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Tag: Lagos State

  • Ambode to pilgrims: Imbibe spiritual benefits of Hajj

    Ambode to pilgrims: Imbibe spiritual benefits of Hajj

    Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State on Monday urged intending pilgrims to imbibe the spiritual benefits of the Hajj to foster peace and religious tolerance in the country.

    Ambode spoke at a seminar for intending Muslim pilgrims from Lagos State, to prepare them for this year’s pilgrimage to Mecca.

    He said that Hajj was the fifth pillar of Islam and the exercise should be handled with all the seriousness that it required.

    ”Lagos State has 3, 047 intending pilgrims out of the 66, 000 from the whole of Nigeria, which is the highest in the whole of Southern Nigeria to go to the Holy Land in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for the 2015 Hajj exercise.

    ”I urge you to take advantage of the spiritual benefits of Hajj to imbibe the exalted qualities of the Holy Prophet Mohammed.

    ”Our state is in dire need of men and women who have the fear of God, demonstrate religious tolerance, selflessness, who are peaceful and charitable, for the growth and development of our state and nation in general.

    ”I hope that this Hajj will equip you with the capacity to coexist peacefully with people of other faith, religion and ideology.

    ”The state government will provide necessary welfare package – medical, spiritual and other support, as well as ensure that your safety and security is guarded and not endangered,” he said.

    Ambode urged the pilgrims to be good ambassadors and be mindful of the image of the state and country.

    In a lecture entitled “Socio-Economic and Ambassadorial Implications of Hajj”, Dr Tajudeen Yusuf explained that Hajj was a global spiritual exercise and act of worship for total human reflection.

    ”If you successfully observe Hajj, you have won yourself a seat in paradise.

    ”It calls for sober reflection, patience, tolerance and endurance, as well as to appreciate God and humanity, ” he said.

    In his remarks, Alhaji AbdulLateef AbdulHakeem, the Amirul Hajj and Chairman of the Ad-hoc Committee on 2015 Hajj, said that the seminar was aimed at developing the right attitude and character worthy of ambassadors of Lagos State in the holy land.

    ” I urge you to pray for our country, our people, our leaders, but most especially, to pray for us all that God would restore those values with which He created us, ” he said.

  • 2015 Hajj: Lagos denies sponsoring pilgrims

    2015 Hajj: Lagos denies sponsoring pilgrims

    Lagos State Government on Tuesday denied sponsorship of pilgrims for the 2015 hajj as being speculated in some media, even as the Amirul Hajj restated the state’s readiness to conduct a hitch free hajj.

    Reacting to publications in some dailies that some pilgrimage forms allocated to key officials of the state government have been hijacked, the Amirul Hajj and Chairman of the Ad-hoc Committee on 2015 Hajj, AbdulLateef Abdul Hakeem, in a statement said the State government does not sponsor pilgrims to the holy land and that the State government is only interested in making sure the State pilgrims are well taken care of.

    “I wish to inform the general public that Lagos State has not sponsored or intend to sponsor any pilgrim for the 2015 hajj operations, what we were mandated to do  is to coordinate the affairs of all intending pilgrims for this year’s hajj, ” he said.

    The Amirul Hajj added that the State involvement as a responsive and responsible government is limited to medical, general welfare. He said, “we are giving support by providing Welfare personnel, Medical officials and Clerics to guide them and ensure that they remain good ambassadors”.

    “Lagos State Government recognizes the fact that pilgrimage is a private affair of individuals but the primary essence of governance is to ensure the welfare of the people within and outside the State so that they remain law abiding,” he said.

    He therefore urged all intending pilgrims to expect hitch free hajj operations and be good ambassadors of the state.

     

  • Ambode appoints 19 new Perm Secs, retires 15

    Ambode appoints 19 new Perm Secs, retires 15

    Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode Monday approved the appointment of 19 new Permanent Secretaries in the State Public Service.

    This is just as 15 Permanent Secretaries were also retired from the service accordingly.

    In a statement issued on Monday by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Habib Aruna, the appointments are in line with the Governor’s drive to restructure the civil service for efficient performance and service delivery.

    The development is also coming on the heels of the streamlining of some existing Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) aimed at ensuring greater efficiency.

    The new Permanent Secretaries, the statement said, have been deployed across board in the new structure of the civil service.

    The names of the newly appointed Permanent Secretaries are Mr. Bamgboye Abiodun; Mrs. Dapo-Thomas Boladele Aderemi; Mrs. Ariyo Elizabeth Olabisi; Mrs. Adekanye Adebunmi Elizabeth; Mr. Bode Agoro; Dr. (Mrs.) Ayandele Olufolayimika Abiose; Dr. (Mrs.) Sodeinde Nuriat Ibironke; Mr. Odeyemi Mohammed Adesina; Mrs. Odulana Arinola Olufunmilayo.

    Others are Mrs. Onisarotu Adesina Jemil; Engr. Bade-Adebowale Ajibade Caster; Mrs. Amosu Sewande Ayodele; Mr. Kadiri Abayomi Adebisi; Mrs. Anifowoshe Amidat Abiola; Mr. Adeyemi Folarin Anthony; Dr. (Mrs.) Oduwole Olanike Elizabeth; Mr. Mustapha Abdul Ahmed Olorunfemi; Mrs. Odunlami Funlola Adesola and Mr. Odupitan James Olusola.

    Ambode is expected to swear in the new Permanent Secretaries on Tuesday, August 5, 2015 at the Lagos House, Alausa.

  • ‘PDP is dead in Lagos State’

    Politician, Chief Babatunde Olorogun – Etti, has called on Lagosians to join hands with President Muhammadu Buhari to salvage the country.

    He also urged Buhari to steer the ship of state away from economic hardship, political wrangling and insecurity.

    Speaking in Lagos, shortly after defecting to the All Progressives Congress (APC), Olorogun-Etti praised, Senator Bola Tinubu for piloting the party along the path of greatness. He described him as a dynamic and brilliant politician.

    He said: “The development, growth and peaceful co-existence of the state should be paramount to us. APC is large enough to accommodate everybody. Senator Bola Tinubu has been fair to everybody no matter which divide of the state such a person comes from. Therefore, any indigene of Lagos State who loves this state, who believes he has a stake in the development of this state with a passion, has no reason to be in PDP” he said.

    Olorogun Etti also hit at the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Lagos chapter, saying that it has no future in the state.

    “It’s time to face facts. The PDP is finished in Lagos State. PDP can no longer compete in any serious way in Lagos. The local government election in the state will be a formality” he said.

    He urged his supporters to go to their wards and register in the APC.

  • Lagos Assembly seeks enforcement against noise pollution

    Lagos Assembly seeks enforcement against noise pollution

    Lagos State House of Assembly Tuesday at plenary called on the state Ministry of Information and Strategy to embark on public enlightenment campaign to sensitize the public on the danger that noise pollution poses to health and the need to stem its tide in the state.

    The House also called on the state Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode to direct the General Manager of the state Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA), to discharge the statutory responsibility conferred on it by Section 9 (a) of the state Environmental Protection Agency Law, 1996.

    Raising the motion titled “Need for Regulation of Noise Pollution in Lagos State” on the floor of the House, member representing Epe Constituency 1, Abiodun Tobun, decried the high level of noise pollution arising from the blaring of music by vendors, street party organisers and outdoor advertisers as well as indiscriminate use of horns by motorists and cyclists on major highways in the states.

    Tobun also noted the high culpability of churches, mosques and other faith-based organisations in noise pollution in the state through their various programmes like vigil, mobile preaching, tafsir and periodic calls to prayers.

    The lawmaker expressed concern about the high level of noise pollution which, he said has become a major source of health hazard as recently raised by the Nigeria Hearing and Speech Association (NHSA) that more Nigerians are suffering from hearing impairment as a result of noise pollution.

    He expressed worry that there is no proper enforcement of Section 9 (a) of the LASEPA Law 1996, aimed at controlling noise pollution in a cosmopolitan state like Lagos with over 15 million residents.

    Contributing to the motion, member representing Alimosho Constituency 1, Bisi Yusuf, explained that the best way to go about the issue, is to ensure the proper enforcement of the existing regulation.

    According to Yusuf, “when some people are praying, it will seem as if God is deaf and you begin to wonder may be God won’t answer their prayers if they don’t shout. We should call on these faith-based organisations to allow God to rest; the existing regulations should be enforced.”

    On his part, Gbolahan Yishawu, Eti Osa 1 noted that the motion is timely, adding that “in enforcing the regulation, we should ensure that construction companies and noise of generators should also be looked into.”

    Others, who spoke on the issue, explained that the relevant and necessary agencies should be called upon to do the needful by ensuring strict compliance of the existing regulation.

    They also added that motor parks should be included in the enforcement of the regulation. “Some motor parks also contribute to this issue of noise pollution and we must not overlook them in the enforcement of this regulation,” said Segun Olulade (Epe Constituency 2).

    Member representing Oshodi/Isolo Constituency 2, Emeka Idimogu called for caution on the part of his colleagues in addressing the issue, noting that “we should use a persuasive approach in addressing it because we all made noise during the electioneering campaign and noise has become a part of us, we can’t change it overnight,” he said.

    The House in its resolution also called on the state Ministry of Home Affairs and Culture to ensure that the use of public address systems are discouraged within the community so as not to disturb the peace and tranquility of the community.

  • Makinde tasks Lagos state on development

    Makinde tasks Lagos state on development

    The Prelate Emeritus of the Methodist Church of Nigeria, Dr. Sunday Makinde, has appealed to the Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, to consolidate on the development strides of his predecessor.

    Makinde said this in an interview with journalists at the 2015 Peaceful Transition Thanksgiving Service organised by the Lagos State chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) held over the week at the Chapel of Christ the Light, Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos.

    The service, themed The Awesome God, brought together thousands of Christian faithful from the six blocks of The Christian Association of Nigeria: Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA), Women Wing of CAN (WOWICAN), Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), Oganisation of African International Churches, Christian Council of Nigeria (CCN), among others.

    He said that the development in Lagos State in the last 16 years is monumental and should be built upon by the new administration so that the state will continue to be the pacesetter for the country.

    Makinde said: “We need peace and even development in Lagos State. Lagos State is for all and every policy and programmes should capture the need and aspiration of everyone in the state no matter their ethnic, religious or language differences.”

    The cleric lamented recent cases of crime, kidnapping and violent activities in the state, which, according to him, should be looked into as a developmental challenge.

    He noted that the much anticipated growth and development in Nigeria can only be achieved in an atmosphere free of rancour.

    Makinde went further to appeal to the All Progressives Congress members in the national assembly to sheath their swords and ego and give peace a chance in Nigeria.

    Earlier in his words, the Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, applauded the thanksgiving service put together by CAN as commendable and noble.

    Ambode, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs, Mrs. Dimeji Ebunola Grace, said that thanksgiving is very germane as it is a pointer to the fact that God answer prayers. “Many thought that there would be war and bloodshed and they left Nigeria, but we waited and trusted God for a hitch-free exercise and God answered our prayers.”

    In his words, the Lagos State Chairman of CAN, Apostle Alexander Bamgbola, said that the thanksgiving service was aimed at appreciating God for showing the people of Lagos mercy and granting petitions concerning a peaceful election and transition of power in Lagos State.

    “We have received a new dawn of greatness and progress in our state of Lagos. The church is rising again. We give God all the glory,” he said.

    Bambglola went ahead to appeal to the church to continue to love one another as the Lord Jesus commanded. “Without the true love of God, we will get nowhere in building the kingdom.

    “It is time for true unity in CAN in Lagos State. It is time for us to be one as our Lord Jesus desires. It is unity that God will send down his blessings upon us collectively and individually. It is time to pull together our God-given resources in Lagos and build his kingdom for him,” declared the cleric

  • Arrested Ikoyi armed robbers narrate operations

    Arrested Ikoyi armed robbers narrate operations

    FOUR of the 11-man gang that killed three policemen and two civilians in the March 12 Lekki, Lagos bank robbery have been arrested by the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS).

    Duke Odogbo, 38; Lawrence Kingsley, 31; Ebi Tosan, 20, and Ekelemo Kuete, 30, were paraded in Ikeja yesterday by Police Commissioner Kayode Aderanti with the exhibits recovered from them. Among the exhibits are a Honda Accord 2008 Model (Evil Spirit), one white blackberry Z10 phone, one white Apple I5, one military cap and 130 expended ammunitions.

    The casualties were Inspector Bethel Agbola, Sergeant Odehohwo George, Corporal Imosisiu Ikechukwu, Mr Sowemimo Kabiru and Sarah Ibikunle, 15, fish seller around the area.

    Odogbo who hails from Warri North in Delta State, said: “We are 11 in number. We came with two boats but one had problem, so we used only one. We came with seven rifles. The extra three rifles that brought our total rifles to 10 belonged to the three policemen killed by my gang. They were not posted to the bank. My members saw them on road patrol. They interfered and they shot them dead and took their three rifles.

    “I was the first to fire a warning shot when we entered the bank, a branch of First City Monument Bank (FCMB) located on Admiralty Way. We collected N15million from the bank’s vault. We sprayed out the money from ATM machine.

    They gave me N500,000 as my own share. I was arrested in my house in Warri.”

    Aderanti said after the movie-like action, he convened a meeting of all commanders of combat units including Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Operatives, Department of Investigation, Rapid Response Squad (RRS), SARS, Special Investigation Bureau (SIB), Marine and Police Mobile Force (PMF), mandating them that the perpetrators must be fished out.

    Aderanti said based on intelligence, six Decoy SARS teams were dispatched to Delta, Ogun, Ondo states and Ikorodu, Lagos under his supervision.

    These efforts, he said, paid off on March 20 when Odogbo, the gang’s leader was picked up in Warri, Delta State. Kuete, who drove one of the speed boats, was picked up in Majidun, Ikorodu; Kingsley and Tosan were later arrested.

    The suspects, he said, had confessed, adding that efforts were being intensified to arrest their fleeing accomplices.

  • Fuel scarcity worsens Lagos traffic

    Fuel scarcity worsens Lagos traffic


  • Quality Assurance buzz in Lagos State

    The excitement that the new office of Quality Assurance is generating in Lagos State is infectious.  School owners, teachers, principals, and quality assurance experts are optimistic about the positive effect it would have on both public and private primary and secondary schools in the state.

    The new QA template promises to revolutionalise what school inspection is all about.  Rather than wait for inspectors, now called QA officers, to come and expose problems in an overbearing manner that encourages window dressing, schools are meant to do a self-assessment of their facilities, practices, processes and others before they receive the visitors.  Through the assessment, they know where they stand and can take measures to improve.  The QA officers are only to validate what the schools have assessed and proffer solutions on what should be done to resolve issues they may have.

    If this is implemented properly, the Director-General of the Quality Assurance office says the assessments would lead to the grading of schools, which would be a welcome development.  It would help parents to know what to consider while choosing schools so that they do not end up being victimized by high-fee collecting schools that lack substance.

    I think the National Universities Commission (NUC) and other accreditation/regulatory agencies need to learn from the Lagos QA system.  We have heard too many stories of schools renting equipment and workers for accreditation purposes only.  After the exercise is over, they return the items and continue operating in poor environments that fail to produce good quality graduates.  Tertiary institutions should be made to assess themselves – and be supported by the regulators to meet the desired standard – and not to put up a show.

  • Ambode wins Lagos guber poll

    Ambode wins Lagos guber poll

    With results of all the 20 local government areas in Lagos announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission, the All Progressive Congress candidate in the state, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, is set to be declared winner of the election having maintained a clear lead in the results announced by the commission.

     

    The results:

                                                  APC                                   PDP

    IBEJU LEKKI                        14,696                               11,292

    Lagos Island                         34,232                               16,111

    Badagry                                27,086                               22,664

    Ajeromi Ifelodun                  42,954                              52,596

    Eti-Osa                                 28,082                                24,486

    Mainland                             31,836                                 26,889

    Ikeja                                   33,178                                    26,419

    Amuwo Odofin                   26,349                              35,168

    Oshodi Isolo                       42,835                              43,904

    Ifako Ijaiye                         46,485                          26,898

    Epe                                      31,498                            13,425

    Ikorodu                             52,061                        35,259

    Apapa                                 22,169                         19,486

    Surulere                           51,404                         54,202

    Mushin                            60,220                          38,620

    Agege                                46,909                          32,885

    Ojo                                31,910                               34,693

    Kosofe                      53,890                               40,253

    Alimosho                   90,558                              67,480