The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Ikoyi

  • Ikoyi, environs to experience four-hour blackout

    The Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC) yesterday announced that there would be power interruption four hours daily in Ikoyi and other adjoining areas in Lagos Island for the next one week.

    Its General Manager, Corporate Communications, Godwin Idemudia, in a statement, said the week-long power interruption is to enable the company carry out service improvement rehabilitation work on Shaw Road 11KV Feeder covering Ikoyi and environs.

    He said the rehabilitation work would enhance better service delivery to the company’s customers in the area.

    The EKEDC spokesman appealed to all residents of the affected areas to bear with the situation, while the company strives to make the satisfaction of its customers its utmost priority.

     

  • Lagos begins urban regeneration of Ikoyi, Ikeja

    Lagos State Governor, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode yesterday unveiled 45 equipment and inaugurated an interlocked road in Lekki to begin the urban regeneration of Ikoyi, Victoria Island and Ikeja Government Reserved Area (GRA).

    The equipment were unveiled after a public demonstration to complete the construction of the interlocked road on Joseph Hotonu Street, Lekki.

    Among the equipment are five driving rollers, 18 hand operating rollers, one excavator, one paver, six tractors, three wheel loaders, one chip sealer, one milling machine, one Hiab loader, one sweeper machine and one synchronous chip sealer.

    Ambode, represented by Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Mr Rotimi Ogunleye, said the equipment were procured to address environmental and infrastructural challenges in Ikoyi, Victoria Island and Ikeja G.R.A.

    The equipment, he said, would be deployed across the state for the urban renewal initiative.

    Ambode said: “We are here to commission these machines, equipment and gadgets and to state that these range of products would be deployed immediately to the urban regeneration of Victoria Island, Ikoyi and Ikeja and they are being put in place today to further upgrade the activities of the Lagos State Public Works Corporation so that from their three centres in Badagry, Ojodu and Imota, they can take care of the rest of Lagos State.

    “We are at this site to see physically the demonstration of the capability and capacity of the equipment. I want to state emphatically that this development is a sign of the government’s commitment to the regeneration and renewal of the entire Lagos State landscape.

    “The Public Works Corporation has three regional centres in Badagry, Ojodu and Imota, of which the various machines would be deployed to the various areas. Essentially, this point is to regenerate V.I, Ikoyi and Ikeja urban centres and it is an all-inclusive developmental process”.

    Secretary to the State Government Mr Tunji Bello said the paving stone machines and road printers were acquired to construct roads that would last longer considering that the state is waterlogged.

    Bello added: “We carefully thought about it before we even embarked on it. It was planned a long time ago for the equipment to be acquired and having been acquired, they will be deployed immediately for road construction.”

  • Ex-Naval officer charged with wife assault

    A retired naval officer, Olufemi Ibitoye, who allegedly assaulted his estranged wife, Mrs Olumide, on Wednesday docked before an Igbosere Magistrates’ Court in Lagos.

    Ibitoye, who has been separated from his wife for over a year, was arraigned on a two-count charge of assault and unlawful possession of firearms before Chief Magistrate Folashade Botoku.

    Prosecuting counsel Dr Jide Martins alleged that the defendant committed the offences between June 30 and July, 21, 2017, about 1:55pm, at No. 28A, Adeyemi Lawson St., Ikoyi, Lagos.

    He said Ibitoye threw a six-inch block at his wife. The court also heard that Ibitoye was found in unlawful possession of a 9mm Browning Pistol with 107 live ammunitions.

    According to Martins, the offences contravened Section 27 ( 1 ) ( a ) of the Firearms  Act, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria ( LFN ), 2010 and Section 172 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.

    Ibitoye pleaded not guilty. His counsel, Mr. M. J. Onigbanjo ( SAN ), urged the court to grant him bail on self-recognisance or on liberal terms.

    Read Also: Alleged abduction plot: Kashamu urges Supreme Court to enforce his rights

    Onigbanjo said: “This is a matter arising from a breakdown of a marriage. The defendant and the victim have lived apart for over a year and he has demonstrated that he will not interfere with the investigations by submitting himself to the police whenever needed.

    “The defendant is a former naval officer with the intelligence unit; that explains why he was in possession of ammunition. I urge the court to grant bail to the accused on liberal terms.”

    Although Martins did not oppose the application, he prayed the court to order the defendant to cease any contact – direct or indirect – with the victim, as part of his bail terms.

    He added: “The victim is the defendant’s wife and we at the domestic violence unit want the safety of the woman.” In a Bench Ruling, Chief Magistrate Botoku granted him bail in the sum of N100,000 with one surety in the like sum.

    She ordered Ibitoye to not have any contact with the complainant and adjourned till May 30 for trial.

  • FTC Lagos trains 40,000 civil servants in 61 years

    The Provost, Federal Training Centre, Ikoyi, Mr Adewole Adeniran, has said that the centre trained over 40,000 civil and public servants since inception in 1957. Adeniran told the newsmen in Lagos on Wednesday that the centre was established essentially as a stenographic school.

    He said the centre was put in place as a graphic training school to cater for the stenographers and the official reporters in the civil service.

    The Provost said the centre was, essentially, put in place to train the lower and the middle-level income workers from grade level one to seven.

    According to him, the centre has gone through the transformation, over the years, from being a stenographic institution to one that offers a range of courses like public administration, business administration, computer science and Secretariat studies.

    “The centre has trained more than 40,000 students over that period of time. Currently, we have about 170 students in 2018 session.

    “The enrolment is low now because of the state of the economy of the country.

    “For a long time, the government has not been employing into the lower cadre jobs, and as such, we do not have many people that will come for the type of training that we offer here.

    “We hope that in distance future, the enrolment rate will improve, particularly with the recent accreditation visit to the centre by the National Board of Technical Education,” he said.

    He said the government policy has limited the employment of junior level and that this has reduced the number of trainees at the centre over the years.

    According to him, the centre offers programmes in the computer, public administration, business administration and Secretariat management.

    “We also run programmes that are peculiar to the civil service, like the professional diploma in verbatim reporting.
    “Our institution is about the only institution that offers that programme in the whole of the country.

    “Those reporters are employed in the media houses and in the state houses of assembly among others.”
    Adeniran explained that government policy on the recruitment of lower cadre officers, largely affect enrolment into the centre.

    He explained that the Federal Government has stopped recruiting the junior level over a period of time.

    The provost noted that there was a policy some years ago on contracting government businesses like garden, cleaning and security to private individuals or firms.

    Read Also: Preparation for Lagos Ankara Festival in top gear

    Adeniran urged the Federal Government to upgrade infrastructural facilities at the centres across the country to attract more students.

    Mr Ndubuisi Osuji, Permanent Secretary, Service Policy and Strategy Office, Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation ( OHCSF ), told the newsmen that the Federal Government has concluded arrangement to reposition the Federal Training Centre across the six geo-political zones of the country.

    Osuji, who until recently was the Director for Learning and Development in the OHCSF, said all the FTCs are currently undergoing institutional study for repositioning.

    He said that the mandate of all the centres had changed from churning out secretaries and typists to producing data processors among others.

    According to him, the purpose of the centre is to enhance proficiency among the low and middle levels manpower in the civil and public services.

    NAN

  • Ikoyi to experience 5-hour outage Sunday

    The Eko Electricity Distribution Company ( EKEDC ) has announced a five-hour outage in Ikoyi and environs from 10.00am to 3.00pm on Sunday.

    Mr Godwin Idemudia, the EKEDC General Manager, Corporate Communications, said in a statement on Saturday that the outage would enable the company to carry out maintenance work.

    Read Also: Ikoyi Club fetes children at Easter

    According to the general manager, the maintenance work will be carried out on the company’s 33KVA Bus Section 11 at the Fowler Injection Substation.

    “We solicit understanding from all our customers who will be affected by the outage, especially for the inconveniences it will cause them even as this information comes to them at a short notice.
    “Eko Disco promises to keep improving its equipment for better service delivery to electricity users in its network.
    “We implore our customers to bear with us,” he said.

    NAN

  • Stop complaining, pray for Buhari, CAC President tells Christians

    The President, Christ Apostolic Church. ( CAC ) Worldwide, Pastor Abraham Akinosun on Saturday urged churches to stop complaining but pray for President Muhammadu Buhari to overcome challenges facing the nation.

    Akinosun made the appeal while ministering at the Grand Finale of a Seven-Day Fasting and Prayer at Ikoyi Mountain Ero-Omo Village, Osun for the nation on Saturday morning.

    Thenewsmen reports that the prayer was organised by  Evangelist Felix Adunpe, General Overseer, Signs and Wonders Prayer Ministries in collaboration with the CAC, held between April 21 and April 27.

    The prayer, which had hundreds of Christians praying from 11 pm to 4am, was tagged: “Nigeria Must be Redeemed”.

    Akimosun, the former Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria, said that only God could redeem Nigeria from her present predicaments.

    According to the cleric, who read from Psalm 122: 6 and Jeremiah  29:11, God loves Nigeria and would heal the nation of her current socio-economic and security challenges with prayers.

    “Leaders fail when people fail to pray. Stop abusing and cursing our leaders because as you curse them the consequences will be borne by all citizens.

    “If we pray for our leaders, God will inspire them and everything will be all right. We should not lose hope in Nigeria.

    “Let us pray for peace, progress and prosperity of the nation. We need to pray for economic resurgence and prosperity. We need God’s intervention in this country.

    “We need to pray for this nation because of innocent people that are being slaughtered everyday. Let’s pray for the redemption of this country.

    “It is important we pray for the President. It is our response as children of God to pray for our leaders and the country. If we fail, many evil will be springing up,” he said.

    According to Akinosun, Nigerians must bring to fore sincere love for the country and shun hatred because it is the only country we possess.

    He said that Nigeria required a forthright leadership that would lead her to desired destinations of economic advancement, peace and prosperity.

    The cleric, who cautioned against self defence, said that such step would make killings more rampant in the nation.

    He added:”Let’s cry to God. This is the work of the church. The hope of every nation is the church. People continue to rebuke the church if we fail to do our responsibility.

    “We have God that answers prayers. If we can reverence God by asking forgiveness, God will heal our land. It now clear that this nation needs prayers for the leadership and the followership.”

    The cleric, who urged the Federal Government to restructure the security architecture of the country, expressed dissatisfaction over recurrent killings and economic hardship facing Nigerians.

    Akinosun, who also called for an end corruption, ritualism, kidnapping, urged the political leaders to be alert to their responsibility and be selfless to end crisis.

    “The president must do everything in his capacity to see that the killings stop,” he added.

    He later led the people into serious prayer for nation’s redemption and intervention in her governance, saying sacking the President would not solve Nigeria’s problem.

    Read Also: Buhari leaves Abuja for talks with Trump

    Also Pastor Elisha Alalade, Oke Osun DCC Superintendent and Chairman/Presiding Pastor, CAC Ori- Oke IIkoyi ( Ikoyi Mountain ) said in his address, said that Nigeria’ was facing a battle that must be won spiritually.

    “All these killings are devil’s work to set Nigeria on fire.  Where there is no peace, there will be no prosperity. It’s time to pray.

    “The moment we win the spiritual battle, the nation will move forward. God will intervene and darkness will vanish. Nigeria must be redeemed,” Alalade said.

    The cleric, who led the congregation in fervent prayers for peace and God’s intervention in Nigeria’s governance, asked God to terminate all works of Satan.

    In his remarks, Adunpe, co-host of the prayers noted that God revealed him that the nation had exalted idols through the hostage of Festival of Arts and Culture ( FESTAC ) in 1977 and demoted God.

    He said God directed him to hold the prayers on the mount, adding: “Before Nigeria can enjoy peace and unity and make progress, Nigerians must pray and ask for God’s forgiveness.

    “There is hope for Nigeria as God will intervene, peace will reign after this prayer,’” Adunpe assured.

    The newsmen reports that hundreds of Nigerians across denominations prayed God to forgive the nation’s sins of bloodletting, occultism, ritualism, idolatry among others.

    They also prayed for peace, unity, and end to killings as well as economic prosperity of the nation.

    NAN

  • ‘God told me to build a church on someone’s land’

    ‘God told me to build a church on someone’s land’

     The Federal Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (FCIID), Alagbon, Ikoyi, Lagos on Tuesday brought a Christian cleric, Felix Moses, before an Igbosere Magistrates’ Court for allegedly building on someone’s land.
    Moses, pastor of Capernaum Christian Ministry located at 34/36, Tijani Ashogbon Street, Bariga, was docked on a one-count charge of unlawful encroachment on a property.
    According to the police, Moses built the church in 2016 on land owned by the complainant, Mr. Toyin Omonijo.
    Prosecuting counsel Henry Obiazi, a Superintendent, said the defendant built his church on the land without the complainant’s permission.
    According to the prosecutor, Moses told the police that “God Almighty directed him to build a church on the land.”
    Read Also: Man burgles church, steals TV, others

     Obiazi said the offence contravened Section 4(5) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.
    Moses pleaded not guilty.
    Chief Magistrate O.O Oshin granted him N250,000 bail with one surety in the like sum.
    She remanded the defendant in Ikoyi Prison till he fulfills the bail conditions.
    The case continues on March 27.
  • EFCC recovers N473b, $98.2m, £294,851 in 2017, says Magu

    EFCC recovers N473b, $98.2m, £294,851 in 2017, says Magu

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) was able to recover crime – related funds amounting to N473b in addition to $98,258,124.97; £294,851.82; €7,247,363.75; 443,400 Dirham and 70,500 Rand, the Commission’s acting Chairman, Ibrahim Magu has said.

    Magu also confirmed that identified whistle blowers, including the Osborne Towers, Ikoyi whistle blower were being paid timely to encourage other Nigerians buy into the policy.

    During the course of 2017, the Commission also succeeded in securing final forfeiture of the Osborne Towers, Ikoyi cash of $43m as well as N32b; $5m recovered from a former Petroleum Resources Minister and N449m discovered at Legico Plaza in Victoria Island, Lagos, he said.

    While defending the Commission’s 2017 budget before the Kayode Oladele-led House of Representatives Committee on Financial Crimes yesterday, Magu said the $43m Osborne Towers cash got forfeited to the Federal government because no one came forward to claim it.

    The Committee had asked Magu whether the Osborne cash was ever traced to anyone.

    In response, Magu explained that the document recovered from the property from where the money was recovered showed that it belonged to a company owned by the wife and son of a former Director General of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA).

    However, after due diligence and no one coming forward to calm it, the court had to pronounce it’s final forfeiture, he said.

    Among other recoveries and forfeitures from proceeds of crime, Magu said over N329b was recovered from petroleum marketers by the Kano office of the Commission; withholding tax recovery of over N27.7b from banks; €6.6m recovered from Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA); recoveries of about N1.1b on behalf of AMCON; and recovery of subsidy fraud funds of over N4b.

    Magu however reiterated government commitment to the whistle blowing policy, saying, promised incentives are being paid timely.

    Saying that the Ikoyigate whistle blower has also been paid, Magu noted the payment policy was meant to encouraged more Nigerians to join in the campaign against corruption.

    On the 2017 budget implementation, the EFCC boss complained of delay in fund releases which he said affected operations of the Commission

    “Delayed and irregular release of the overhead component of the recurrent vote affected the commission’s investigation and prosecution activities especially in the Zones.

    “Out of the total sum of total sum of N17,202,253,360 appropriated in 2017, only N11,737,492,342.07 or 68 percent has so far been released out of which N9,759,277,008.53 has been utilized.

    “From the sum of N7,127,316,354 appropriated for Personnel, N6,533,373,324 was released; from N3,000,713,298 appropriated for Overhead only N1,667,007,163.70 has been released while from N7,074,223,708 appropriated for Capital expenditure, only N3,537,111,853.87 was released to the commission so far,” he added.

    He also complained that the Commission’s 2018 budget proposal of N45b was reduced to about N21b, which is capable of hampering the activities of the Commission for the year.

    Magu also informed the Committee that Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) has been granted autonomy.

    “In the course of the outgoing financial year, the NFIU was granted self-accounting status by both the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation and the Budget Office. Effective date of implementation is 1st January, 2018 with a budget proposal of N2.903b,” he said.

    Of the sum, N339.350m was proposed for Personnel cost; N22.500m for meals and refreshment to cater for numerous sub-regional, national and internal meetings while N26.500m was proposed for publicity and advertisement for stakeholders in the financial sector.

  • Ikoyi Prison: Fed Govt, Lagos in relocation talks

    Ikoyi Prison: Fed Govt, Lagos in relocation talks

    Lagos State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Adeniji Kazeem, has said that the state is negotiating with the Federal Government to relocate the Ikoyi Prison.
    Kazeem said Governor Akinwunmi Ambode initiated the plan to move the prison from Ikoyi, to a more spacious location in a less heavily-built-up part of the state, possibly Epe.
    Kazeem, who is the Esquire Magazine Attorney-General of the Year, spoke to law editors and reporters at Alausa.
    He disclosed that if the Federal Government cooperates, the state would construct a new Ikoyi Prison, which would be a world-class correctional facility with adequate provision for hygiene, accommodation, feeding and other needs.
    Kazeem said: “We are very passionate about prison reform. Unfortunately, issues of prisons are on the exclusive legislative list. They are things not within our control but we can’t look away, that is the reality.
    “The police is not under our control but we have made major interventions in that area because it affects us, and I can tell you for free that almost all the security services that operate here, including the prisons, have received one intervention or the other from the Lagos State Government.
    “There is an ongoing matter with Ikoyi Prison. Discussions have been ongoing with the Federal Government to relocate the prison to possibly Epe or some other location and free up that space.
    “The whole idea is that that prison is decongested and is right in the middle of the city. Now what we are going to agree with the Federal Government, (includes to) get the designs and build a world-class prison facility.
    “In America they call them correctional facility, because you’re supposed to correct the behaviour of people that go in there so that they can come out and become better people in the society. So, that’s one of the things we have to do.
    “His Excellency, Governor Akinwunmi has said that he will intervene, even though it is a federal problem, so to speak, but we have no choice, because it deals with issues in Lagos State.
    “So, there are issues in (Ikoyi) prison about infrastructure, hygiene, accommodation, food and several others. I’ve visited there, so I know.
    “I had my Special Assistant on Criminal Prosecution, Dr Babajide Martins, do a major report in conjunction with the Comptroller-General of Prisons of Lagos State to identify a lot of those things.
    “So I’m sure that once we start work in earnest this year, we’ll begin to look at those things that will also address a lot of these congestion issues.”
    Kazeem also shed light on the controversial nolle prosequi (Latin for ‘We shall no longer prosecute’) entered by Lagos State to discontinue the prosecution of a British-Indian businessman, Deepak Khilnani, accused of an alleged $8.8million (approximately N3.168billion) fraud.
    He said it was discovered that in the past, mischievous litigants manipulated the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP) to “settle scores.”
    Following a reorganisation of the department, cases with no conviction potential or those that were non-criminal were eased off the prosecution list.
    One of such cases that were civil in nature, Kazeem noted, was the Khilnani case.
    “The DPP’s office was used to settle scores, scores that are not criminal, scores that are commercial,” Kazeem said.
  • Lagos committee on Lekki, Ikoyi, Victoria Island clean-up resumes work

    Lagos committee on Lekki, Ikoyi, Victoria Island clean-up resumes work

    AHEAD of the yuletide, the Special Committee on the Cleanup of Lekki, Victoria Island and Ikoyi has resume work in the highbrow communities.

    The resumption, according to the contravention notices served on owners of illegal structures, disused buildings and automobile mechanics, operating on the highways in the three areas, was to ensure a cleaner Lagos during the festive period.

    Chairman of the Committee and Secretary to the State Government (SSG) Tunji Bello said in a statement that serving the contravention notices was preparatory to the commencement of enforcement on the affected structures and items.

    The statement added that the enforcement which will be a daily basis will be confined to the major streets and roads till the end of the year after which the team will move into the inner streets.

    It reads: “The serving of contravention notices and subsequent enforcement followed several weeks of sensitisation campaigns carried by the task force and residents associations for the areas like the Lekki Residents Association (LRA), Victoria Island and Ikoyi Residents Association (VIIRA) on the need for owners of illegal structures to remove such”.

    The statement listed the affected streets as Babatunde Dabiri; Admiralty Road, Fola Osibo; Omorinre Johnson; Durosinmi-Etti; Hakeem Dickson and Ogbunike.

    Also speaking on the forthcoming enforcement, the Chairman of the Task Force on Special Offences, Yinka Egbeyemi, a Superintendent of Police, sought the cooperation of all residents of Ikoyi, Lekki, and Victoria Island to comply with the environmental law of the state.

    He also charged residents of the areas to feel free to ventilate any new observations or reports about environmental nuisances that may have been missed out to his team through their various associations.

    The renewed enforcement which would be in phases is in furtherance of the avowed commitment of the Governor Akinwunmi Ambode-led administration to restore Ikoyi, Victoria Island and Lekki to its original master plan.

    The other streets on Victoria Island listed for cleanup by the committee include: Ahmadu Bello Way; Adetokunboh Ademola; ; Bishop Aboyade Cole; Ozumba Mbadiwe Avenue; Idowu Taylor/Martins; Samuel Manuwa; Ajose Adeogun; Sanusi Fafunwa; Water Corporation Close; Adeyemo Alakija; Akin Adesola; Adeola Odeku; Saka Tinubu; Kofo Abayomi; and Ligali Ayorinde Avenue.

    The affected streets to be touched in Ikoyi are: Awolowo Road, Keffi Street, Falomo Roundabout, Kingsway Road, Norman Williams, Raymond Njoku Road, Oyinkan Abayomi  Bourdillon Road, Cameron Road, Onikoyi Crescent, Glover Road; Osborne Road; Federal Secretariat Road, First & Second Avenue, Lugard Avenue, Alexander Avenue, Bank Road and Club Road.