The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Lagos State government

  • Lagos sets up team for free flow of traffic

    Lagos State Government has established a Special Team to ensure efficient traffic compliance in the State and particularly to address the observable flagrant disobedience to traffic rules by motorists.

    Chief Executive Officer of Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), AIG Chris Olakpe (Rtd) disclosed this Thursday after a tour of notable traffic prone areas of the state in company of other top hierarchy of the Agency including the General Manager, Mr. Olawale Musa.

    He said the development was part of series of actions and concerted efforts taken to tackle traffic gridlock headlong across the State.

    The Special Team, according to him, consists of the Police, LASTMA, Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), and men from different military formations with the purpose of maintaining physical presence and ensuring compliance at the identified traffic trouble spots.

    He expressed optimism that the officers would bring their experiences and professionalism to bear and compliment the efforts of existing staff on ground, adding that their primary responsibility is to ensure efficiency in the traffic control and enforcement of traffic laws all over the state.

    Olakpe warned that LASTMA would not hesitate to prosecute recalcitrant motorists in the habit of flouting the existing traffic laws, assuring that the agency remains totally committed to ensuring efficient traffic control across the State.

    He assured that no stone will be left unturned in the management of traffic and enforcement of traffic laws in the State.

    ”A radical problem required a radical solution. Therefore, I want to state clearly that any motorist caught violating the law would face full wrath of the law. Let me also seize this opportunity to plead with Lagosians and the general public for orderliness to reign on the roads,” he said.

    He said all owners of articulated vehicles apprehended at Apapa earlier this week for willful obstruction, and 36 other vehicle owners arrested for driving against traffic will soon have their day in court accordingly.

    Olakpe enjoined traffic officers to be more dedicated and work within the ambit of law, saying that it had become imperative especially now that repair and rehabilitation of roads are in top gear across the State.

  • LASG resumes work on Lagos-Badagry road

    Lagos State Government has assured commuters that effort to rehabilitate the bad portions of the Lagos-Badagry road has resumed following cessation of the rains.

    The Government promised to keep its maintenance workers and equipment on the road until commuters and other users are relieved of the stress caused by the bad portions.

    Read Also:Lagos-Badagry Expressway in terrible condition, says FRSC

    Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Engr. Ade Akinsanya stated this on Wednesday while addressing the situation on the road.

    He said that the government has maintained the road regularly in the last three and a half years through rehabilitation even though it is a federal government road,  explaining that discussions with investors willing to upgrade the road under the Private –Public Partnership deal is going on at both the state and federal levels.

    “So far, the Public Works Corporation has carried out palliative works at Iyana Era, Ijanikin, Oko-afo, Magbon, Ibereko, Araromi, Iyana Isashi and Agbara”, Akinsanya said, adding that the government has mobilized other contractors to ensure full coverage of the assignment.

    Emphasising the importance of the route to trade in the West African region, the Akinsanya said the plan to expand the Lagos-Badagry Expressway to a 10-lane highway, which began with the construction of the section from Eric Moore to Okokomaiko, topped discussions between Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode and Chinese investors on President Buhari’s recent trip to China.

    He said in July, this year, Governor Akinwunmi Ambode responded to the complaints of residents over challenge posed to traffic by bumper to bumper movement by directing that the completed segment of the road with the BRT Corridor from Eric Moore to Trade Fair be opened up to  ease traffic.

    To further alleviate the suffering of the motoring public in the Badagry division, the Commissioner said the present administration has completed the construction of Aradagun-Iworo-Ajido road and Ajara- Agelaso- Poka/ Erekiti with bridge.

    He said the government was also building the Aradagun-Imeke-Ajido-Epeme road, Samuel –Ekundayo/Toga and will soon embark on the construction of Abule Ado road.

    Akinsanya assured peace loving citizens that there would be adequate security on the road to ensure smooth traffic and protect residents from danger.

  • Amachree calls on Lagos to build private sector tourism

    Nigeria’s Father of Tourism, Chief Mike Amachree, has called on the Lagos State government to empower the private sector tourism industry practitioners in the state.

    He made this called at the just- concluded 2018 Akwaaba  West African Travel Market recently held at the Expo Hall of Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos.

    Amachree, who was one of the guests during the exciting Lagos Day at the fair, commended the state for its vision and efforts to make tourism  a key sector in the state’s economy .

    He said: “I wish to commend the government of Lagos for its strategic focus on tourism.  I think it is a step in the right direction. The tourism vision of Lagos is such that if effectively implemented, it would transform the state into one of the leading destinations in Africa.

    “Lagos is so blessed in the area of heritage and eco-tourism. The state has close to 200 kilometres of white sandy beach front. This is a major tourism asset. The state is also the entertainment capital of Africa being the birth place of Nollywood and  it is also home to the some of the biggest music names in Africa.  All these could be harnessed to boost the tourism reception in  the state.

    “Having said that,  it is important that the state empowers the private sector to come up with tourism products that would bring  Africa and the rest of the world to Lagos. The duty of the government is to create the enabling environment for tourism to thrive; however, it is equally important that the private sector tourism investors are encouraged to key into this vision of the state government. It is only then that meaningful progress could be made.”

    Amachree also used to the opportunity to commend the organizers of the Akwaaba Travel Market. He sees the fair as a positive for Africa as it helps to bring people from within and outside the continent to Nigeria. In addition he said the fair offers opportunity for African countries to cooperate and synergize in order to develop tourism in their different countries. He said through the fair, many African destinations are seeing the need to cooperate..

    Among those present at the Lagos Day were the Director General of the National Council of Arts and Culture, Otunba Segun Runsewe;  Lagos Commissioner for Tourism, Arts and Culture, Mr. Steve Ayorinde; Anambra State Commissioner of Tourism and Culture, Mrs. Sally Mbanefo; the First Deputy President, the Federation of Tourism Associations of Nigeria (FTAN), Mr. Nkereuwem Onung, and many other guests.

  • 2.5m housing deficit: LASG to deliver bungalow in 48 hours, unveils new policy

    In a bid to address its housing deficit of over two million, the Lagos State Government has introduced a new technology which ensures construction of a bungalow within 48 hours.

    Mr Gbolahan Lawal, the Commissioner for Housing, said the technology was already being used in its housing estates at Idale in Badagry and Imota in Ikorodu to achieve the government’s target of delivering 2,000 houses.

    “We want to see how to go into the manufacturing of homes, we make it seamless and produce about 100 units in a month.

    “We have three companies, one is already at site; it is going to take 48 hours to put up a bungalow.

    “They have the equipment and we have signed agreement with them. They are to produce 2,000 housing units and already they are in Idale in Badagry, from Idale they will move to Imota,’’ he told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday.

    Lawal explained that some workers were also being trained in the technology and process of the construction.

    The commissioner said that the housing sector had the capacity to create several jobs and generate demands for products and accessories needed in homes and, therefore, should be given priority attention.

    According to him, investment in the housing sector usually have a multiplier effect on the economy.

    Lawal added that various gadgets and accessories like tiles, electronics, water and electricity meters, mattresses, TV subscription and even various jobs like that of artisans are tied to construction of houses.

    “Government at all levels should pay more attention to housing. The consumption aspect of housing is very important as it contributes greatly to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the nation.’’

    On the use of cheaper building materials, the commissioner said the ministry had experimented with the use of materials like clay some years back but that availability and speed of delivery was the reason it dropped the initiative.

    He explained that the state government was at the moment not exploring the use of bamboo, clay and wood to deliver cheap houses because the materials are not available in commercial quantities.

    Lawal disclosed that a new housing policy aimed at tackling the state’s housing deficit had been drafted.

    “It is taking us more than 14 months to design the housing policy.

    “That policy will be like a framework, like what we are going to be following and it is not going to be like a knee jack response,’’ he told NAN, describing the policy as a template or roadmap that will regulate the operations of the ministry.

    The commissioner said Lagos State was the first to create a full-fledged ministry of housing in 1999 during the administration of ex-Gov. Bola Tinubu because of the importance it accorded shelter for the people, adding that Abia recently followed suit.

  • LASG integrates rail, road, water transport to ease traffic – Commissioner

    The Lagos State Government says work is in progress to integrate the rail, road and water transport systems to address the persistent gridlocks in the state.
    The state’s Commissioner for Transport, Mr Ladi Lawanson, disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Sunday.
    “In order to get everything right, the state government implementing a master plan to integrate the major transportation systems to ensure free flow of traffic and curb incessant gridlocks.
    “The transportation master plan involves the three major modes of transportation: the rail, road and water.
    “For the road transport, work is going on to ensure the transportation sector is transformed to the modern system which is practised globally.
    “The road system has the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), which we have been using for a while and the state served as the operator.
    “We were running it like that until we found out that the method was not suitable because government, to be frank, has no business to be in a business.
    “Rather, the government has decided to opt out and now be a regulator,” he said.
    Lawanson also said the state government was committed to ensuring the safety of the people using the waterways as their means of transportation within the state.
    According to him, to tackle emergencies on the waterways more efficiently, the Lagos State government is to procure life-saving, quick response boats.
    “The state government is working on bringing ideals and best practices on water transportation as the sub-sector requires millions dollars of investment, if we are to do it right.
    “We are going to procure life-saving boats, top speed boats and quick response boats such that, anytime there is an emergency, we will rescue promptly without recording any casualty,” he told NAN.
    Lawanson said, “The government also distributes free life jackets to jetties periodically to save lives on waterways.
    “There is at least a guard in every jetty in the state to properly kit passengers with life jackets before any journey because safety of life and property is very important.”
    The commissioner said the government would set up a security institution on water transport, but that the institution would require a lot of training because water transportation was hazardous.
    According to him, the government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with a French firm, Alstom, to complete the Blue Rail project after a technical review.
    “Before now, what was done was civil works; other components including signal, electrical and rolling stock have not been covered.
    “Alstom is very good in the different aspects of the technology required to make it a success,’’ he said.
    Lawanson told NAN that discussions with potential partners and financiers had also commenced on the Red Line aspect of the project which was referred to as ‘Phase Two.’
    According to him, it will run from Marina to Agbado on the northern flank of Lagos.
    “Putting a rail project together requires a lot of patience and resourcefulness in terms of financing, where the financing will come from and who we are going to use,” the commissioner disclosed.

  • Lagos denies plan to place religious leaders on salary

    …Says report untrue, misleading

     

    The Lagos State Government on Tuesday debunked viral report on the social media suggesting that it was planning to commence paying salary to religious leaders in the State, saying the claim was totally untrue and misleading.

    Commissioner for Home Affairs, Mr. Abdulateef Abdulhakeem who made the clarification while speaking on a television programme monitored in Lagos, said there was no iota of truth in the said report, and urged members of the public to disregard it in its entirety.

    Read Also:Lagos to religious groups: champion peaceful 2019 poll

    He said: “The clear position is that the Lagos State Government is not intending to employ Imams and Pastors. There is no such plan and there is no willingness on our part to delve into a private realm.

    “What exists in Lagos State is that there is a symbiotic relationship between the Lagos State Government and faith-based organizations and it is a mutually beneficial relationship which has contributed to the growth and development of the State,” Abdulhakeem said.

    In the said report, Abdulhakeem was quoted as saying that the State Government would soon place religious leaders on the State salary structure to encourage them to use their Pulpit and the Minbar to re-orientate citizenry to shun corruption and immorality.

    Clarifying his statement, the Commissioner said: “I must have been misunderstood or misquoted. We were at a forum where we were trying to encourage religious leaders to be advocates against corruption because religious leaders have millions of adherents and they enjoy the allegiance of millions of followers and we expect them to use the Pulpit and the Minbar to advocate for good governance and selflessness so that they can influence their members positively.

    “In Lagos State, one of the remarkable successes of the present administration is that we have cutting-edge approaches to relating with religious leaders and that is why Lagos remains the most peaceful and most religious crisis-free State in the federation inspite of our cosmopolitan nature.”

    Already, the Commissioner said a structured approach had been put in place to relate with religious leaders in the State through the Nigeria Inter-Religious Council (NIREC) which consists of people nominated by the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and the Muslim Community across the 57 Local Councils in the State.

    According to him, “We have them at the State level; they meet regularly in the Home Affairs and instead of leaving them as dysfunctional silos, we ensure that there is an integrated approach.

    “They meet regularly to interact on religious issues and the Governor, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode has even further decentralized that whereby over 700 of them were appointed based on their nominations and they are volunteers who are not paid anything. They come together to nip religious crisis at the bud,” he said.

    He added that the general approach of the State Government to religion was that of rule of law, good governance, constitutional democracy and more than anything, the observance and preservation of the fundamental human rights of Lagosians to freely practice their religion.

    “Section 38 of the Constitution is very clear and explicit that every person is entitled to freedom of thought, conscience and religion including the freedom to change your religion and the freedom to either alone or in community with others practice, manifest and propagate your religion. Clearly, that is unequivocally telling you that religion is a private affair as far as the Lagos State Government is concerned,” Abdulhakeem said.

    Responding to a question on why the State Government was yet to implement a Court of Appeal judgment on the use of Hijab by school girls, Abdulhakeem said being a government which firmly believes in rule of law, the State Government was awaiting the pronouncement of the Supreme Court on the matter which, he said, was already before the apex court.

    On taxes, the Commissioner said though religious institutions were exempted according to the State laws, but any religious body which engages in commercial activities was liable to pay tax.

    “Religious institutions are not taxable under the Lagos laws but where religious institutions engage in business transactions like schools and so on, then such are liable to pay taxes but as far as the institution is concerned, it is exempted from paying tax.

    “Also, those who convert their buildings into Mosque to avoid paying taxes, we have made it abundantly clear that you are not allowed to convert residential premises into religious centres. So, people should just respect God the way the Lagos State Government has respected God and do not come under that arena to avoid payment of taxes,” he said.

    Besides, the Commissioner said the State Government had already embarked on massive enlightenment and re-orientation against noise pollution by religious leaders, but any resident who is affected by such should however report either through the Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA) or the Ministry of Home Affairs for action.

  • Lagos trains 5,000 students for job

    About 5,000 students are undergoing a 13-week intensive training under  the Ready- Set-Work programme organised by the Lagos State Government to prepare students for work.

    Participants were drawn from institutions within the state and spread across three designated centers, namely:  The Lagos State University (LASU) , Lagos State Polytechnic (LASPOTECH) and University of Lagos(UNILAG).

    The programme, the third edition, also had 20,000 students in their penultimate classes training online.

    At the end of the training in October, the best 2,000 would be placed on a six- month internship at various corporate companies with a monthly sum of 10,000 naira.

    Addressing students in the second week of the programme in LASU, Special Adviser to the Governor on Education, Mr Obafela Bank-Olemoh, chargedthem to take advantage of the training to improve themselves.

    “You have no excuse to fail because you have access to information to advance yourself. You are the products of your most dominant thought.  The Lagos State Government has given you a platform to excel.  Make good use of it and always have God in mind.”

    He explained that the programme was in response to address issues of incompetency of graduates, reduce unemployment and to instil an entrepteneurship mindset among youths.

    He said they would “learn the skills they need to succeed. So, we are focused on soft skills,  how to be adaptable, emotional intelligence,  how to think, understand the socio-economic setup of the country and in the end, they are  well prepared to succeed”.

    He added that  since the inception of the programme  in 2016, feedbacks from firms on interns’ performances had been positive and encouraging.

     

  • OPC man jailed 25 years for killing trader

    A Lagos High Court in Igbosere Thursday sentenced Jelili Falana an ‘Assistant Vigilante’ in the O’odua People’s Congress (OPC) office at Agege, Lagos, to 25 years imprisonment for manslaughter.

    Justice Sedoten Ogunsanya convicted Falana of the 20l4 shooting to death of a herbal medicine hawker, Afolashade Adedoyin Salami.

    The court found that the convict shot Salami and dumped her corpse in a disused soak away.

    The sentence followed Falana’s second re-arraignment on December 7, 2016 on a one-count amended charge of murder contrary to Section 221 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.

    Read Also:Police destroy ‘OPC shrine’, arrest three suspects

    The convict was previously arraigned by the Lagos State Government on January 11, 2016 and re-arraigned on an amended charge on February 1, 2016.

    He pleaded not guilty on the three occasions following which trial commenced.

    But in her judgment, Justice Ogunsanya held that the facts of the case were more consistent with manslaughter than murder.

    The sentence, which was without an option of a fine, takes effect from 2016.

    According to prosecution counsel Adebayo Haroun and Adeyemi Bamgbose, Falana committed the offence on or about June 15, 2014 at about 10:30pm at an OPC Vigilance Office 1n Agege.

    The case was reported to the Railway Police Division, Agege, by the OPC Coordinator or Chairman in the area, Mr. Adekunle Adegoke.

    In the convict’s statement to the police, which was admitted in evidence, Falana said he knew the deceased as a “local nurse’ and drug hawker who placed him on malaria medication on the morning of the incident.

    Falana said the deceased was on her way home but stopped at the OPC office to check on him at about 10pm.

    As she sat beside him he began fondling his single-barreled gun, but it went off and shot her in the head, following which she died.

    He became confused and afraid so he dumped her body and the gun in the soak away.

    The office and the soak away was divided by the rail track along Old Abeokuta Road, Agege.

    A prosecution witness, Inspector Gloria Anumo, testified that during interrogation Falana stated that he seized the gun from hoodlums and was using it for vigilance work, but that he neither had a license for nor knew how to operate it.

     

  • Lagos announces partial restriction of Oshodi flyover

    The Lagos State Government on Friday said there would be partial restriction of movement on Oshodi flyover to enable it advance the ongoing construction of the Oshodi Transport Interchange. 

     This is with effect from 10:00pm Sunday, July 1st to 5:00am Monday, July 2nd, 2018.

     In a statement signed by the Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Mr. Ade Akinsanya, the Government said construction work at the Oshodi Transport Interchange had entered critical stage and the contractor Messer Planet Projects Limited would be hoisting heavy structural steel trusses for the assembly of the Skywalk Bridge.

     Men of LASTMA, FRSC, Police, LAGESC, VIO, etc. would be on ground to manage traffic and provide safety and security support during the 7-hour night operation.

     The Skywalk Bridge, the longest free standing pedestrian bridge in Nigeria at 53.4m long and six metres wide, would link Terminal One and Two buildings at the Oshodi Transport Interchange.

     The flyover would be completely closed in the direction of Anthony to the Airport, while the motorists (in both directions) would now make use of the second carriageway, that is, the one in the direction from Airport to Oshodi to Anthony.

     He said motorists coming from Anthony can either access Town Planning Way through Ikorodu Road or Apapa Oworonshoki Expressway and then turn to Ilupeju Industrial Avenue then link Agege Motor Road via Ilupeju bypass and make a U-turn at Bolade and turn to Apapa Oworonshoki Expressway.

     “For motorists coming from Isolo/Airport Road, you can enter the service lane at Charity and turn to Agege Motor Road at Oshodi and then link Ilupeju Industrial Avenue via Ilupeju Bypass and then turn to Town Planning Way to link up Apapa-Oworonshoki Expressway,” the Commissioner said.

     Besides, Akinsanya added that in the days and weeks ahead, there would also be closure on some certain section of roads within the axis to vehicular and human traffic, just as he solicited the cooperation and support of all road users plying the corridor to observe all the precaution signs on the road.

     “We encourage individuals and groups that may have cause to use the network of roads and bridges passing through, or linking Oshodi and environ, to be alert to disruptions and danger associated with movement of heavy steel and equipment,” he said.

     He added that the State Government has also put in place effective traffic management strategies to manage traffic situation during the period of closure.

     He said the notice of restriction of the road became expedient to enlighten motorists and other road users to utilize alternative routes to avoid delay as well as obey traffic officers deployed on the road to ease movement.

     Akinsanya also thanked road users and motorists for their support, patience and understanding since the commencement of the project, assuring that on completion it would be an iconic facility that would change the face of Lagos forever.

     

  • Lawmaker donates buildings to constituency

    A member of the House of Representatives Hon. Taofeek Adaranijo has advised his colleagues to support the Lagos State government in making life better for the residents.

    He spoke during the inauguration of blocks of classrooms named after some traditional rulers at Moses Orimolade Primary School, Orile Agege and Anwarul Islam Primary, Oniwaya, Dopemu, Lagos.

    He said the projects serve as complement to the huge investment of the Lagos State government in the education sector and other developmental projects.

    He added it would provide the right atmosphere that is conducive enough for teaching and learning, noting that it was the responsibility of government to ensure that children receive quality education.

    Adaranijo also said he sponsored motions to curb the casualisation of labour, stressing that Nigerians were entitled to better condition of service in any employment they found themselves.

    He said: “I have facilitated a motion on the deplorable condition of the Lagos-Abule Egba Bridge construction through House of Representatives loan approved for Lagos State government.

    “I financed computer training and empowerment for some of our youths in Agege. My office, in collaboration with National Directorate of Employment (NDE) trained over 100 youths.

    “We have trained some people in barbing, GSM repairs, confectionaries, make up, bead making and event management. In addition, we sank six boreholes and carried out other constituency projects,” he said.

    Contributing, the Speaker Lagos State House of Assembly Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa urged lawmakers to contribute their quota to the development of Lagos State through projects execution.

    He added that the effort of federal lawmaker would go a long way to boost education in the state, stressing that those who had the buildings named after them should help in maintaining them to keep their legacy.

    He said: “Being in the House is not just about lawmaking. You should be able to do beyond that just like Adaranijo had done through physical projects.