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Tag: Babajide Sanwo-Olu

  • Sanitation: Lagos community lauds Sanwo-Olu 

    THE residents of the Agbede community in Ikorodu have lauded the administration of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu for the clearing and dredging of the canal in the area which links about seven communities.

    The canal has been a source of worry to the residents whenever it rains and due to overflooding which wreaks havoc on the buildings and businesses within the area.

    The Chairman of the  Dredging Committee, Mr. Adebowale Awobajo, said: “ This is a good start  from the governor and as you can see, our people are happy for the clearing and dredging of this canal because at every raining season, it is always a nightmare for us because many houses will be affected as business will be paralysed.

    Read Also: Sanwo-Olu inaugurates 492-unit estate

    “With this development, there would be a sigh of relief. We are urging the government to make this a yearly exercise or find a lasting solution to it.”

    A resident of the community, Mrs. Adedoyin Albert, appealed to the people of the communities not to dump refuse in the canal after the clearing and dredging exercise.

    Mr Adeyemi Adekunle commended Governor Sanwo-Olu for the great job and urged him to remember the people of Agbede and Oke Nla in his governance as they have been neglected for so long by successive governments, especially the immediate past, stressing that developmental policies have eluded them for so long.

    “I want to applaud the governor for remembering us in Agbede and its environs for dredging our canal and bringing succour to us. We have been ignored by past regimes,”he said.

    A member of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon. Tijani Suraj, who is a member of the ad hoc committee on environment, said: “The clearing and dredging will be a total relief to the community as soon as it is completed, but the people must help themselves by ensuring refuse and other things that can cause a blockage to the free flow of water are not dump in the canal henceforth.”

    The honourable member representing Ojo praised the contractor handling the project for a job well done and equally appealed to him to double efforts.

     

     

  • Promise of better days as governors mark 100 days

    MANY state governors and their supporters on Friday appraised their performances during their first 100 days in office and said they have done well to deserve a pass mark.

    The  governors  also assured their people of better days ahead.

    Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State said his administration introduced a modern method of waste disposal which helped it in clearing  the heaps of refuse across the state.

    It has also empowered women and farmers with loans; commissioned 492 flats at Igando, renovated and rehabilitated   roads and procured  patrol vehicles and motorcycles for security organizations.

    He told stakeholders in Ikeja that his administration was taking practical steps to ensure that sufficient and accessible electricity is made available to all and sundry.

    Towards this end, it is collaborating with the two Discos in Lagos and  Elsewedy Electric to produce about 20,000 prepaid metres for distribution to residents.

    He said: ”We also want to ensure that with our PPP model, we can have a lot of off-grid generation brought to bear very quickly, meaning that we are not going to rely on what is supplied by the national grid. We will be able to come up with very innovative solutions at different communities where we can have off-grid arrangement.

    ”And people can have access to power, using either various renewable forms of energy like solar, wind and so on, or whatever solution we find least expensive. They will be deployed at our various communities because we cannot continue to give excuses.

    “We want to ensure that we have sufficient and accessible power in a 21st century economy like Lagos; so our commitment is that we would push on that. Government will ensure that whatever needs to be done to make power available for our teeming population, industries and businesses are things we shall solve very quickly.”

    Sanwo-Olu said that Lagos State is collaborating with neighboring Ogun State in rehabilitating and completing many of the roads linking the two states, especially in Sagamu, Epe and Ota axis”.

    A policy on the operation of commercial motorcylists is also in the pipeline, he said, while about 15,000 teachers would be recruited into the state teaching service with a view to reversing the shortage of teachers in  primary and secondary schools.

    “Also in the coming weeks, extension, renovation and rehabilitation of our schools will be starting.

    “We will also be facing equipment and learning curriculum of the children. We will be producing a learning tool that will be internet-driven for the children,”he said.

    APC scores Buni high, explains why he has not constituted cabinet

    THE All Progressive Congress in Yobe State said  Governor  Mai Mala Buni is  well on course to  transform the state.

    The State Secretary of the party, Alhaji Abubakar Bakabe, told reporters in Damaturu that    the   APC is “glad to state with all sense of fulfilment the political will of the Governor Mai Mala Buni administration in repositioning the state with short, intermediate and long-term policy measures for the state to achieve greatness.”

    Responding to a reporter’s question on why the governor has not formed his cabinet, Bakabe said it is because the governor does not want to make a mistake.

    He dismissed suggestions that the governor might be under pressure from his predecessor, Senator Ibrahim Gaidam, to retain most of his former cabinet members.

    He said: “The governor is not under any pressure from the former governor, Ibrahim Gaidam. What is delaying the formation of the cabinet is not connected with such allegations at all.

    “Our governor, Alhaji Mai Mala Buni is committed to choosing the best team as a cabinet that will help him actualize his dreams and visions for the development of our dear state, Yobe.

    “Those allegations are baseless. This is the truth about the situation, and Isha Allah, our governor will soon submit the list of his cabinet members.

    “But you will agree with me that about 18 governors have also not constituted their cabinets. So we are still in tune.”

    The Yobe State APC scored the governor high on education.

    He said:”In an effort to actualize the emergency declared on education, government has in the last 100 days, organized the first ever education summit and thereafter, constituted a committee of erudite scholars, seasoned education administrators and prominent intellectuals to develop a roadmap for government to achieve the goal of repositioning primary and secondary education.

    “As the ruling political party in the state, we are glad with the political will exhibited by the Buni administration in the constitution and support given to the committee to have successfully completed its assignment with a high sense of commitment within a very short period of time. We are equally proud to see the vibrant governor commencing the implementation of the recommendations made by the committee.

    “Similarly, the undergraduate and post graduate foreign studies scholarship scheme introduced by the Buni administration would accelerate the manpower needs in critical areas across the state.

    “Already, the committee has also submitted its report and the governor has approved 228 slots for studies in medicine, paramedics, agriculture and engineering.”

    APC, PDP disagree over Bala Mohammed’s performance in Bauchi

    THE All Progressive Youth Parliament in Bauchi State has faulted claims by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that Governor Bala Mohammed has performed well in his first 100 days in office.

    While the PDP is of the opinion that Mohammed has recorded tremendous developmental achievements so far, the APC Youth Parliament said there is little or nothing to cheer about.

    Zonal Chairman of the PDP (Bauchi North), Alh. Yayanuwa Zainabari, said: “Within the first 100 days, the governor flagged off road construction in areas that lack accessible roads and renovation of the dilapidated ones in both the state capital and other senatorial zones.

    “The first ones he flagged off in the state capital were the construction and rehabilitation of four roads worth about N5 billion which include Ibrahim Bako to Maiduguri Road Bye-Pass, Sabon Kaura to Jos Road, while those of Muda Lawal Market and Yakubun Bauchi Quarters would be rehabilitated.’’

    Yayanuwa Zainabari, who doubles as the Publicity Secretary of the PDP in the state, said further that other roads projects awarded by the governor within the period under review were the 58-kilometre road linking Yalwan Duguri, Badaran Dutse, Birim, Bajama, Kumbala, Kundak, Wurno and Burga communities of Tafawa Balewa and Alkaleri local government areas, Sade to Akuyam in the Misau local government area, GRA Azare to old Kano Road in the Katagum local government area of the state.

    But speaking in to The Nation, the Secretary of the APC Youth Parliament group, Mallam Nasiru Shigari, said ‘’ The PDP governor has achieved nothing. First of all, he had promised he would recruit jobless people in the state, conduct local government elections , pay outstanding gratuities of workers, but none of these has been achieved so far.

     It’s a  mixed grill for Gov Fintiri

    IT is a mixed grill for Governor Ahmadu Fintiri of Adamawa State with some residents saying he has been slow and not done enough.

    Critics, who fault his speed at executing development projects, compare his government with that of his predecessor, Sen.  Jibrilla Bindow, arguing that Bindow did more in his first 100 days, while those who are satisfied with Fintiri’s pace list his achievements so far and conclude that he has actually done more.

    Mr Phineas Elisha, who was prominent in the political circle and seat of power when former Governor Murtala Nyako was in power, told our correspondent in an interview yesterday that Fintiri had spent a lot of time, complaining about and “dismantling the deeds of his predecessor” without doing enough to justify the time he has had to make his own impact.

    He said Fintiri’s predecessor, Jibrilla Bindow, was able to commission 201 feeder roads (some inherited from his predecessor) and started the construction of many urban roads within his first 100 days.

    He said Bindow started the renovation of long dilapidated schools, hospitals and other public institutions, among others, and that he already had his cabinet in place, all within his first hundred days.

    Another critic of the Fintiri administration, who similarly stressed the absence of a cabinet so far, is Alhaji Ahmed Lawan, who functions in the state as Organising Secretary of the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC).

    Ahmed Lawan said the lack of a cabinet after such a long time within which the Fintiri government has been awarding contracts borders on gross abuse of power.

    ”I wonder a lot who approves the contracts when the approving authority, the state executive council, is not in place,” he said.

    According to him, “only four people are running the government: the governor, the deputy governor, the SSG and Chief of Staff,” as    against what should be a full cabinet that should include commissioners overseeing the various sectors of the state.

    He also faulted the Fintiri government for “witch-hunting” the Bindow government, emphasizing that Fintiri “is dwelling” on the government before his because he has no programmes of his own to implement.

    A voice for the Fintiri government that of Alhaji Usman Ibrahim, a notable public commentator, dismissed the notion of Fintiri’s being slow, contending, especially on the matter of cabinet appointments, that consultation is necessary for effective choices.

    He said: “People are just not patient. Every leader has his own style. People say he is delaying the constitution of his cabinet because various interests brought him to power. I do not see it as an infraction. Leadership is always advised to consult widely.”

    He added that, in any case, Fintiri had done a lot in the first 100 days to be commended. He enumerated improvement in the welfare of workers and security situation as among the achievements.

    “His Excellency, Ahmadu Fintiri, has paid all arrears of workers, both state and local government workers, and he has always ensured since he came that workers receive their monthly salaries before or on the 25th of the month,” he said.

    Gov Sule promises to pay N30, 000 minimum wage

    Governor  Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State   promised to pay the N30, 000 minimum wage once the template for consequential adjustment is agreed on.

    The governor made the promise on Friday  in Lafia while giving account of stewardship of his first 100 days in office.

    According to him, the state government under his administration will pay the new minimum wage because it has become a law in the country.

    “As soon as the template for the consequential adjustment is agreed on at the federal level, we would also commence the process for the implementation in the state.

    “If we rush now, we might make avoidable mistakes, so it is wise to wait for the template,” Sule said.

    The governor also said he had directed the Teachers Service Commission to convert more than 2, 000 teachers that were hitherto on casual appointment to permanent employees.

    Gombe enjoys regular water supply, says Gov Yahaya

    Governor Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe State said  he is addressing the challenge of water supply in the state as residents of Gombe township and environs currently  get 40 million litres of water daily.

    Yahaya told reporters on Friday in Gombe that water is a cardinal aspect of his manifesto and will continue to receive attention until residents get regular supply across the state.

    He said as part of the effort towards achieving the promise to give residents water, he set up a taskforce on water supply.

    “We are committed to our campaign promises and we will continue to do all within our resources to address other challenges that affect the people.

    “Our administration is concerned about human capital investment and that’s why we resuscitated the sector to give water to our people,” he said.

     

  • Sanwo-Olu and the Greater Lagos vision

    WE all saw it as a simple exercise to shake off that lethargic feeling that often visits after a heavy lunch or a short night rest. Or a physical exercise to keep us awake. It all turned out to be that and more – the power of dreams, sheer imagination, some deep thinking and a test of the fecundity of the human mind.

    “Just close your eyes and imagine the Lagos of your dream, the Lagos you would like to see.” That was the directive from the instructor at one of the sessions during the three-day retreat for members of the Lagos State Executive Council and Permanent Secretaries.

    The results were as exciting as they were imaginary. Some dreamt of a Lagos at peace with nature – beautiful parks and gardens, with exotic flowers and lush green grass, clean air and seductive beaches on which coconut trees sprout freely.

    Others saw a Lagos with smooth and wide roads, free of pestering street hawkers and traffic robbers. A Lagos where nobody goes to bed without food, where no kid misses the education train for lack of money, where the old are catered for, where all have access to good healthcare and where religious harmony thrives. A Lagos driven by technology, where investors will be willing to stake their cash and jobs will be more available.

    Again, the power of dreams. “Are these possible?”  “Can we do it?” “Yes; we can!” we all screamed.

    That has been the team spirit propelling the administration of Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu and his deputy, Dr. Kadiri Obafemi Hamzat, which is 100 days old today, having been inaugurated on May 29 to lead the journey to that “Greater Lagos” we all dreamt of.

    Driving the vision are the Six Pillars of Development, with the lyrical acronym, T.H.E.M.E.S, which stands for Traffic Management & Transportation, Health & Environment, Education & Technology, Making Lagos a 21st Century Economy, Entertainment & Tourism as well as Security & Governance.

    At the centre of it all are the people. That is the song that Mr. Sanwo-Olu sings, believing that a policy is most meaningful when it is immensely beneficial to the people. Has the administration kept to this line of thought, considering its actions? Discerning members of the public, among who the good people of Lagos number, will surely testify to this.

    An 110-bed Maternal and Childcare Centre (MCC), a four-storey edifice that is a piece of architectural delight, was opened on Tuesday at Eti Osa Local Government to boost the battle against infant and maternal mortality, with plans to upgrade the facility to a general hospital. A beautiful school, 12 blocks of classrooms, built in partnership with the state government and the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Tabernacle of David Parish in Alaguntan village, also in Eti Osa, was opened.

    For one month – from August 1 to 31 – there was a festival of surgeries. A team of volunteer doctors, who are specialists in various areas of medical practice, performed thousands of surgeries, especially on children with deformed limbs. Free.

    There were many moving spectacles – of fathers shedding tears of joy after seeing that their crippled children could walk again, of many having their sights saved from glaucoma and others having their troubled health restored – courtesy of BOSKOH Lagos Health Mission International (HMI), a Non-Governmental Organisation. More than 25,000 Lagosians were treated and 1,417 surgeries were carried out.

    It was delightful to find our senior citizens singing and dancing last Friday after being handed their pensions and gratuities – about N5b. Some shed tears. Others were speechless, just staring. Many were just praying for Sanwo-Olu.

    The Alhaji Jakande Gardens Estate – 492 homes with sporting facilities, good roads, car parks, a sewage treatment plant and a mini-water works – was inaugurated  on Wednesday in Igando, in a daring bid to reawaken the housing sector.

    So symbolic was the ceremony that Alhaji Lateef Kayode Jakande,90, the state’s first civilian governor, after whom it was named, and his wife attended. So was Chief Tajudeen Olusi, member of the respected Governor’s Advisory Council (GAC) and many members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

    The Lagos State Employment Trust Fund (LSETF), also on Wednesday, gave out N4b cheques to women entrepreneurs. So glad was Access Bank Group Managing Director Herbert Wigwe that he announced that the facility would be increased to N10bn to get more Lagosians employed.

    There is also the World Bank agriculture loan scheme;  1,700 people will benefit. Each will get N2m. An integrated rice mill is being built in Imota – a 22-hectare facility, which has the capacity to cater for 25% of our national rice needs.

    Some 120 patrol vehicles and 35 motorbikes have been given to security agents to enhance their operations, aiding their patrol system and boosting their response time in case of an emergency.

    The battle for a cleaner and healthier environment is on. The heaps of refuse that turned the highways into a vast eyesore have largely disappeared. Millions of bags that will help residents in sorting their wastes have been distributed, even as there are plans to expand the Olusosun dumpsite to 42 acres for more waste and a faster trucks turnaround time.

    Many roads have been rehabilitated. Workers are back on the Lagos-Badagry Expressway, the Pen Cinema Bridge and Isawo Road in Ikorodu.

    What lies ahead of the Sanwo-Olu administration? Exciting times are on the way. There are efforts to improve transportation by harmonising all the areas of the sector for better performance. Water transportation will be enhanced with ferry services getting a facelift. The rail lines under construction are, once again, receiving attention.

    More teachers are to be recruited to boost primary and secondary education, even as technical education will be strengthened to equip our youths for the fast-evolving technological age that has caught up with us all. Tourism, with its huge potentialities, will come alive to boost internal revenue and showcase our essence to the world.

    Security will go beyond the routine as technology will be deployed in the fight against crime. Laws will be enforced for a total reorientation of the people.

    How will the Greater Lagos dream be achieved? Leadership, in Sanwo-Olu’s view, remains a key factor. Besides, team work is also important. To drive home his point, the governor at the retreat aforementioned, used a sports imagery. He is reputed to be a soccer enthusiast; an Arsenal fan.

    Sanwo-Olu spoke of being relevant, drawing his example from Jamaican sprinter Merlene Ottey, who remains so relevant even at 59. There must also be resilience, an attribute that has seen tennis star Djokovis staying on top for so long. For appropriate resourcing, the governor chose Man City, the Premier League team, which would not take on a player unless there is need for him. Besides, the team enjoys good funding and would not tolerate a bad manager. Many were fired until the team stabilized. Barca, the Spanish League frontliners, Sanwo-Olu believes, symbolises value for money, with good returns for investors.

    A team living in the past? That is Arsenal – in the governor’s view. Its fans see Arsenal as prudent; it would not shell out cash on new players like the others and it is a good example of how to be solvent. Trophies, it seems, are not the team’s priority but stability. Today’s achievement is good, but not enough to make room for complacency as there are always more hurdles to scale.

    ‘Many have spoken about Team Sanwo-Olu – a mixture of professionals and politicians, including women who are knowledgeable about their areas. For the governor, the 100 days ceremonies are no mere revelries on what has been done. No. They are like a springboard to propel the administration into the future – a future in which the Greater Lagos dream will become a reality.

    The challenges are huge, no doubt, but Sanwo-Olu sees it all as a marathon and not a 100 metres dash for which he and his Deputy Dr. Kadiri Obafemi Hamzat are prepared.

     

    • Omotoso is the Commissioner for Information & Strategy, Lagos State

  • Sanwo-Olu inaugurates 492-unit estate

    LAGOS State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Wednesday promised to construct a permanent bridge to replace the Egan wooden bridge in Igando, Alimosho Local Government Area.

    Sanwo-Olu also promised that the Ministry of the Environment would tackle the overflow of dumpsites in Igando, which caused gridlock.

    The governor made the promise while inaugurating the Igando Gardens Estate, a 492-unit estate renamed after Alhaji Lateef Jakande, the first civilian governor of Lagos State.

    The event was part of activities to mark the governor’s 100 days in office.

    The governor hailed the lawmaker representing Alimosho in the House of Assembly,  Mr Kehinde Joseph, for informing him of the infrastructure needs of the community.

    Joseph had informed the governor of the suffering of the community members, who use Egan wooden link bridge.

    He also told the governor dumpsites and lack of access roads caused gridlock in Alimosho.

    The governor said that the state government would  construct the  bridge to open up Igando and improve access to other parts of the state.

    Sanwo-Olu said: “We shall in the very near future go back to site and see how we are going to push that construction to alleviate the suffering of the people of this area.

    “I know that if we are able to do the bridge, we are going to be connecting several communities together, and people will have access from all parts of Igando, Alimosho to other parts of the state. “

    The governor directed the commissioner for the environment to tackle the overflow of dumpsites compounding traffic on the axis.

    On the estate being inaugurated, the governor said he visited the construction site three times to ensure speedy completion.

    Sanwo-Olu hailed Jakande’s infrastructure drive which, he said,  set a blueprint for development and bridged a huge housing gap.

    He said: ‘’The challenge of housing deficiency in Lagos is real. There is a compelling need for us to develop and adopt a housing delivery model that takes into account our population and limited space.’’

    The Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Housing, Mr Wasiu Akewusola, said the state government was exploring innovative alternative sources of funding for mass housing delivery, and called on private investors to buy into the initiative.

    Read Also: ‘Sanwo-Olu will not deviate from Lagos devt agenda’

    He listed existing funding arrangements for mass housing and promised that the state government would be persistent in its drive for planning and delivery of decent houses.

    Akewusola added: “We want Lagosians to be assured that, in the delivery of these houses, we shall be consistent.

    “We shall embrace rigorous planning and financial discipline in ensuring that ongoing housing projects located in various parts of the state are delivered on schedule.

    “Our expectation is that within the next six months, over 1,248 homes shall be delivered in different parts of the state,’’ Sanwo-Olu said.

    The Commissioner for Housing, Mr Moruf Akinderu-Fatai, said shelter was a basic need and home ownership an achievement.

    He commended the Sanwo-Olu administration for inaugurating the mixed development estate, comprising 41 blocks of one, two and three bedroom apartments of 492 home units.

    He called on private investors to key into the housing sector which had  the potential to create jobs, and businesses in the construction value chain.

    Akinderu-Fatai congratulated beneficiaries of the 492 home units and advised them to partner with the facility managers to have a good environment.

  • Police tighten security around South African firms

    THERE was tight security on Wednesday around business premises linked to South Africans to  stop further attacks by Nigerians who were angered by the killings and attacks on Nigerians and their businesses in South Africa

    Some youths on Tuesday attacked facilities belonging to MTN Nigeria, Shoprite and PEP stores in Lagos, Uyo, Ibadan and other parts of the country.

    There was calm in Lagos on Wednesday after Tuesday’s storm.

    The MTN office located on the Bodija-Agodi Secretariat Road, Ibadan, Oyo State was set ablaze on Tuesday night.

    Residents said the perpetrators attacked the security men on duty around 11pm and threw petrol bombs at the building.

    Another account said two young men stormed the facility on a motorcycle to carry out the attack after beating up the security guards on duty.

    Spokesman of the Police in Oyo State Gbenga Fadeyi, confirmed the attacks, adding that all South African investments in state had been secured.

    When The Nation visited MTN office, officials of the state Anti-crime Task Force and officials of the Oyo State Road Transport Management Agency (OYRTMA) were on standby.

    The management of MTN Nigeria Wednesday confirmed the attacks on its facilities in three major cities of Lagos, Ibadan and Uyo.

    In a statement, the Company Secretary, Uto Ukpanah, explained that sequel to the attacks and the premium it  placed on its human capital and other stakeholders, all service centres and offices will remain shut.

    Ukpanah said: “MTN Nigeria Communications Plc confirms that over the last day, our facilities, customers and some of our stakeholders have been the subject of attacks in retaliation for the ongoing xenophobia situation in South Africa. We have confirmed reports of attacks in Lagos, Ibadan and Uyo.

    “While we remain committed to providing uninterrupted services, the safety and security of our customers, staff and partners is our primary concern. All MTN stores and service centres will therefore be closed as a precaution until further notice. MTN condemns any acts of violence, prejudice and xenophobia and remains absolutely committed to ensuring a peaceful harmonious and respectful relationship with all communities in Nigeria and across Africa.

    “We are engaging all relevant authorities in this regard and we urge them to act swiftly to reduce tensions both in South Africa and Nigeria. We will provide further updates as and when possible.”

    The police moved fast on Wednesday to prevent further attacks by deploying their men to secure the premises of South African firms operating in Nigeria.

    Such companies include MTN, PEP, Shoprite, Dstv, Gotv and Multichoice.

    Security personnel were deployed in MTN offices in Edo, Kaduna, Kano and Ondo states, Shoprite malls in Onitsha, Abuja and Ondo states.

    There was pandemonium in Abuja as hundreds of protesters stormed the Shoprite Mall on the Abuja Airport Road near Lugbe.

    The mainly-youths protesters, who were prevented by police and soldiers from attacking the mall,  burnt used tyres and damaged a billboard.

    Read Also: Police prevent burning of Shoprite complex in Ibadan

    They hurled stones at the security operatives, situation that caused traffic snarl build-up on the highway, forcing motorists to reroute their trips.

    The security operatives, who were attacked, fired teargas and bullets into the air to disperse the protesters.

    An artisan opposite the Shoprite Mall, who was hit by a stray bullet, was rushed to an undisclosed hospital.

    The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Malam Muhammad Bello, called on Abuja residents, especially students and youths, to refrain from retaliatory attacks.

    He said the Federal Government was already exploiting diplomatic channels to address the issue. He appealed to residents to give peace a chance.

    He warned that attacking South African business interests would have negative economic consequences for the local economy.

    The MTN and Multichoice head offices in Kaduna were locked when our reporter visited yesterday.

    At the MTN head office, in Abakpa, a yellow coloured banner was sighted at the main gate, bearing an inscription: “We Stand Against Xenophobia”.

    Armed policemen on power bikes were strategically positioned at the MTN and Multichoice offices.

    There was tight security around MTN, Shoprite and Multi-Choice (DSTV) offices in Kano. The premises were locked.

    At the Civic Centre offices of MTN in Kano, customers were seen loitering around the building, hoping that they would be attended to. The ever-busy Shoprite, located on Zoo Road, was also shut.

    The story was the same at the Magajin Rumfa Avenue office of DSTV, where few customers were sighted.

    One of the company’s private security personnel who pleaded anonymity, said the staff of the company stopped from coming to work since Tuesday.

    Some youths stormed the Shoprite Shopping Complex in Onitsha. They were, however, blocked from gaining access into the facility by the eagle-eyed security operatives.

    The video of the attacks on Nigerians in South Africa which went viral on the social media had triggered the youths’ anger. They planned to attack Shoprite and other South African-owned business outfits in the commercial city.

    The attention of the Police, Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC) and Anambra State Vigilance, (AVS), were drawn to the unusual movement of youths as they quickly cordoned off all the roads linking the mall.

    The authority at the Shopping Complex quickly ordered workers to leave the Mall to forestall any attack.

    When our correspondent visited the area, the ever-busy shopping complex was deserted.

    The MTN office in Awka, the Anambra State capital, offered skeletal services yesterday.

    An officer, who spoke with The Nation on condition of anonymity, said: “We can’t toy with the safety of our staff and customers in view of the recent events in the country.

    “We’re working from home today as we monitor situation.”

    In Lagos, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu vowed to deal with troublemakers exploiting the ongoing xenophobic attacks on foreign nationals in South Africa to foment trouble in the Centre of Excellence.

    Sanwo-Olu said he would not condone violence in any form on innocent residents and businesses by any person or group.

    The governor urged parents to warn their wards against taking to violence, stressing that the full wrath of the law would be brought on anyone caught attacking law-abiding foreigners and businesses in the state.

    He said: “We have watched the disturbing videos of attacks and vandalism against Nigerian nationals and their businesses in South Africa. These precipitated strong reactions by some Nigerians who chose to vent their anger on investments on South Africans in Lagos yesterday.

    “As a government, we condemn the violence visited on innocent people by the hoodlums who attacked Shoprite and other business interests owned by South Africans in Lagos. We cannot attempt to find a solution to a criminality by committing criminality. This is not part of our values as Nigerians.

    “Therefore, I wish to state categorically that Lagos will remain safe for all Nigerian citizens and law-abiding foreign nationals who are here for business.

    “We will not condone any act that can lead to breakdown of law and order. I implore all residents to go about their lawful businesses without any fear. Lagos will remain open to local and foreign investments.”

    Calling for calm and resfrain, Sanwo-Olu pointed out that the Federal Government had been responding to xenophobic violence in South Africa at the diplomatic level.

    In Ondo, the state government ordered the deployment of security in Shoprite and MTN offices.

    Acting Governor Agboola Ajayi said the deployment was sequel reports that some people planned to attack telecommunication firm in Akure, the state capital.

    Armed policemen were promptly drafted to man the Shoprite gate in Alagbaka area of the state capital.

     

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  • Flood: Residents urge demolition of shanties

    What does it feel like to live under the constant threat of flood? To live in constant fear of a clouded sky, pregnant with a downpour that was otherwise meant to bless the land and ensure food supply?

    Residents of Marshy Hill Estate, at Oke-Ira in highbrow Ajah, in the Eti-Osa Local Government Area of Lagos State knew how it feels. They will readily attest to it not in any way palatable.

    That was why they are appealing to the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu to order the removal of shanties and structures obstructing the drainage system within the estate.

    This was because they have been able to trace the cause of their plight to the obstruction of the drainage within the estate.

    In a petition sent to Governor Sanwo-Olu, the residents said these structures which just sprang up around the community, especially on Ade Aromasodun Street and Maxi Ibe/Lamina Street, by Aina bus stop have led to persistent flooding whenever it rains, threatening lives and properties of residents of the estate.

    The statement, signed by Clement Adegoke and Ale-Daniel Ola-Oluwa, the Chairman and Secretary of the estate respectively, urged the governor to direct the inspection of the estate by respective agencies and departments of the government in order to determine the extent of the obstruction and to proffer solutions that would help protect lives and property of the concerned residents.

    The letter, a copy of which was sighted by our correspondent, was also copied to the Deputy Governor, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat and the Permanent Secretaries of the Ministry of Works and Infrastructure, Ministry of The Environment, Ministry of Physical Planning and the Director-General Building Control Agency (LASBCA).

    Also copied were the Lagos State House of Assembly, the General Manager, Lagos State New Towns Development Authority, the Chairman Eti-Osa Local Government Area and the LASBCA District Officer, Eti-Ossa Local Government Area.

    They called on the governor to direct the removal of all structures and shanties blocking all drainage and canals on all streets within Marshy Hill Estate in Ajah.

    Adegoke said residents of the area always feel worried anytime it seemed it would rain for fear of the wanton destruction that it would cause.

    He said Marshy Hill Estate has never experienced such flooding as they experienced this year, adding that if this continued, they may soon be submerged by the flood.

    Adegoke, who described residents of the estate as “endangered species” urged the state government to quickly come to their aid to prevent loss of lives and further damage to their property.

    He said they resorted to appealing to the governor to make their plight known to him because they could no longer afford a situation where they continue to live under the threats of flood, especially knowing that their plights were caused by the indiscretion of some people who decided to build right on the drainage paths, thus forcing the flood to invade their property when its natural paths have been compromised.

    He said the residents would be happy if government would demolish all structures and shanties causing the flooding of the area.

  • Omotoso urges public affairs’ officers to promote Sanwo-Olu’s agenda

    LAGOS State Commissioner for Information and Strategy Gbenga Omotoso has urged public affairs officers to promote Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s T.H.E.M.E.S vision to the state’s stakeholders.

    T.H.E.M.E.S stands for: Traffic management and transportation, health and environment, education and technology, making Lagos a 21-century economy, entertainment and tourism as well as security and governance.

    Omotoso said the ministry has a vital role in making the programmes of government explicit and clear to the populace.

    The commissioner, who spoke during his maiden meeting with the management staff of the ministry in Alausa, emphasised the importance of teamwork in achieving set goals.

    He sought the support of the management and staff in taking the information machinery of the state government to a higher level.

    Expressing confidence in the ability of the civil servants to perform the task ahead, the commissioner said: “From what I have seen and my little interaction with people here, I know that there is nothing that we set out to achieve here, that we cannot achieve if we work as a team.”

    Read Also: Lagos cabinet members fully equipped to deliver, says Omotoso

    He promised to maintain an open-door policy during his tenure of office and encourage the staff to reciprocate the gesture by coming up with suggestions and ideas that would advance the performance of the ministry and boost public acceptance of government’s initiatives.

    The outgoing Permanent Secretary, Mr. Fola Adeyemi, who retires from the Civil Service next month, extolled Omotoso’s virtues, saying the staffers will immensely benefit from his experience as “a multiple award-winning journalist and a professional of repute that can stand tall among his peers in the industry”.

    He expressed confidence that the commissioner will get the required support of the management and staff in meeting the huge expectations of the government to expand the frontiers of information dissemination to Lagos residents and Nigerians in the diaspora.

    Adeyemi affirmed that the ministry has the framework and tools to deploy government information across media channels, noting, however, that an upgrade of the existing machinery is necessary to meet the requirements of the Smart City goals.

    Also speaking at the interactive meeting, the incoming Permanent Secretary, Mrs. Omobolanle Ogunmola, recounted the expectations of government as outlined during the recent retreat Sanwo-Olu held with Exco, Permanent Secretaries and Heads of Agencies themed: “Delivering the Lagos of Our Dream”.

  • Duty or extortion?

    HOW do you interpret this: a local government council office charging law-abiding citizens, driving there for legitimate business, for parking space?

    Shouldn’t a council have a parking lot?  Is not having one a legit way to raise revenue?  Or a brazen effort to extort the very citizens that voted the council chair and his councillors to office?

    Lagos Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu must hear this!

    It was about 9 am on Friday, August 9.  Some workers at the FRSC office, at the Itire Area Office, Mushin Local Government, off the Cele Bus stop, on the Mile 2-Oshodi Expressway, had alerted Hardball that his renewed driver’s licence might be ready for pick-up.

    So, to that office Hardball drove, only to be stopped at the gate, by some council(?) officials.  What for?  You could not enter the yard, they claimed, until you pay a parking fee of N200!

    They pointed at a small banner hung on the gate: “Car Park: for a Trip — Pay & Park”, the banner announced, with the full complement of the council’s logo.

    In the ensuing exchange, one of the officials, a female, politely explained that the council had firmed the park-and-pay business to a private operator.

    After much resistance, some gruff, thuggish and loutish-looking fellows boasted to puncture the tyre of anyone that entered the council yard without paying the new levy.  Eventually, they prevailed, thereafter issuing an analogue receipt for N200.

    Now, is this legit revenue raising?  Or unconscionable extortion of citizens, suggesting deep contempt for the same people that voted the council officials into office?

    That is the question begging for the governor’s attention.

  • Commissioner urges workers to be committed to duty

    LAGOS State Commissioner for Local Government and Community Affairs Mrs. Yetunde Arobieke has urged officials of the ministry to work hard in the discharge of their duties.

    She said they should work in line with the objectives of the Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu administration.

    Arobieke spoke on Monday during her first official working day meeting with the workers.

    She said:  “When everyone discharges his or her duties in line with the ministry’s mandate, it is then that the government’s agenda will be achieved. I implore everyone to be hard working and committed to duty. It is only when we are committed that we can help the present administration deliver on its electoral promises to the people that is in line with the government’s agenda which is T.H.E.M.E. i.e. (Traffic Management and Transportation, Health and Economy, Education and Technology, Making Lagos a 21st Century Economy, Entertainment and Tourism, Security and Governance). This will enable the ministry to attain an enviable height.”

    The commissioner sought the support of the monarchs and over 3,300 Community Development Associations across the state.

    She called for a working relationship with the local governments and community media practitioners, as this would make the ministry to attain an enviable height.

    ‘Let’s work together as a team. I believe in team work, so that we can excel and be sure the best will come from our working together,” Arobieke said.

    The Permanent Secretary, Dr. Taiwo Salaam, assured the commissioner of the readiness of workers to share the vision of the Sanwo-Olu  administration by achieving a greater Lagos through hard work and commitment to duty.

     

  • Union urges Sanwo-Olu to dissolve governing council

    THE Senior Staff Union in Colleges of Education, Nigeria (SSUCOEN) has urged Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to dissolve the governing council of Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education (AOCOED), Ijanikin, Lagos.

    The advice was given on Monday during a peaceful protest following a query given to some executives of the union, including the branch Chairman, Ombugadu Wumi, by a disciplinary panel set up by the governing council.

    Executives and members of the union in the Southwest gathered for the protest. They carried placards with the inscriptions: “We say no to governing council usurpation of college management duties”, “Enough is enough to AOCOED registrar’s anti-union activities”, “We say no to administrative rascality”, “Sanwo-Olu please save our souls”, among others.

    SSUCOEN National Vice President Ogbusuo Nicholas described the decision of AOCOED governing council as illegal, saying the union executives were only exercising their duties.

    He said the congress held by the union chapter was for conversion of workers in the institution.

    Ogbusuo said despite the government contacting the institution to allow status quo remain on the congress’ decision, the governing council set up a disciplinary panel, which issued the query.

    “The congress held by the union is only for conversion of workers, which was subjective. The union wrote to the college and the governing council for them to look into what they have done and be fair to all. As a result of this, they were queried and asked to provide the minutes of the executive and congress meetings of the union. It is not done anywhere because the union cannot release the minutes of the meetings to external bodies.

    Read Also: ‘Sanwo-Olu is on course’

    “We had a peaceful meeting with the management. Yet, the disciplinary panel, which was not appropriately set up, held a meeting at the University of Lagos (UNILAG). We told them it is an aberration, why hold a meeting outside the college?

    “This is why we are appealing to Governor Sanwo-Olu to come to the aid of AOCOED by dissolving the governing council that will be leaving two weeks, so that they will not destroy the good name of the college,” he said.

    AOCOED branch Chairman of the union Ombugadu Wumi said she and other executives have not committed any crime to warrant issuance of query.