The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Ikeja

  • Nigerians urged to prioritise character building

    THE need to build up the character of Nigerians, especially youths, has been emphasized.

    Speaking on Tuesday in Ikeja, Lagos, on the occasion of 2019 World Character Day and public presentation of a book titled: “Building Up My Character”, the author, Dr. Muyiwa Obiyomi, said moral decadence in the society should be curbed.

    Obiyomi, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Creativedge Communications, Victoria Island, Lagos, said there was no gainsaying that the wall of morality had broken down.

    “We are here today, heavily concerned about this moral burden. Afterall, character is the foundation of all true success. We all need to build strong personal brands since our character affects our career, business and life. I was heavily concerned about this, and so in 2004, I set at writing a handbook on character building development. The frequently asked question is, how can we rebuild this broken wall of morality? The answer is reinvent the people. But how can this be achieved?

    “The solution is, therefore, not in our ‘stars’ but in ourselves. It is in us. After all, when we are faced with decision, we have three choices: Do what will please, do what others do, or to do what is right?” he said.

    The Pro-Chancellor of the Crawford University, Igbesa, Ogun State, Prof. Peter Okebukola, who spoke at the event, said character was the sum total of all the negative and positive qualities in a persons’ life, exemplified by one’s thought, values, motivations, attitudes, feelings and actions.

  • AYE founder visits old school

    The founder and President of Africa’s Young Entrepreneurs (AYE), who is based in South Africa, Mr. Summy Smart Francis, visited his old school, Victory Grammar School, Ikeja, Lagos, to express his gratitude to the management.

    Francis, who also formed the Aliens Rights Organization with the aim to advise and protect the rights of aliens in foreign countries, during the visit, paid off all the debts incurred by some indigent students of the school.

    He also institutionalized  annual scholarship awards for brilliant students in the school.

    Francis is the executive director of Africa’s biggest entrepreneurship reality TV show produced in Nigeria and being aired across Africa on MNET.

    His AYE has also empowered thousands of Africa with grants and equipment.

    In his welcome address, the managing proprietor of Victory Group of Schools, Chief Christian Francis Ipoola Olaniyan, showered praises on Summy Smart Francis for remembering the alma mater by making  an indelible mark  by starting scholarship awards in the school.

    He advised other old students who have excelled in their careers to emulate the good examples of Francis Summy and Yemi Alade, a musician of note , adding that Francis achieved the feat because of his foresight and perseverance to succeed in life.

  • Customs’ ‘accidental discharge’ kills one

    An ‘accidental discharge’ by a Customs officer attached to the Federal Operations Unit (FOU), Zone A, Ikeja, ASC1 Destiny Onebamho, yesterday left one person dead.

    The incident occurred at the Shagamu interchange along Ijebu Ode-Benin Expressway.

    Although no immediate reason could be adduced for the incident, a video clip that went viral, showed men of the FOU Zone A of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) engaging in a heated argument with passengers, who had disembarked from a commercial bus and other plain-clothes persons.

    It was gathered that in the ensuing argument, Onebamho’s rifle discharged, killing the deceased.

    In a phone chat with The Nation, the National Public Relations Officer, NCS, Joseph Attah, said the deceased was a friend to one of the Customs officers on patrol.

    He blamed the unfortunate incident on an attempt by passengers of a white Toyota Hiace commercial bus to obstruct lawful performance of duty by the Customs officers.

    This act by the passengers, he said, led to the death of the young man identified as Godwin. He said it also caused serious injury to Onebamho.

    The bus, Attah said, was suspected to be carrying bales of used clothing.

    A statement by Attah reads: “The attention of the Nigeria Customs Service has been drawn to a disturbing video going viral with conflicting narratives. It is painful and totally unnecessary to lose life in anti-smuggling operations. Contrary to some narratives, the young man was not a passenger of the bus, but a good citizen who always comes to fetch water for Customs patrol men anytime they return to the base.

    “Preliminary finding indicates that it was during the skirmishes and struggle to disarm the officer that the rifle discharged and hit the friend of the Customs officer (Godwin), who lost his life. The Service is already in touch with the bereaved family. Sadly, it should be noted that while attention shifted to the dead and the wounded, the passengers who filmed with inciting commentaries boarded their vehicle and left, leaving the wrong impression that it was one of them that was killed.”

    He said the injured officer is under intensive care at the hospital, while the patrol team has been recalled to the office for further investigation.

  • Lions Club refurbishes cancer ward in LASUTH

    A non-governmental organisation (NGO), Ilupeju Diamond Lions Club has refurbished female Oncology ward at the female surgical unit in the Lagos Teaching University Hospital (LASUTH), Ikeja, Lagos.

    The Club also donated drugs to paediatric cancer patients. The gestures were to use to commemorate the World Paediatric Cancer Day holds every February 15,

    The refurbished Oncology room now has television, air conditioner, refrigerator, four beds and other amenities.

    Recipients of the free drugs are Ololade Olayinka, Precious Pius-Mana and Chiwendu Ndukwe who are currently undergoing treatment at the Paediatric ward.

    President of the club, Toyin Igbenoba, said the initiative was to help cancer patients and creates a conducive environment for their treatments.

    She further implored individuals, government and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGO) to ensure their continued support towards creating a cancer-free environment.

    She said: “As a cancer survivor, I know the excruciating pains cancer patients go through, but to also live in an unfavourable condition will no doubt double the pain, hence the reason we decided to embark on this project. The cost of cancer drugs is high, that’s why we decided to help some of the patients with the drugs,” Igbenoba said.

    LASUTH Chief Medical Director Prof Adetokunbo Fabamwo, hailed the club.

    “There has been a complete transformation here in this ward. I know what it used to be before, and we want to appreciate what the Lions Club has done for us.  For a government hospital like ours, we need all the support we can get from private sectors, NGOs because the government cannot do everything. We implore other individuals and organisations to imbibe the initiative.”

    A member of the club’s Board of Directors, Alhaja Nafisat Arogundade, prayed that the facility would reduce the sufferings of the patients.

    Alhaja Arogundade said: “We just want to get personally committed to making sure that we are able to touch the lives of the people living with cancer, by not just educating them on the prevention and control of the disease but also creating awareness to everyone.

    “Cancer is a deadly disease and government cannot do it alone but our message to the government is that we should also get the necessary equipment needed to treat it here so that Nigerians will stop spending so much to travel abroad for treatment.”

  • 160 Nigerians deported from Libya

    NEMA has received another batch of 160 stranded Nigerians from Libya.

    The returnees were received by the Coordinator, Lagos Territorial Office of NEMA, Alhaji Idris Muhammed at the Cargo Wing of MMIA, Ikeja,Lagos.

    They were brought back by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) with EU’s Special Intervention on Assisted Voluntary Returnees (AVR) programme and arrived Nigeria at about 7:50 pm  on Thursday evening via Nouvelair Airline of Libya.

    The returnees were made up of 68 female adults, one female child and five female infants.

    Also, there were 79 male adults, two male children and five male infants making up 74 females and 86 males, including a psychologically traumatized adult male.

    The coordinator while receiving them implored other Nigerians still aspiring to travel out of the country to desist from irregular migrations removing the fundamental rights that such migrants could have enjoyed.

    A returnee, Mrs Adebisi Komolafe, from Osogbo, Osun State, while narrating her experience, said: “Nigerians need to be praying fervently for our leaders, especially the president.

    Despite the bad situations in Libya, the people believe in their leaders and are praying fervently for them. They still see hope in their country.

    “If Nigerians can avoid blaming government for everything, with faith and sincerity, our prayers will be accepted by God.

    “God will guide our leaders right, if we direct our supplications to Almighty God to guide our leaders right.

    “I don’t wish any Nigerian should think of travelling to Libya. I never knew the situation in Libya before I left. If I had known, I wouldn’t have travelled there.

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    “Nigeria is far better than that country. We need prayers and sincerity in Nigeria.

    “I worked as a housemaid and had the opportunity to make some money, but the lack of government is a serious problem there. You cannot send money back home since I left Nigeria in 2016.

    “ The only thing I did was to buy goods that I could sell  in Nigeria and I brought everything back now.”

    Miss Aisha Ibrahim, from Oyo State, regretted her ordeal.

    “My sister told me that there were opportunities in Libya, I thought it was an opportunity to travel and make better life like in London or America.

    “My sister paid for my transportation and after a week on arrival at Libya, I got a housemaid work.

    “You must work and carryout any instructions given by those people. You must do whatever directives given. Failure to obey them will attract punishment or arrest.

    “At times, I will not come back to my sister’s house for three or six months. In Libya, you don’t have freedom. Once they hear you are a Nigerian, trouble starts. They don’t like us.  You cannot change work.

    “If you have travelling documents and you are caught, those documents will not be returned to you and you will be arrested. They can raid your house and cart away all your savings and property.”

    Miss Ibrahim explained that she worked for six months without break and when she wanted to visit her sister, she was accosted on the road.

    “I was arrested, all my money was taken away from me and above all, about 400,000 naira was paid to free me by my sister, and this made me to come back to Nigeria by going to the Nigerian Embassy. No Nigerian should think of going to Libya”.

  • Police to deploy air assets, sniffer dogs for polls

    ….We have received our allowances, motivated, say operatives

     

    Lagos Police Commissioner Zubairu Muazu has said the command would deploy air assets for constant patrols during the elections.

    He stated this during an interview with reporters at the Command headquarters in Ikeja, adding that there was no anticipation of violence in the state.

    According to the police chief, the command was fully prepared for the exercise and has a robust operation order in place.

    “We have aerial patrols even before the elections. These patrols are going to continue.

    “We do not anticipate any violence anywhere but we have made adequate arrangement just in case we have any.

    “The command is fully prepared for the election. On my arrival in the command I met a robust operation order in place which I went through and was satisfied everything was in place. Now, this operation order has divided Lagos into various commands and formations and all have been adequately planned for.

    “We have not left anywhere unmanned. From INEC offices to the polling units and then collation centers, everywhere is going to be fully manned by security operatives.

    “We are working in collaboration with other security agencies in Lagos State. I want to assure you that all flash points have been protected.

    “Electorates should come out enmass and cast their votes without fear of anything. Adequate security has been provided for each voter at his polling unit to cast his vote,” he said.
    Meanwhile, The Nation gathered that the K-9 (dog) unit of the police would be fully engaged during the exercise especially in areas notorious for drug peddling and related crimes.

    At the state headquarters yesterday, a detachment of operatives including those from the Police Mobile Force (PMF), Anti-bomb and Intelligence Bureau were seen jumping into trucks and buses for movement to their assigned communities and local governments.

    Asked why they were excited, some of the operatives confirmed to The Nation that they have received their allowances. It was gathered the other ranks (Corporal to Sergeant) received N30, 000 and above which were paid directly into their accounts.

  • Planned dedicated power supply to Ikeja, Eko DisCos stalled

    The plan to dedicate 100 mega-watts (Mw) of electricity supply daily to Ikeja Electric and Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC) from Egbin power plant has been stalled, The Nation learnt.

    Sahara Power Group, owners of   power plant, had two years ago, planned to dedicate 100Mw of electricity daily to Eko and Ikeja DisCos to boost power supply to Lagos residents, however, the arrangement failed to work out.

    Its Managing Director, Kola Adesina, said the plan had been stalled. “Arrangement for dedicated supply to Ikeja and Eko DisCos is faced with the problem of the power sector. This brings to question what the directive principle of Nigeria is in terms of industrialisation and creation of prosperity.

    “If industrialisation is what government is seeking, what naturally should happen is that the price of electricity should be made low through gas because Nigeria is a gas-centric nation and to that extent, the owner of that gas has that comparative advantage of that commodity. We shouldn’t be using import parity and pricing model for gas pricing in Nigeria. For me, government needs to find a way of intervening at that level such that the cost of electricity can reduce, such that industries can get electricity at an affordable pricing limit.

    “Another policy option we can explore, which we are partially exploring currently, is cross subsidy; this policy will clearly make the industrial and commercial users of electricity pay more for gas, thereby cross-subsidising the customers on the street.

    “While that policy is good, it has its inherent disadvantage, which is that the cost of electricity, as high as it is, will be passed on to the consumer. So, the higher the industrial and commercial users of electricity pay for the commodity, the more the price of the commodities and services they produce. So, it is a chicken and egg situation, which one comes first.

    “For me, electricity should still continue to be the central focus of government in terms of ensuring that there is industrialisation, creation of employment, reduction of poverty and there is climate for the people that are entrepreneurial in nature to seek ways of creating solutions to better the quality of lives of Nigerians,” he said.

    Adesina also noted that the legacy debt owed the firm has not been substantially paid. He said:  “On the backlog of debts owed the organisation by the Federal Government through the NBET, the payment assurance scheme is helping a great deal to resolve part of the backlog payments but that notwithstanding, government is still owing us over a N100 billion. The payment assurance scheme is one which we are still looking forward to in order to ensure that the 100 per cent revenue we deserve, we get from the system. But the government is increasingly paying from the payment assurance scheme which we are benefitting from.”

    He said when gas suppliers complain about not being incentivised, what they are saying is that in terms of contractual relationship, the contracts they have are with the generation companies and not NBET, “but the payment assurance scheme the government is implementing is one whereby the gas suppliers are paid first and we are paid next”. They get 100 per cent of their revenue and we get 80 per cent of our revenue from the pool of funds made available by the Bulk Trader.

    “On gas supply, we are still explorating in terms of looking for ways of ensuring that the required gas is given to us to be able to get the power available to Nigerians as we are striving towards ensuring that at the end of this month, Egbin will install 1320 Mw,” he said.

  • Glamour night, as Lagos Country Club celebrates Baba Ijebu

    It was a night of glam and panache, as Lagos Country Club unveiled its new gate and celebrated ace businessman and philanthropist, Sir Kessington Adebutu. Daniel Adeleye reports

    Elitist Lagos Country Club, Ikeja, Lagos was agog last Friday as it commissioned its N30million main gate entrance and conferred the distinguished Honorary Lifetime Membership on billionaire betting magnate, Sir Kessington Adebutu.

    President of the club, Tajudeen Akande along with other members were all resplendent white flowing agbada attires with cap to match, while the female members were all bedecked in beautiful dresses and jewellery.

    Soft music blared from hefty speakers mounted in the beautifully decorated club hall, while dignitaries networked and exchanged banters.

    The arrival of Akarigbo of Remo Land, His Royal Majesty Oba Babatunde Ajayi and the celebrant, Sir Kessington Adebutu, electrified the club, as the popular Yoruba song ‘sekere l’oba njo o’ rendered by traditional dancers rent the air, amidst blaring trumpets in honour of traditional ruler.

    At a point, Ijebu traditional dancers stole the show with their captivating performance and rendition of songs of the late Hubert Adedeji Ogunde.

    The double-barrelled event kicked-off with the commissioning of the multi-million naira gate by the financier, Sir Adebutu.

    Speaking, president of the club described the event as a celebration of success and human kindness.

    Extolling Sir Adebutu’s virtues, Akande described him as a rare gift to humanity, who has touched lives beyond imagination.

    Quoting the ancient philosopher, Aristotle, Akande said, “To give away money is an easy matter and in any man’s power, but to decide to whom to give it and how large and when, and for what purpose and how, is neither in every man’s power nor an easy matter.”

    He enjoined all members and guests present to borrow a leaf from the man who described himself as a ‘rare philanthropist’ and imbibe his spirit of generosity.

    The president also apprised members of the immediate commencement of the phase 2 remodelling project of the entire club.

    “Lagos country club is hosting this reception to give honour to whom honour is due and to show appreciation.

    “About two years ago, Baba extended his generosity to us with a donation of 25million naira.

    “The main gate we had before now was the 1949 look. Today, with the kind assistance of Sir Adebutu, we have the edifice that is standing there and nobody is more qualified to commission the project for us than the financier.”

    Responding, Sir Adebutu said he feels good every time he does good to others.

    He acknowledged that even though he worked hard while growing up to achieve greatness, many worked harder than him but didn’t make it; hence it is glory of God that has shined upon him.

    He described the honour conferred on him as a call to more service, adding that the short fall of money spent on the new project would be made available to the club within 24 hours.

    “Firstly I want to thank this great club for the honour bestowed upon me tonight. When you came to my house two years ago and I gave you a token of N25million, I did so, not for any reward.”

    “As you’ve rightly said here tonight, honestly speaking I feel good whenever I do good to others. I was never born with a silver spoon in my mouth. It’s true I worked hard but definitely some people work harder than me.”

    “During my speech while the project was being commissioned, I told our president that what you’re doing today is a call to service. So having said that, Mr President Sir, the new project of our great club, I would kick-start from tonight with a sum of 10 million naira,” he announced.

    Another highpoint of the event was the presentation of a plaque bearing the picture of the philanthropist to him by executive members of the club.

    Other dignitaries at the event included the wife of the celebrant, Otun Yeye-Oge of Lagos, Chief Mrs. Foworola Kessington, former Super Eagles player, Peter Rufai, the first female town planner in Africa, Mrs. Kehinde George amongst others.

  • Why Atiku travelled to USA – Obi

    The running mate to Alhaji Abubakar Atiku in next month’s presidential election, Mr. Peter Obi, said on Friday that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) flag bearer is not in the USA to prove any point to anyone.

    Obi told reporters at the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Ikeja, that Atiku travelled to Washington DC because it was necessary for him to do so.

    The former governor of Anambra State expressed surprise at the dust generated by Atiku’s trip.

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    His words: “Though he does over 90% of his consultations at home and among Nigerians, now and then, he has to travel to meet different groups, especially those that will be of assistance in the new Nigerian project.”

    Obi said that Atiku was pre-occupied on how to create jobs, reduce unemployment in Nigeria, abolish poverty and re-create the Nigerian economy in order to make Nigeria start working again.

    He said: “his trip is about engaging partners because he wants to hit the ground running without wasting unnecessary time.”

  • MC Oluomo discharged from hospital, travels abroad

    A chieftain of National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Musiliu Akinsanya a.k.a MC Oluomo, was on Tuesday night discharged from a Lagos hospital, where he was receiving treatment.

    MC Oluomo was attacked at an All Progressives Congress (APC) rally in Ikeja on Jan. 8, and was immediately taken to Eko Hospital, following injuries he sustained.

    A correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), who visited the Eko Hospital in Ikeja on Wednesday, gathered that MC Oluomo left the hospital on Tuesday night after payment of over N2 million medical bill.

    A very reliable source, who preferred anonymity, told NAN that the NURTW leader may have left for the United States immediately he was discharged from hospital on Tuesday night.

    “He is very fine and has nothing to worry about his health after his treatment at the hospital. Before he finally left on Tuesday night, he was receiving a lot of well-wishers.

    “Sometimes, he moves around and sometimes walks his visitors to the corridor, so he was in a sound health before leaving the hospital.

    Read Also: How NURTW chief, MC Oluomo, was stabbed, by K1 Publicist

    “Few days before he left the hospital, his associates were making arrangements for his trip,’’ the source said.

    NAN also observed that there was no more police presence around the hospital, as the three police vehicles stationed there had been removed.

    The Lagos State Police Command had said it arrested some suspects and also declared wanted another NURTW chieftain over the disruption of the APC rally in Lagos.

    The Command’s spokesperson, CSP Chike Oti, had said that those arrested in connection with the incident were helping the police in their investigation.