The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Lagos State

  • 17 convicted traffic offenders perform community service in Alausa

    About 17 convicted traffic offenders, made up of 15 men and two women were brought to the premises of Lagos State Secretariat, Alausa, Ikeja on Thursday for community service imposed on them by the Special Offences Court, sitting at Oshodi after being found guilty as charged.

    They were engaged in clearing of bushes and wastes in the Secretariat premises.

    Spokesperson of Lagos State Transport Management Authority (LASTMA), Mr. Mahmud Hassan, who spoke with newsmen as the convicts were undertaking the community service, disclosed that the offences committed by the affected people ranged from non-use of seat belts, dropping of passengers at unauthorized places, driving on the BRT Corridors and so forth.

    According to Hassan, who said the convicts would still be sent on the streets of Lagos to serve their term at the “discretion of the officer that is in charge of that department,” pointed out that the lesson to potential traffic offenders in the state was that they too would face similar action whenever they were caught by the hands of the law.

    “You are seeing them for the first time here at the Secretariat because Secretariat is part and parchel of Lagos State. So what we are doing is for them to carry out the court’s decision of performing community service and where they carry out that community service is at the discretion of officer that is in charge of that department.

    “They have been taken to other places before coming here and I think after here, you would see them on the road also performing community service,” LASTMA Public Affairs Officer said.

    Read Also: Residents accuse ‘Alausa men’ of forceful ejection

    “The lesson I want people to learn is one, for we to have orderliness in the society all of us must try as much as possible to be on the side of the law. We must respect law if we want our society to grow, if we want our society to develop so that we can take our rightful place in the comity of nations. So it is only by abiding by the law.

    “We must not do anything that would take us to primitive age where every man tries to be law to himself and it’s a kind of survival of the fittest. And by so doing, we are also passing message to other potential offenders that when they are caught by the hands of the law, they too will face similar action,” he added.

    Speaking further, Hassan reminded that both traffic lights and Zebra Crossings were not decoration and beatifications, saying that LASTMA had in the past arrested violators and would still continue to do so.

    He said it was an aberration for government to spend millions of naira to install traffic lights and also make Zebra Crossing for the safety of pedestrians but the agency would still send its officers to those points to force motorists to obey rules guiding them.

    “Those are the men that we supposed to deploy to other places, but it’s not supposed to be like that, but that is what we have now,” he lamented.

    Hassan, however, said LASTMA on its part would continue with its enlightenment campaign by reaching out to the various stakeholders, including religious bodies, organizations, clubs, among others in order to secure what he termed “high level of compliance with the traffic laws” in Lagos State.

    “On our own part, we will continue to do that enlightenment, we will continue to reach out to the various stakeholders, we will continue to talk to religious bodies, organizations, clubs and so on and so forth so that we can have high level of compliance with the traffic laws in the state,” he said.

  • Nigeria’s first steel, concrete building ready soon

    A Building construction firm, ITB Nigeria Limited, has said it is set to complete its first steel and concrete building project, the Azuri Peninsula, in the Eko Atlantic City, Lagos State.

    The Azuri Peninsula project, which began in early 2015, is a unique steel and concrete residential building project, consisting three sets of over 30 floors.

    Steel and concrete structures involve a mix of steel and concrete to form a single element. The advantage of using this technology gives rise to benefits like speed, performance and value. Additionally, concrete encasement protects the steel from buckling, corrosion and fire. The building offers a collection of four-bedroom luxury and super luxury apartments; two and four-bedroom town houses, known as ‘Marina,’ as well as six-bedroom penthouses.

    ITB Nigeria Quality Assurance / Quality Control Co-ordinator,  Emmanuel Adeyemi, expressed satisfaction with the project, which he said is the very first of such by his firm. For him, the project is a testimony to the quality of work being undertaken by the firm “We are excited about this project because it’s our first composite structure created by a combination of steel and concrete to form a single element. This helps to deliver performance that is more effective than when individual components are used together but not unified,” he said.

    He added that the firm is fully focused on understanding its clients needs and delivering on its promises, regardless of the scale or complexity of the challenge at hand.

    Adeyemi explained that the uniqueness of composite structures is that it enhances construction time, performance and value. This is because steel framing for a structure can be erected quickly and the pre-fabricated steel floor decks can be put in place immediately. When cured, he further revealed, the concrete provides additional stiffness to the structure, making the structure one that can stand the test of time.

    ITB Nigeria is the major building civil engineering contracting firm handling some of the infrastructural projects being carried out in Eko Atlantic city.

  • Ambode seeks patronage of made-in-Nigeria goods

    The Lagos State governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, has advised Nigerians to patronize goods made in the country to create more jobs and develop the economy.

    Speaking during the inauguration of the furniture factory, “The Home and You” built by Mrs. Feyisola Abiru, in Ikorodu, Ambode  said the factory would produce industrial made-in-Nigeria furniture that can compete globally for both corporate and home use within and outside the country.  He said it is only through this means that the local economy could be developed.

    Represented by Rotimi Ogunleye and Mrs. Olayinka Oladunayo, commissioners for Physical Planning and Commerce & Industry respectively, the governor commended Mrs Abiru for citing the factory at Ibeshe, a suburb of Ikorodu.

    “This is the first furniture company of its kind in the Ikorodu axis and a clear indication that the efforts of Lagos Sate government to provide security and infrastructure is beginning to yield positive fruits,” he said.

    Speaking at the event, Mrs. Abiru, identified, “passion and an undying crave for success had been the reason I was able to whether the storms in the early days of the 21 year old business.”

    She commended the Bank of Industry (BoI), in the realisation of the noble dream which today has become one of the major economic drivers in the state and Nigeria as a whole.

    “But for the support from BoI, we won’t be here today. They gave us the first facility in 2006 to get us running. We acquired world class machines from Italy, when we needed to improve on our quality and expand the capacity of the business, we approached them again for another facility which was granted in 2017,” she said.

    Also speaking,  the pioneer chairman of the company, Olusegun Osunkeye, described the ‘Home and You’ as a great edifice, noting that  the country would benefit from the establishment of the ultra-modern furniture factory as it would create employment and boost the local content policy of the government.

    Read Also: Ambode, Obaseki celebrate retiring Ademowo

    “They will use local wood to produce first class furniture, so it will create employment and because it is profitable, government will get its taxes, and impact skills on the surrounding. So, it is a factory that will bring many benefits to its immediate surroundings, Lagos state and ultimately to the country at large,” he said.

    At the current rate of population growth, more than 500 million Africans are projected to live in cities by 2030. This growth as well as favourable government policies in some African countries is believed to  favour the furniture businessas this is anticipated to increase the demand for real estate; residential accommodation, office space, hotels and schools.

  • Ambode’s wife appeals to women to stand against corruption

    Wife of the Lagos State Governor, Bolanle Ambode has appealed to all mothers and women in the state and the country at large to take a stand against corruption.

    She spoke at Protea Hotel in Ikeja, Lagos, during a one day seminar and award presentation, organized by Fight Against Corruption Organization (FACO), with the theme; “The role of women in the fight against corruption”.

    Ambode, who was represented by Titilola Ayinla, said the fight against corruption should start from the home front by discouraging any act, behaviour and attitude that aid and abet corrupt tendencies.

    According to her; “If we succeed individually in our various homes, there will be no room for corruption and corrupt practices in the larger society.

    “If we do not kill corruption, it will eventually kill us. The short and long term effects of corruption are too severe for any country and its citizens; hence the need to take steps to redress the situation before it’s too late.”

    She added that the fight against corruption must be seen as a priority in which everyone is a stakeholder and actively involved, if we truly desire to address the issue of pervasive poverty and make the economy work for everyone.

    Ambode congratulated and urged the awardees to intensify efforts to fight corruption in their respective capacities while also commending FACO for the initiative.

    Read Also: Ambode restates commitment to workers welfare

    Executive Chairman, FACO, Dr Francis Shopekan said the nation cannot go well without the impute of women, whom he described as home builders and future leaders.

    “Women build the home and the family, if we exempt them in the fight against corruption, we will go nowhere. Some women have a stronger heart than men. Giving the women platform and support will go a longer way to encourage them to rise to the full task and capacity in this nation.”

    According to him, to curb corruption, government has to pick all those that have a foreign account, freeze the accounts and have a dialogue with them and make it mandatory that they should establish businesses in the country where they will employ a minimum of 100,000 youths.

    “To fight corruption is a collective responsibility and government cannot do it alone. We all need to do the right things and leave the right legacy behind for the next generation,” he said.”

    The keynote speaker, a Human Right Activist, Funmi Falana, said no country is free from corruption.

    She noted that the prosecution process in the country is faulty; adding that it is one of the reasons corruptions is still the way it is in Nigeria.

    She said women have always been in the fore front of fighting corruption, noting that women are the custodian of virtues in the society.

    “We are the ones that brought up the children right from cradle to adulthood and whatever we put into the children as cradle is what they take up to become responsible citizens. Women should teach the virtue and let children know that corruption is something they should have nothing to do with. We must take away the love of money but imbibe in them hard work.”

    She said women should be given the chance in the country, noting that men have failed the country but women will do it better. “Women must be involved in politics and be a part of decision making process. The presence of women in politics will help curb corruption in our country.”

    “What we have in Nigeria is not democracy, it is moneycracy. We must address our system of politics and the entire process must be changed. We can only deal with corruption if we all fulfill our roles in the home and the society at large. Corruption will continue except we all stand up and take necessary steps to curb corruption,” she said.

    Former Deputy Vice Chancellor, Lagos State University (LASU), Prof Ibiyemi Bello said corruption is in all sectors, urging all to vote their conscience in elections.

    She urged women never to give up on any situation, noting that women have to work twice as hard as men.

    “Women should get busy, compete with men in their field and do extra work,” she said.

  • 2019 elections: Ambode urges religious groups to champion peace

    Gov. Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State on Sunday appealed to religious bodies to help to ensure that the 2019 general elections were conducted peacefully through constant prayers for the country.

    Ambode, who was represented by the Deputy Governor, Dr Idiat Adebule, made the call at a Muslim Leaders Interactive Forum.

    The forum was organised by the Muslim Community of Lagos State (MCLS) with the theme,  “Make Your Life Count: Unity of Muslim Ummah in Focus”.

    He said that religious organisations by their standing in society had enormous responsibility in ensuring that peace prevailed in their communities.

    According to him, religious bodies could impress upon their members on the need to eschew all forms of electoral violence during the elections.

    “There is the need for religious bodies and leaders to educate the people on the need for political tolerance to promote peace and tranquility before, during and after the elections,” he said.

    Ambode also expressed appreciation for the efforts made by religious bodies in supporting his administration and maintaining peaceful coexistence in the state.

    Also, Prof, Tajudeen Gbadamosi, President, MCLS, assured that the Muslim community in the country would play a significant role in the country’s bid to ensure a peace during and after the elections.

    “We are close to an election year. We know the peculiarities of this period — hate and inflammatory speeches as well as consequent killings and other damnable actions in the religious and social spheres.

    “As a religious group, we have a duty to ensure peace and harmony,” he said.

    In his lecture entitled, “Unity Among Muslims”, Shaykh Muslihudeen Kalejaye, said Islam was a religion that tolerated other religions and ordered its followers to respect and protect all humans.

    “Where there is no unity, it will bring about disruption, devastation and disputes,” he said.

    Also speaking, Dr Ridwan Olagunju of the Department of Islamic Law, University of Ilorin, urged all religious bodies to continue to pray for the peace of the country.

    Olagunju urged the Muslim faithful to adhere to the tenets of Islam as well as do good to make their life count.

    He also appealed to government at all levels to sought the advice of religious leaders in policy formulation.

  • Ambode urges corps members to report security risks

    Fresh set of corps members serving in Lagos State have been asked to help the government with security by reporting anything suspicious.

    Governor Akinwunmi Ambode gave this charge at the swearing in for Batch B Steam 1 Corps members at the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Orientation Camp, in Iyana Ipaja on Thursday.

    Ambode, who was represented by the Commissioner for Special Duties and Inter-governmental Affairs, Oluseye Oladejo, gave them toll-free lines that they could use to reach security agencies and emergency services.

    He said:” I implore you to key into our community security strategy of ‘if you see something, say something’ by calling our toll free lines, ‘767’ or ‘112’”.

    He described Lagos as a hospitable place for them to do their national service.

    While in camp for the three-week orientation programme, the Lagos State NYSC Coordinator, Prince Mohammed Momoh, said the 3,087 corps members would be exposed to security tips by experts.

    “We inculcate security consciousness in them right from the orientation. First they need to be secured during orientation before they go to the larger community. Part of what we do is we bring in security agencies to tell them about local and perculiar security issues in Lagos; and what to do to avoid falling victim of such,” he said.

    Momoh also said the NYSC does not post corps members to volatile areas for their safety.

    Read Also: Ambode commends ‘Home & You’ over furniture factory

    “We work with the security agencies to identify locations that have security challenges and we go all out to ensure that corps members are not posted to such communities because it it only I’m the atmosphere of peace that the corps member can effectively implement the national service,” he said.

    Regarding disclosure of health status, Momoh said corps members were gradually opening up on medical issues that they may have. He said full disclosure was in Thier best interest so they could get support and be posted close to their families.

    He said: “It is only when we know we can support you morally, medically because we have working relationship with all the Federal tertiary health Institutions in Lagos State. Presently we have a corps member at Yaba and we paid his bills.

    “The present DG had been doing a lot I the area of corps members’ health and he has been supporting the states to ensure that we do our best because corps members’ health is a priority for him.”

    Momoh thanked the Lagos State government for rehabilitating the camp ahead of the orientation programme which started on Monday.

    He counseled the corps members to be law abiding, disciplined and participate in all camp activities including paramilitary drills, lectures, skills acquisition, leadership/citizenship trainings and inter-platoon competitions.

    Highpoint of the event was the swearing in of the corps members by Justice Femi Segun who represented the Chief Judge of Lagos State.

  • ‘Reconstruction of Apapa-Oshodi expressway begins in two weeks’

    Lagos state governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode has disclosed that the reconstruction of the dilapidated Apapa-Oshodi Expressway will commence in two weeks time lamenting that the road had been in a deplorable condition for long.

    Ambode disclosed this on Wednesday at the 2018 third quarterly Town Hall meeting which held at Iberekodo, Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos.

    The governor decried the perennial gridlock in Apapa in the last few weeks, noting that there had been appreciable improvement in traffic experience within the axis in the last one week.

    According to him the gridlock which has become a perenial issue, going and coming, is pathetic. “But the challenge is to give a permanent solution and in that reason, the President directed the Vice President to visit Lagos and provide permanent solution”.

    Ambode tasked the Federal Government to do everything within its powers to revive existing Ports in other States of the federation so as to bring about permanent solution to the perennial traffic congestion in Apapa axis of the State.

    According to him, beyond getting other ports up and running, the issue of tankers queuing up to lift petroleum products from Tank Farms in Apapa was also a major issue causing gridlock and damaging road infrastructure in the area, which according to him was inimical to the economic growth of not just the State, but Nigeria in general.

    “It would be very unfair to Lagosians if I don’t talk about issues relating to traffic management and integrated transport management most especially what we have witnessed in the last one week in Apapa, but again I would like to tell Lagosians that every stakeholder that is ‎relevant to resolving the Apapa crisis, we have gone to work and you can see that there is a major improvement.

    “We are grateful to the President for his intervention. We believe that every layer of government should collaborate to resolve the crisis. But we all must know that Apapa crisis is more than traffic issue.

    “That is where all states depend on for revenue through Customs because the revenue is shared at FAAC. If anything goes wrong in the port, whatever they get from the place could reduce. It is a national issue and must be addressed as same immediately.”

    The problem in Apapa, Ambode was that there were too many agencies and establishments disturbing the fundamentals within the axis. Adding that, “It is bad that we still use trucks to lift petroleum products from Apapa to other parts of the country. As it is now, other ports in Nigeria must begin to work immediately to decongest gridlock in Lagos.

    According to Ambode, the Apapa congestion was a national issue that required urgent attention, the Governor also noted that oil pipelines should be revived to discourage the trend of thousands of trucks coming from other parts of the country to lift petroleum products from Apapa.

    “Whatever has led to continual use of trucks to lift fuel, which is vandalism of pipeline should be addressed immediately. We believe that this will allow the road to become free. We don’t need to continuously use tax payers money to build road that were destroyed by tankers,” he said.

    Ambode called on the Minister of Petroleum and the Department of Petroleum Resources, DPR to work towards reviving the pipelines.

    The governor also said the State did not need tank farms anymore as it already has 68 in Apapa area alone. “Also, we don’t need tank farms within Lagos metropolis anymore. There are 68 tank farms in Apapa alone. That is a serious danger waiting to happen.

    “Beyond Apapa, they have approved tank farms in Ijegun axis. And that is where we have huge population. We need to distribute tank farms establishment to other parts of the state. This is what we believe should be done at this moment to free Lagos roads,” he said.

    Ambode, however, commended the Federal Government for shifting the date for repairs on the Third Mainland Bridge saying “we believe that at this time, the clearing of the alternative roads would have been completed.

    “We have a transport challenge in Lagos because it is only road transport that is effective in the state.”

    The governor also spoke on efforts of his administration to develop the economy of the State, saying his administration has continued to keep faith with its mandate to ensure that the future of Lagos remains on a sound pedestal.

    He said the Town Hall meeting, which had moved round the three senatorial districts in the State from its first edition held in October 6, 2015 has continued to provide the Government with first hand information on the needs of the people and how best to solve them.

    “Our promise from the very beginning was that we are going to give you a government of inclusion and it’s very clear that we are on track. When we look at our scorecard, which is to keep Lagos on a trajectory of growth and development, we are on that track.

    “We are happy to be here. We are everywhere meeting the needs of our people, asking them what the issues are and wanting to respond positively to those issues. Yes, we are not perfect, we would try our best but our people know that we are doing things that would create prosperity for their future,” Governor Ambode said.

    Besides, the Governor said that his administration was not oblivious of the fact that the Eastern and Western axis of the State were pivotal to the future prosperity of Lagos.

    Giving an insight on the next plan of action for the Ibeju Lekki axis, Governor Ambode also said the construction of the Epe Airport and reconstruction of the Coastal Road were very much on course, adding that the dualization of the Eleko Junction to the T-Junction would commence in January 2019, while the 27 network of roads in Ojokoro, Ayinke House, among others would be completed before the next quarter.

    The Governor, while thanking traditional rulers, community heads and residents of Ibeju Lekki for their unflinching support towards the advancement of the multibillion dollar projects ongoing in the Lekki Free Trade Zone assured that all issues relating to compensation would be resolved before the end of the week.

    Ambode also announced the commencement of recruitment of 1,000 teachers in the State, adding that more would be recruited as the need arises.

    He appealed to residents to be patient as the Government would continue to deliver more life changing projects to make life more comfortable for the people.

    A physically challenged resident and graduate of Computer Studies, Micheal Ogunyemi who said he had been jobless for five years could not hold back his joy as the Governor directed the Civil Service Commission to grant him immediate employment from August 1, while relevant agencies were directed to address various issues raised by residents.

    Participants who attended the town hall meeting which cuts across the different strata of residents in the state including the highly and lowly placed asked the governor to provide jobs for the unemployed, roads, clearing of refuse and the governor assured them.

    Among dignitaries present at the event were, the Deputy governor, Mrs. Idiat Adebule, deputy speaker, Lagos State House of Assembly who represented Speaker Mudashiru Obasa, Senator Gbenga Ashafa, Lagos APC chairman, Alhaji Babatunde Balogun, royal fathers etc.

  • Ambode throws weight behind state police

    …Says Nigeria stands to benefit from Lagos model of fighting crime

     

    Lagos State Governor, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode on Tuesday said the fight against crime and all forms of criminality in Nigeria can only be better enhanced if concerted efforts are geared toward embracing community policing to complement the police and other law enforcement agencies.

    The Governor also said in view of the critical national security issues confronting the country at the point in time, paramount importance must now be attached to strong intelligence gathering even over and above the provision of physical security apparatuses, to rescue Nigeria from the myriad of security challenges.

    Governor Ambode, who said this while addressing participants of the Executive Intelligence Management Course II of the Institute for Security Studies, Abuja, noted that the security issues the country was grappling with such as international terrorism and insecure borders, local terrorism including lone wolf terrorists, proliferation of small arms into big cities, cyber warfare, drug trafficking, human trafficking and the regular misdemeanors among and other petty crimes, all pointed to the need for strong intelligence gathering framework to be put in place to nip potential crime in the bud.

    According to him, if policy makers such as the participants at the course who were drawn from 21 security and government agencies could not understand such security issues from the point of first-rate intelligence, then it would difficult for effective policies to be made and implemented to combat them.

    “In the pursuit of the primus inter pares of all governance challenges, we have identified that the gathering and utilisation of intelligence is of paramount importance, even ahead of the provision of physical security apparatuses.

    Read Also: Ambode commends ‘Home & You’ over furniture factory

    “As is well known, I am a huge proponent of community policing. Indeed, I strongly believe that the fight against crime and all forms of criminality would be better enhanced if efforts are geared towards embracing community policing to complement the police and other law enforcement agencies,” the Governor said, adding that it was for such reason that his administration established the Lagos Neighbourhood Safety Corp Agency (LNSC) to enhance intelligence gathering in the communities.

    The Governor, who specifically spoke on the theme: “Cultural Values, National Security and Challenges of Contemporary Governance: Perspective from Lagos State Experience,” said being the melting pot of diverse cultures, as well as major economic hub as the fifth largest economy in Africa with a Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of $131billion, Lagos had been able to appropriate its cultural values, especially the multi-ethnic and cosmopolitan nature, to confront its security and governance challenges, adding that the country stand to gain from the model which the State had adopted in fighting crime and administering governance.

    Recalling security challenges faced by his administration at the initial stage especially kidnapping, the Governor said in fighting the menace, the government garnered the support of the security agencies to set up military bases and security operations that resulted in the rescue of kidnap victims  and arrest of kidnap kingpins, while further steps were taken on intelligence gathering, community partnership and huge investment in security, such that today, the State was now one of the safest cities in Africa.

    Besides, the Governor listed core cultural values which are essential to ensure security and development to include truth, justice, hard work and character, which according to him, have been effectively deployed in Lagos State in the creation of agencies such as LNSC, the Security Trust Fund under the Public-private partnership model to enhance transparency, among others.

    “In Lagos State, we are resolved to continue to review and revise our policies with the aim of maintaining, at every point in time, a sustainable security framework that will stand the test of time and enable every stakeholder in Lagos to participate. So far, we have been encouraged by the massive contributions of many corporate organizations to the Security Trust Fund and by the participation of our communities in the work of the Lagos Neighbourhood Safety Corps,” he said.

    He said though a lot had been achieved, but that the State Government was nonetheless not oblivious of the fact that more needed to be done, assuring that his administration would continue to prioritise the security of the people.

    Going forward with regards to preserving the culture of the people with focus on security, the Governor said from the home front, parents should now attach importance to their culture, saying the State Government had already led the way in placing paramount importance on the continuous learning of indigenous languages.

    According to him, “Many parents are not training their kids to know and understand the realities of life and cultural values. Parents should go back to the teaching and promotion of our core cultural values. The abandonment of these cultural values has led many children to take to drugs and bad vices with the attendant challenges to national security.

    “Beyond the efforts to sustain and, as the case may be, to resuscitate cultural values as a veritable means for ensuring cohesiveness in the society and promoting security, I also advocate a collective vigilance mentality whereby all stakeholders in security management have properly defined roles and relationships to stay ahead of all forms of violent crimes such as terrorism, cyber and transnational organized crimes while utilizing processed intelligence made possible as a result of our cultural values,” Governor Ambode said.

    In his opening remarks, Director of the Institute, Matthew Seiyfa commended Governor Ambode for the various projects and initiatives implemented to make life better for the people, saying the projects have also contributed immensely to enhance security.

    He also commended the initiative of the Security Trust Fund, saying the fact that many States have now copied it from Lagos attests to its vitality and effectiveness in security management.

    “Since 2015 when Governor Ambode took hold on the reigns of office as the Executive Governor, he has not only continued but revitalized this visionary path. He (The Governor) has sought to consolidate and deepen the status of Lagos as a mega city and a hub for regional transportation, tourism, entertainment, finance, industry, among others.

    “The Governor’s projects have not only been world class in standard and quality but also inclusive,” Seiyfa said.

  • Lagos senators oppose Banire’s nomination as AMCON chairman

    Three senators from Lagos State Tuesday opposed the nomination of Muiz Banire as the Chairman of the Assets Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON)

    President Muhammadu Buhari had submitted a letter to the Senate seeking the confirmation of Banire as AMCON boss.

    But Senate at its sitting Tuesday received a petition endorsed by the three senators from Lagos State which opposed the nomination of Banire as the chairman of AMCON.

    Read Also:AMCON’s N4.8trn debts must be recovered – Senate

    Senator Solomon Adeola (APC-Lagos West), who laid the petition, noted that it emanated from their constituents.

    Adeola noted that enclosed in the petition were “the signatures of the three senators from Lagos State against the nomination.”

    He solicited the permission of the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, to lay the petition before the Senate for consideration and approval.

    Saraki gave Adeola the go ahead to lay the petition.

    He referred the petition to the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions for necessary action.

    The Senate had on July 18, 2018 acknowledged receipt of the request from President Buhari to confirm Mr Muiz Banire (SAN), as Chairman, Governing Board of Assets Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON).

    The President said that request was in compliance with Section 10(1) of the AMCON Act 2010.

    The Senate Committee on Banking, Insurance and other Financial Matters on July 23, screened Banire for appointment as AMCON chairman.

    The committee has not submitted its report o Senate in plenary.

    The petition may be a stumbling block to the confirmation of the nominee.

  • Apapa gridlock: LASG suspends approval for development of tank farms

    As FG, LASG, stakeholders meet

    As part of measures to sanitize the chaotic traffic situation in Lagos especially in Apapa axis caused by indiscriminate parking of trailers and tankers, Lagos state government has suspended further approval for development of Tank Farms and also given Tank Farms currently operating 30 days within which to have adequate holding bay failure for which they would be sanctioned.

    This was part of the resolution of a meeting between representatives of the Federal and Lagos State governments and stakeholders in the Maritime industry  as well as security outfits which took place at the State House Alausa on Monday.

    The stakeholders in attendance include: FG, LASG, NPA, Shippers Council, Tank Farm owners, DPR and security personnel.

    The federal government delegation was led by the Managing Director of Nigeria Ports Authority, NPA, Hajiya Hadiza Bala Usman while Governor Akinwunmi Ambode led the state team with the commissioner of Transport, Hon. Ladi Lawanson and Secretary to the State Government, Mr. Tunji Bello also in attendance.

    Lawanson who read out the resolutions of the meeting to the press said a security task force has been constituted by the Federal Government, FG and Lagos state government, LASG, to work continuously for 30days to bring sanity to the roads.

    Read Also: Tanker explosion: LASG to prosecute owner, driver

    Other resolutions include: that the sanctions on shipping companies for non compliance on utilization of holding bay have been extended by five days and will be reviewed thereafter while Department of Petroleum Resources, DPR, is to ensure that tank farm owners comply with holding bay requirements.

    “Federal ministry of public works and housing is to commence palliative measures on bad portion of access roads” and “Trailers not called upon and found trampling will be impounded and sanctioned.

    “LASG is to accelerate completion of Orile Trailer park; all truck and tanker owners must be duly registered and well regulated by their unions and unions will be accountable for their adherence to extant rules and regulations.

    And “NPA in collaboration with LASG will license trailer parks whereby only trucks housed in those designated parks will be granted access.”