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Tag: Babatunde Raji Fashola

  • Lagos pegs mobilisation fee to contractors at 20 per cent

    Lagos pegs mobilisation fee to contractors at 20 per cent

    The new Procurement Law okayed by Lagos State Governor Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola has pegged the mobilisation fee to contractors at 20 per cent of the total contract value.

    Commissioners for Economic Planning & Budget Ben Akabueze said this at a parley organised by the Ministry to interfere with state government contractors and other stakeholders on the implementation of new procurement law and payment procedure.

    He explained that the directive will make more funds available to service many contracts at a time. He condemned the attitude of contractors who get mobilisation fees and months after, are yet to mobilise to site.

    The Commissioner warned that contractors who collect advance payment and use a fraction of it on the jobs while keeping the rest as profit when the jobs were yet to be completed are not doing themselves any good. He opined that a contractor is assumed to have her own financial resources to execute contracts awarded to them, and that the advance payment is only to assist in the seamless cash flow to ensure timely project completion.

    Akabueze advised that contractors could raise fund from banks and other financial institutions as the Lagos State Government has enough goodwill and integrity in the sector.

    He said project will be subjected to at least three inspection stages namely pre-payment process, work in progress and inspection upon job completion. This, he said, is in accordance with world best practices.

    Earlier in his paper titled “Tendering procedures in Lagos State under the public procurement Law 2011” GM/CEO, Public Procurement Agency, Engr. Akin Onimole said that the objective of the state government in enacting the law is to ensure transparency, competitiveness, professionalism and also to generate integrity and public trust in the public procedures.

    He took contractors through all the procedure and tender requirements to bid for contracts in the category to which they belong. Onimole re assured that performance and technical qualifications backed with financial capability and lowest reasonable bid is all a constructor require to get contracts as the system epitomise transparency.

  • Housing revolution

    Housing revolution

    •Fashola programme should trigger other governments’ imaginations 

    Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola’s administration admirably launched the Lagos Home Ownership Mortgage Scheme (Lagos HOMS) last week. The revolutionary initiative deserves commendation. For Lagos State aspiring home owners are newly completed 1,104 units. Another 3,156 units are reportedly at various stages of construction while work will soon commence on additional 4,454 units across the state. The units include blocks of four floors containing 12 flats of one, two and three bedrooms, and a block of 12 flats of two units of two bedroom flats and one unit of a three-bedroom flat.

    Fashola gleefully affirmed that the project was not financed through loans at the flag-off: “We started saving N200 million monthly, whether the internally generated revenue increased or decreased, and today, we are now saving N500 million monthly, and it is possible to increase this as more people pay their taxes.” He stated further that the payment plan is “…a minimum period of 10 years… and the mortgage payment will attract a maximum interest of 9.5 % per annum…”

    Equally heart-warming is the desire to capture those that truly need homes in the state as those who already have houses and cash in banks may have to think twice because of the several legal impediments. The scheme is designed for first-time home owners with no pre- owned home, whether acquired privately or bought from government. Applicants will be required to swear affidavit to that effect. Aspiring beneficiaries must be Lagos residents for a minimum period of 180 days or about six months, irrespective of where the person’s original roots are, and must show a residency card under the Residents Registration exercise.

    Also, applicants must show proof of payment of tax for a continuous period of five years preceding their application while house choices eligibility must match with applicants’ proven income sources. Moreover, no successful applicant will be allowed to rent out the houses as this could amount to a violation that might lead to re-possession, pay off and re-offer to others. According to Fashola, the first draw will hold in the public glare “… from 4th March, 2013 and that subject to ability of contractors to keep building, there should be a minimum of 200 new home owners in Lagos every month,’’ and even beyond his tenure.

    Lagos housing deficit is placed at one million units. So, the available housing units of 1,104 completed homes might look grossly insufficient. But we believe in the efforts of the governor in seeing to a quick completion of another 3,156 units that are reportedly at various stages of construction, with plans to commence the construction of additional 4,554 housing units across the state. The housing initiative will no doubt give ordinary hardworking middle class people with legitimate income who cannot afford to acquire homes at the current prevailing rate in the country an opportunity to benefit without hassles. The Lagos State government should be appreciated for giving an across-the-board discount of 25 per cent to the total actual cost of land, infrastructure and building, which is the total cost of the home.

    Whatever hiccups that might ensue, we believe that they are surmountable because housing is so essential to human existence; that it is yet a big problem in a cosmopolitan state like Lagos should worry us. By this initiative, Governor Fashola will be taking a big leap in creating home owners out of hitherto hopeless people. He deserves applause for laying this ground-breaking institutional housing foundation in a country where people believe in outright purchase of anything in sight. The ambition, courage, rigour and steadfastness that went into the initiative should be emulated by other governments in the country.

     

  • APC alerts Lagosians on training of hoodlums

    APC alerts Lagosians on training of hoodlums

    •FERMA denies new trainee scheme

    Lagos State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has warned that any attempt to compromise the security of life and property enjoyed by Lagosians would be resisted by the government and residents.

    The party gave the warning in view of the reported alleged training of some people by the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA) under the guise of policing federal roads in Lagos.

    In a statement in Lagos by the Lagos State Interim Publicity Secretary of the APC, Joe Igbokwe, the party said neither the party nor Lagosians were fooled by the antics of those behind the training of youths in Lagos on the purported excuse of protecting the dilapidated federal roads.

    It said government and Lagosians were ready to deal with the instigated mischief behind the training and would mobilise residents to resist any effort to compromise the peace and security by desperate politicians.

    FERMA has described the ‘new FERMA trainees’ as a fraudulent scheme to deceive the public.

    It said it has its operational offices in all states, but has no scheme going by that name.

    The agency’s position was made in a statement by its management, which noted that the agency was forced to react, following the concerns raised by Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola in an interview.

    The governor raised concerns over the group, which he said he brought to the attention of the Minister of Works, who also said the ministry had nothing to do with the group.

  • Lawmakers seek peaceful Xmas

    Lawmakers seek peaceful Xmas

    Lagos State House of Assembly yesterday urged Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola to direct appropriate security agencies, especially the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) to strengthen security around Lagos Mainland as a result of cult activities and to ensure security of lives and property during the Yuletide.

    The House, which was presided over by the Deputy Speaker, Kolawole Taiwo also resolved that the Commissioner of Police, Umar Manko, be invited to brief members on security challenges.

    The resolution followed a Matter of Urgent Public Importance raised by a member, Moshood Oshun (Mainland I), that cultism had gone haywire in the area.

    He said a man was allegedly butchered in Bariga area in broad day-light, adding that cultists in higher institutions around the Mainland had moved into surrounding communities to initiate miscreants into their fold, leading to killings and counter killings.

  • Governors’ convoys of death

    SIR: It has really become pitiable how our dear nation has been turned into a theatre of tragedies. It is more worrisome that the people whose statutory duties include the aversion of tragedies have become the harbingers of calamities and death. The rate at which the convoys of  public office holders and other such ‘powerful’ men get involved in road accidents, in recent times, has become a cause of worry. Innocent lives have been wasted while other road users have been endangered by the recklessness of many of our governors.  It is very unfortunate and unbelievable that one of the finest and very courageous university dons in Nigeria, Professor Festus Iyayi, a former president of the Academic Staff Union of  University (ASUU) ,would be killed in a road crash involving the convoy of Kogi state’s governor, Captain (rtd.)Idris Wada. It is of great concern that in less than a year, this is the second time Governor Wada’s convoy will be involved in ghastly crashes. In December 2012, while he was lucky to escape the crash along the Lokoja – Ajaokuta road with a fracture, his Aide-de-Camp, an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) was not. He died on the spot.

    It is laughable that the only way some of our leaders could show that they have ‘arrived’ is to intimidate fellow citizens, ironically those who voted them into power,  with the ridiculous blare of siren. How else would you differentiate the common man from the ‘big man’ and this is the reason they would buy just two cars for almost half a billion naira in a country where just  N10,000 could restore the hope of many. That is the reason many of them arrogantly loot the public treasury to continue to intimidate and oppress the citizenry. They are completely detached from the people they govern, the same people they are to be role models to. This is not right.

    It has now become imperative for the political class and public office holders to begin to have a change of attitude. They must realise that the office they hold is in trust for the people they govern. The only way the public office holders will not incur the wrath of the people is only if they begin to have deep respect for the people. They must lead by example. They should emulate the governor of Lagos State, Babatunde Raji Fashola, who has shunned the use of sirens and will never display bragging right of way with other road users.

    • Sola Ogunmosunle

    Ministry of Information and Strategy, Alausa, Ikeja.

     

     

  • Fashola: Lessons in leadership

    Sitting with friends last weekend and discussing our dear country, two of them, a top tier government official and the other, a businessman and retired public servant, particularly, took me to task. I was accused of being consumed with the spirit of criticism and that I had never written anything positive about government or government officials. Perhaps correctly, they admonished me to continue criticising by all means but also publicly offer commendation where deserving.

    If I am to single out one public officer for commendation, it will be Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola of Lagos State. My admiration for him will not primarily be based on the popular yardstick of visible infrastructural development, mass transit or indeed the beautification of Lagos. Of course these matters, but what appeals to me the most is the fact that, in governing he has first learned to govern himself. With all the temptations, sycophancy and weak controlling factors inherent in the Nigerian political structure, it takes a man of character and strong personal convictions to resist the lure of governing like a master and instead correctly practice a governing style that is characterized by the management of governance structures like the serious business it is supposed to be. It is trite that the foundation for good service delivery to the governed has to be the creation of a knowledgeable purpose driven governance vehicle. I believe that is the essence of governance, the kind that is geared towards personal sacrifice and service to the people. Indeed I often wonder how correct, albeit unwittingly used, the term ‘ruling party’ is, as opposed to ‘governing party’ which will unfortunately be an unmerited nomenclature in most instances.

    Frighteningly for our country, we have reached abysmal depths of bad governance, that even the holding of regular state executive council meetings as the decision-making vehicle of government is worthy of commendation! Many states are governed from the governors’ sitting rooms and the commissioners and advisers are largely ceremonial. Yet governance as envisaged in our constitution is designed to be a collective effort of an executive committee with the governor as its head

    A dear friend, a few months ago telephoned me excitedly early in the morning. All he had to tell me was that at about midnight, a neighbour in their Lekki Estate Street had awoken him to rush out to the street to see ‘something’. He went out and there was Governor Fashola, walking down their street alone, evidently on an inspection. The road had been recently fixed and this after only a letter by the residents to the governor complaining about the poor state of that road. The governor exchanged pleasantries with the few who had come out to see him, politely refused their offer of a drink only because he had other places to inspect.

    I had my own story to tell my friend. Dolphin Estate had suffered flooding for several years and indeed the main gate area was perpetually under water and we had installed a machine to pump out water to make the area passable. The cost of a permanent solution was too much for the estate association to even contemplate. So with no choice and only forlorn hope, the estate association wrote to the governor. The letter was duly acknowledged within a couple of days and by one week, a team had been sent and stationed there preparatory to commencement of what turned out to be a massive channelization/deflooding effort. Suffice to say that the gate area and indeed Dolphin Estate now knows the difference between dry and rainy season!

    I also told him a story my wife relayed a couple of years ago. Her friend’s brother was arrested and his car impounded by officials of Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) My wife’s friend had stored the advertised telephone numbers of various Lagos State government officials and in her anger and desperation decided to ‘try her luck’ with one of the numbers. She called the governor’s special adviser, no answer, she then sent a text message and when there was no immediate response she wrote it all off as a ruse. A few hours later, the special adviser telephoned her, apologised profusely for not reverting immediately and listened patiently to what had happened. He promised to take remedial action and within the hour the car was released. More surprising to her was that he called again to find out whether her brother had returned with the car. After receiving a positive answer, he apologised on behalf of the government and offered insights into challenges being experienced with that agency and ongoing efforts at its sanitization.

    Another personal experience was a debriefing exercise where some foreign company officials relayed their experience of a meeting with some Lagos State government officials headed by the governor regarding a collaborative project. At the start of the meeting, the head of the foreign delegation started with the usual ‘Excellency this Excellency that’ whereas Fashola cut him short, requested he should go straight to his presentation and not waste precious time on ‘protocol’. He finished his presentation and was very impressed with the high quality of the discussion and the technical soundness of the governor and his team. The foreigners were excited as this was different from what they had been told to expect in Nigeria. I warned them that Lagos was exceptional. They had another state to visit, and three days later I was anxiously awaiting their comparative report. They had waited for two days for their ‘confirmed’ appointment but were not able to see that governor! And the other state officials informed them that the governor had not instructed them to hold any discussions in his absence but advised them to fix another appointment. That these guys came all the way from Hong Kong was completely immaterial.

    There are numerous examples of incidents of good governance in Lagos State but I have restricted myself to a few personal examples. The essence being that whatever success has been recorded in Lagos is borne out of a disciplined and professional minded adherence to building governance structures and leading by personal example. When other officials see their head putting in long hours in the service of the people, they will follow suit. There is a sense of direction and pride in being able to deliver quality governance. Building a team of real advisers as opposed to sycophants is perhaps what has made the critical difference. Lagos is by no means immune from security challenges, but with the intimidating number of unemployed youths daily arriving the state, there must be a reason why it is one of the safest states in Nigeria when it should clearly be the reverse. For the head of governance team in Lagos, my humble advice, there is work to be done but you are doing well!

     

    •Ukpong is a Legal Practitioner

     

  • Govt advised on cargo truck, tanker accidents

    Lagos State Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola has called for minimum standard of safety for all vehicles that carry cargo in and out of the ports including tankers that carry fuel which suddenly fall and erupt into flames.

    Fashola said it only means the cargo vehicles and tankers are either not built to the appropriate specification or something is wrong somewhere.

    The governor spoke during this year’s edition of the stakeholders’ annual interactive session with the Lagos State government, tagged “An Evening with Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola.”

    The session, initiated by On Wheels Magazine, was held at the Federal Palace Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos.

    Fashola said: “There is a multilevel governance structure (Federal, state and local) and each having its functions. The Federal controls the port and all that happens in it. And so with the structure on ground, the state cannot do anything. I have communicated with the National level, I have written to the Federal Government through the Minister of Transport and the Port Authority through the Ministry of Finance, the supervising Ministry. It all depends on the priority we place on life and safety as against money. There must be minimum safety in vehicles carrying cargoes in and out of our port. Same can be said of tankers that convey fuel because they just suddenly burst into flames killing and maiming people and destroying properties in the process,” he said.

    He said: “There is no city-state in the world that moves the volume of cargo that we move from the ports and tank farms across the country on our roads daily.

    The tonnage, he said, is too severe for the survival of the roads.

    “So when we keep Lagosians moving as you see them, it only means that this government is performing only something near a miracle. For us, it is important that transportation is efficient. Yes, we have congestion, problems on our roads, but remember that it is the consequence of over 21 million people choosing to leave in the smallest land space in the country. As I tell people, there is no congestion in the desert,” he said.

    He described transportation as a linchpin of modern civilisation.

    “In fact, transportation assets are shared assets and that means you can’t own the road. The rule therefore is that when you don’t need to be on the road, don’t be on the road because we cannot work our way out of congestion. We can only work around congestion. But as a people, we still carry on business as usual. Some people still get into their cars just to go and just with a friend when they can use the phone. Once we recognise that the road is a shared asset and should only be used when there is no alternative. This will allow all of us who want to use those assets to share them in a very beautiful way,” said.

  • Tears as Ozako is buried in Lagos

    Tears as Ozako is buried in Lagos

    The reality of the passing on of popular entertainment industry lawyer, Efere Ozako brought many to tears, as the man was being interned yesterday, at the Vaults and Gardens funeral home, Ikoyi, Lagos. The storm of tears had gathered the previous night, during a tributary session at the MUSON Center, where the several good deeds of the deceased were being relayed by family members, friends, entertainers and barrister colleagues, including Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola.

    Anne, the widow of Ozako, had maintained a steady smile, the previous night, as everyone eulogized her late husband during the Service of Songs. She probably chose to be engrossed in the beautiful testimonies from outsiders who had not spoken to her about her husband before. But as the body of her late husband was being lowered at the morgue, whatever courage she had gathered as a reason to live on failed her momentarily. In a flash of the moment, she gravitated towards the tomb, and only had to be held back by many. She cried uncontrollably, clutching her two kids; Omaina, a teenage girl and Omanesi, her younger brother.

    Anne’s expression of her agony steered emotions at the morgue. The artistes wept behind dark glasses, and so were several others whose connection to Ozako was only imaginable. Any opne who was at the tributary night knew how much the late lawyer had affected positively, the lives of people who crossed his path.

    His sister in-law, Bose Gloria Ozako said he was protective of her to a fault. She said her husband would never think of cheating or misbehaving to her. “Efere would take the next flight to Warri.” She mustered amidst tears.

    For Federal Government College Warri Old Students Association, he was a rallying point for members. Few weeks before his demise, Ozako was said to have donated generously to the widow of a late member, and had urged others to do the same. To the Bikers Association, he brought innovation to the club by forming the cruisers sub wing, saying that riding was a bit too fast and risky. To the entertainers, Ozako, according to Richard Mofe Damijo, Commissioner for Culture and Tourism in Delta State, was at the center of some of the successes they enjoyed today, by fighting for performers’ rights. To the lawyers, Ozako was a man who reduced the boredom in the practice and interpretation of law, through creative articles.

    The late Ozako was prominent for his law magazine, named Takkai. He was also well known in the entertainment industry for his workshop series; Wetin Lawyers Dey Do … Sef?. He started the workshop series in 2006, through Dtalkshop, an agency he co-run with Kaine Agari, his cousin. The workshop was meant to awaken filmmakers and musicians to the possibilities of earning well from their artistic endeavours. Ozako in his life time frowned at the activities of pirates and similar right infringers. He died on April 18, 2013, at the Havana Hospital, Surulere, of a stress related ailment.

  • Use your large numbers in IBA positively, Fashola urges Nigerians

    Use your large numbers in IBA positively, Fashola urges Nigerians

    Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN) has called Nigerian lawyers to use their large numbers at International Bar Association (IBA) conferences positively in the over all interest of the country.

    Fashola made this call during a reception hosted by Nigeria’s Ambassador to the Ireland, Ambassador Felix Pwol, in honour of Nigerian Lawyers attending the IBA Conference in Dublin.

    The Governor said that Nigerian contingent at IBA Conferences has always been among the largest and that it was time for the Nigerians to put the number to good use. He urged the Nigerian Lawyers in the Council of the IBA to advocate for Nigeria to host the IBA Conference stating that Lagos State was very ready to host the Lawyers.

    The reception held on Tuesday, October 2, 2012 was well attended, it was held just a day after the Country’s 52nd Independence Anniversary.

    Thanking the Ambassador for a warm reception, the NBA President Okey Wali SAN said that the Nigerian Lawyers reception in Dublin, Ireland was the best he had attended in recent times, he said that the reception showed the Nigerian spirit of warmth and congeniality even in another man’s land.

    Wali said that Nigeria was in his own estimation, one of the best countries in the world. He urged the Lawyers at the reception to always be proud of the Country and do their best to contribute to the Nation’s well being.

    Notable guests at the reception include Former Presidents of the NBA Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN), O.C.J Okocha (SAN),Chief Bayo Ojo SAN,

    Others are Chief Joseph-Kyari Gadzama (SAN), Yusuf Ali (SAN), Dele Adesina (SAN) and former General Secretary of the NBA Olumuyiwa Akinboro Esq, Attorneys of the different States and Judges from different States and from the Supreme Court.