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Tag: Lagos State House of Assembly

  • Disallow BBN show, is against cultural values, lawmaker tells FGN

    Disallow BBN show, is against cultural values, lawmaker tells FGN

    Chairman, committee on health service of the Lagos state House of Assembly, Hon. Olusegun Olulade has called on the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed to  reconsider the implications of allowing the Big Brother Naija Show on Nigerian culture and youths.

    Olulade, who represents Epe 2 constituency lamented that the contents of the Reality Show are completely foreign to the indigenous culture, which the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari is trying to promote.

    According to him, the government should swing into action through the Nigeria Broadcasting Commission (NBC), and ensure it stops the airing of such programme before it further causes serious damage to the culture.

    His words: “The content of Big Brother Naija show is alien to our culture. This show is contrary to the rich cultural values we are trying to promote and bring to the front burner. It is sad that our young children including adults are made to watch such content.

    “This kind of programme promotes obscenity and immorality. We must not encourage such if our hallowed cultural heritage would be preserved. We cannot prevent our inquisitive young ones from watching the obscene displays that permeate the show.

    “I think the NBC should, without delay, stop this programme if this government means business in the promotion of our cultural values. The show does not add any value to our education, social and economic life,” the lawmaker said.

    Olulade, who is the immediate past Chairman, House Committee on Information, Publicity, Security and Strategy, also advised the Federal Government to ensure adequate censor of information being aired and sent to the public, noting that such programme as Big Brother Naija is capable of causing distractions to the Nigerian youths and affecting many families.

    “I will want to urge all parents and guardians to be on their guards and guide their children and wards against the implication of allowing them to keep watching the Show. Our children should not be allowed to be corrupt because this may affect their dreamed future,” he added.

    Big Brother Naija is a Reality Show supposedly sponsored by PayPorte, an online shopping platform and aired by Africa Magic on Dstv.

  • Lagos NAWOJ to FG, states: Pass death penalty for rape

    Lagos NAWOJ to FG, states: Pass death penalty for rape

    … Calls for end to female genital multilation
    The Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), Lagos State Chapter, has called on the Federal Government and all state governments to pass death penalty for  rape.

    This call was contained in a communiqué signed by the Lagos NAWOJ Chairperson, Hajia Sekinah Lawal at the association’s February Congress which held in Lagos State.

    The group commended the Lagos State House of Assembly and Governor Akinwunmi Ambode for passing death penalty for kidnapping in the state noting that rape is also a big problem in the country.

    “The Police and parents should be ready to report and follow cases of rape to the last conclusion. Mothers should also make sure their grown-up girls were well-dressed as a strategy to curb rape while those found guilty should be sentenced to death in order to serve as deterrent to others,” it added.

    Lagos NAWOJ also called on Federal and state governments to urgently do something about the economy with a view to tackling high inflation, saying access to drugs, medical care and food items is becoming more difficult.

    Similarly, members expressed concern over the likelihood of emergence of fake drugs due to unavailability of the originals.

    The group also commended the first lady, Hajia Aisha Buhari for the women empowerment programme through vocational trainings and called for more empowerment programmes for unemployed graduates and women.

    “A place like Lagos State for instance has a lot of riverine communities; with this, we can have more fish farmers so as to meet the deficit of fish farming in Nigeria,” the communiqué suggested.

    The group urged all and sundry to do everything within their capabilities to end female genital mutilation.

  • Lagos Assembly C’ttee begins tour of PHCs

    Lagos Assembly C’ttee begins tour of PHCs

    The Lagos State House of Assembly Committee on Health Services, says its on-the-spot assessment of primary health centres (PHCs) is borne out of the determination to enhance quality healthcare delivery at grassroots.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that members of the House Committee led by its Chairman, Mr Segun Olulade commenced an on-the-spot assessment of primary healthcare centres in the state on Friday.

    “This exercise is targeted at ensuring standard and efficient healthcare delivery at the primary level. This level of healthcare service is very crucial.

    “If we get it wrong at this level, there will be a problem as many lives will be lost carelessly before getting to secondary level.

    “We are passionate about the masses as the representative of the people. This informs our inspection of the facilities at PHCs to see the situation of things and the challenges, with a view to providing solutions to them.”

    According to him, the state government is committed to reducing the number of patients patronising higher healthcare givers by improving facilities at the primary level.

    “We are going to be doing a lot on our primary health centres and I can assure residents that in the next two or three weeks, they will see a lot of facilities at the primary level being renovated and upgraded.

    “Before June, a minimum of over 50 primary health centres will be upgraded. They will be completed in the next six months and equipped,’’ he said.

  • Lagos Assembly to partner RTEAN to boost tourism

    Lagos Assembly to partner RTEAN to boost tourism

    Lagos State House of Assembly has promised to partner with the state branch of Road Transport Employers’ of Nigeria, RTEAN,  to boost tourism ahead of Lagos at 50 celebration.

    Chairman, House Committee on Tourism, Art and Culture, Hon. Desmond Elliot disclosed this during a courtesy call to RTEAN Lagos State Secretariat with members of his committee during while on oversight function to Badagry, Epe and Akodo resort centre recently.

    The lawmaker said “Transportation is key to tourism because tourists need to be transported from one point to the other”. He said the Committee decided to acknowledge the importance of RTEAN in the State, especially now that “Lagos at 50 celebrations is nearer”.

    Welcoming the Committee, Alhaji Musa Muhammed, the State Chairman of RTEAN applauded the Committee saying, it was the first time any arm of government or its agencies deemed it fit to visit its secretariat.

    “We have never been recognised except during election because we have 20,000 members that are eligible voters in Lagos State”, he said.

    He added that RTEAN is ready in any way possible to support the government and its policies but was quick to complain that they were officially given 52 garages in six Local government areas and local council development areas in the State but none is operational.

    A Member of the Committee and the Chairman, House Committee on Central Business District – CBD, Hon. Victor Akande said, “Transportation cuts across other Committees, so we need your assistance and collaboration, we will in turn come together to assist you”.

    Other members present at the occasion,  Hon. Solaja-Saka Nurudeen, Chairman, House Committee on Science and Technology, Hon. Fatai Oluwa and Hon. Jude Idimogu commended Lagos RTEAN leadership for being organised and coordinated.

    Elliot promised that they will inform the House leadership who will assist to communicate their plight to the appropriate quarters for earnest solution of the garage challenges”.

    He reiterated that Lagos Branch of RTEAN contributions to the development of the State is not in doubt.

  • Lagos Assembly passes two bills to promote sports development

    Lagos State House of Assembly has passed two bills that are  meant to  promote sporting activities and ensure an all inclusive sports growth and development in the State.

    The two bills are: ‘The Lagos State Sports Commission bill’ and ‘The Lagos State Sport Trust Fund Bill’.

    According to the Speaker, Hon. Mudashiru Obasa, the sports trust fund law would provide interface between the government and the private sector  towards  the development and adequate funding for sports in the State.

    “The Trust Fund is to raise money through  private and public donations for the development of sporting activities and facilities in the State, it  will be the depository of all monies and can raise money for the development  of sports  in the State through grants by the federal government, the State and Local  as well as donations or contributions  for individuals or corporate organisation.

    Section 20 also allow the Trust Fund with approval of the board empowering its committees for the purpose pf generating funds to organise charity dances, shows, exhibitions and other fund raising event as it may deem fit .

    While the second bill  seeks the establishment of the Lagos State Sport Commission, allowing the Commission to administer sporting activities in the State. The establishment of the Commission would harness the potential of sports men and women in the State towards attaining excellence.

    The Chairman, House Committee on Sports, Hon Adedamola Kasunmu, commended the Speaker of the House, Obasa and members of the House for the passage of the two bills.

    According to him, the two bills are connected and would help to take sports to greater heights in the state, besides that sports administration would be detached from government.

    Kasunmu further said that with the two bills, sports would be taken to the people at the grassroot including working with the Ministry of Education to develop school sports.

    He said that while the Sports Commission would help to ensure proper management of sporting activities through regulation of policies in sports, the Sports Trust Fund would help to generate fund to develop sports in the state.

    He further said that with the Trust Fund, the labour of sports heroes will not be forgotten as it would help to recognise and reward those who had contributed to sports development aside helping to identify and sponsor young and upcoming sports talents for development.

    The bill which has been sent to Governor Akinwunmi Ambode will become law immediately he signs them.
    Sent from my BlackBerry wireless device from MTN

  • NASS will pass 2017 budget early – Lagos lawmaker

    NASS will pass 2017 budget early – Lagos lawmaker

    A  lawmaker in the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mr Jude Idimogu, on Thursday, urged the National Assembly to conclude work on the 2017 budget and pass it before the end of January.

    Idimogu, a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) member representing Oshodi/Isolo Constituency II at the Assembly, spoke in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.

    According to him, such development has become imperative in the light of the current hardship facing many Nigerians as a result of the economic recession.

    “I want to call on the Senate and the House of Representatives that have before them the Appropriation Bill for 2017 to hasten the passage as soon as they resume from recess.

    “It should be passed before the end of January.

    “The process should be done harmoniously in the interest of the suffering masses that are finding it difficult economically because of recession.

    “We need not waste time because time is running out for this government. I want the NASS and the executive to work together,” the lawmaker said.

    Idimogu also said that if actually, the President wanted to reshuffle his cabinet, such appointments should be without bias or party affiliation.

    “Buhari by now should know how to put round pegs in round holes.

    “Best hands should be sought to put the country back on track so that our people can be happy,” he said.

    Idimogu advised the President to adhere strictly to the federal character as enshrined in the constitution.

    NAN reports that President Muhammadu Buhari had on Dec. 14, 2016, presented N7.298 trillion budget proposal for the 2017 fiscal year to a joint session of the National Assembly.

  • Citizens must never be disregarded by the govt-Obasa

    Citizens must never be disregarded by the govt-Obasa

    A call has gone to the government, saying any government which disregarded the citizens did so at its own peril.

    The Speaker, Lagos State House of Assembly, Mr Mudashiru Obasa,expressed the view on Tuesday, at a workshop for the Media and Public Media Officers of the Assembly in Lagos.

    The event tagged:”Legislative Communication and Citizen Engagement-An Integrated Approach” was held at CMD, in Ikeja.

    The speaker, who was represented by Mr Tunde Braimoh, Chairman, House Committee on Information, Strategy and Security, said people needed to actively participate in governance.

    “People must matter in any government that will succeed. Citizens should regulate the activities of their leaders.

    “People need to be involved and informed, as power remains with the people. They have the mandate to choose who will govern them.

    “We (government) are the arms, the people are the body and we must not disregard them in whatever we do. Citizens are the reason for government,” he said.

    The Speaker said that it was imperative to involve the people as a way forward for the nation.

    He said that the importance of citizens’ engagement made the state government to prioritise Town Hall meetings and public hearings.

    “It is in the government’s interest to engage the people and it is very important for citizens to engage the government,” Obasa said.

    The speaker said that people, unfortunately, did not know much about the function of legislators, urging media practitioners to educate them.

    He also urged the media to shun every tendency to mislead the people for whatever reason.

    Obasa said he was an advocate of training and retraining of workers to bring the best out of them.

    Also speaking, Miss Bose Lambo, the Director, Public Affairs at the Assembly, lauded the leadership of the House for its commitment to improving the skills of its staff for better service delivery.

    In his remarks, Mr Boye Akintola, Chairman, Lagos State House of Assembly Correspondents Association,commended the leadership of the Assembly for its support and commitment to organising training for media men.

  • Lagos Assembly tasks Ambode on kidnapping, criminal gangs

    Lagos Assembly tasks Ambode on kidnapping, criminal gangs

    Lawmakers at the Lagos State House of Assembly have advised Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of the state to properly secure the state against kidnapping and other criminal activities.

    This was part of the resolution of the House at plenary Monday after a motion moved by the Majority Leader, Hon. Sanai Agunbiade and others calling the attention of their colleagues to the activities of kidnappers and criminal gangs in the state.

    It was resolved through the motion that Governor Akinwunmi Ambode should take all necessary steps aimed at involving the Nigeria Air Force, Nigerian Navy and the Nigeria Army to checkmate kidnapping in the state.

    Ambode was directed to arrange with the state Commissioner of Police and heads of other security agents in the state to increase security patrol and to station Armoured Personnel Carriers (APC) and other security equipment in Maya, Epe and other strategic areas of the state.

    The Governor was also enjoined to ensure the prosecution of those arrested in connection with gang wars in the state.

    Contributing to the motion, Hon. Gbolahan Yishawu said that it is apt and that it has captured the mood of the state.

    He stated that criminals in the state come up with a lot of strategies despite the huge amount of money the state government has spent on security.

    The lawmaker however, advised that the security men should be equipped with gun boats and other devices to fight crime on water.

    Also, Hon. Tobun Abiodun emphasised that the government should do its best to drive the criminals from the state as he said that they have now moved to places such as Epe, Ikorodu and Badagry.

    Tobun further advised the state government to consider aerial surveillance as he said that the criminals now operate in the creeks.

    However, Hon. Tunde Braimoh observed that the security challenge is not peculiar to Lagos State and that it is a common phenomenon in a metropolitan state like Lagos.

    In his comments, Hon. Olumuyiwa Jimoh advised that the state should attach importance to having more marine policemen as he said that the state’s waterways were porous.

  • Lagos Assembly confirms Zubair as LIRS boss

    Lagos Assembly confirms Zubair as LIRS boss

    Lagos State House of Assembly Thursday confirmed Ayodele Zubair as the chairman Lagos State Internal Revenue Service (LIRS).

    The State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode had sent Zubair’s name to the House for approval as the new LIRS boss.

    Born in 1960, Zubair is an accountant whose grandfather and father were professional accountants.

    He is a graduate of Accounting from Manchester Polytechnic, worked for five years at Pricewater before he later became one of the directors at his father’s firm, Hamzat Zubair Folami & Co.

    He is a fellow of some professional bodies in the country among which are Institute of Chartered Accountants (ICAN) and Institute of Taxation.

    The new LIRS boss also told the lawmakers before his confirmation that he had worked as one of the pioneer directors at the state Lottery Board.

    He promised to bring a new lease of transformations to raise tax collection in the state, saying through computerization and collaboration better results would be enhanced.

    He added that his administration would beam its searchlight more on informal sector by incorporating them into the tax net of the state.

    According to him, “informal sector is very significant for effective tax collection. We shall, for a start introduce presumptive tax at the informal sector and through this; we shall subsequently get additional information to raise more revenue.

    “Through technology, computerization and collaboration, there shall be coordination to have sufficient data about every prospective tax payer,” Ayodele disclosed.

  • Special status: Lagos Assembly writes senate to rethink

    Special status: Lagos Assembly writes senate to rethink

    …As members calls for re-presentation

    Lagos state House of Assembly at plenary Monday resolved to write the Senate to see reason and let go sentiments and do the right thing on the issue of special status for Lagos which it rejected through a voice vote at its sitting last week.

    The House was reacting to a motion on the issue raised by Hon. Bisi Yusuf (Alimosho 1) under matter of urgent public importance.

    Yusuf while drawing the attention of his colleagues to the incident said the senate rejected the request without any good reason, “and most of them who rejected the request have their families here in Lagos”.

    He wondered why the senators can refuse such a request when the state is not being paid derivation for revenues accruing to the federal government from the two sea ports in the state as well as the VAT realised from the state.

    He urged his colleagues to call on the senate to revisit and pass the bill.

    Although most of the lawmakers who contributed to the debate condemned the action of the senate pointing out that the rejection is a bad signal from the senate and capable of leading to the kind of situation prevailing in the Niger Delta, adding that it is like they are not conversant of the unique place of Lagos not only in Nigeria but Africa as a whole.

    Obasa however, advised against attacking “our senior colleagues”, and that to get the bill through it is numbers that is needed that members should reach out to senators they know to see reason to pass the bill into law.

    He said a special status for Lagos is for the benefit of all Nigerians not Lagos alone, “Lagos is important to all Nigerians because apart from being the commercial nerve centre of the country, the struggle for independence and all political developments started here”.

    The speaker commended the House on the issue “because we have been on this issue for years”. He commended Senator Oluremi Tinubu for her determination, commitment and devotion to get things done in the state urging her not to be tired but continue with her determination to get things done.

    Obasa however, cautioned the senators to tread carefully, “they must not instigate Lagos to behave otherwise; their attitude shows that they don’t want Lagos in Nigeria, and their action as pointed out by a member here is capable of giving rise to what is happening in the Niger Delta now.

    A PDP member in the House, Hon. Jude Idimogun said he supported the call for a special status and condemned its rejection by the senate. He called for the representation of the bill and appealed to Senator Tinubu to lobby her colleagues for the bill to be passed. Adding that Lagos is unique because it is only in Lagos that an Ibo man can be member of the state Assembly

    While the Deputy Speaker, Hon. Sanni Eshilokun said the senators were only driven by ego and ethnocentrism in rejecting the bill.

    While other lawmakers felt there was no justification for the rejection of the request.