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Tag: Ambode

  • Ambode committed to flood free Lagos – Commissioner

    Lagos State governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, is committed to ensuring an aesthetically flood-free Lagos in his fight against the damaging effects of climate change in the state.

    This assurance was given by the state Commissioner for Environment, Dr. Babatunde Adejare, who spoke at a one-day media workshop organized by Coastal Cities at Risk Project in Lagos.

    Adejare said the government has invested in effective drainage system and created an enabling environment for private sector participation in waste disposal and flood prevention in the state.

    The commissioner  who decried the attitude of some Lagos residence who still practice open defecation and improper disposal of waste, said about 13,000 tons of waste are generated daily with the state government lacking the financial and technical capacity to evacuate the waste thus needing heavy private sector participation.

    “There are houses in Lagos that do not have proper toilets and the owners are collecting rents there, people throw away their refuse in our drainages causing flooding. Lagos does not have the capacity yet to take waste management to the level it should be so we need more capacity in that respect. We need to realize that governance is shared responsibility between those in government and the people,” Adejare said.

    On waste management, the commissioner revealed that Olusosun refuse dump will be shut down by December 2016.

    “The governor has directed and I will do it. We want to have a standardized waste management system in place,” he said.

  • Ambode vows to make Badagry Africa’s tourism hub

    Ambode vows to make Badagry Africa’s tourism hub

    Lagos State Governor Akinwunmi Ambode has affirmed his administration’s plan to make the ancient town of Badagry the hub of tourism and resort enterprise in Africa in the next 18 to 24 months.

    The governor spoke to reporters yesterday after presiding over the State Executive Council meeting at the VIP Chalet in the town.

    He said his administration would make Badagry a flashpoint for developmental projects.

    The governor said: “Our eyes are set on Badagry; let’s do something for the future. We are going to open up Badagry forever.”

    Ambode, who was accompanied by members of the State Executive Council, inspected projects and other government establishments in Badagry.

    According to him, the inspection was a response to questions and suggestions from the 2016 Second Quarter Town Hall Meeting, which held at the Muslim Community Praying Ground in Badagry on Tuesday.

    He inspected the road under construction from Badagry Expressway to Whispering Palms Resort, where he said the contract for completion would be awarded next week, to further boost the tourism potential of the area.

    Ambode also paid an unscheduled visit to the Badagry Asphalt Plant, where he inaugurated the facility.

    Addressing workers at the Asphalt Plant, the governor hailed them for their duty and commitment, saying his administration is not unaware of their hard work just as he assured that they would be rewarded.

    The Secretary to the State Government, Mr. Tunji Bello, said this was the first time, in his many years in service in the State Executive Council, that a government would be holding its Executive Council Meeting in Badagry.

    This, according to him, was a good sign of the visionary leadership Ambode was providing in the state.

    Commissioner for Information and Strategy Mr. Steve Ayorinde reiterated the symbolism and importance of the meeting, which, according to him, was holding in Badagry for the first time.

    Ayorinde said the decision of the governor to take the meeting outside the Lagos House, Ikeja, for the first time, showed his readiness and commitment to spread growth to every nook and cranny of the state.

    He said the governor had spent three days in Badagry, which, according to him, goes to show that every part of the state is secured and the governor can perform his duty in every part of the state.

  • Ambode, reconsider street trading ban

    SIR; Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, strikes many people, including friends and foes, as a refreshing breadth of fresh air. His quiet effectiveness, sense of mission, grasp of the art and science of governance and administrative ingenuity that have begun to yield meaningful developments for the people of Lagos are some of the reasons why some are already saying perhaps a bigger man than Fashola is in the saddle. Even when he was severely criticized for his tentativeness at the onset of his administration, he neither joined issues with the critics nor hired loads of sycophants and praise singers to plead his case like his fellow lords of the manors are wont to do. He weathered the storm, responded through deeds that showed his preparedness for the job and vision for a greater Lagos.

    Lately, Ambode has given critics some new ammunition to pummel him. It all started when he enunciated his readiness to ensure that Lagos lives to up to its billing as a mega polis of international dimension. The route to the new Lagos, according to Ambode, includes new and audacious plan for the Oshodi heartland and a cleaner and saner highways and streets across the state. To achieve the Lagos of his and our dream, Ambode wants to and has actually decreed street trading and hawking out of existence. To show his seriousness and determination to stamp out this blight he has prescribed a humongous fine of N90, 000, a princely sum in this time and clime, for hawkers and their patrons  who run afoul of the law and those who cannot pay will spend six months  in jail.  Some offenders will get both at the same time.

    Yes, it is important to ensure some order on the streets and inner roads particularly relating to hawking on highbrow streets and in traffic on major highways. I support the ban on hawking on highways. It constitutes clear and present danger to the hawkers, their patrons and other road users. It is also a sore sight to first time visitors and foreigners who daily throng our Lagos from other climes. But this matter of outright ban on street trading and hawking without providing any workable alternative is an invitation to a bigger problem. Simply put Ambode will create a bigger problem in the process of solving a big problem. It will cast him in the pantheon of elitist rulers of the people. And compounding it with a N90, 000 as fine for hawkers and their patrons is overkill.

    The way out is to look at what other managers of megapolis have done to manage street hawkers and traders. After all there exist various street markets in major cities across the world including the famous Oxford and Pecham High Street Markets in London, Jemaa, Marakech in Morocco and the Temple Street Market in Hong Kong. And if you have visited London especially the Pecham area you will still notice loads and loads of street traders and hawkers displaying their wares, soliciting for patrons and making brisk business. Therefore Ambode and his government should reconsider the outright ban on street trading.  While hawking on busy major highways should be discouraged and banned, street traders should be given another window to make a living. Government should also look for ways to designate certain areas as street markets in places where street trading is prevalent. In such arenas, people will be free to buy and sell without let or hindrance.

    However the most compelling reason why Ambode should take a second look and finetune the new initiative is its potential to cause major social upheaval. The law will be a ready tool in the hands of overzealous officials especially the various layers of security outfits in the state who will hound and hunt potential preys, milking some in the process and chasing some to their deaths on the highways.

     

    • Adegbenro Adebanjo,

    obanijesu@yahoo.com

  • One-day Governor: How father missed son’s meeting with Ambode

    One-day Governor: How father missed son’s meeting with Ambode

    Winner of the 2016 Spelling Bee Competition, Master Olaseinde Olufemi Joshua on Friday narrated how his father, Mr. Olaseinde missed the meeting with Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode and members of the State Executive Council.

    Joshua, a student of Shasha Community Senior High School in Alimosho area of Lagos, who spoke at the Lagos House in Ikeja while being hosted as the 16th One-day Governor of the State, said his father would have loved to be present at the event but was unable to attend due to some health challenges.

    Besides, Joshua described Governor, Ambode as the most labour-friendly Governor in Nigeria. He said despite the dwindling allocation from the Federal Government, Governor Ambode has remained committed to the prompt payment of workers salary.

    He said: “While over 29 states of the federation cannot afford to pay their workers, I really commend the Governor’s hard work and determination to take Lagos State to the highest level.” Joshua added that so far, Governor Ambode had lived up to the true meaning of the acronym of his name which he described as “AMBODE – Ambassadors of Meritorious, Brilliant, Organised and Dedicated Entity.”

    Responding, Governor Ambode ordered that Joshua’s father be treated at the medical facilities of the State Government.

     

    A deeply touched Governor Ambode said: “It is unfortunate that his father could not make it for this very special occasion in the life of his child but will be attended to in the health facilities of the State Government.”

    Besides, Joshua was given a laptop, printer and generating set courtesy of the Governor’s Office while other winners of the competition were given tab each.

  • Ambode restates commitment to education sector

    Ambode restates commitment to education sector

    agos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode on Friday expressed delight at the winning of the annual Spelling Bee Competition by students of public schools in the state, saying that the development was an eloquent testimony that his administration is on the right path to transform the education sector.

    Governor Ambode, who spoke at the Lagos House, Ikeja while hosting the 16th One-day Governor, Master Olaseinde Olufemi Joshua and members of his cabinet, said the fact that winners of the competition emerged from public schools in inner communities was a clear indication that public schools in the State are now becoming exemplary citadel of learning.

    He said: “I must say that I am impressed about the mixture of the people that we are now celebrating. I can personally say that I did watch the school debate on television and I am very excited that the schools from which the winners emerged are from our inner communities in Shasha in Alimosho, Badagry, Ilupeju and also in Mushin.

    “That in itself shows that we are on the right path. We must be able to show that our public schools are exemplary citadel of learning that we can also use to showcase the fact that the future of Lagos is brighter than what we have now,” Governor Ambode said.

    He added: “We want to say that the six winners we are celebrating today are worthy to be celebrated and we will indeed celebrate them and use them as examples to encourage other younger ones to reach out so that we can be proud that in another twenty years, these ones will take over from us and we would be proud that we really did the State proud.”.

    Earlier, the One-day Governor, Master Olaseinde Olufemi Joshua, a student of Shasha Community Senior High School saluted the vision of the wife of former Lagos State Governor, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, who was the pioneer of the Spelling Bee competition, saying that the competition had helped students in the State to be more dedicated to their studies and strive for excellence.

    He added that the competition would not have been possible without the free education policy of the Lagos State Government over the years, which is being sustained by the present administration.

    Master Joshua, who said his father could not make it to the event due to health challenges, however, urged the Governor to consider donating a school bus, a well-equipped E-library to his school and the rehabilitation of drainage systems as well as the roads leading to his school.

    Responding, Governor Ambode granted the request for a school bus in Joshua’s school and all other requests in respect of the other schools of the winners.

    He also ordered that Joshua’s father be treated at the health facilities of the State Government.

  • Ambode, Aregbesola advise Muslims on virtuous living

    Ambode, Aregbesola advise Muslims on virtuous living

    Lagos State Governor Akinwunmi Ambode and Osun State Rauf Aregbesola have urged Muslim faithful to keep on with the principles of the holy month of Ramadan, which are love, peace, kindness, compassion and happy co-existence.

    Ambode spoke in Lagos House, Ikeja, at a special Eid el-Fitri celebration organised by the state government to mark the end of fasting.

    Aregbesola gave his counsel in a message to the adherents that thronged the praying ground for Eid el-Fitri prayer at Oke Baale area of Osogbo.

    Addressing those at the Lagos House, Ambode said it was only when the principles of the season were sustained beyond Ramadan that the fasting period could be given true meaning.

    The governor, who said that this year’s Ramadan was unique in the sense that the 30-day fasting period was fully observed, thanked the Muslim faithful for their prayers and urged them to keep praying for the state and the country.

    He said: “As your governor, I seek for your support and cooperation as we move into the second year of this administration. We must all play our parts and keep relating with this government and we will not fail in making Lagos work for all of us.

    “While thanking everyone that has spared time to join us in this get-together, I enjoin Muslim faithful and indeed all Lagosians to sustain the lessons of Ramadan,” Governor Ambode said.

    Wife of the Governor, Mrs. Bolanle Ambode, thanked God for giving Muslims the strength to complete the fasting, but stressed the need for them to remember the essence of the holy month and the expected renewal of faith and spiritual cleansing of souls.

    She said: “It is important for us to continue with the principles of the Holy Month. Ramadan represents love, peace, kindness, compassion and happy co-existence. The Holy Prophet held these principles in high esteem and lived His whole life around them.

    “Therefore, as brothers, sisters, neighbors, co-workers, we must love one another, show kindness to one another and live together in peace. It is when we do these beyond the fasting period that we give true meaning to the Ramadan,” Mrs. Ambode said.

    But Aregbesola said the essence of Ramadan is for human beings to be reborn spiritually.

    He said fasting teaches virtue, resilience and endurance, which must be upheld by Islamic faithful.

    He urged Muslims not to detract from the part of virtue and righteousness that they observed for 30 days of Ramadan.

    The governor noted that the best thing for Muslims to do after the fasting is not to go back to old ways of sins.

    “Today marks the end of Ramadan. It is without doubt that for 30 days, we endured hunger, thirst and obedience.

    “These are what Allah command of us. During this month, we came together as one. We shared together; we loved ourselves and prayed to God for forgiveness.

    “Fasting teaches the utmost virtuous. The virtues of endurance, tolerance, love, honesty and determination in the face of adversity. It is all these that renewed our beings and made us spiritual.

    “I urge us to hold on to all the qualities. Even though Ramadan has ended, we should not let these good qualities go with Ramadan. We must not depart from this path of virtue again,” Aregbesola said.

    He urged Muslims to live in harmony and extend hands of understanding and love to people of other faiths, saying Islam best exemplifies peace among people of the world.

    He assured the people that better days lie ahead despite the present economic gloom.

    In his sermon, the Chief Imam of Osogbo, Sheikh Musa Animasahun, emphasised the need to continue to fear God and do the right things after the fasting.

     

  • Ambode, Bello, Ugwuanyi call for peaceful co-existence, tolerance

    Lagos State Governor Mr Akinwunmi Ambode, his Niger and Enugu state counterparts Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi have called on Nigerians to rededicate themselves to the cause of a peaceful and prosperous Nigeria where citizens regardless of ethnic, religious, political or social status can flourish.

    Ambode said it is only by embracing peace, unity and fairness that Nigerians can put the country back on the path of growth and development, urging them to embrace the tenets of love, tolerance, forgiveness and brotherhood which characterised the period of the holy month.

    He said the nation needs brotherly love and harmonious co-existence among her citizens above all other things as a means to overcome its numerous challenges.

    Alhaji Bello enjoined Muslim Ummah and the people of the state to continue to live the life of sacrifice in line with the tenets of the Ramadan session.

    The governor said the current situation in the country calls for more sacrifice on the part of everybody stressing that there is a reward for every sacrificial effort.

    He called on all Nigerians to be optimistic as the on-going economic meltdown would soon become history.

    “This year’s Ramadan has come at a very critical time in the history of our beloved State and indeed Nigeria and for us to effectively weather the storm now, we as a people, must be ready to make some sacrifices for a reward of better tomorrow,” he said.

    He assured the people that he was prepared to ensure prudent management of the state’s lean resource, especially in this austere time.

    Governor Ugwuanyi said the significance of Ramadan was enormous and compelling for all Nigerians to embrace one another and affirm the trust of “our founding fathers towards a peaceful, united and prosperous nation.”

    Ugwuanyi said: “It is only when Nigerians live in peace and harmony to appreciate one another that we can strengthen the bond that brought us together as a nation and make rapid progress, irre spective of our socio-cultural, ethnic and political differences.”

  • Ambode swears in ex-chief judge, four others as LASIEC members

    Ambode swears in ex-chief judge, four others as LASIEC members

    Lagos State Governor Akinwunmi Ambode yesterday swore-in the chairman and members of the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC).

    He urged them to live above board and be fair to all parties in the discharge of their duties.

    The governor, who spoke at the swearing-in held at the Lagos House, Ikeja, said members of the commission were appointed based on their track record of meritorious service and unquestionable integrity, hence they must be transparent and fair to all without giving undue advantage to one party over another.

    He said his administration placed high premium on the rule of law and assured that the executive arm of the government would not do anything to directly or indirectly interfere in the affairs of the commission.

    According to him, LASIEC as the statutory body saddled with the responsibility of conducting local government elections, has a critical role to play in entrenching the democratic process in the state, therefore the newly sworn-in members must ensure the credibility of the electoral process.

    Ambode said: “We have painstakingly selected people of unquestionable integrity and track record of competence to guarantee a credible, transparent and accountable process. “Leading this team is Hon Justice Ayotunde Philips, a retired Chief Judge of Lagos State, who left a record of meritorious service that saw her to the pinnacle of the Lagos State Judiciary.

    “All I just want to say to all the members is that they must live above board and truly live up to the public expectation as independent umpires. You must be transparent and fair to all without giving undue advantage to one party over another. This is the only way you can guarantee the credibility of the process you supervise.”

    He hailed members of the Lagos State House of Assembly for their due diligence and subsequent confirmation of the chairman and members of the commission, as well as the timely passage of the amendment to the LASIEC Law.

    Justice Philips thanked the governor for the confidence reposed in her and other members.

    She assured Lagosians that the commission would do all within its power to ensure credible, free and fair elections.

    Justice Philips said her tenure would witness the transformation of LASIEC to an institution that would be envied and emulated by other states.

    “I believe in action more than in words and people will see as time passes that we will try to do our best. I hope that we will make LASIEC an institution for other states to follow. Lagos always leads and the judiciary in Lagos has led others in Nigeria and we intend to bring the same to bear on LASIEC to become an institution that the rest of the country will envy and will seek to emulate,” she said.

    Members of the commission are Justice Ayotunde Philips (Chairman), Dr. Bunmi Omosehindemi, Mr. Lateef Raji, Mrs. Toyin Famakinwa and Mr. Olusegun Ayedun, with Mr. Olumide Lawal as the Permanent Secretary.

  • Ambode: activities of local, foreign investors crucial for growth

    Ambode: activities of local, foreign investors crucial for growth

    Lagos State Governor Akinwunmi Ambode said yesterday that the activities of local and foreign investors were key indicators that would trigger economic growth and enhance the emerging opportunities in the socio-economic landscape.

    The governor, who spoke at the City Hall, Lagos, venue of the 2016 Stakeholders Forum organised by the Office of the Special Adviser to the Governor on Central Business District (CBD), hailed the enthusiasm of investors and entrepreneurs to put their money in worthwhile investments.

    He said his administration is providing opportunities to investors and entrepreneurs in the emerging economic profile of the Lagos Mega City in sectors of real estate development, marine transportation, commercial and business activities.

    Governor Ambode, who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Mr. Tunji Bello, said the focus of his administration since inception was to put in place structures that would sustain a 24/7 economy in the “New Lagos”, adding that despite the global economic challenges, “we have ensured that the business districts function to move the wheel of economic growth in the Lagos Mega City”.

    The Special Adviser to the Governor on CBD, Mr. Agboola Dabiri, reiterated the readiness of the government to return the lost glory of Lagos Island by bringing back corporate organisations and companies to the district as it was in the 80s.

    He said the government had committed resources in re-branding, painting, beautification and general uplift of the axis to ensure it was conducive for businesses to thrive.

     

  • Ambode to multinational firms: Return to Lagos Island CBD

    Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, on Tuesday appealed to multinational and blue chip companies in the country to return to the Lagos Island Business District (CBD) to uplift its status to global standard.

    Ambode, who made the appeal at a one day stakeholders’ forum with the theme: “Toward a Lagos Island CBD Renaissance: Meaningful Insights and Commitment,” held in Lagos, said 85 percent of business activities in the country take place in the district.

    The governor, who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Mr. Tunji Bello, said the forum was aimed at charting a new way forward for the revitalization of the CBD to reclaim its lost glory.

    Ambode said despite the challenges, efforts were being geared toward having an effective business district that will propel economic growth in the state.

    He said, “Lagos Island had always been a focal point of convergence for business and commercial activities in Nigeria and ECOWAS sub-region. About 85 percent of business and commercial activities in Nigeria are domiciled within this business district.

    “These include financial institutions, commercial and industrial trading companies, transportation, hospitality and entertainment outlets, as well as an abundance of small and medium scale entrepreneurs and merchants.”

    Ambode noted that the businesses and commercial activities converge to synergize and enhance the economic potential of the state.

    “In the last one year, the CBD has received government attention. This has resulted in noticeable ease of traffic and enhanced security.

    “In the next few months to come, this district will witness tremendous transformation with the completion of the Blue line rail system and the ongoing reconstruction of the Marina axis,” Ambode said.

    Earlier, the Special Adviser to the Governor on CBD, Mr. Agboola Dabiri, said the blue rail from Okokomaiko to CMS which would commence before the end of the year, would bring about enormous opportunities for all stakeholders.

    Dabiri said there would be expanded markets for businesses coupled with reduction in travel time, saying the state government had expended enormous resources on beautification, rebranding, reconstruction and general uplifting so as to ensure a serene and conducive business environment.