The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Lagos State government

  • Man in court over  N3.7m fraud

    Man in court over  N3.7m fraud

    A 25-year-old cinematographer, Dozie Nwankwo, who allegedly obtained N3.7 million from his former school mate under false pretences, was on Tuesday docked before an Igbosere Magistrates’ Court, Lagos.

    Nwankwo, who resides at Block 14, Ikota Villa Estate, Lekki, Lagos State, is standing trial on a charge of fraud.

    The prosecutor, Insp. Ingobo Emby, told the court that the accused committed the offence on March 25 at 11a.m. at No. 15B, Babatunde Anjou’s St., Lekki Phase 1,Lagos.

    He said that the accused falsely obtained N3.7 million from the complainant, Mr Tochukwu Obikwere, under the guise that he would transfer the said amount back into the complainant’s account.

    Emby said that the accused failed to pay back the said money as promised.

    He said the offence contravened Section 321 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015(revised).

    Nwankwo, however, denied the charge.

    The magistrate, Mr B. A. Sonuga, granted the accused N500, 000 bail with two sureties in like sum.

    Sonuga said that the sureties must show evidence of three years tax payment to the Lagos State Government (LASG).

    He also ordered that the sureties must deposit N300, 000 to the court’s chief registrar’s account and have their addresses verified.

    The case was adjourned until May 3 for mention.

  • Lagos restates commitment to Justice Sector reform

    Lagos restates commitment to Justice Sector reform

    …Receives report of implementation committee



    The Lagos State Government on Monday pledged to fully implement recommendations made at the recently held summit on administration of justice with the view to enhancing justice delivery in the State.

    Speaking while receiving report of a 10-Man Committee set up to review communiqué issued at the end of the summit, the State’s Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Adeniji Kazeem assured Lagosians that they would soon feel the positive impact of the policy implementation of the State Government on justice administration.

    He said the administration of Governor Akinwunmi Ambode was determined to implement reforms that would guarantee effectiveness, efficiency and transparency in justice administration in the state.

    The two-day Summit was organised by the State’s Ministry of Justice in January 2017 to deliberate on how to improve justice delivery in the state.

    “I am so happy to receive the report within the stipulated time of three weeks. The Governor, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode is operating so fast as if he is running out of time to implement his good policies.

    “We are at the implementation stage now having submitted your report, and I believe the Governor will not hesitate to see the implementation of the recommendations as fast as possible,” Kazeem said.

    He also promised to extend the policies recommended to the Federal Government through the office of the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and the National Judicial Commission (NJC) for input and successful implementation.

    He thanked the entire committee members for the job, while urging them to expect more tasks ahead in an effort to improve the state of the justice delivery system.

    In his response, Chairman of the review committee, Mr Fola Arthur-Worrey said it was time for drastic steps to be taken to lift the judiciary out of the woods.

    Arthur-Worrey, who was a former Solicitor General of the State, said there was need for a lot to be done in order to improve on the administrative mechanism of the State judiciary to safe guard the system as well as reform the systemic failure.

    He said though any reform process is gradual in nature, but government must be firm enough to implement the recommendations and get the system running efficiently.

    “Reforming any system is an engineering process. If you don’t disrupt, you don’t reform. The judiciary is not efficient enough in mechanism, and we are not talking of the individual judges, but the entire system. So, the government must implement the recommendations fast to make the system work,” he said.

    Other members of the committee included Mrs Busola Okunuga of the State Judiciary; Mrs Kehinde Taiwo, Mr Rotimi Seriki, Mr Gbenga Olatunji, Mr Supo Olayibi, Mr Yomi Okunu, Dotun Ibiyomi, Mrs Joyce Oluwa and CSP Effiong Asuquo.

     

  • Auto mechanic charged with defiling co-tenant’s daughter in bathroom

    Auto mechanic charged with defiling co-tenant’s daughter in bathroom

    An Ikeja Magistrates’ Court on Monday in Lagos released a 23-year-old auto mechanic, Ayobami Akindele, on a N250, 000 bail, charged with defiling a 14-year-old girl in the bathroom of their tenement building.

    Akindele, who entered a `not-guilty’ plea to the charge of indecent treatment of a child and defilement, is a resident of Apesin Street, Mushin, Lagos.

    The Magistrate, Mrs F.A. Azeez, who gave the ruling, also asked the accused to produce two sureties as part of the bail condition.

    She said the sureties, who must be gainfully employed, should show evidence of two years tax payment to the Lagos State Government.

    She directed that the case file should be duplicated and a copy forwarded to the State Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for advice.

    According to the prosecutor, Sgt. Emmaunel Ajayi, the accused committed the offence on March 23 at his apartment.

    “The accused sneaked into the bathroom where the girl was bathing and forcefully had a canal knowledge of her.

    “The accused was idling away at the passage when the girl passed with a bucket of water to the bathroom.

    “The girl was crying and was in pain but the accused begged her, promising to give her money.

    “He also covered the girl’s mouth with towel before committing the crime.

    “When the girl’s mother came back home in the evening, her daughter was complaining of stomach ache.

    “As she was trying to find out what went wrong, she discovered blood stains on her clothes.

    “Her mother asked her what happened to her and she told her everything that transpired between her and the accused,” he said.

    The prosecutor said the girl was taken to the hospital and a medical report obtained showed that there was forceful penetration which left her with bruises.

    The offences contravened Sections 137 and 139 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Section 139 prescribes life imprisonment for offenders.

    The magistrate adjourned the case until May 10 for mention.

  • Lagos terminates contract for Badagry 48-room hotel project

    Lagos terminates contract for Badagry 48-room hotel project

    The Lagos State Government has terminated the contract for the construction of a 48-bedroom hotel project at the VIP chalets in Badagry, which was awarded in 2013 to Messrs. Anatolia International Limited.

    The project is currently being promoted as part of measures by the Ambode-led administration to boost tourism within the Badagry axis.

    A statement issued on Thursday by the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Steve Ayorinde, stated that the decision to terminate the contract followed a resolution taken at the State Executive Council meeting which held on Wednesday after an appraisal of progress report on the project.

    The statement said the pace of work was not commensurate with the amount already released for the project. It also cited inefficiency and overall poor performance by the contractor as reasons for the contract termination and the subsequent blacklisting of the said company.

    It maintained that one of the major policy thrusts of the current administration is tourism and hospitality sector development and that the government has left no one in doubt about its resolve to grow the state’s economy and empower the youths through several alternative means which include the tactical promotion of tourism, entertainment and sports.

    “The inability of Messrs. Anatolia International Limited to key into the vision of the present administration, as part of the efforts to fast-track the development of its tourism sector, necessitated the decision of the State Executive Council to terminate the contract,” the statement said.

    Ayorinde added that the current administration is resolved in its avowed mission to bring rapid infrastructural development to the state in a manner that gives zero-tolerance to insouciance and inefficiency.

     

  • Lagos to establish agency to manage health insurance scheme

    Lagos to establish agency to manage health insurance scheme

    …Partners firm to end medical tourism

     

    The Lagos State Government on Wednesday revealed plans to establish an agency by law to manage the State’s health insurance scheme expected to be rolled out soon.

    Briefing Government House Correspondents at the end of a meeting of the AXA Mansard Insurance Group with the State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, Commissioner for Health, Jide Idris said the Government would provide the enabling environment for the private sector to participate in the scheme with the view to increasing access to healthcare delivery.

    He said the Mansard Group has already indicated interest to be part of the State’s Health Insurance scheme, adding that Government would also appoint health insurance agents who would act between Government and the people to ensure the success of the scheme.

    “They (Mansard Group) have expressed their interest to partner with us on our health insurance scheme which we are rolling out very soon. It is a financing scheme for the system and a way of introducing reforms, re-jig the system and make it better.

    “We have provided that enabling environment in the sense that we are going to have an agency by law and every resident of Lagos is going to contribute to that purse. We will be using both public and private health providers and that is where AXA Mansard comes in with healthcare facilities.

    “Also to enable us process the programme properly, we are using what we call health insurance agents. Those ones will act between Government and the people with respect to providing the health insurance scheme,” Idris said.

    The Commissioner also said that AXA Mansard Insurance Plc would also be partnering with the State Government to deliver affordable and quality health care service to the people and transform the State into the medical tourism centre not just for Nigeria but Sub-Saharan Africa.
    Giving more details on the partnership, Chief Executive Officer of Mansard Insurance, Mrs Yetunde Ilori said having keenly followed the activities of the State Government and the passion of the Governor on healthcare delivery, the firm thought it important to partner with government in the best interest of the people.
    “We are here to show our intention to partner with the State Government in the area of healthcare delivery and we are about putting in place in Lekki a world class 150-bed hospital.

    “This is just a tiny bit compared to our need in Nigeria but we want to run like a hub and expand subsequently. We are going to have some Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs) on the Mainland in Lagos and from there we go to entire Nigeria.

    “We are not in any way in doubt of the support as pledged at the concluded meeting with the Governor that this is not going to be an abandoned project because we are going to have all the support needed and in that wise, our intention is to make Lagos a kind of medical tourism centre where people in sub-Saharan Africa will be coming to Nigeria to receive healthcare instead of going to places like India,” Ilori said.

    On his part, Mansard’s Chief Client Officer, Mr Tosin Runsewe said the courtesy visit to Governor Ambode, apart from the partnership on healthcare delivery, was also to appreciate all the State Government has been doing in the last two years to revamp physical infrastructure in the State, adding that it was obvious that a lot had been done in scaling up ease of doing business and security.

    “We are looking at partnering with the State in terms of social infrastructure and healthcare clearly falls along this line and we are bringing the expertise of Axa Mansard to bear upon this particular area. We will executive, over the next couple of years, social infrastructure in the area of medical facilities and we will be linking this with the health insurance we have already to ensure that Lagos residents have access to medical care at affordable prices,” Runsewe said.

     

  • Lagos State government demolishes fishing community

    Bulldozers roared at the fishing settlement of Otodo-Gbame,near Lekki,Lagos State yesterday,demolishing houses in the area.

    The demolition which residents claimed took them by surprise was carried out under the supervision of mobile policemen and officials of the State environmental task force.

    Dwelling houses and shops went under the bulldozers,leaving thousands homeless.

    Megan Chapman, co-director of Justice Empowerment Initiatives (JEI), a community-based legal and empowerment organisation, which represents the residents of Otodo-Gbame, said at least 4,598 people will be affected by the  demolition.

    “There was absolutely no notice whatsoever. They just showed up this morning,” she said,pointing out that JEI only last week  commenced a court-ordered mediation with the state government.

    “As you are probably aware there is a case going on right now between 15 waterfront communities including Otodo-Gbame in which JEI is representing the community as counsel. The Lagos State High Court gave an interim ruling on the 26 of January saying that this type of demolition without an opportunity for people to find alternative shelter or without provision of alternative shelter constitute cruel and degrading treatment.

    “The court ordered the state government to go into a mediation with us.

    “We started the mediation process last week and it is still on-going and we were supposed to report to the court at the beginning of next month. The court also ordered that the parties should maintain the status quo until the ending of the mediation and the subsequent judgement of the court. So this in direct violation of the court order,” she said.

    Amnesty International said residents “are being forcibly evicted and their homes destroyed by bulldozers as security services used tear gas and live bullets to clear the area.”

    The human rights group,in a statement issued by  its Nigeria researcher,Morayo Adebayo,said: “The eviction, which is ongoing at the time of writing, is being carried out in direct violation of a court ruling issued in January specifically prohibiting it. Residents were not served any notice prior to the forced eviction which came as a total shock.

    “The scene at the moment is chaotic and dangerous for the thousands who live in the Otodo-Gbame community. The military and police are out in full force and are using tear gas and live bullets to disperse the residents. There are four bulldozers ripping through the settlement.

    “This brutal and illegal act flies in the face of human dignity as well as a High Court Ruling that prohibited the eviction taking place and instructed the authorities to instead seek a settlement with the affected communities.  The Lagos State Government should ensure that the families who have been rendered homeless this morning are given emergency relief including adequate shelter, water, food and any medical care they may require.”

    Julius Oladele, who along with his wife and two children, is a resident of Otodo-Gbame said:

    “Almost all the houses in the community have been demolished, the only ones left are those on the water. They did not allow anyone to take their properties. They are chasing people away. My own house was destroyed this morning before I could rush back from work.”

    Amnesty International called for an immediate end to the eviction.

    It also asked  the authorities to respect the court ruling which prohibits them from carrying out forced evictions in waterfront communities.

    There was no immediate response from the Lagos State government.

  • Lagos promises safe packaged water

    Lagos promises safe packaged water

    The Lagos State Government says it will continue to ensure that only safe and clean water is packaged for consumption in the state.

    Alhaji Ahmed Abdullahi, the Executive Secretary, Lagos State Water Regulatory Commission, gave the assurance on Wednesday,  at a news conference in Alausa.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the briefing was to herald the forthcoming World Water Day coming up on March 22, with theme, “Waste Water”.

    Abdullahi, while outlining activities for the day, debunked the rumour that the State Government had increased the fees being charged table water producers in the state.

    He said that the government had prevailed on the producers to produce only safe water.

    The executive secretary said the government had also carried out compliance monitoring and enforcement exercises,  which had led to prosecution of a number of defaulters.

    According to him, the activity will continue until a safe water sector is attained in the state.

    “We are very free people ; you are moving through the traffic, you are thirsty and then stick out a bill to buy water, and you do not even care to check where it comes from or who produced it.

    “As such, we must regulate the sector to such an extent that, water that is available for consumption is up to the required standard,” he said.

    Abdullahi said this was one of the critical issues to be discussed at the forthcoming event, while issues surrounding challenges of waste water would be confronted frontally.

    He said that the state government was tackling big bottling companies in the state over ground water issues and the agency had been conducting periodic checks on private boreholes across the state.

    Mr Muminu Adekunle-Badmus, the Managing Director, Lagos State Water Corporation, said efforts were ongoing to engage investors to increase the organisation’s capacity to meet the water needs of residents.

    He gave assurance that most of the mini water works which had not been working would start pumping out water by May.

     

  • Man in court for disrupting church service, damaging N5m property

    A 49-year-old man, Abiodun Adeyinka, who allegedly damaged  property worth N5 million belonging to the Celestial Church of Christ (CCC), on Monday appeared before an Ebute-Meta Chief Magistrates’ Court, Lagos.

    Adeyinka is facing a six-count charge bordering on malicious damage, conspiracy, unlawful assault and manner likely to cause breach of peace.

    The accused, however, pleaded innocence to the charge.

    The Prosecutor, Insp. Cousin Adams, said that the accused committed the offences on Jan. 3, 2016, at noon, at No. 64, Adekunle Banjo St., Magodo, Lagos.

    He said that the accused forcibly entered into a Celestial Church of Christ (CCC) building located at the address during worship.

    Adams said the accused caused panic among the worshippers before damaging the church property.

    He said the damaged property were Jazz musical instrument, Konga drum, piano, five wireless microphones, six pieces of altar clothes, assorted church perfumes, wedding gowns and sacred pictures of Mary and Jesus.

    The prosecutor said that the accused also assaulted the presiding head of the church and tore her church garment.

    He said the offences contravened Sections 50, 126, 166, 170, 309 and 409 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.

    The Chief Magistrate, Mrs Helen Omisore, admitted the accused to a bail of N500,000 with two sureties in like sum.

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

    She adjourned the case till April 10, for further hearing.

  • Woman, faces N168,000 lotto money theft charge

    A 39-year-old woman, who manages her employer’s lotto, was on Monday brought before an Ikeja Chief Magistrates’ Court charged with N168,000 fraud.

    The accused, Monsurat Showemimo, is facing a charge of stealing to which she pleaded not guilty.

    Showemimo, 39, resides No. 1, Abisagbo St., Customs Road, Matogun, Oke-Aro in Ogun.

    The prosecutor, Sgt. Joseph Ajebe, said that the accused was employed as the manager in charge of lottery (Premier lotto and pool popularly known as “Baba Ijebu) by the complainant, Mrs Roseline Ayodele, who reported the fraud.

    He said the offence was committed sometime in April 2016 at No. 14, Fadeyi St., off Ajayi Road, Oke-Ira, Ogba in Ikeja.

    “The accused was asked to be remitting daily sales to the complainant’s account which she never did. Rather, she converted N168,000 proceeds from sales to her use.”

    Ajebe said the accused disappeared after committing the fraud and was recently apprehended by the police.

    The offence contravened Section 285 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011 which carries a three-year imprisonment.

    Chief Magistrate Alexander Komolafe granted the accused N50,000 bail with two sureties, who must be gainfully employed with an evidence of two years’ tax payment to the Lagos State Government.

    The case has been adjourned to March 20 for trial.

  • Lagos trains 4,000 artisans to tackle building collapse

    Lagos trains 4,000 artisans to tackle building collapse

    Lagos State Government has graduated 200 out of the 4,000 master craft artisans, currently undergoing training in various fields, to help curb the challenges of building collapse in the state.

    The State Governor, Mr Akinwumi Ambode, who spoke Thursday at the graduation ceremony held at Technical College, Ikotun, said with this training Nigerians will no longer need to source for services of artisans such as carpenters, steel fabricators plumber, electricians, painters, tilers outside our borders.

    Ambode, who was represented ‎by the Commissioner for Wealth Creation and Employment, Mr Babatunde Durosimi-Etti, said the project was flagged-off 8 months ago to train, retrain and certify the beneficiaries with 21st century skill required for the much needed technological development

    He reiterated his administration’s commitment to bridging the skill gap in the building sector, saying that ‎the multiplier effect of the initiative on the economy will include creation of job opportunities, economic empowerment and increased market share for local craftsmen among others.

    “In addition to the acquired training, each certified master craftsman will be empowered with tools of their trade and work gears by the state government. Their names and areas of specialty will also be uploaded on-line in our database as registered craftsmen for easy ‎access by members of the public who may require their services” he said.

    He assured residents of the competence of the certified master craftsmen which he said will deliver on any given task.

    Also speaking, the state’s Commissioner for Housing, Prince Gbolahan Lawal, said that the training would help in addressing ugly challenges of building collapse, saying that with the trained artisans, Lagos would have less inexperienced artisans who have been identified as being responsible for building collapse.

    The Commissioner, said the 200 graduating artisans would also train more residents, adding that millions of naira spent on sourcing for skilled artisans in the neighbouring countries would no longer be wasted as the state could now boast of experienced craftsmen.

    Lawal said in addition to the training, each certified master craftsman was empowered with tools of their trade and work gears with by the state government through the Ministry of Housing.

    “Today’s graduands were trained for 6 weeks in the following skills: masonry (block making, bricklaying, concrete works, tiling, paving stones, POP, furniture, carpentry, plumbing, pipe-works, electrical and painting.