The Nation Newspaper

Tag: inter-state

  • Lagos bans inter-state vehicles from Ikorodu Road

    Lagos bans inter-state vehicles from Ikorodu Road

    The Lagos State Government yesterday barred inter-state buses and vehicles operating on Ikorodu Road from going beyond Ojodu-Berger and Ojota Motor Parks.

    It gave the operators seven days to relocate to designated inter-state motor parks at Ojodu Berger and Ojota, or defaulters would be sanctioned.

    Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr Steve Ayorinde, made this known during an inspection of construction at the Modern Bus Terminal at Yaba and the beautification project at Jibowu on Ikorodu Road.

    He said Governor Akinwunmi Ambode was determined to free the city of avoidable nuisances and install sanity and civility in the environment.

    He said Ambode was displeased with what he saw when he toured the area on Tuesday night and that quit notices had been served on the affected operators.

    Ayorinde said: “This is a follow-up on the visit of Governor Ambode to this axis last night. He was very displeased with what he saw, particularly in the manner with which long buses, inter-state buses are using the main town.

    “What we have done so far is the initial announcement to say that henceforth, we will no longer allow inter-state buses to be along Ikorodu Road.

    “Henceforth, they will have to go to Ojota and Ojodu Berger which are the two designated inter-state motor parks. The ones that we have here in Jibowu will have to move and there is a seven-day ultimatum for every one of them beginning from the ones in this axis to move,” Ayorinde said.

    Explaining the ban, the Commissioner said activities of the operators had not been tidy and decent despite repeated warnings.

    He, however, urged affected stakeholders to work with the government, assuring that the development would not in any way affect their businesses and livelihood.

    Also speaking, the state’s Acting Commissioner for Transportation, Prince Anofiu Elegushi, said assured that there was more than enough spaces for the affected operators at Ojodu Berger and Ojota.

    A stakeholders’ meeting, he added, would be held this week to discuss and allocate spaces for operators at the said parks.

    The General Manager of Lagos State Parks and Gardens Agency (LASPARK), Bilikisu Adebiyi-Abiola said the government was working on an intensive design for the beatification project to be sighted within Jibowu and Yaba axis, adding that the project would soon be implemented.

    Meanwhile, the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) has urged the government to carry its leadership along in relocation plan.

    Its Lagos State chapter chairman, Tajudeen Agbede, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that it had written letters to the Commissioner for Transportation, Olanrewaju Elegushi, on the matter.

    “We wrote the government that before relocating and diverting our members activities from one park to another, the government should dialogue with us on the possible alternative location being proposed as motor parks.

    “Such dialogue will afford us the opportunity to ascertain whether such locations are suitable for our members and their intending passengers during the road constructions,’’ he said.

  • Fostering inter-state socio-economic union

    The bedrock of a strategy that can productively engage the world’s population in assuming responsibility for its collective destiny must be the consciousness of the oneness of humankind. This can come in the form of the adversarial structure of civil government or in a non-antagonistic competitive spirit for economic prosperity, being the mainspring of human interaction.

    Currently, Israel continues to help the United States deal with traditional security threats. The two countries share intelligence on terrorism, nuclear proliferation as well as Middle East politics. Israel’s military experiences have shaped the United States’ approach to counterterrorism and homeland security. The two governments work together to develop sophisticated military technology.

    The U.S.-Israeli alliance has paved way for the two countries to cooperate on far more than just traditional security issues. So today, Israeli civilian technological innovations are helping the United States maintain its economic competitiveness, promote sustainable development and address a range of non-military security challenges. So, the bilateral relationship is based on steadily increasing security and economic interests and not just shared values.

    In our clime, building on seemingly inter-state bilateral relationship for economic prosperity in some key areas is very key and would engender an all-round transformation of the country, reduce incidences of migration basically because of the perceived prosperity of one State to the other.

    In Nigeria, there is no single State that is not blessed in terms of nature’s gifts. This makes all States in the country indispensable to the other, thereby underscoring the need for social and economic integration the more.

    Consequently, it is vital that each state taps into the aspect of maximising its potentials and nature’s gift for economic upturn to fill the vacuum left by others. For example, some states are blessed with large expanse of land and are agriculturally viable, some gifted in oil and commerce while others are aquatically blessed. Some others are rich in human resources.

    Presently, Lagos State is leveraging more on the prospects of inter-state bilateral relationship with the aim of expanding the prosperity of the State while also boosting the revenue of other States. Lagos is Nigeria’s economic focal point, generating a significant portion of the country’s GDP. Most commercial and financial businesses are carried out in the central business district situated in the State. Lagos is where most of the country’s commercial banks, financial institutions, and major corporations are headquartered.

    Currently, n Nigeria, there are renewed calls for government to diversify the economy. Indeed, many are clamouring for the resuscitation of our ailing agricultural sector as well as other non-oil sectors. Recently, Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun charged state governments to explore available sources of revenue generation in their states to avoid over dependence on the federal government.

    Thus, in the midst of its perceived prosperity, Lagos is still inventing new sources of wealth. Despite recent discovery of oil in the State, the State government is still not relenting in its drive to make the State a haven for investors.

    Presently, three of such moves are noticeable. First is partnership with the Kebbi State government in commodity value chain production like rice, wheat, groundnut, sorghum and livestock. Second is partnership with Niger State government for the development of agricultural commodity value chain. Third is the acquisition of lands in some states for agricultural purposes.

     Economic growth and development, no doubt, accelerates technological innovation and human capital development. But a growing number of studies and research works have proven that geographical proximity, cultural diversity, political affiliations among other factors also play key roles in economic growth and infrastructural transformation.

    When considering the gains of proximity with Lagos State, no States in the country stands a better chance of tapping into the prosperity of Lagos than Ogun State. Regrettably, Ogun State, over the years, is yet to adequately explore the benefits of its proximity to the Centre of Excellence, share from its cultural dexterity and language and above all, maximize the gains of the APC’s broom revolution as a way of making the entire process of economic integration seamlessly achievable.

    Ogun State occupies a unique position in the economic and geographical map of the country with its GDP contribution to the nation’s economy put at US $10,470 making it the 9th highest contributor of Nigeria’s GDP.

    Specifically, the neighbouring towns to Lagos from Berger end of the metropolis, Sango and its environs along Lagos-Old-Abeokuta road often referred to as ‘New Lagos’ because of their proximity to Lagos are worst hit in terms of underdevelopment. Expectedly, one would logically assume that the closeness of these towns along Mowe-Ibafo corridor in Obafemi-Owode Local Government and some other towns within Ifo Local Government and Ado-Odo LGA to the country’s Centre of Excellence would imply boost rapid development within these axes. Sadly, the reverse seems to be the case.

    Some towns in this category have been in total darkness for over ten years, while a host of others had never had a tiled road for decades. Many go as far as Lagos State for healthcare services and to access other basic social amenities.

    Under-development in Nigeria is occasioned by factors such as poor and visionless leadership, political instability, corruption, power failure amongst others. The result is gloom, despair and frustration among the citizenry. This trend, if not urgently checked might jeopardise democracy as well as the peace and progress of the country.

    This is an awakening call to Ogun State Government to explore the political and economic benefits of its closeness with Lagos. This could be done through inter-state partnership that would translate into quick development of popular ‘New Lagos’ communities. Considering the inherent economic benefits accruable to Ogun state from such initiative, it is imperative that the state government gives it a topmost priority.

    Ogun State is presently home to thousands of people working in Lagos and in a way; this reduces the burden of accommodation that could have mounted on Lagos. Beyond the geographical proximity between the two States, the cultural, historical, ideological similarities, competitive economic linkages, and the common language should be also be tapped into for effective socio-economic integration.

     Similar and productive partnership like this should continually be explored by all state governments to foster rapid socio-economic development across the country.

    • Afuwape is of the Ministry of Information & Strategy, Alausa, Ikeja.

  • Inter-state transporters plan 70 per cent fare hike

    Private transport companies have said they may have to increase fares by as much as 70 per cent to stay in business.

    This, they said, is due to the economic challenges and poor infrastructure.

    The transporters disclosed this at a stakeholders’ meeting in Lagos, put together by the Association of Private Transport Companies of Nigeria (APTCON).

    They lamented that high cost of maintaining their fleet and poor state of roads among other challenges, have greatly increased their cost of doing business and are threatening their ability to stay afloat.

    The transporters agreed that to survive,  transport fares increase by 70 per cent is inevitable, beginning from the end of third quarter, if no immediate help or support comes from the government and its agencies”.

    A communiqué at the end of their meeting noted that: “the road transport sector has, over the years, suffered severe neglect with poor attention paid by successive governments to the development of appropriate infrastructure.

    “That the absence of decent infrastructure has been a major setback for efficient delivery of service and value in the road transport sector.

    “That, being in the throes of economic recession, road transport operators have seen their little margins completely wiped away by inflation, rising cost of funds, double taxation, unstable value of the naira as well as unnecessary harassments and extortion by security operatives.

    “That the prostrate state of the automotive industry has made importation of passenger buses not only prohibitive, but unsustainable.

    “That, in the face of poor Return-on-Investment (ROI), the road transport business is in danger of imminent collapse with attendant job losses and damaging impact on the economy.”

    The group urged the Federal Government to immediately intervene by way of a bailout to cushion the harsh business climate and return the industry to sustainability.

  • Oyo police parade inter-state ‘robbers’

    Oyo police parade inter-state ‘robbers’

    The police in Oyo State have arrested three inter-state robbery suspects, who allegedly stole a Toyota Highlander Sports Utility Vehicle in Sagamu, Ogun State.

    Parading the suspects yesterday, Commissioner of Police Muhammed Katsina said the suspects were nabbed by the Ambush Squad at Iwo Road Roundabout in Ibadan about 6pm.

    Katsina said: “Three inter-state robbery suspects who had earlier snatched a vehicle from a woman at gunpoint in Sagamu, Ogun State, were arrested yesterday by the Ambush Squad.

    “They were taking the stolen vehicle to Ikirun, Osun State.”

    Katsina who was represented by the command’s spokesman, Adekunle Ajisebutu, gave the names of the suspects as Azeez Omotosho (25), a native of Agbeye, Odo Otin in Osun State, who is resident in Sagamu; Fatai Ademola (27), a native of Ikirun and resident in GRA Sagamu as well as Jimoh Quadri (25), a native of Ede in Osun State and lives in Egbedore, Awo in Osun State.

    Items recovered included one cut-to-size single barrel gun, one kitchen knife, five cartridges, two phones and some charms.

    Quadri, who introduced himself as a farmer in Ede, said he was invited by his friends to Sagamu on Saturday for the operation they carried out on Sunday evening.

    He confessed that they trailed the woman to her house at Agura in Sagamu and snatched the vehicle as it was moving into the compound.

    His words: “At 8p.m on Sunday, the leader of the gang came to convey us to the place.

    “We got to the place at 9p.m. At the time we got there, the woman was just being driven in. As the driver opened the gate, our motorcycle went in as well. We asked her to come down and one of us pointed a gun at the driver.

    “He surrendered. The woman carried a baby and my colleagues wanted to beat her but I stopped them from doing so. The woman said she was just returning from Lagos where she had gone to carry her grandchild.

    “We entered the car and drove the woman and the driver away from the house. We dropped them at Ogere on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.

    “That was my first time in Sagamu and that was the first time I participated in a robbery.”

    Another suspect said Ademola, the gang’s leader, whom he described as a cultist, drove the SUV from Sagamu to Ijebu Ode and handed over it to him.

    He was instructed to take the vehicle to Ikirun where a dealer was waiting for it, adding: “I and Jimoh Quadri were with the car at Ijebu Ode till about 4a.m. Then, I called Azeez Omotosho, whom I know as a driver, to come and help me drive the vehicle to Ikirun. But we were arrested at Iwo Road Roundabout this morning.”