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Tag: Lagos State

  • Club donates to school

    Lions Clubs of Egbeda and Lagos Valiant have donated writing materials and text books to pupils of State Senior High School, Alimosho, Lagos State.

    President of Lions Club of Egbeda Adekunle Akinremi, emphasised the need to support education and increase literacy level among youths.

    ‘It is very interesting to be part of humanitarian service because you voluntarily donate from your heart. We are giving back to the pupils to better their lives and encourage them .Though education is expensive, but it is necessary.

    “With the little we can give as human beings, let us remember people who cannot afford some things. Not all parents can afford sending a child to school, but some are schooling on government scholarship. However, we cannot put everything on the government, citizens have to support the less-privileged or people in need,”Akinremi said at the school premises, venue of the event.

    Principal of the school, Oladoyin Tajudeen, lauded members of the club for their gesture. He implored pupils to pay attention to their studies

    “I feel great whenever an organisation identified with education because education is the only legacy we can give to our children. However, pupils should also pay attention to their studies and become successful in order to give back to the society,’’ he said.

    Lagos Valiant Lions Club Project Director, Lion Agboola Taiwo, enjoined individuals to take part in humanitarian activities to make life easier for everyone. He said: “The synergy we add together to contribute to the less privilege will go a long way in making so many people happy . If we always decide to contribute little amount for humanitarian activity the world would be a very better place to live.”

     

  • Lagos indigenes storm governor’s office, demand end to demolitions 

    Lagos indigenes storm governor’s office, demand end to demolitions 

    Scores of Lagosians on Tuesday stormed the Lagos State Secretariat, Alausa which houses the Governor’s Office and the Lagos State House of Assembly demanding an immediate end to all demolitions in the state.
    The protesters who came under the aegis of the Federation of Informal Workers Association of Nigeria (FIWON), frowned at what they called illegal and deliberate demolition of buildings and markets occupied by struggling people in the informal sector of the economy.
    According to them, any government that fails to recognise the roles played by people in the informal sector in governance, and chooses to embark on the demolition of their houses and businesses, is sowing the seed of failure both in the short and long run.
    The group which comprises mechanics, market traders, and farmers, among others, was led by the General Secretary of  FIWON, Mr Gbenga Komolafe, who accused the Lagos State government of using the state’s megacity dream as an avenue to rob hapless residents of their lands, markets and businesses.
    “The Lagos State government has been trespassing on the rights of the informal sector. They use officers of the state’s task force to intimidate law-abiding residents who are going about their normal businesses,” he said.
    “They harass and lock them up in prisons. Now, we understand that due to lack of space at Kirikiri, those arrested are now taken to Badagry. Sadly, when they come back from these prisons, most of our people do so in vegetative states, and some have even died,” he added.
    Speaking further, Komolafe challenged the state government to build a megacity that would conform with the all-inclusive vision of the United Nations, rather than its current moves of “creating a city for a few.”
    However, in his reaction, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Transport, Mr Olanrewaju Elegushi, promised to convey the message of the protesters to the State Governor, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode.
    He stated that the Ambode-led government was a government with a human face, and as such would not do anything against the law, and neither would it do anything that would undermine the well-being of residents of the state.
    “Everything you have said has been taken note of, and it would be channelled to the appropriate quarters. I can assure that your complaints and plights will be critically looked into, and very soon, you will hear from the government,” he said.
  • Fela: ‘Statue without head an insult to the family’

    Fela: ‘Statue without head an insult to the family’

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    Lagos state governor Akinwunmi Ambode  recently unveiled a statue in honour of Late Afrobeat musician, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti.

    Professor TAIWO OGUNADE, in this interview with MOSES EMORINKEN, expressed his opinion concerning Fela’s statue and the representation (or misrepresentation) of the legend and what he stood for.

    Do you think it was expedient to erect a statue in honour of Fela Anikulapo-Kuti?

    Yes it is important but not to be represented as a blind man without a head.

    I was a choreography teacher for Fela’s dancers when he resided at Agege Motor road.

    If you go to any system of justice in Nigeria, you will see the statue of a lady holding the sword in one hand and a weighing scale on the other. This symbolises the justice system in Nigeria. On the flip side, we call Fela a liberation artist, yet he does even have a head or even a “clinched” fist.

    His head is not in the statue; therefore, it could be anybody’s head. Majority of today’s generation do not even know Fela, not to talk of associating a face or head with him. Imagine a person born ten years ago or even those yet unborn. Will they be able to relate the statue to Fela? Definitely NOT! This is because of the headless feature of the statue.

    Therefore, it is a waste of money and resources by Ambode and his advisers.

    How can an artist erect a statue without head and call it Fela? That is an insult to his family.

    We hear that his family members seem to be fine with the statue. What is your take on this?

    Even if the family don’t complain about it, it was obvious that they were stunned at the sight. Everyone was wondering probably a head would descend from the sky.

    Don’t you think the artist would have a valid explanation and philosophy behind the headless statue?

    Well, I do not know. The governor said it is a liberation statue of Fela. However, a liberator will always have a clinched fist ready to fight. When he was alive, he always had what is called yabis time.

    It was a time for him to talk about a lot of things, and get divergent replies. Can someone without a head “yabis” anybody? It is impossible! The signature of the yabis is missing in the statue due to its heedlessness.

    It is obvious that the governor and his team were not well advised, or they do not know; I am sure the governor or his advisers never met Fela in their lifetime.

    READ ALSO : Fela’s:  Liberation: A deserved honour

    What do you think the governor and his team should do to remedy the anomaly?

    First, the statue needs to be destroyed. It can’t be left as it is.

    Also, Fela never wore clothes almost 19 hours a day. When you see him playing with his band, he does not wear clothes. Yes, he wears some fanciful dresses sometimes, but he hardly wears clothes. He normally would have only his pants on.

    They therefore, must remedy these by putting a head, a clinched first and nakedness at some point. By nakedness, we know he doesn’t go to stage without his pant. They could use a trouser for him; the important thing is that his chest region is made bare.

    What do you think about the statue of Obafemi Awolowo in Lagos?

    That also is a waste of money. Awolowo was not as fat as the statue portrayed. Also, the statue had him with a running boot. Awo never wore a boot as far as I know.

    I know him well enough because my primary school (Igbagbo Aladura School) in Ibadan was about 50 metres away from his house.

    What is your take on the statue of Jacob Zuma erected by the Imo state governor?

    I think Rochas Okorocha is misdirecting himself. People like Zuma should not be honoured.

    You don’t honour Jagundas (thieves). He is facing corruption serious charges in his country…such a one should not be given a space in our land, not to talk of honouring him with a statue.

    What would be your advice to young artists?

    This is a country that has a healthy pool of the old and young. The old is called “old school” while the young “new school”; therefore, if you want to do anything that belongs to the old, it is important that you seek the advice of the “old school”.

    Fela belonged to the old school, therefore, let the Ambode stop wasting state funds and seek the advice of people from the old school for projects that pertains to the old school. There are old artists who can guide the “new school” artist to do the old school things.

  • 1,393 work-ready students to make Lagos proud

    1,393 work-ready students to make Lagos proud

    The massive hall of the Landmark event centre, Victoria Island was packed with 1,393 final year students who successfully graduated from the second edition of the Ready Set Work (RSW) initiative of the Lagos State Government last Tuesday.

    The students drawn from six tertiary institutions namely: Lagos State University (LASU), Lagos State Polytechnic (LASPOTECH), Lagos State College of Health Technology (LASOHET), Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education (AOCOED) and the Michael Otedola College of Primary Education (MOCPED), and the University of Lagos (UNILAG) had undergone 13 weeks of employability and entrepreneurship skills training that would set them apart in the world of work and business.

    The facilitators had certified them fit for service and business and it was time for them to bid farewell to the Saturday classes that changed the orientation of many out of the initial 2,000 that started the race.  They swore the graduate oath of honour, pledging to live and work according to the highest standard of ethics, respect, hard work and professionalism from then on.

    Short documentaries about the experiences of students and facilitators during the programme that held in three centres (LASU, UNILAG and LASPOTECH) reminded the participants about what they had been taught about hard work, communication, team work, integrity, commitment, problem solving and critical thinking, global challenge, among others.

    Then came the highpoint of the event – the announcement of those who were successful in the internship interview held penultimate week, as well as the winners of the business pitch.

    Ibrahim Akanni Shuaib and his partner, Bukola Esther Akinfolarin, carried the day with their Go-RECYCLEIT business idea – the best of 23 presented to a panel of judges made up of industry experts, academics and government officials.

    The duo was rewarded with N1,500,000 in addition to N600,000 as working capital of N100,000 for six months.

    Through GO-RECYCLEIT, Shuaib and Akinfolarin hope to not only recycle all kinds of waste but promote environmental sustainability and community health, and develop social economy by empowering individuals to get value from waste and become source of raw materials to local recycling industries.  They hope to provide employment for the youth, elderly and physically challenged people.

    Shuaib, a 600-Level student of Dentistry, said of his victory: “I feel very happy and fulfilled emerging as the winner of this competition. I am proud that I am from LASU. Also, this will be a stepping stone for me to show the world that LASU truly has world class products and I will be able to expand my business, which I have already started on a small scale.”

    Another group from UNILAG with recycling focus, Waste to Wealth, came second and got N1,250,000 to develop their business in addition to N600,000.  TSK Group came third and got N1 million, while COIF got N750,000 for coming fourth.  In fifth place was Juice Out, which was rewarded with N500,000.  All winning groups got the N600,000 allowance for six months.

    They would also be supervised for a period of 12 months during which their business ideas would be nursed to ensure they survive.

    Special Adviser to Governor Akinwunmi Ambode on Education, Mr Obafela Bank-Olemoh expressed confidence in the quality of students that had gone through the RSW.  He said they could hold their own anywhere and charged them to do the state proud.

    Lagos State Deputy Governor, Dr Idiat Adebule, thanked the facilitators for investing their time and talents in the students.

    She said the government believes that with the right skills, Nigerian graduates would excel.

    “We had faith that with the necessary training and entrepreneurship skills developed, they wuld compare favourably with their counterparts internationally.  We have cause to rejoice as 1,400 interns are graduating from RSW.  We are grooming a good group of workforce to drive the Vision 2020 of being the third largest economy in Africa,” she said.

     

  • 22 contestants appeal Council polls results

    22 contestants appeal Council polls results

    Twenty-two contestants in the July 22 council polls in Lagos State have appealed the decisions of their petitions to the Lagos State Local Government Election Petition Tribunals.

    The chairperson of the 2017 Local Government Election Appeal Tribunal, Justice G. M. Onyeabo, stated this yesterday at the tribunal’s inaugural sitting.

    Justice Onyeabo and four other justices: O. Kasali; A. Onigbanjo; O. A. Dabiri and K. A. Jose make up the panel.

    The tribunal, which was inaugurated on October 23, will hear and determine the appeals in 21 days.

    The judge said: “Accordingly, therefore, any application for enlargement of time for the doing of an act or taking a step shall not be granted in such a manner as to extend the time for the determination of the Appeal beyond the 21 days prescribed.

    “To this end, the tribunal solicits the maximum cooperation from the Bar to avoid needless time wasting applications.

    “The parties and learned counsel should be rest assured that this panel will be fair to all the parties and follow the Rules strictly. We will have to modify our sitting because of time constraint.

    “We also appeal to all, that there should be no hobnobbing with members of the panel and tribunal staff, to allow us concentrate and perform this duty to the society to the best of our endeavour.”

  • Ambode tasks judiciary on speedy dispensation of justice

    Ambode tasks judiciary on speedy dispensation of justice

    Gov. Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State on Friday urged the state judiciary to step up in the area of speedy delivery of justice, without compromising the fundamental principle of fair hearing and the rule of law.

    Ambode made the call at the swearing-in ceremony of Justice Opeyemi Oke as the new Chief Judge of the state at the Lagos House, Ikeja.

    Oke came into office following the exit of Justice Olufunmilayo Atilade, who attained the statutory retirement age of 65 on Sep.24.

    The new Chief Judge joined the State Judiciary as a Senior Magistrate on May 1, 1986 and was appointed a Judge of the High Court on July 17, 1996. She becomes the 6th female and 16th Chief Judge of Lagos State.

    Ambode Governor congratulated Oke on her confirmation by the state lawmakers, describing it as a positive affirmation of her competence, experience and character to preside over the sacred temple of justice in Lagos State.

    “I have absolute confidence in your intellectual capacity to steer the ship of the state judiciary on a smooth sail.

    “One area of our judicial system which I consider as work in progress is the speed of justice delivery in the State.

    “We have made significant progress in this regard with the various reforms that have been initiated and implemented, however, I believe strongly that we can do more by stepping up our efforts.

    “I do understand that our judges are currently facing enormous work load due to the fact that the Lagos judiciary is the busiest in the country and this will naturally affect the turnover of cases in our courts.

    “It is for this reason that I once again recommit our administration’s determination to seek a significant increase in the number of judges that we have on the Lagos bench,” he said.

    Ambode said his administration planned to establish a designated Commercial Courthouse with the objective of ensuring speedy consideration of commercial matters.

    “There is no gainsaying that Lagos is the commercial nerve centre of the country and it deserves a modern state-of-the-art first class Commercial Courthouse to speedily address commercial disputes in the State.

    “It is hoped that this courthouse will accommodate all commercial-related organs of the judiciary in order to drive commerce and improve the ease of doing business.

    “Our administration will continue to cooperate with the judiciary in developing and implementing appropriate strategies to ensure justice is done speedily.

    “I want to assure you of our commitment to do whatever is required of us to ensure that the on-going reform in the judicial sector achieves the desired effect,” Ambode said.

    In his remarks, Mr Adeniji Kazeem, Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, said the event marked the beginning of a new dawn for the state judiciary.

    According to him, it provides the direction for renewed vigour in the discharge of the highest standard of responsibility and the dispensation of justice in accordance with the rule of law and good conscience.

    Oke, in her remark, pledged to make speedy dispensation of justice and zero tolerance for corruption the hallmark of the judiciary in the state.

    She said that she would ensure an efficient, effective and transparent judiciary where there would be total confidence of the public in their ability to provide quick dispensation of justice.

    The Chief Judge lamented the high number of old cases, saying that the total number of cases from five years upwards in the Lagos Judicial division could be estimated to be in the region of 4, 000.

    According to her, when cases drag for over five years and above, they constitute an embarrassment to the image of the judiciary.

    “We need an urgent and immediate plan to clear the backlog of old cases. We, therefore, suggest a Backlog Elimination Programme to tackle the issue of backlogs and congestion.

    “The task requires extra work, more efforts and resources, new hands, including judicial officers,’’ she said.

    Oke said that information technology would be deployed to achieve an efficient and effective judiciary.

    “I’m calling on all and sundry to support and put our shoulders together and get the Lagos State judiciary moving at the fastest pace possible, without compromising on the virtues of love, equity and justice,” Oke said.

    NAN

  • ‘Pupils should prioritise digital technology’

    Gone are the days when all that pupils did was copy everything their teacher said or scrawled on the blackboard and reproduce it on exam day. Digital technology is the new frontier and the way to go.

    That was the message the proprietor of Power and Glory College, Ejigbo, Lagos State, Mr. Ezekiel Onulude, delivered to pupils of the school as part of activities marking the World Literacy Day.

    He said pupils should focus more on using information and computer technology to create rather than merely typing out schoolwork.

    Onulude said this will help them to be aware of the challenges ahead of them and compete in the modern world.

    Onulude, a retired accountant, stressed that digital technology is fundamentally changing the way people live, including access to information, knowledge, management, networking, and social services, among others.

    The principal, Mr. Chidi Aloys, urged pupils to plan and focus on how digitisation can be part of their learning.

    He said for one to be literate in a digital world, one must be able to operate and understand the terms, languages of computers.

    The resource persons Miss Judith Johnson and Miss Sonia Enumah, Senior Prefect and deputy Senior Prefect all stressed the importance of digital technology in the education sector.

     

  • More rice coming from Kebbi

    More rice coming from Kebbi

    Last year, there was some rice relief, thanks to Kebbi State growers. Now, there is hope that things will get better. More rice will be produced, according to the state’s smallholder farmers who are championing the production of the staple.

    Last year, through a partnership between Kebbi and Lagos State government, prices of the grain crashed  from N25,000 to N12,000, fulfilling the desires of many Nigerians to have rice in their homes. The Lake Rice was well received.

    The EU, in collaboration with Oxfam, is implementing a Pro Resilience Action (PROACT) Project to further increase the production capacity of farmers in the state.

    Because of the PROACT project, more farmers have embraced rice farming using modern techniques and improved inputs acquired under the project.

    Already, farmers in the state have received farm inputs under the project to drive dry season farming. No fewer than 6,000 bags of fertilisers have been distributed to 1,500 farmers in the state.

    A member of the village savings and loan scheme (VSLA) in Goriyo-Damana community, Birnin Kebbi, Abubakar Hakimi, told our reporter he had already received 30 bags of fertilisers from Oxfam for dry season farming.

    He said he could barely afford two bags of fertilisers before Oxfam began distributing the item to smallholder farmers in the state.

    Hakimi said he expects to harvest 50 bags of rice as against the 35 he harvested last year.

    “We never knew how to plant rice very well and apply fertiliser to give us high yield,” he said through an interpreter with a broad smile on his face,” he said.

    “The current year is more promising for rice farmers in the village’ –they have not witnessed farming with such huge produce and with less efforts too.

    “But their efforts have paid off because-they are learning new and modern farming techniques to cultivate rice and also have access to farm inputs, hitherto not available to them.

     

  • Monkeypox spreads to Lagos, two cases recorded

    Monkeypox spreads to Lagos, two cases recorded

    The Lagos State Government confirmed  that it has recorded two suspected cases and appealed to residents to remain calm and vigilant.

    Commissioner for Health Dr. Jide Idris told reporters that the two suspected cases were currently being investigated.

    “Though no confirmed case has been recorded, there is need to sensitise members of the public and provide adequate information on measures for prevention and control of the disease in line with the policy of the State government,” he said.

    Idris said the two suspected cases were recorded in a private hospital which he did not disclose. He added that one of the suspected case just came from Bayelsa State and ate bush meat.

    Idris said the two suspected cases had been quarantined in their various houses pending the result of the investigation.

    The commissioner said in the wake of this outbreak, the state government is reiterating the need for members of the public to observe and maintain a high standard of personal and environmental hygiene at all times as part of the precautionary measures to prevent the spread to the State.

    He urged members of the public to be vigilant and report any suspected case of the disease to the nearest public health facility or the Directorate of Disease Control in the State Ministry of Health.

    “Also, health workers are advised to practice universal safety precautions in the management of suspected or confirmed cases, wear appropriate Personal Protective Equipment when attending to cases, wash hands after each contact with patient or contaminated materials while surveillance system must be strengthened.

    “The state government has mobilised the Disease Surveillance Officers in the 57 LGAs and LCDAs in the state and health workers in both public and private health facilities have been placed on high alert,” Idris said.

    Idris called on residents of the State to remain calm and go about their businesses without fear as the government had put in place adequate measures to effectively prevent and control the spread of the infection to the State.

    “In case of any suspected case of Monkey Pox, the Lagos State Ministry of Health should be notified through the following mobile lines: 08037170614, 09087106072,” he said

  • Why Lagos Unveiled ‘Football Forever’ Statue At Teslim Balogun Stadium

    Why Lagos Unveiled ‘Football Forever’ Statue At Teslim Balogun Stadium

    The Lagos State Government has unveiled a statue tagged :‘Football Forever Statue’ at the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere, Lagos.   According to the State Governor who was represented,  by the Special Adviser on Tourism, Arts and Culture Hon. Adebimpe Akinsola, the Statue was placed there because football remains the most popular sports  that keep the nation united.

    “The Monument seeks to educate the Nigerian youth and all visitors to Lagos State that our passion for sport is not only captured by iconic infrastructure facilities and competitions but include giving opportunity to expose artistic representation of its value creative minds.

    “The monument reveals Lagosians dexterity in the game of football and projects our fitness and readiness for glory as it conveys vital sport education knowledge and the promotion of sports tourism in Lagos State.”

    The statue is a 22ft tall sculpture of four players, two aside, standing on an eight feet concrete pedestal announcing and showcasing the prowess, commitment and passion of Nigerians for the beautiful game.