The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Demola Seriki

  • Buhari’s Mega Rally: Lagos restricts movement in 18 major routes

    Ahead of President Muhammadu Buhari’s campaign visit to Lagos on Saturday, the State government in conjunction with the Transport sub-Committee of the All Progressive Congress Presidential Campaign on Wednesday said vehicular movement would be restricted around Surulere axis.

    It advised market women, residents and transporters to stay away from the axis on Saturday.

    Chairman, Sub-Committee on Transportation for the campaign, former Minister of State for Defense, Mr Demola Seriki stated this at a Travel Advisory press briefing he addressed at the Secretariat, Alausa on Wednesday.

    The committee also disclosed that over 500 officials of the Lagos Traffic Management Authority, 150 Federal Road Safety Corps officials and other police and Department of the State Security, DSS, personnel are expected to manage the traffic and security in Lagos during the presidential campaign.

    To reduce and manage vehicular movement into the state and especially in the axis, the FRSC has also banned movement of trucks and tankers into the state between Friday and Saturday.

    At the rally, the Transport sub-Committee said that over 100,000 people are expected at the Teslim Balogun Stadium, venue of the mega rally.

    Areas to be affected are: National Stadium and Teslim Balogun Stadia, Funsho Williams Avenue, Surulere, Lawanson/Itire Road/Tejuosho Road, Apapa Road Costain, Abebe Village/Eric Moore Road, Eko Bridge/Apongbon,  Marina Road, Ikorodu Road, Mobolaji Bank Anthony Way, Old Toll Gate/Third Mainland Bridge/Obalende, International Airport Road, Oshodi-Oworonshoki Expressway,Agege Motor Road, Jibowu, Yaba-Muritala Mohammed Way Iddo/Otto, Herbert Macaulay Way – Adekunle, Ijora Olopa/Ijora

    Briefing journalists on the planned traffic diversion and other logistics put in place to ensure a hitch-free presidential campaign rally, Seriki appealed to Lagosians to stay off Surulere axis on Saturday.

    Seriki, who was in company of other members of te committe like the state’s Commissioner for Transportation, Ladi Lawanson,  the  General Manager of LASTMA, Wale Musa, the state FRSC sector Commander, Hygenius Omeje and other stakeholders in the state, said that the roads would be shut between 10 am to 6pm.

    Read Also: Lagos on the march again

    He said: “The visit, billed for Saturday, February 9, 2019 will afford the President opportunity to meet with the people and address them directly about his plans and programmes for them if re-elected into office in the forthcoming general elections. As is usual, especially at this time when elections are in the air, coupled with the fact that the President has a large following across the land whose throng to the venue of the campaign visit at the Teslim Balogun Stadium in Surulere, will expectedly affect the traffic situation in the metropolis.

    “In the light of this, we have, in collaboration with all the concerned and necessary agencies of government, designed a programme to ensure free flow of traffic while the visited lasts. Accordingly, this Travel Advisory is hereby issued to advise members of the public on alternative routes to ensure that all those who will not be at the venue of the campaign do not get stuck in traffic on the following routes that will be affected”

    He added that the traffic will therefore either be closed or diverted on the 18 major routes.

    “Alaka (by Lanre Shittu Motors) on the service lane inwards stadium will be closed to traffic and vehicles diverted to the stadium bridge on the main carriage way. Shitta inwards Stadium and Stadium inwards Shitta will be closed to traffic and vehicles diverted to Adeniran Ogunsanya Street or Akerele Extension. Traffic from Baracks to Stadium on Funsho Williams Avenue will be diverted to Stadium Bridge on the main carriage way to Alaka,” Seriki said.

    Also speaking, the General Manager, LASTMA, Mr Wale Musa said that 500 officials of the agency would be deployed to manage traffic on the day while the FRSC boss, Omeje said that trucks and tankers had been warned to stay away from Lagos from Friday to Saturday.

    Asked what alternative routes were made for the trucks coming into Lagos from Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Omeje said that the FRSC had discussed with the various unions on parking outside Lagos, saying most of the truck had been informed to make use of Ogere and other places along Lagos-Ibadan expressway.

    “Alaka (by Lanre Shittu Motors) on the service lane inwards stadium will be closed to traffic and vehicles diverted to the stadium bridge on the main carriage way. Shitta inwards Stadium and Stadium inwards Shitta will be closed to traffic and vehicles diverted to Adeniran Ogunsanya Street or Akerele Extension. Traffic from Baracks to Stadium on Funsho Williams Avenue will be diverted to Stadium Bridge on the main carriage way to Alaka.

  • I’ll be a formidable senator, says Seriki

    I’ll be a formidable senator, says Seriki

    A former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship aspirant and now All Progressives Congress (APC) senatorial aspirant for Lagos West, Demola Seriki, has said he will be a formidable senator, “not by definition or by title, but through meaning”.

    Seriki spoke yesterday when he visited the House of Assembly to solicit members’ support.

    The former minister said there was need to strengthen the legislative institution “so as to strengthen our democracy”.

    “Through the legislature, we can strengthen democracy because legislative business emanates from experience and knowledge.

    “It is like a school on its own. It is an institution, which all of us must collectively build together.”

    Though he is from Lagos Central, he said he was contesting from Lagos West because senatorial election was a state wide matter and should therefore not be by zone or constituency.

    “I am a proponent of state wide election. Senate is supposed to be a state wide election.

    “It is really myopic and it is really wrong for us to have Lagos East, Lagos West, you can’t have people going for US Senate and saying New York West, New York East, nothing like that

    . I am a native Lagosian, I am from Agege, I am from Badagry, I am from Isheri, I am from Island, I am from Ojokoro, I am from Arogangan, so I can claim I  come from anywhere within Lagos metropolis, you cannot limit where I can come from because I am a native Lagosian, a descendant of Awori.”

    Describing APC as a new party, Seriki said it is a new amalgamation, “cutting across all races in Nigeria, all tribes in Nigeria and it is like a plc, a gathering of a party and we are ready to take the  presidency of the country, to take over the central government.”

     

     

     

  • Demola Seriki gets serious

    Former Minister of State for Defence, Chief Demola Seriki, has joined the race for the senatorial ticket of Lagos West. Already, he has made public his intention to succeed Senator Ganiyu Solomon, who is currently jostling for the governorship seat of Lagos State. Born and bred on the Lagos Island, the APC chieftain is bent on re-enacting Senator Tokunbo Afikuyomi’s deed when he crossed over from Lagos Central to Lagos West to pick the zone’s ticket to the Senate.

    Seriki, who holds the chieftaincy title of the Otun Aare of Lagos, has been a rallying point of some youth groups whose followership he is also banking on to actualise his ambition. Many regard him as an accessible and attentive individual; these traits that endear him to many of the bright minds around him.

    His versatility in grassroots politics has not taken the shine off his urbane outlook. If his ambition comes through, it would be his second foray into the legislative arm of government after his initial legislative experience in 1998 when he was elected a member of the House of Representatives on the ticket of the defunct United Nigeria Congress Party (UNCP).

  • Tinubu tongue-lashes Yoruba detractors

    Tinubu tongue-lashes Yoruba detractors

    •Says they are rabble rousers

    National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Asiwaju Bola Tinubu yesterday lashed out at those he said had been claiming that the Yoruba are leaderless.

    Such critics, according to him, are “hypocrites, mischief makers and rabble rousers who know nothing about Yoruba land and Yoruba people.”

    He spoke at the fund-raising for the new ultra modern palace of the Olubadan of Ibadan.

    He was the Chief launcher at the ceremony.

    Tinubu, who was represented by a former minister, Demola Seriki, declared that the critics’ knowledge of history was shallow, stating that “it will be better for them to take their eyes off our decent home and spend time cleaning out the rot in their own homes.”

    The former governor of Lagos State hailed the Olubadan, Oba Samuel Odulana Odugade 1, for the initiative to build the palace.

    He said the Olubadan, though not a politician has always stood against the marauding forces of destruction and confusion, while remaining committed to democratic principles.

    He said this is in line with the pedigree of his predecessors from 1820.

    He paid similar tributes to past royal fathers of Yoruba land for not disappointing their people.

    Asiwaju Tinubu hailed Oyo state governor, Abiola Ajimobi, an indigene of Ibadan, describing him as a pride to the Yoruba and Nigeria as well as an achiever who marches on against all odds.

    He said that Oyo State under Ajimobi is at “the cusp and point of monumental change.”

    He said the APC has embarked on a historic journey to bring change to the people and give life to their finest aspirations.

  • Demola Seriki, Wosilat Okoya step out

    Demola Seriki, Wosilat Okoya step out

    For those who might be wondering what has become of the union of Demola Seriki and Wosilat Okoya, it remains as intact as ever. Like the nectar and the butterfly, Demola has refused to shed his passion for Wosilat, his retinue of wives notwithstanding. The two were sighted by Celeb Watch at the 74th birthday celebration of Alhaji Razaq Okoya at the Oluwa Ni Sola Villa penultimate Friday, and they sat together, repeatedly whispering into each other’s ears. Like two new lovers, they threw banter and laughed heartily together.

    Still radiating with ethereal beauty, Wosilat looked resplendent in her flowing gown popularly called boubou, which sat well on her tall, sexy frame. One could tell she was at peace with herself. But for the occasional burst of laughter between her and Seriki, the sociable sister of the Eleganza boss was all calm while the event lasted. Seriki, on the other hand, was everywhere at the event. If he was not being called by one of his in-laws, he was in the midst of the clerics paying attention to whatever they had to say.

  • ’23 governors now in APC’

    ’23 governors now in APC’

    Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the National Publicity Secretary of Action Congress of Nigeria, on Friday said 23 governors are already in the fold of the All Progressive Congress (APC).

    Mohammed spoke in Lagos at the 7th Town Hall Meeting of Sen. Oluremi Tinubu, representing Lagos Central.

    He said 12 more governors had signified interest to join the party in addition to the 11 already in the fold.

    “The 12 governors will make their declarations after the party has been registered, possibly in two weeks time.

    “We are likely to get our registration certificate by the end of June or second week of July,” the ACN spokesman said.

    He explained that the delay in submitting the new party’s application to INEC was caused by “the complexity of merging.’’

    “Merging is not an easy process, it is complicated. Aside from the name, constitution and logo change, each of the merging parties must hold special conventions to adopt the merger.

    “The merger forming APC comprises ACN, Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), All Grand Progressive Alliance (APGA) and the Democratic People’s Party (DPP).”

    In her speech, Tinubu, who is the wife of a former Lagos State Governor, Bola Tinubu, described APC as “an assurance of hope for Nigeria.’’

    She said:“Without the genuine change and development being advocated by our great movement — APC, Nigeria risks further descent into the abyss of underdevelopment and backwardness.’’

    On the bill seeking special status for Lagos, the senator said no effort would be spared to achieve it.

    Tinubu disclosed that the three senators from Lagos had sponsored a bill seeking provision of financial grants to the state in the constitution, in recognition of its status as the nation’s economic hub.

    The News Agency of Nigeria  reports that Tinubu distributed free November/December General Certificate Examination (GCE) forms to 220 youths in the senatorial district.