The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Fashola

  • Obanikoro leads soldiers to stop Lagos’ project

    Obanikoro leads soldiers to stop Lagos’ project

    Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola has urged the Federal Government to stop claiming land belonging to the state government.

    The governor spoke at the celebration of his administration’s 2,500 days in office at the Blue Roof hall of the Lagos State Television in Agidingbi, Ikeja.

    He said Minister of State for Defence Musiliu Obanikoro brought soldiers to stop a housing project on Lagos Island.

    He said a few days ago, Obanikoro and some soldiers stormed the site of the Illubirin Housing scheme on Lagos Island, where the state government is building 1,188 flats.

    Fashola said Obanikoro wanted to stop the project “under the guise” that the land belongs to the Federal Government.

    He said the reclaiming of the land in question was awarded to Julius Berger by the state government during Asiwaju Bola Tinubu’s tenure.

    The governor said: “This morning, on my way to this event, I observed at Illubirin Housing Estate that somebody has put a sign there that the Federal Republic of Nigeria owns the land. That land has been there for five years. The contract for reclaiming it was issued by Lagos to Julius Berger during my predecessor’s tenure.

    “About a month ago, we awarded the contract for the construction of 1,188 flats there, but, suddenly, the Federal Government is claiming ownership of the land. I was told Obanikoro was there on Saturday with soldiers.”

    He said soldiers acting on the directive of Federal agents also stormed the construction site at Oyingbo to stop the housing project there, claiming that the Federal Government owns the land.

    Fashola said: “The contractor at Oyingbo has stopped work because some Federal Government agents moved soldiers there, claiming that they own the land. That land is the land next to Mainland Hotel. It is good that Brigadier Mobolaji Johnson is here because it is part of the land he acquired during his tenure when Alhaji Femi Okunnu was the Federal Commissioner for Works.

    “Documents handed over to the state government indicate that the land belongs to Lagos State. It has not been in use for many years. When we started the Lagos HOMs initiative, we decided to build 48 flats there.”

    Fashola said in spite of recording 1.2 million votes from Lagos State, the Federal Government does not give the state equal representation in the appointment of ministers.

    He said: “Lagos does not have two ministers. Under this presidency, Lagos has one minister, who was appointed a few weeks ago. Mr. Segun Aganga does not represent Lagos. If I recall correctly, I think Section 147 of the constitution states that every state must be represented by a minister indigenous to its people. Mr. Aganga, as far as I know, is from somewhere in Edo State, not Lagos. To his credit, he has supported our initiatives here, including the free trade zone.

    “The President won an election here with 1.2 million votes. Other states got a minister except us, until about two weeks ago; just because 2015 is coming. That is the reward for your votes. As if that is not bad enough, we got minster of state.

    “That has been the reality since Shagari’s time when minster for and minister of came and they explained that minster of state is junior. But some states with a population less than the votes we cast have full minister. So shine your eye.”

    Fashola said the congestion in Apapa was evidence of the Federal Government’s inability to manage important sectors of our economy, adding: “Over 90 per cent of our resources are there and the place is characterised by mismanagement, loss of money or stealing of money. We started the clean-up of Apapa and Tincan Island ports. Those two ports are under the control of the Federal Government.

    “As for Apapa Port, the problem escalated after the concessionaire took over the parking space and threw the tankers out to the roads. There is an old rail line there that was built by the British. The tracks are still there. If the Federal Government is serious, what will it take to fix that rail and move containers and petroleum wagons by rail?”

  • Attention: Fashola

    Thank you for the giant strides achieved in development and governance of Lagos State and for the accolades you’ve gained far and wide. My father was particularly proud of you except for some reservations that he had which will I mention later.

    My father and mother served the Lagos State government meritoriously for very many years at the local government level and upon retirement they complained for very many years as they felt short changed.

    I attended the last verification exercise in December of 2013 on the behalf of my father, whilst my mother attended in person despite her failing health, and with gratitude to God it was to be their last as my father died a few weeks after even as my mother was to follow two months after.

    They were paid N7,400 and N10,400 in December and neither one of them was able to make it to the bank and I doubt that such funds would ever be accessible to anyone and they died poor .

    I remember my mum always saying that she was rich and a millionaire, only if the state government would pay her all of her arrears, inclusive of the 142% which I grew up hearing about that had been either promised or allocated to them and my father on the 16th of December, 2013 still made mention of, he infact said he was expecting three years salary.

    Pray your Excellency tells us what the benefit of these yearly verification exercises are for.

    I will seek to have their accounts closed and go through the normal process for the government of Lagos to stop paying these pitiable amounts,it was never enough to do anything and it never came in on time anyway.

    Who knows, if the 142% or whatever was paid, they might have been able to afford a better life and treatment, they might have also gone to their deaths feeling so appreciative of your government.

    Your Excellency, my parents lived well devoid of their entitlements even though they expected more from the government of Lagos State, and it is on this note that I’ve written this.

    I have always believed in you and your government much as they did for you and the AD,AC,ACN and APC which they never ceased to support and vote for. They are dead, buried and will be buried, as the other sick and expectant ones whom I met at the last exercise.

    Please do that which you believe is right and is true and achievable. Sentimentally, you grew up in my dads neighbourhood and an uncle of yours who is also a pensioner stood as the best man my dad when he got married to my mum.

    All I ask in memory of my mum and all of those who died without their entitlements is that you see these other people off to their graves happy and fulfilled that their services were well recognised and their entitlements paid to them.

    I speak in favour of the likes of Akinnawo, Ogunrombi, Shorunke, Alexander and a whole lot of others.

    I am expectant of a worthy response from Your Excellency and I will pursue all means possible to hear from you, Your Excellency.

    May God bless and keep you.

     

    Gabriel Adeyemi Onafowokan writes from Lagos

  • Fashola, others launch centre

    Fashola, others launch centre

    An ultra-modern health care outfit, Clinix Diagnostic and Dialysis Centre, has been launched in Lagos.

    It is expected to provide international standard health services.

    The centre, which boasts of the state-of-the-art equipment, is a major milestone in the health industry. It has technological screening tools, which are of international standard.

    Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola, who was represented by his Commissioner for Health, Mr. Jide Idris, said such initiatives are vital in giving Nigerians quality care, adding that the new facilities would be used to train people.

    He thanked the company for complementing the effort of the company in adopting the vision of the state and bringing transformation to the healthcare industry.

    The multi-billion naira centre was established for early detection and successful treatment of diseases

    At the launch were Oba Rilwan Akiolu of Lagos, Senior Pastor of Trinity House, Pastor Ituah Ighodalo and President of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria, Dr Olumide Akintayo.

  • Lagos may professionalise teaching, says Fashola

    Lagos may professionalise teaching, says Fashola

    Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola has said the state is thinking of professionalising teaching.

    He spoke yesterday at the Adeyemi Bero Auditorium in Alausa during the one day training programme on the Teachers Competency Framework.

    Fashola said the teachers have no reason to fear, adding that the basic salary of teachers would still be applicable to all of them.

    He said: “The basic income of teachers would remain the same, but instead of everyone clamouring for the same salary increment, that would be a function of what the person can offer as a professional. Those who improve themselves will always have something to gain.

    “What will change is that just as it is obtainable in professional football, where members of the same club earn different match allowances based on their rating and qualifications, additional emoluments for teachers would be based on what each teacher can offer.”

    The governor explained that if, for example, the state decides to focus on Information Communication Technology (ICT) for a particular period of time, it would provide incentives for teachers with competencies in the field.

    Fashola said classrooms and beautiful schools do not teach pupils, but committed teachers do.

    He said the state government has a responsibility to also regulate private schools, adding that the difference between a public and private school is comparable to what is obtainable in a private hospital compared to a public hospital.

    The governor said the tendency of finding an unqualified doctor in a teaching hospital is almost zero while there is a possibility of finding an unqualified person running a private hospital.

    He said: “The chances that you would find an unqualified teacher in a public school is almost zero, but the chances exist of meeting somebody who has no knowledge of classroom management running a private school.”

    Fashola said the issue of teachers’ competence has become “acrimonious”, adding that teachers must admit that they have shortcomings to be able to learn.

    Explaining that there is no margin for errors in the competence of teachers, he said the number of teachers at the programme showed that teachers were not against it.

    Fashola urged corporate organisation that want to support the education sector to do so by training teachers in ICT.

    He said teachers whose additional qualifications have not been recognised would be tested and given the deserved recognition.

    Fashola observed that Colleges of Education are affiliating with some universities outside the state. He criticised this and urged them to affiliate with the university in the state.

    The Tutor-General and Permanent Secretary, District 5, Mrs. Mary Iji, explained what the Teachers Framework is about.

  • Group hails Fashola on improved infrastructure

    Group hails Fashola on improved infrastructure

    The spate of infrastructural development in the education sector in Lagos State has been described as the right step towards better and qualitative education in the state.

    The Project Coordinator of the Academic Excellence Initiative (AEI), Mushin/Oshodi Zone, Mr Wasiu Balogun, stated this during the grand finale of quiz competition in Oshodi Lagos.

    The competition according to Balogun, is meant to help government improve the standard of education in the state and the country at large.

    “Part of our own humble contribution to the development of scholarship in the state is this competition that we are organising today among other efforts,” he said.

    “The essence of this competition is to strengthen the spirit of academic competition among secondary students; redirect their enthusiasm and energy towards the pursuance of academic excellence and instill in them the belief and conviction that academic excellence pays.”

    The quiz competition was keenly contested among 45 secondary schools cutting across Surulere, Isolo, Mushin and Oshodi. Only 12 schools qualified for the final stage. Among the 12 finalists, Isolo Comprehensive Senior High School came first while Ansarudeen Senior High School came second and Oshodi Comprehensive Senior High School came third.

    Teacher in charge of Isolo Comprehensive Senior High School, Miss Nwakaudu Nkeiruka said the group through the competition has set the pace for improving learning in schools.

    Miss Olusola Jinadu from the Education District IV urged the group to continue in helping government to improve the standard of education in the state.

     

  • Amaechi, Fashola, Ribadu, others tackle F G on corruption, insecurity

    Amaechi, Fashola, Ribadu, others tackle F G on corruption, insecurity

    Governors Rotimi Amaechi (Rivers), Babatunde Fashola (Lagos), Adams Oshiomhole (Edo), Tanko Al-Makura (Nasarawa) and Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti), as well as former Chairman, Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, yesterday in Lagos declared that the Federal Government is off the course in the fight against corruption in the country.

    They spoke yesterday at the Third Retreat of the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) held at Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos.

    President Goodluck Jonathan, according to them, is not just doing enough to tackle the daily occurence of corrupt practices across the country.

    They also deplored the rising level of insecurity in the Northeast, especially against the backdrop of yesterday’s invasion of Maiduguri by Boko Haram insurgents.

    The Chairman of the NGF, Gov. Rotimi Amaechi, insisted that Nigerians wanted explanation on the alleged missing $20 billion oil money.

    He said that effort by anyone to sweep it under the carpet would not work.

    Exressing shock at yesterday’s invasion of Maiduuri by Boko Haram insurgents, Amaechi said the state of insecurity in the nation had become worrisome.

    He told the Federal Government to wake up to its responsibility and deal with the incessant threat to the nation’s stability by terrorists.

    Almakura said: “The issue of insurgency has become a routine in the country. Everyday you wake up to hear that people are slaughtered without any sign that it will abate. Lives are being taken with impunity, nobody is sure of what will happen to him in the next minute.”

    Ribadu said that the tendency by the generality of Nigerians to indulge in corrupt practices would be minimised if leaders lived moderate lives.

    “Show us how to behave and we will follow you. If we have less private jets,we see you live in moderation, we will follow and copy you, “ the former anti-graft boss said.

    He said that corruption was a major threat to development, saying Nigeria would be far better fighting it.

    Ribadu advised state governments to put in place mechanisms to check corruption in their respective states.

    He described corruption as a deep-rooted malaise which could not be fought by centrally-controlled agencies alone.

    He said that the active involvement of the states in the fight against corruption would check leakages and promote development.

    “The states can do more and achieve more in the fight against corruption because they control a substantial amount of development resources.

    “If they leave the fight to centrally controlled agencies alone, we will not get the desired results.”

    On the Maiduguri attack, he said: ”As I am talking to you now, part of Maiduguri is under attack and people are being killed. This is a sad note for our country. I believe security is not what you can restrict to internal mechanism alone. We have reached the level where the country should seek international assistance to end the killings in the country.”

    Governor Fayemi said there would always be a problem “when the gap between abject poverty and inexplicable wealth is so wide as you have it now in the country.”

    He added: ”Any society that has problem with economy always ends up with insecurity. It is unfortunate that after many people were killed recently, the Federal Government still went ahead to host the centenary celebration.”

    Speaking on Building System and Institutions that Prevent Corruption, Governor Fashola said corruption in the country has reached a level where everybody must rise to nip it in the bud.

    His words: “People’s social status is incompatible with their income. They host social parties every weekend, feeding about 150 people and spraying money without recourse to the negative effect.

    “If you can step on your own sweat, something is fundamentally wrong. There is a leakage somewhere that bankrolls the reckless spending. We reward people for no honour achieved. The police are corrupt because their pension had been looted.”

    Governor Oshiomhole urged Nigerians to rise and fight corruption, noting that the dysfunctional effect of corruption is visible in all departments of the country’s national life.

    “If we all judiciously make use of the resources at our disposal, there will be less cases of corruption and those factors that induce corruption will be minimal, “ he said.

    Also speaking, former Independent Corrupt Practices and Related Offenses Commission and Justice of the Court of Appeal, Justice Mustapha Akanbi, stressed the need for the political will to fight corruption. Building system and institutions that prevent corruption, he pointed out, should be given adequate attention.

    He said: “When Nuhu Ribadu, former EFCC chairman and I were fighting corruption, we knew it was possible to take anybody to court. But the story is different today. When the former Aviation Minister, Mrs Stella Oduah was accused of corrupt practices, it took government a long time to remove her from office. But in the case of Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, the President did not waste time to suspend him.”

    He maintained that any person who must be a leader or president must be transparent in the discharge of his duties to the people.

    Prof. Akin Oyebode of the University of Lagos (UNILAG) said: ”It is an unwarranted assault on the nation’s integrity which needs to be fought to the hilt if Nigeria is to survive. While it continues to threaten our national survival, no effort should be spared to bring it to the heel.

    “Nigeria has enough laws and institutions to combat corruption. The architecture of the war against corruption seems adequate even if there might be the need for re-tooling here and there.

    “A situation where anti-corruption agencies are denied the wherewithal to sustain the anti-corruption crusade smacks of a calculated attempt to disembowel and incapacitate them.”

    Also present at the retreat were Senator Bukola Saraki; Governor Aliyu Wamako (Sokoto); Deputy Governor of Imo State, Eze Madumere; Dep. Governor of Osun State; Grace Laoye-Tomori; Governor Adams Oshiomhole (Edo); Governor Tanko Almakura (Nasarawa); Deputy Governor of Oyo State, Moses Adeyemo; Dep. Governor of Ogun State, Segun Adesegun; Prof. Grace Alele Williams; Governor Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti); Deputy Govenor of Kwara State, Elder Peter Kishira and Governor Abdullazeez Yari (Zamfara).

    In a communique at the end of the retreat, the Governors’ Forum said that the anti-corruption battle should be “anchored on a massive programme of national value-reorientation involving the state sector, private sector and civil society.”

    According to them, the “debilitating impact of corruption on national development and the adverse human development indices requires a concerted effort to combat corruption in both private and public sectors of the Nigerian economy.”

    They added that the fight against corruption “needs strong political will, moral leadership, certainty of sanction and commitment of governors to succeed and pledged to fill the role.”

    On security, the governors reiterated their commitment to “pursue cooperation on security management, including sharing of information and placing emphasis on human security needs of our people.”

    They called for the reintroduction of teacher training colleges across the country as part of the effort to enhance educational quality and access.

    The forum adopted its Strategic Plan for 2014-2016.

  • Fashola’s wife urges pupils on morals

    Lagos State First Lady, Mrs Dame Abimbola Fashola has urged the pupils of Dansol High School, Ikeja Lagos to imbibe moral values and be God-fearing.

    This, according to her, would not only make them greater in life, but also make Nigeria a better country.

    Mrs Fashola gave the charge while delivering a lecture titled: “Restoration of our value system” during the school’s press day/yearly leadership leecture.

    She attributed the corruption and moral decadence in the society to lack of moral values.

    “We must never abandon our own moral values and culture, otherwise our society will fall apart. Looking inwards, you will realise that the ills in our society can mainly be traced to loss of values. If a person steals, lies, cheats or even fails to lead followers on the right path, it is because such a person has lost or does not have the moral values that are important to perform their obligations successfully,” she said.

    Mrs Fashola, who urged the pupils to be respectful and law-abiding, added that that the only way they can excel in their studies is through hardwork.

    Her words: “Show respect to your elders. Honour your father and mother; this includes your teachers, school prefects, class and school mates. You must always obey rules and regulations of your school, the state and the country.

    “The only way to success in life is through hardwork. Read your books, practice those subjects you do not know to avoid cheating and examination malpractices. There is no shortcut to achieving your dreams.”

    The Proprietress, Mrs Adun Akinyemiju, said: “We support the state government through our immediate community, Agidingbi. In 2008 we supported the pupils in their annual charity project to complete a block of toilets which was donated to the Agidigbi Grammar School.”

    Annually, the student body and the school community, support orphanages with money, clothings and other materials as we encourage our students to make charity a way of life.

  • Fashola signs consumer protection bill

    Fashola signs consumer protection bill

    Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Fashola Monday signed into law the Lagos State Consumer Protection Agency Bill aimed at ensuring the protection of consumers against unscrupulous manufacturers and service providers.

    While signing the bill at the Conference Room, Lagos House, Ikeja Fashola said the State Government is aware that in advance economy around the world, the consumers are well protected to ensure that they get value for their money as they are deemed to be kings.

    According to him, “This is a very simple legislative intervention. Many at times when we were growing up, we heard stories of people buying household equipment, cloths, shoes and after using them, they can take them back to the store for replacement.

    “The rationale was that in all those economy, there is appreciation of value for money. The customers are recognized as king and Lagos being Africa’s mega and model city, we cannot be different. One of the selling points of this state internationally is its large population and the consumption power that comes with it.

    “No government that is alive to its responsibility will not seek to protect its citizens to ensure that they get value for their money. What the law will do for us is to tell the consumers that they are not helpless. In the end, everybody benefits, it will raise the service level, improve the quality and standards of good that are pushed into the market,” the Governor said.

    Presenting the bill for the governor’s assent, State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Ade Ipaye said the law provides for the protection of consumer’s interests, settlements of consumer disputes and other connected purposes.

    Ipaye explained, “The bill proposes to repeal what we currently have, that is, the Consumer Protection Committee Law but it complements other statutory commission. It will not affect rights that are already established under other laws.

    “Its main objective is to promote and protect the rights of consumers; in particular, the rights to be protected against the marketing of goods and services that are hazardous to life. The right to be informed about the quantity, the quality, standard and price of goods and services as the case may be so as to protect consumers against unfair trade practices.

    “The rights to seek redress against unfair trade practices, the rights to be heard and assured that consumers will receive due consideration in Lagos State as well as the rights to consumer education.”

    Ipaye said complaints can be filed by one or more consumers, adding that a company may be liable as well as its directors after investigations in deserving cases.

    The penalty according to the bill depends on whether one is a first time offender, in which case the fine is N500, 000 or three months imprisonment.

    Second offender’s fine is N750, 000 or six months imprisonment and in a situation of continuous violation of the provisions of the law, the fine is N20, 000 per day as long as the violation persists.

     

  • Fashola urges peace, religious tolerance

    Fashola urges peace, religious tolerance

    Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola, (SAN), has urged Nigerians to maintain peace and religious tolerance, saying they represent the building blocks of sustainable democracy and prosperity.

    Addressing the congregation at the Gospel Church of the Cherubim & Seraphim, Oke-Ayo Irapada in Orile Iganmu, Lagos at the 2014 Annual General Conference of the Cherubim & Seraphim Unification Church, Fashola said if God had created people and made them to be different, it would be inappropriate for some of them to impose a common highway on others.

    He said: “I appeal to all of us to continue to keep the peace and respect the right of others to worship in the way that they choose. It is not our position to judge. Those who truly believe in God cannot criticise the way others worship, because if it was not meant to happen that way, it would not happen”.

    Hailing the church for choosing as theme of their conference, “I Will Make Them One Nation”, Fashola, who described it as an important theme and an important step, said although it was clear what God’s purpose was for His people, what remained difficult to decide was what the people’s purpose was for themselves.

    According to the governor, “nation building is a continuous undertaking. It is an unending undertaking and it will happen within certain contexts and time”.

    He said: “At one time, it was in the context of fighting to keep Nigeria one. At another time, nation building was about economic development and managing the resources. At one time, nation building was simply about enthroning democracy. At this time, it is about speaking with one voice.”

    According to him, it is only when people’s minds are united that their actions will be united.

    The governor noted that from history, it had been difficult to separate the church from the state, pointing out that though a clear line seemed to have been drawn, the lines only emphasised the inner interdependence rather than independence of the church and the state.

    “The general concept is that well the church will take care of the spiritual needs of the people, pray for them for the atonement of sins so that they can go to Heaven, while the state takes care of their physical needs. But the church has done more than that and by this I mean not only the Christian church but also other missions”, Fashola said.

    According to him, “if you look around today, we have what we call public schools around us owned by the government. But in the time and I recall that many of the existing schools then were owned by missions. It seems to me in my own time that there were more mission schools than government schools”.

    “We may have made a wrong categorisation by painting all of them as public schools. They may have been public only to the extent that the missions that set them up made sure that members of their congregation could afford them and that their children could be raised and developed there”, he said.

    The governor went on: “On Sundays when women take their children to church, they first attend Sunday School, learning how to fear God, learning the way of God and how to worship Him. And from Monday to Friday, they are in schools, learning skills, how to read and write and at the same time learning the fear of God. The question then is, ladies and gentlemen, if God’s will is to make us one nation, have we taken up our own responsibility in order to fulfill God’s purpose for our country?

    “And that is the theme, which runs through the opening speech of the Spiritual Head this morning, the unification and responsibility. How many of us discharge our responsibilities as parents because young and adolescent children, who become gangsters, were once babies. Did we fulfill our responsibility to them?”

    Fashola said the importance of the conference lay in its emphasis on the human resource, adding that of all God’s creation and resources available to the world, the human resource was the most important. “We must pay more attention to the development of the character and the mind and the possibilities that exist in God’s most profound creation, the human resource”, he said.

    “What type of nation do we want to build? A nation where the debate is about how resources are shared or a nation that is bound together by the common ideals of freedom and justice and prosperity?”, the governor asked.

    He added: “The resources we inherited and new resources we found; but the truth be told, the most important resource is the human being because he is the only one that can turn around other resources”.

    Fashola paid glowing tribute to the Spiritual Head of the Gospel Church of C & S Oke Ayo Igbala Irapada, His Eminence Reuben Olorunfunmi Bashorun, whom he described as “an example to our generation; a man whose word has value; a man who it is appropriate also to call a community leader”. He said the cleric had demonstrated his leadership qualities in Igbogbo community in Ikorodu.

  • Fashola challenges Navy on sea transportation

    Fashola challenges Navy on sea transportation

    Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola (SAN) has urged the Navy (NN) to partner the state in its drive to develop an efficient water transportation.

    Fashola spoke at Alausa, Ikeja when the Chief of Naval Staff (CNS), Vice Admiral Usman Jibrin, visited him.

    Noting that the challenges befalling the country were signs of a rebuilding process, the governor implored the military to map out home-based research solutions to the nation’s health, security and technology challenges.

    He said the country is in dire need of peace, security and requisiting of knowledge, adding that the current challenges present huge opportunity for the military to provide home-based expertise in many areas.

    “Drugs, life saving equipment that are domesticated the world over were bôrne out of military research,” the governor said.

    Pledging the government’s continuous support for security agencies, Fashola advised the Navy to engage in money making ventures like boat maintenance, as well as establish schools that train sea farers.

    He decried the lack of connetion between Lagos Government and the Navy in the state’s quest to develop water transportation.

    “I am not a naval officer, but in the process of developing water transportation in Lagos, I have learnt that it is easîer to build a road than construct waterways.

    “So, there is need for the Navy to improve its partnerships in dredging, boat building and maintenance and trainings for sea-farers.

    “I had to go to Dubai to learn how to pilot my boat when we have a Navy here. I am due for a refresher çourse but have not gone because of time.

    “The Navy can set up schools that teach navigation laws and how to do the propet things at sea to the people.

    “Also, Navy should look into the possibility of building ferries. We had to go abroad in building ferries for our sea transport.

    “So, there is clearly local capacity for the Navy to do things that will legitimately earn it money. We have many merchant boats that need repairs, also farers require charting maps, all these avenues can be tapped into by the Navy because people are looking for the fastest way to commute, but have left the water.

    “There is need to open up and sail as far as Ondo to decongest our roads. Also, tankers should have no business plying our roads because if we have adequate sea transport, goods can be transported from Lagos to as far as Lokoja.

    “So, besides security, I think the Navy needs to show its expertise on our waterways for easy transportation.”

    Jibrin said he was at the Governor’s Office to perform an aged long tradition of the Navy-courtesy visit to the Governor of Lagos.

    He lauded the governor for his support towards the Navy, including the donation of two boats to help check criminality at sea and for easy transportation of election materials to riverine areas during elections as well as the construction of an administrative building for the force at Badagry.

    The CNS said there is need for continuous training in civil-military relations in order for erring Ratings and officers to be abreast with democratic principles.

    Appealing to Fashola to condone such personnel, Jibrin, however, maintained that every military personnel has been taught to abide by the laws of the nation and the state they find themselves.

    Pledging Navy’s commitment to security, the CNS urged Fashola to make land provision for the Navy at the Eko Atlantic City and Lekki Free Trade Zone for adequate security to drive the processes.

    Responding to the governor’s advice, Jibrin disclosed that the Navy has capacity to build small boats up to the ferry class, noting that the Naval Dockyard has been registered as a company.

    “We are investing in the Dockyard now and are working on bringing foreign partners to domesticate ship production.

    “We are also producing our maps for riverine operations, though we have not thought of doing so for business purposes. So, we will consider producing them in large quantity and for sale,” the CNS said.