Osun State.
    The ex-president’s condolence message was contained in a statement issued by his spokesperson, Ikechukwu Eze.
    He described the late Adeleke as a national icon and great philanthropist, who was warm and lively.
    He said: “I received the news of the death of Senator Isiaka Adetunji Adeleke with a sense of great personal loss. It is hard to imagine that the very lively and warm ‘Serubawon’ has died.
    “Though I am saddened by his death, I give God the glory for his life of contribution to Osun State, where he was the first civilian governor and to Nigeria, where he was an icon and to humanity in general because he was a great philanthropist.
    “He will be greatly missed and the void his death has caused will be hard, if not impossible to fill. May his soul rest in peace and may he achieve Aljanna Firdaus.
    “I pray that God grant his family and supporters the fortitude to bear his loss. Adieu great Asiwaju of Ede,” he stated.

  • Ambode orders repair of links road

    Ambode orders repair of links road

    Lagos State Governor Akinwunmi Ambode yesterday expressed displeasure at the state of roads in Bariga.
    The governor ordered contractors to move to site in the next two weeks to fix the roads.
    Ambode, who spoke after inspecting the roads in Bariga, ordered contractors to begin work on Ilaje Road and Odunsi Street.
    The governor, who awarded the contract for the construction of Ariyo Road, said the dilapidated roads were unacceptable to his administration.
    He said in line with the commitment of his administration to transform every part of the state, a new jetty would be built in Ilaje, while a multi-purpose playground and recreation centre would also be built in Oworonshoki.
    Ambode said: “I have just gone round Odunsi Street, Ariyo Street and then Ilaje Street, all connecting Oworo Bus Stop with Bariga. I am totally displeased with the state of the roads that I have personally seen.
    “So, within the next two weeks, contractors will begin work on Ilaje Road and Odunsi Street. We have already awarded the contract for Ariyo Road, which will go under the Third Mainland Bridge, after Bertola and go to the other side of Oworonsoki.
    “In addition to the roads on this Ilaje Road, we will also give you a brand new jetty. Like we have always said, every community in Lagos will not be left behind. We should be able to live in Bariga, work in Bariga and play in Bariga.
    “On the other side of Oworonshoki, we are going to sand-fill and dredge that other part where the bus stop is so that we can have a multi-purpose playground, recreation and entertainment hub.”
    In a swift response to the plea of residents of Soluyi community in Bariga, Ambode ordered that work should begin on the road in the axis within 21 days to ease movement to Gbagada expressway.
    The governor urged the residents to continue to pay their taxes and embrace peace to enjoy more dividends of democracy.
    He said: “I know the people in these communities have always supported our government. So, what we have just come to do is to say a big thank you to you. We are doing the work you have sent us to do.
    “I want to encourage you to continue to pay your taxes. I am very happy this neighbourhood is a little bit crime-free now. I am enjoying the peaceful atmosphere in this area. When you promise me peace, I will do more for your neighbourhood.”
    The Sole Administrator of Bariga Local Council Development Area (LCDA), Sanya Osijo, expressed appreciation to the governor for giving the order.

    He said the repairs would end the suffering of the residents
    Ambode also paid an unscheduled inspection to the site of the construction of world-class transport interchange at Oshodi.
    The governor directed contractors to work assiduously to meet the completion deadline.

  • ICAN honours Obasanjo, Ambode, others

    ICAN honours Obasanjo, Ambode, others

    Former President Olusegun Obasanjo and Lagos State Governor Akinwumi Ambode, among others, will be honoured with the prestigious Merit Awards of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) on Friday.

    Obasanjo is the sole winner of the award in the non-members’ category; Ambode, Prof. Rufus Akintoye of Babcock University, Prof. Isa Kabiru Dandago of Bayero University, Kano and former deputy governor of Edo State Dr Peter Obadan will receive awards in the members’ category.

    Bank of Industry (BOI), Price Water House Coopers (PWC) and Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) are winners in the Corporate Body Category.

    They will be honoured for their contributions to the development of accountancy, ICAN and the nation at the Institute’s 2017 Annual Dinner and Awards in Lagos.

    Obasanjo is expected to deliver a keynote address at the event.

  • Ambode restates commitment to job creation

    Ambode restates commitment to job creation

    •Commissions AfriOne manufacturing plant

    Lagos State governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode has restated his commitment to job creation and wealth generation.

    He gave this assurance at the weekend in Lagos at the formal commissioning of the manufacturing and assembly plant AfriOne Ltd., a technology-driven enterprise, for Made in Nigeria phones and other technological devices.

    The governor who was represented by his Senior Adviser on Commerce, Industry and Cooperative, Benjamin A. Olabinjo said ICT remains a vital instrument being used by the government to enhance service delivery across the board, hence it is committed to the growth of the sector and development.

    “AfriOne is a company in the business of promoting Made in Nigeria goods, job creation. It has a huge potential for job creation and wealth generation and its operations ties in with the vision of running a 24 hours economy in the state,” he said.

    Ambode who hinted that the state has since signed a memorandum of understanding with the company to set up a technology incubation centre in Lagos state polytechnic, where youths would be productively engaged, said such efforts will be supported with funding from the Employment Trust Fund (ETF).

    Briefing newsmen, the Chief Executive Officer of AfriOne, Mr Sahir Berry said the plant was a technological breakthrough and precedent for the company and for Nigeria.

    Berry said that with the inauguration of the plant served as a pioneer in the manufacture and assembly of high-end communication technology in the African space.

    He said that the company’s state of the art facility was spread out over 20,000 square feet including Research and Development (R&D) and testing laboratories.

    According to him, the facility will be able to produce 300,000 products in a month on its four production lines.

    He said that the company’s brands of Smartphone would soon be unveiled into the Nigerian market.

    “The company models products that utilise cutting-edge technology reflect a modern, sleek design and integrate the latest and arguably necessary financial technology such as mobile health, mobile education and mobile banking.

    “This is all with the goal of facilitating connectivity among Nigerians and the rest of the world,” Berry said.

    The co-founder of AfriOne, Mr Hemang Kapur said that the products of the company were proudly and smartly crafted in Nigeria by Nigerians.

    Kapur said that AfriOne served Africa’s largest socioeconomic power player with integrity.

    He said that the company was hosting cutting-edge technology, stylish design, affordable price points and particularly, an inherent commitment to financial integration.

    According to him, the financial integration was through the automatically installed mobile banking and financial technology, through the NowNow application.

    “AfriOne aims to democratise technology by offering affordable innovations through our product offerings and removing barriers for large scale adoption of advanced technologies in Nigeria, hence our motto AfriOne – one for everyone.

    “We offer a wide range of feature-rich and technologically loaded product lines from dual SIM mobile phones to educational tablet PCs and even android smart watches,” Kapur said.

    The Chief Operating Officer of AfriOne, Mr Sandeep Natu, said that the company presently employed approximately 500 staff, who worked at its state-of-the-art product and testing facilities.

    The Managing Director of Contec Global, Mr Roheen Berry, said that in addition to the production of contemporary ICT devices and accessories, AfriOne was dedicated to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).