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Tag: lagos

  • Man scales church fence to steal N120, 000 microphone engine

    A 20-year-old computer operator, Gabriel Emmanuel, who allegedly scaled the fence of a church at night and stole N120,000 microphone engine, was on Thursday hauled up before an Ikeja Magistrates’ Court.

    The accused was arraigned before the Magistrate, Mrs M.O. Tanimola, on a charge of stealing.

    Emmanuel, who resides at Akala, Mushin, Lagos, however, pleaded not guilty and was admitted to a bail of N50, 000 with one surety in like sum.

    Tanimola said the surety should be gainfully employed with an evidence of two years tax payment to the Lagos State Government.

    Police Prosecutor Aondohemba Koti had told the court that the accused committed the offence on June 3 at Olateju, Mushin, Lagos.

    He said the accused stole a microphone engine valued at N120, 000, property of Cherubim and Seraphim Church, Mushin.

    Read Also: Car dealer in court for alleged fraud

    “The accused scaled the fence at night to gain access to the church premises and stole the engine.

    “As he was about to escape through the fence, the security guard sighted him and raised alarm, shouting ‘thief, thief’.

    “The accused was apprehended with the help of some members, who were sleeping in the church after the vigil.

    “The stolen item was recovered and the accused was handed over to the police,” Koti said.

    The offence violated Section 287 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015 (Revised).

    The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the offence carries a penalty of three years imprisonment.

    Further hearing has been fixed for June 20.

  • Lagos to boost auctioning practice

    • CIAN honours I-naira.com

    The Lagos State government said it will not relent in efforts in designing and implementing innovative policies that would strengthen auctioning practice in the state.

    Its Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, Olayinka Oladunjoye, said during the presentation of award to 1-Naira Integrated Resources Limited by the Certified Institute of Auctioneers of Nigeria (CIAN) on the basis of industry standard and professionalism in Lagos yesterday. She said the government is at the forefront of creating conducive business environment to make auctioneering practice more operational and attractive.

    According to her, Lagos has written agencies of government (state and federal), manufacturing, insurance firms as well as financial institutions in the state on the implication of auctioning assets without working with a recognised and licensed auction company in the state.

    1-naira.com is the first online auction platform adjudged as transparent by the Organised Private Sector (OPS). I-Naira’s strength is derived from the innovative use of technology to deepen the need for probity and accountability while running auction events for its clients.

    Also speaking on the occasion, former Chief Judge of Lagos State, Hon. Justice Samuel Ilori said the auction profession is growing in leaps and bounds in the country, adding that the profession is constituted by the finest professionals in the country with wealth of experience in their respective professions.

    Receiving the award, the Founder/CEO, i-Naira.com, Hillary Nwaukor, said he felt honoured because the simple idea to build an auction solution for the OPS five years ago has become a reality. “Not only has it become a reality, we have equally become a force to reckon with after three years of operations. I am happy and thankful to the registrar Mr. Adeleke Hassan, the chairman, Lagos State CIAN chapter, Dr. Jogunola Onabanjo and the Governing Council, Certified Institute of Auctioneers for the recognition.

    “I-naira.com auction system is a software designed with transparency as our watchword. Our customers and clients alike are always happy with bid outcomes whenever we run online auction,” Nwaukor who was also admitted as Fellow, CIAN during the first Lagos State Auctioneers Forum, said.

     

     

  • Lagos needs workers for success

    Balancing competing interests, judicious allocation of re-sources, and the increase of productivity are often the major challenges that confront the management of any organisation, whether it’s a full-fledged commercial entity or a governmental outfit such as the Lagos State Civil Service, Governor Akinwunmi Ambode has said.

    The Governor, who was represented by Commissioner for Establishments, Training, and Pensions, Dr. Akintola Benson at a training session for workers entitled: “Strategic planning in Lagos State Civil Service: An essential piece in a Jigsaw puzzle in Lagos”, said to achieve the equilibrium managers will need to define organisational objectives, itemise, rank and evaluate its resources, and adopt an approach to allocating the resources to meet the stated objectives.

    According to him, the training and retraining of the state civil servants have remained the special focus of his administration as a result of all these.

    He said those who have carefully followed the programmes in the Governor’s administration for the state civil service will rightly identify the training as critical to realising an essential piece in the jigsaw of organisational productivity.

    He said: “Since his assumption of office in 2015, the Akinwunmi Ambode’s administration has exposed Lagos State civil servants to a number of workshops designed to increase, and in some cases, deepen the soft skills essential for success in a 21st Century public service. These include soft skills such as office etiquettes, communications skills, office relationship skills, emotional intelligence skills, and problem-solving skills, among others.

    “The Ambode’s administration also identified the ministries, departments, and agencies where core new hard skills were needed and initiated training and workshops required to augment skills and knowledge in these ministries, departments, and agencies. Furthermore, the adminis-tration’s strategy for retooling the state civil service led to the exposure of a number of officers and officials to international trainings for the purpose of obtaining the comparative knowledge that will stand them in good stead to aspire to global best practices while pursuing the state objective.

    “It is necessary to emphasise and teach the values and benefits of strategic planning. It is precisely so because strategic planning is the essential piece in the puzzle to institu-tionalise the framework for productivity in the state civil service.’’

    While all the foregoing interventions were aimed at ultimately promoting productivity, it is apparent that strategic planning is the glue that holds them all together, it is the essential piece in the jigsaw puzzle.

    He reiterated the benefits of strategic planning to organisations and to give an overview of the best practices for the development and implementation of a strategic plan for institutions such as the Lagos State Civil Service.

    He pointed out that strategic planning allows organisations to be proactive rather than reactive.

    “A strategic plan allows organisations to foresee their future and to prepare accordingly. Through strategic planning, organisations can anticipate certain unfavourable scenarios before they happen and take necessary precautions to avoid them. With a strong strategic plan, organizations can be proactive rather than merely reacting to situations as they arise. Being proactive allows organizations to keep up with the ever-changing trends in the society and always stay one step ahead of the competition”, he added.

  • 3 policemen arrested for allegedly gambling

    The Lagos State Police Command on Tuesday said it had arrested three of its officers, posted near a commercial bank in Opebi area of the state, for allegedly gambling while on duty.

    SP Chike Oti, the Command’s spokesman in a statement, said that the officers were arrested following a viral online media report that exposed them.

    “The attention of the Lagos State Police Command has been drawn to the news making the rounds on a social media platform called Instablog9ja that policemen stationed near Zenith Bank, Opebi, Ikeja, Lagos, were seen counting bribes received and smoking.”

    “Based on the allegation, the CP Lagos ordered for their arrest, detention and trial.

    “Meanwhile, preliminary investigation into the case revealed that the men weren’t counting bribes received as alleged but coupons they collected from a game of gambling they played.

    “The men are currently facing disciplinary action that could lead to reduction in rank or dismissal. It is wrong to engage in such distracting activity while on duty,’’ Oti said.

    The police spokesman said that the Police Commissioner, Mr Edgal Imohimi, urged members of the public to always expose indiscipline and unprofessional policemen. (NAN)

  • Lagos partners Balmoral Group to build World Cup Village

    The Lagos State government and Balmoral Group have partnered to build a village for the 2018 FIFA World Cup Tournament , which starts on June 14.

    Nigeria’s Super Eagles will be flying the national colours as one of the competing teams.

    Balmoral Group, the largest 360 events solutions company in West Africa, said the village was in line with  Governor Akinwunmi Ambode’s focus to make Lagos a sports and tourism hub.

    A statement said the viewing centre would be the biggest Football Village that West Africa has never seen.

    “The Football Village is a state of the art Viewing center that will run throughout the entire duration of the World Cup. The scope of the village goes beyond just football and extends to all aspects of life to bring together all lovers and fans of football. The viewing Village has a state of the Art Screen that will project all 64 matches live every day of the tournament. There will be foods of all categories, music, drinks and entertainment; all aspects that bring football lovers and fans together.

    “Balmoral Group was chosen by the Lagos State government to partner with because of their track record in executing major events like COPA Lagos, International Drinks Festival and many more major projects. The Balmoral Group specialises in Hospitality, Exhibitions Venue Management and Live Events like this Viewing center for 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia. Another reason why Balmoral is the preferred partner is because they have secured the licence to officially run a World Cup Viewing Center from FIFA,” said the statement.

    The village will be located at the Eko Atlantic City, Victoria Island, Lagos. It will be opened to the public on June 14.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • Lagos, Ambode and 2019

    Since the return of democracy in 1999, Lagos has witnessed development that positioned Lagos as not just the centre of excellence, but also the pacesetter in terms good governance and dividends of democracy. The administration of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu played the critical role of laying the foundation of a modern Lagos and on whose foundation Akinwunmi Ambode is working to actualize a Smart Lagos.

    Leadership, as they say, is the capacity to translate vision into reality and this can be said to be true for Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode after taking the oath of office at exactly three years ago. He had a vision of a prosperous and safer Lagos focusing on the tripod of security, infrastructure and job creation.

    He envisions a Lagos that will compete favourably with cities like New York, Paris, London and Dubai in terms of efficient transportation system (road, rail and water), security, infrastructure and human capital development. He believes in a Lagos State that works for everyone, where everyone can live, work and feel safe!

    His proactive and visionary policies have engendered giant achievements in the areas of security, infrastructure, tourism, job creation and administration of justice in Lagos State in the last three years. His policies, programmes and projects have touched every aspect of life of both residents and visitors.

    On his realization that security is key to good governance and sustainability of investments to make life better for Lagosians, he embarked on huge investment in the rebranding and provision of patrol vehicles, boats, helicopters, power bikes and other security equipment within his first six months to assist law enforcement agencies in maintaining public peace and security. He followed it up with the establishment of Lagos State Neighbourhood Safety Corps to collaborate with other security agencies in intelligence gathering, collating and sharing to ensure safe, secure and conducive environment in Lagos. These efforts have culminated in drastic reduction in crime rate and making Lagos a safe haven for living, tourism and investment.

    Emergency services have been repositioned for efficient service delivery, especially the Response Unit of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) as first responders within minutes of emergency situations in Lagos. Transformation of the Kick Against Indiscipline (KAI) to Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps in a bid to achieve a cleaner Lagos and protect our environment.

    You will marvel at the infrastructural development ongoing in Lagos. Over 500 roads either reconstructed or rehabilitated across the 57 LG/LCDAs, fly-over and pedestrian bridges, Ikeja bus terminal, first-class transportation hub in Oshodi and so many gigantic projects turning every nook and cranny of Lagos State to constriction sites.

    Ambode believes in the saying that health is wealth thus the priority he placed on the overall wellbeing of all Lagosians, hence the huge investment in the upgrade and provision of state-of-the-art health facilities, including the first Mobile Cancer Screening Centre.

    In the area of administration of justice, his government has through the Ministry of Justice embarked on some reforms and formulated modalities to expedite the dispense of justice in the state. In September last year, Ambode commissioned the Lagos State DNA and Forensic Centre, the first state-owned in the West Africa positioned to use technology in resolving all forms of crimes, paternity issues and others issues.

    Lagos, under Akinwunmi Ambode, as an emerging market, has become the financial hub and preferred investment destination in Africa which in the last two years alone attracted more Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) than it did in the last 15years.

    It is no gainsaying that if Ambode could achieve all of these in three years, he will do so much more if given another term in office as the Governor of Lagos State. With continued support by Lagosians, especially at the polls, I have no doubt Ambode will overwhelmingly defeat his opponents at the polls in 2019 as Lagosians know and will continue to bet on the winning horse.

     

    • Comrade Daini Olusesan Mayokun is the Executive Chairman of Igbogbo-Baiyeku LCDA and the Public Relations Officer of Conference 57 of LGA/LCDA Chairmen in Lagos.

  • Association tasks youths on skills acquisition in construction sector

    Alhaji Muhammad Fasasi, President, Building and Construction Skilled Artisans Association of Nigeria (BACSAAN), has urged youths to acquire vocational skills in addition to their educational qualifications to enhance their standard of living.
    Fasasi gave the advice in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Lagos.
    He said the advices became necessary because acquisition of skills would enable the youths to be gainfully employed, particularly now that jobs were not forthcoming.
    According to him, the knowledge of a vocational trade is an added advantage for the numerous individuals seeking employment since there are limited available job opportunities.
    Fasasi lamented the dearth of skilled artisans and craftsmen who constituted an important component of the value chain in housing delivery and were essential for the production of durable houses.
    He said the skills gap in the industry was due to the dwindling stock of competent skilled construction workers and the influx of unskilled and dissatisfied workers who see the building sector as a last resort.
    “In other words, government at levels needs to intensify more efforts to establish more skills acquisition/vocational training centres in different parts of the country and equally upgrade the existing ones.
    “Everybody wants a white-collar job, but the available jobs are not enough to cater for the numerous unemployed ones.
    “But an individual with the knowledge of a trade stands the opportunity of becoming self-employed since there are limited jobs in the country,” Fasasi said.
    Fasasi noted that acquisition of technical skills, especially in the construction sector, would go a long way in solving the high rate of unemployment.
    He outlined carpentry, landscaping, roofing, brick and block laying, concreting and reinforcement, painting, scaffolding, plumbing and other artisans’ works as some of the trades in construction industry an individual could learn.
    The BACSAAN boss said the construction sector in developing countries like Nigeria was the highest provider of jobs and urged the unemployed youths to harness the potential in Nigeria too.

  • No hiding place for Lagos militants

    The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has declared war on militants who are regrouping in Lagos and other parts of Nigeria and vowed not to give them a hiding place.

    The Force said it has recruited 7,000 personnel in three years as one of the measure aimed at flushing out militants in Lagos and the country as a whole.

    “The whole essence is to ensure that Nigeria and Nigerians are secure and be able to go about their businesses without fear,” the Chief of Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, said.

    He made the vow at the inauguration of some buildings for the personnel at 041 Communications Depot, Shasha in Lagos on Thursday.

    According to him, the Air Force will continue to flush them out just like we have been doing.

    “We have been in Lagos, Taraba and other states in the country. Very soon, something is going to be worked out which will involve not only the Air Force but all military formations.

    “Our commanders are giving us all the inputs. Just like we flushed them before, we are going to continue to flush them with the support of other security agencies.”

    The CAS said the force had acquired new helicopters and aircraft to accomplish the aim of the Force.

    “Professionalism is not just about equipment and training but most importantly, about the human beings because human being is the most important resource.

    The CAS said that the NAF embarked on massive construction of new accommodation as well as re-modelling of old ones to address the infrastructural deficit of the past.

    “It is quite important to ensure that the living condition of our tireless and hard working personnel is given high premium.

    “Human beings, being the most important resource in organisations, ought to have their welfare needs addressed in order for them to be effective in discharging their assigned roles and responsibilities.”

    He said that the NAF Base, Shasha, being one of the bases in the Lagos area, was critical to the successful conduct of NAF operations.

    “It is, therefore, appropriate that such a base receives commensurate provision of facilities for the general well-being of personnel and their families.

    “The project being inaugurated is dedicated to one of our pilots who paid the supreme price while on a national assignment.

    “The project is therefore, named after the senior officer who passed on while on rescue mission on an Alpha-Jet aircraft.

    “It is hoped that this would create the enabling environment and serve as motivation for personnel to discharge their duties effectively and efficiently.”

    The CAS appreciated the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, President Muhammadu Buhari, for his continued support for the military, especially the NAF, through the provision of platforms and logistics support to operate them.

    “We have recently received some new platforms while awaiting the delivery of others.

    “A number of platforms in our inventory are also undergoing reactivation and will soon be injected back to service to boost our counter-terrorism and counter-insurgency operations.

    “You could also remember that the NAF was also instrumental in riding the creeks within the South West region off criminal elements.

    “As much as capacity is being built within the NAF, we must continue to develop strategies to anticipate and curb other emerging security imperatives across the country,” he said.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the newly inaugurated accommodation was designed to house a total of 120 airmen and airwomen.

    The accommodation was built to take care of the personnel that had just been recruited, to enhance the operational effectiveness of the NAF.

    The CAS also toured some formations and units in the Lagos area, including 641 Aircraft Maintenance Depot (ACMD), 651 Base Services Group and 661 NAF Hospital, all in Ikeja.

    He also inspected 2 NAF C-130 Hercules aircraft undergoing Periodic Depot Maintenance and Life Extension Programme. (NAN)

  • Children’s Day: Swell time with Maltina in Lagos, Ibadan

    As part of its social responsibility objectives, hundreds of children and their parents where, on Children’s Day treated to a swell time by Maltina brand.

    A family brand noted for Maltina Dance All reality show, the brand has continued its mission of nourishing precious family moments, one of which the Children’s Day celebration provides.

    “Being able to hang out with my kids away from the stress of work and all that is such a fantastic experience. I can’t remember the last time we did this as a family and I’m so glad I didn’t pass on this opportunity. This was indeed a wonderful experience and I can’t thank Maltina enough,” says an excited guest, Yemisi Adekola.

    It was an interesting moment as the families got to enjoy fun activities like face-painting, sack races, carousel rides, Tug of War, board games, puzzles, foosball, and lots of other exciting side attractions. They also got to hang out with the Maltina’s Happy the Mascot.

    Winners of some of these games got to walk away with amazing gifts like a laptop, giant teddy bear, Maltina goody bags, bicycles and other items.

  • Naira appreciates against dollar at parallel market

    The Naira on Thursday appreciated against the dollar at the parallel market in Lagos.
    The Nigerian currency gained one point to exchange at N362, stronger than N363 posted on Wednesday, while the Pound Sterling and the Euro traded at N494 and N424, respectively.
    Trading at the Bureau De Change window saw the naira close at N362, while the Pound Sterling and the Euro were sold at N494 and N424, respectively.
    At the investors’ window, the naira closed at N360.97, while it closed at the official CBN window at N305.95.
    The graph and table below show the exchange rates across major cities in Nigeria.

    Exchange rate, May 31st
    Dollar Pounds Euro
    Lagos 362 495 428
    Abuja 362 490 420
    Kano 363.5 495 428
    PH 363 500 426

    Traders expressed confidence that the interventions of the CBN at the market, if sustained, would continue to drive a flattened rate across board.
    However, experts urged the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to be proactive in driving a single market rate across board.