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Tag: Lagos State government

  • Civil servant arraigned for N25, 000 theft

    A 46-year-old civil servant, Sunkanmi Akinfenwa, who allegedly stole N25, 000 cash, was on Thursday brought before an Ikeja Magistrates’ Court, Lagos.

    Akinfenwa, a resident of Market Street, in Agege area of Lagos, is facing a charge of stealing.

    He, however, entered a not guilty plea.

    The Prosecutor, Insp. Victor Eruada, told the court that the accused committed the offence on April 21, at Market Street, Agege, and Lagos.

    Eruada said that the accused came to the shop of the complainant, Mr Abdulsalam Adamu, acting as if he wanted to buy Indomie.

    “But in the process of being given the item, he stole the sum of N25, 000 kept in the carton.

    “When Adamu discovered that his money had disappeared, he saw the accused running away, but he shouted for help and the accused was immediately apprehended by passers-by,” he said.

    The offence, the prosecutor said, contravened Section 285 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015 (Revised).

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the section stipulates a three-year jail term for offenders.

    The Magistrate, Mrs G. O. Anifowoshe, granted the accused bail in the sum of N25, 000, with two sureties in like sum.

    She said the sureties must be gainfully employed and should show evidence of tax payment to the Lagos State Government.

    Anifowoshe adjourned the case till May 24 for mention.

  • No plans to witch-hunt Hoteliers, others says LASG

    No plans to witch-hunt Hoteliers, others says LASG

    Lagos State Government Tuesday said it has no plans to witch-hunt anyone or force them out of business, saying that it was concern about health implications of uncontrolled noise pollution on the residents.

    There had been apprehension over the prohibition of live band music at various beer parlours, restaurants and food joints in the state

    Speaking at a-day stakeholders’ Summit with club owners, hotels, lunges, restaurants, ‎the State Commissioner for the Environment, Dr. Babatunde Adejare, said that the state was not interested in banning live bands but would only regulate and educate them on the need to manage noise and other pollution generated in the course of their businesses.

    Adejare reiterated the government’s commitment to boost tourism and entertainment, saying that Governor Akinwunmi Ambode-led administration would not ban live ban or take policies that would force them out of business.

    Also speaking, on the theme of the Summit, entitled: “Regulating Hospitality and Allied Services in Mega City: the Role of Service Providers”, the General Manager, Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency, LASEPA, Adebola Shabi, an engineer, explained that‎ the stakeholders was put together re-orientate the club owners, hoteliers and others in the hospitality business on the need to consider health hazards of their business on other residents.

    While saying that government was not planning to backtrack over its stance on open live ban in residential areas, Shabi said that sound proof engineers were invited for the summit to help educate the operators.

    He assured that the government was ready to sensitise the club owners, hoteliers and restaurants and relaxation joints operators on what they need to do, if they must operate in Lagos.

    Shabi said:” We are calling them so as to sensitise them on what and what needed to be done as regard soundproofing, safety, health and impact of their activities on the lives of other residents, who equally have the right to peaceful living. We will give them the guideline, the time frame on how to operate.”

    Shabi, who noted that‎ that those in hospitality business are guilty violating some of the provisions of the law on smoking, noise and other environmental pollution in the course of doing their businesses.

    ‎”Most of them are not aware of the Environmental Impact Assessment, EIA, the noise standard, fumigation  and a lot of things that they need to do. So, we must assist them to comply with the law.

    “They must soundproof their premises and because we have soundproof engineers here to educate them on what to do, they must use their activities to disturb others,” he added.

    Also speaking, Fuji maestro Adewale Ayuba, who was among the club owners, commended the government for the stakeholders, saying most club owners are ignorant of many state government’s regulations and which government’s officials to be allowed to regulate what.

    “We need education, enlightenment and more this sensitisation. There are ways of singing music without generating noise. When I get to a level that I know for no reason I don’t need blast my instrument generating noise. When music becomes noise, there is a problem. How can anyone get a good rest when music is blaring? So, it is good to know the decibel requires at various places and different times, when you know this, you won’t run afoul of the law,” he said.

     

  • Lagos investigates alleged murder by DPO

    Lagos investigates alleged murder by DPO

    The Lagos State Government Tuesday commenced investigation into the murder of a fashion designer, Jamiu Ayoade by the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) Ijeshatedo, Mohammed Yakubu.

    Ayoade was allegedly shot in the head by Yakubu, a Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) on Sunday night at 49, Wosilat  Daudu Street, Ijeshatedo.

    The deceased had gone to the venue with his lover to attend his friend’s birthday party when the incident occurred.

    Although the police claimed the DPO and his men went to the venue to arrest suspected cultists and that the deceased was on their wanted list, Ayoade’s brother, Taofeeq, denied the allegation, crying for justice.

    Consequently, Taofeeq visted the Public Advice Centre (PAC) in Alausa, where he made a formal complaint against the DPO and police.

    Assuring him of justice, PAC Director, Mrs. Tola Akinsanya said a formal letter would be written to the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice.

    She said the DPO and all the officers who went to the venue would be invited alongside witnesses, adding that the government would not cover up anyone responsible for the murder.

     

  • Lagos to criminalise power theft, vandalisation

    Lagos to criminalise power theft, vandalisation

    …Lights up 500km road network in one year

     

    The Lagos State Government on Tuesday said it has concluded plans to enact a law to specifically criminalise and punish severely persons who engage in power theft and vandalisation, expressing optimism that it would go a long way to tackle the menace headlong.

    Commissioner for Energy and Mineral Resources, Mr. Olawale Oluwo, who said this at the ongoing Ministerial press briefing to commemorate the second year in office of Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, said the State Government was worried that its efforts to ensure streets of Lagos are well lit was being threatened by vandals.

    He said the Government had noticed a trend where some electricity infrastructures are damaged by hit and run motorists, saying that such was detrimental to the quest of the State to ensure that every nook and cranny of the State is lit.

    But he said the State Government was coming up with a law under its Embedded Power Initiative to protect public lighting infrastructures from such destruction and vandalisation.

    “We have noticed this vandalisation in three ways. The first one is that by weekends, between Friday and Sunday, we see a lot of vehicles knock down our electricity poles and we suffer the consequences.

    So, we make sure that each time we apprehend them we make them to pay fines because we cannot prosecute them under a law that is not existing, so the Embedded Power Programme would come with its own Power Theft Law and we would try to embed this street lighting protection under it, so until the law, we cannot prosecute them, we can only continue to fine them to pay for the street light poles they knock down,” Oluwo said.

    The Commissioner also restated the commitment of the State Government to meet its electricity needs and ensure regular power supply not only for industrial clusters, but also to residents of the State.

    He said that beyond powering its own public facilities with the already established independent power plants delivering a combined 47.5 MW, the state government intends to stimulate investment through this initiative with the generation of 3000MW of power through accelerated deployment of embedded or distributed power plants in strategic locations within three to five years to drive the economy and bring additional electricity to millions of homes and businesses.

    “The State Government is therefore in partnership with major international and local industry key players in the power sector to provide a platform for uninterrupted power supply to its citizenry. The Lagos State Government, in collaboration with the private sector, is using the strength of its balance sheet to guarantee the deployment of off-grid modular plants of between 20MW to 100MW strategically spread within clusters close to reliable sustainable sources of electricity and power evacuation substation for the exclusive benefit of Lagos residents.

    “Solar energy project is another initiative by the Lagos State Government, focused on implementing power solutions for public facilities. This project aim at delivering a total of 4.59 MV of sustainable power to rural, riverine and public boarding secondary schools, 172 of them and 11 primary health centres located within the rural areas in Ikorodu, Badagry, Epe and Ibeju-Lekki,” he said.

    He said in the year under review, the Government through its “Light up Lagos” Initiative, achieved 500km of streetlight installations in its bid to light up the nooks and crannies of the State, while over 100km length of street lighting installations are on-going at various locations.

    “In a bold step, the State Government has taken over and adopted the management of all street lights within Lagos irrespective of legacy ownership. In this instance, street lights hitherto controlled by Local Government, Ministry of Works and Infrastructures, LAMATA and those of Federal Agencies like FERMA and FAAN are now under the management of Lagos State Government. The essence is to ensure uniformity of standard, excellent service delivery and provision of a more holistic and sustainable approach to monitoring and maintaining of the installations.

    “It is gratifying to mention that in a bid to save cost, the Lagos State Government has been able to connect some of the street lights to the Alausa, Mainland, Island and Lekki Independent Power Plants; while efforts are on to connect others to the Independent Power Plants,” Oluwo said

     

  • Fire Disasters: Lagos saves N99bn worth of properties in one year

    Fire Disasters: Lagos saves N99bn worth of properties in one year

    …Builds Four New Fire Stations, Emergency Response Units  

     

    Lagos State Government on Thursday said about N99.7billion worth of properties were saved from fire incidences recorded in the State in the last one year.

    Commissioner for Special Duties and Intergovernmental Relations, Mr. Oluseye Oladejo who disclosed this during the Ministerial Press Briefing held at the Bagauda Kaltho Press Centre, Alausa to commemorate the second year in office of Governor Akinwunmi Ambode’s administration, said the government stepped up its emergency apparatus to respond to fire disasters and other emergency situations.

    “I can give you some information about the value of the properties saved from fire disasters and that would give an estimate total of N99.72billion during the period under review and the estimated properties lost totals N16.62billion,” Oladejo said.

    Speaking further, the Commissioner said that in line with the State Government’s resolve to prevent and manage fire outbreaks across the State, Governor Ambode approved the creation of four new fire stations in the State.

    “As at now, Lagos State can now boast of 14 (Fourteen) Fire Stations across the State and all are equipped to combat fire outbreak”, he added.

    Oladejo said government had scaled up activities in Monitoring and Surveillance in the State and also intensified safety advocacy campaign in order to inform, educate and enlighten the public on the prevention and management of fire outbreaks.

    He said the Lagos Safety Commission is saddled with the responsibility of setting safety standard for business premises, event centres, churches and other public buildings.

    “They don’t have any no-go-areas to ensure that we put safety measures in place in the course of construction and the rest of it. That is the preventive part of our business. For rescue, that is the business of other agencies like Fire Service, Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA),” he said.

    Oladejo, therefore, called on stakeholders to join hands with government in a bid to reduce emergency response time while also urging Lagosians to explore the limitless opportunities available on the platform of the State Command and Control Centre and continue to call the emergency toll free lines – 767 and 112 for distress calls.

    “You can be assured of prompt response from these numbers on a 24-hour basis”, he said.

    He said the government’s decision to replicate the Lagos Response Unit (LRU) in other locations in the State was to take the service closer to the people, noting that emergency rescue was a matter of response time and proximity of the service providers.

    “So that informed the position of the government to establish one at Lekki and we are also establishing one at Ikorodu Road where we used to Bode Benson Hotel and we are also establishing one at Badagry. When you look at the spread, you would see that our intention is to take the service closer to the people. In the years ahead, we also hope to put up more structures to attend to the needs of Lagosians”, Oladejo said.

    Responding to complaints as to why some members of the defunct Neighbourhood Watchers were not absorbed into the recently inaugurated Neighbourhood Safety Corps (NSC), the Commissioner explained that some were found wanting during the period of screening, adding that those who passed the screening have been employed into the Corps.

    “What the Governor said was that they should be given priority and they should be examined and put through the normal screening which other applicants would also go through and they are accessed based on their mental, physical and psychological fitness to fit into the new scheme.

    “You will agree with me that some of these people we are talking about are as old as 65 to 70 years and you just wonder what manner of security somebody like that would do and some were also found wanting in regards to their health status.

    “Those taken on board so far constitute about 40 percent of those who were in the    old neighbourhood watch, so definitely the Governor’s directive has been carried out in that regard,” he said.

    He allayed fears that some politicians might have hijacked the recruitment process, noting that Governor Ambode had appointed a retired Deputy Inspector General, Israel Ajao to head the NSC so as to forestall such occurrence.

     

  • Man, arraigned for breaking into TV station in Lagos

    A 38-year-old man, Smith Adetona , who allegedly scaled the fence of Ebony Life Television Station at Ilupeju to steal,  was on Thursday hauled up before an Ikeja Magistrates’ Court.

    Adetona, who lives at Mushin area of Lagos, is facing a charge of intent to commit felony.

    He, however, denied the charge.

    According to the prosecutor, Sgt. Yomi Egunjobi, the accused committed the offence on April 20 at Ebony Life Television Station on Industrial Avenue, Ilupeju.

    The accused climbed the fence and broke into the premises at night to steal, he said.

    He told the court that the accused had on him at the time of arrest an iron rod and a hammer.

    Egunjobi said a police patrol team stationed at Ebony Life Television Station apprehended the accused.

    The offence contravened Section 404 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015 (Revised).

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the offence carries a penalty of seven years imprisonment.

    The Magistrate, Mrs M.O. Osibajo, granted the accused bail in the sum of N50, 000 with two sureties in like sum.

    The surety must be gainfully employed and also show evidence of two years’ tax payment to the Lagos State Government, she said.

    She adjourned the case until May 11 for mention.

     

  • LASG officials inspect burnt Oba of Lagos palace

    Some officials from the Lagos State Government (LASG) on Wednesday inspected the burnt portion of Iga Iduganran, the palace of the Oba of Lagos, Rilwan Akiolu, on Lagos Island.

    The visit followed a fire that gutted a section of the palace on Tuesday.

    A reliable source within the palace disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) correspondent, who visited the palace.

    The source, who pleaded anonymity, said the officials visited the palace to assess the extent of damage but did not make any comment after the inspection.

    The source said that the fire affected a section of the new palace building and not the old one where traditional artifacts and relics are kept.

    “A little portion of the new palace was affected by the fire outbreak but the ancient relics are still intact as they are kept at the former (old) palace.

    “The Lagos State Government officials visited the palace this morning and had seen the burnt portion.

    “I think it is the responsibility of the Lagos State Government to fix whatever was destroyed by the fire,’’ the source said.

    NAN also reports that normal activities have resumed in around the palace with traders and buyers going about their businesses.

    The fire was put out by men of the Lagos State Fire Service.

  • Lagos gets N3.8billion to tackle HIV

    Lagos gets N3.8billion to tackle HIV

    Lagos State Government Tuesday disclosed that it has received the sum of N3.8 billion ($9.6million) from Global fund to help tackle HIV/AIDS in the state.

    State Commissioner for Economic Planning and Budget, Mr. Akinyemi Ashade, who disclosed this while briefing   journalists in Alausa , said the fund will be used for the implementation of comprehensive HIV Prevention, Treatment, Care and Support program across 70 health facilities in the 3 LGAs of Epe, Ikorodu and OshodI Isolo.

    Ashade said about 10,337 numbers of People living with HIV adding that a total of 3,876 of these affected persons are children.

    He said the state Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, visited Global Fund in New York sometimes in June 2016, to reassure them of his commitment to the judicious use of the grant meant to reduce new HIV infections, and improve the quality of life for the infected, affected persons.

    The commissioner added the received grant would assist 289,344 persons known their HIV status, 17,049 People Living with HIV (PLHIV) to be placed on treatment, 54,140 pregnant women will be tested for HIV and 2,131 HIV positive pregnant women will receive treatment for the prevention of mother to child transmission.

    According to him, “achieving these targets will not only contribute to the improvement in their quality of life but also reduce the HIV prevalence.

    He said the government has projected N50billion monthly Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) for year 2018 and a budget size of N1trillion.

    He said the government is able to manage the economy of the state through prudent and stringent management of available resources so as to realise the N30bn monthly IGR projected for 2017.

    The commissioner explained that the state Bureau Of Statistics place the population of the state at 23 million adding that currently only 5 million of the population are paying tax in the state.

    He said it is expected that by next year additional 5 million people would have been drag into the tax net so as to realise the objective.

  • Lagos rescue 237 abandoned babies

    Lagos rescue 237 abandoned babies

    …Plan to establish three care centre for the aged

     

    Lagos State Government has said it has rescued 237 abandoned babies from across the metropolis in the last one year.

    State Commissioner, for Youth and Social Development, Mrs  Uzamat Akinbile-Yussuf, who disclosed this Thursday while briefing journalists in Alausa, said the abandoned babies comprises of 106 male and 131 female.

    Akinbile-Yussuf, said the figure was higher than the 149 children rescued in year 2015, while adding that between January this year to date a total of fifty three children have been rescued.

    She said the ministry also carried out audit on the registered orphanages in order to conduct a case review of the children in the homes with a view to decongesting the homes and discouraging institutionalization.

    The commissioner also disclosed that plan is ongoing for the construction of three ultra-modern care centres for the old citizens in the State.

    She said the developement was in line with the government determination to provide quality care to the elderly in the society, adding that when completed it  will provide an interactive platform as well as increase socialization among the aged.

    Akinbile-Yussuf said the government is doing so much to tackle youth restiveness in the state, adding that a total of 16,645 youths were trained in various vocations ranging from shoe making, make up/makeover and gele tying, hairdressing, photography amongst others.

    “The first phase of the ultramodern Elderly Care Centre has been planned to be specifically cited in 3 Senatorial Districts of the State and the architectural design for the prototype Elderly Care Homes with all the facilities has been completed.”

    “Approval has been granted for the Homes to be cited in the following locations: Ajagun Street, opposite Imeke palace, Iworo-Ajido (Olorunda LCDA Badagry), Alimosho General Hospital Complex, LASU-Ojo Road, Igando and Epe Recreational complex, Hospital road, Epe“ the Commissioner further explained.

    She said adequate attention is also being paid to issues that affect the younger ones, the youths, persons living with disabilities and the vulnerable.

    She explained that the Lagos State Office for Disability Affairs (LASODA), on the directives of the Governing Board has forwarded proposals to the Governor for the procurement of items such as buses, assistive devices, furniture and equipment for PWD Clusters, Special/ Inclusive schools and the LASODA Coordinating Offices”

    She explained that three wards from the state correctional centre were admitted into the university to study petroleum Engineering, Mass Communication and computer Science.

     

  • Lagos registers 14 cinemas in two years

    The Lagos State Government on Thursday said it had registered 14 cinema houses in the last two years.

    Mrs Adebimpe Akinsola, Acting Commissioner, Lagos State Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, disclosed this while addressing newsmen in her office at Ikeja, Lagos.

    “The Lagos State Government registered the cinema houses between March 2015 and March 2017.

    “Prior to now, it was only 11 cinema houses that registered with the government; but, with the additional three newly built cinemas, this makes up the 14 cinemas in the state.

    “All the 14 cinemas have registered with the government through the Lagos State Film and Video Censors Board.

    “The idea is to have the records of the cinema houses existing in the city,’’ Akinsola said

    According to her, the additional three cinemas centres include “Genesis de Luxe’’ in Sangotedo, “Silverbird Cinema’’ in Amuwo Odofin and “Metropolitan Cinemas’’ at Onipanu.

    She said that the Lagos State Film and Video Censors Board was a regulatory body established to control the film and video industry under the Lagos State Laws in 2004.

    “The Censors Board is empowered to regulate and control cinematographic works and exhibitions.

    “The board is also empowered to control and regulate the production of films; it  also controls and regulates the show of films in cinemas.

    “This is to prevent the production of undesirable or dangerous acts against public order and decency,’’ she said.

    Akinsola said that government would continue to intensify efforts to ensure that Lagos State remained on top in entertainment and tourism activities.