The Nation Newspaper

Tag: lagos

  • Court convicts fleeing doctor for cocaine trafficking

    The Federal High Court in Lagos on Monday convicted a medical doctor, Dennis Konyeaso, for cocaine trafficking.

    The court, however, could not pass a sentence because the doctor is on the run.

    Justice Mohammed Idris discharged and acquitted Konyeaso’s wife Chidi, who was charged along with him by the National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).

    They were arraigned in 2012 on four-count charge of conspiracy, unlawful dealing and storing of 3.3 kilograms of cocaine.

    NDLEA alleged that the couple, in July 2007, conspired to export 3.3 kilograms of cocaine with the aid of an ex-convict Victor Keyamo.

    They were also alleged to have stored the banned substance at their Plot 729 Atere, Omole Estate, Ikeja, Lagos home without lawful authority.

    Prosecuting counsel Mrs. Obiageri Iwuchukwu said the alleged offence contravenes sections 14(b), 19 and 12 of the NDLEA Act of 2004.

    Mrs Konyeaso said her husband abandoned her and their three children for several years after he learnt that the NDLEA operatives invaded their house in search of the banned substance.

    Read Also: Omo-Agege says Saraki must quit Senate Presidency

    She said she never knew that her husband was into drug trafficking.

    According to her, she got to know when the officials searched their house and found parcels of cocaine.

    The case was slated for judgment on Monday, but Mr Konyeaso, who is on bail, was absent.

    The wife said she did not know his whereabouts.

    Justice Idris convicted him in absentia but cleared the wife of all the counts.

    The judge adjourned sentencing until when the convict is arrested.

  • Two suspected cultists face robbery, theft charge

    Two men — Kamorudeen Odusanya and Oyenuga Taofik –who allegedly robbed a man ofN265, 000, were on Monday charged before an Ikorodu Chief Magistrates’ Court in Lagos State.

    Odusanya, 43, and Taofik, 30, are facing a three-count charge of robbery, conspiracy and membership of an unlawful society.

    The accused, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges and were granted bail in the sum of N100,000 each.

    Read Aslo: Two remanded for robbery

    The Chief Magistrate, Mr W.B. Balogun, who gave the ruling, also granted the accused two sureties each in like sum.

    In addition, the sureties should show evidence of tax payments to the Lagos State Government.

    Earlier, Police Prosecutor Mary Ajiteru told the court that the accused committed the offences at 2.00 p.m. at Liadi Village near Ikorodu.

    She said the duo conspired with others as members of Eiye Confraternity, mobilised and attacked a man, Akeem Oladipupo, with some dangerous weapons and robbed him of the money.

    The offences contravened Sections 42(a), 294 and 297 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.

    The case was adjourned until Oct. 25 for mention

  • Govt releases N795m for pension payment

    About N795 million has been released for the payment of accrued pension of retirees in Lagos State.

    The Lagos State Pension Commission (LASPEC) said yesterday that the gesture was in fulfilment of monthly pension settlement embarked on by Governor Akinwunmi Ambode.

    LASPEC said the fund was released for 213 public service retirees under the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS).

    It said 9,804 retirees had been paid their accrued pension arrears of N40,245 billion.

    The cash, it said, was  paid into the beneficiaries’ Retirement Savings Accounts (RSA) from the inception of the Governor Ambode administration to date.

    “His Excellency has remained committed to pensioners’ welfare despite the huge funding obligations facing the administration.

    “For this reason, funds are released monthly into the RSA of employees. The accrued rights are gradually being cleared,” LASPEC said in a statement by its Director-General, Mrs. Folashade Onanuga.

    The commission said there was a move by the National Pension Commission (PenCom) to execute the Pension Law on guaranteed Minimum Pension for life.

    “The law will be executed for retirees under the Programmed Withdrawal benefit option, as it will be recalled that the annuity option offers pension for life for the annuitants,” the statement said.

     

  • Lagos, Ogun teams for Doregos basketball championship

    Schools from Ogun State and Lagos states will lock horns as the Doregos Private Academy hosts the 15th edition of its Inter-School Basketball Championship starting on October 20.

    The competition will kick start with the Preliminaries on the 20th October taking place at four different schools, Doregos Private Academy Ipaja, Queens college, Yaba, Kawefunmi Private college, G.R.A., Sagamu and Vivian Fowler Memorial Girls, ikeja, with each of the zones hosting nine different schools except Kawefunmi Private College hosting eight.

    Speaking at a recent media chat at the school’s hall, The Head of Doregos Private Academy, Mr Adebisi Adegbulugbe said: “This year’s edition promises to be very competitive because we have always tried to promote talents from different schools and also to develop the grassroots Basketball system.

     “Schools from Ogun state and Lagos will take part in this year’s competition and everything is in place to successful host them. “ He added.

    Also speaking at the event, the Vice principal of the school, Mr Lawal, appreciated the presence of the program coordinator, the press men and other people present at the conference.

    Students from Corona Private School assured their fellow students of winning this year’s tournament.

    The competition will round up on February 7 next year, with the quarter finals taking place on Saturday November 10 while the semifinals will take place on November 24.

    Lagos, Ogun teams for Doregos basketball championship

    By Stephen Adigwu

    Schools from Ogun State and Lagos states will lock horns as the Doregos Private Academy hosts the 15th edition of its Inter-School Basketball Championship starting on October 20.

    The competition will kick start with the Preliminaries on the 20th October taking place at four different schools, Doregos Private Academy Ipaja, Queens college, Yaba, Kawefunmi Private college, G.R.A., Sagamu and Vivian Fowler Memorial Girls, ikeja, with each of the zones hosting nine different schools except Kawefunmi Private College hosting eight.

    Speaking at a recent media chat at the school’s hall, The Head of Doregos Private Academy, Mr Adebisi Adegbulugbe said: “This year’s edition promises to be very competitive because we have always tried to promote talents from different schools and also to develop the grassroots Basketball system.

     “Schools from Ogun state and Lagos will take part in this year’s competition and everything is in place to successful host them. “ He added.

    Also speaking at the event, the Vice principal of the school, Mr Lawal, appreciated the presence of the program coordinator, the press men and other people present at the conference.

    Students from Corona Private School assured their fellow students of winning this year’s tournament.

    The competition will round up on February 7 next year, with the quarter finals taking place on Saturday November 10 while the semifinals will take place on November 24.

  • Lagos APC primaries: Tinubu, Adeola win, Ashafa loses

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) Electoral Committee of the National Assembly and State House of Assembly primaries in Lagos on Saturday officially released the results of the elections.

    The primaries, including a repeat of the senatorial primary election, were held on Friday.

    The senatorial primaries initially held on Thursday, but were cancelled and rescheduled owing to logistic issues.

    Announcing the results in Ikeja, Chairman of the committee, Mr Lucky Imasuen, said the primaries were contested for the three senatorial seats, 24 House of Representatives and 40 state House of Assembly seats .

    For the results of the senatorial primaries, Imasuen said Sen. Oluremi Tinubu, who was unopposed, polled 89,494 votes to emerge as candidate for Lagos Central.

    For Lagos West, the committee chairman said the incumbent, Sen. Olamilekan Solomon emerged winner with 378,906 votes, as against the 1,179 votes scored by Mr Kayode Opeifa and Mrs. Areago Olopade’s 1,275 votes.

    Read Also : Boroffice emerges APC candidate for Ondo North Senatorial District

    Imasuen, a former Deputy Governor of Edo State, added that a member of the state House of Assembly, Mr . Bayo Osinowo defeated the incumbent Sen. Gbenga Ashafa with 247,743 votes to emerge candidate for the Lagos East Senatorial district.

    He disclosed that Ashafa, the incumbent, polled 20,385 in the primary.

    Imasuen said the details of the House of Representatives and state House of Assembly primaries results were ready and that they would be released later.

    He described the exercise as peaceful and successful.

    “The primaries were peaceful and successful.

    “We thank the state chapter led by Tunde Balogun for the support for the committee.

    “We also thank all other stakeholders including all members of our party in the state for making the conduct a success,” he said.

    NAN

  • EFCC re-arraigns Senator for alleged money laundering

    *Lawmaker gets leave to travel
    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission ( EFCC ) on Friday re-arraigned Senator Peter Nwaoboshi for alleged money laundering.

    The commission re-arraigned him along with Golden Touch Construction Projects Limited and Suiming Electricals for alleged N322million fraud.

    The charge is before Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke of the Federal High Court in Lagos.

    The defendants were first arraigned on April 25 before Justice Mohammed Idris, who was later elevated to the Court of Appeal.

    The case was re-assigned to Justice Aneke to begin afresh.

    Two witnesses, Prince Kpokpogiri and Murtala Abubakar, had testified before Justice Idris.

    The prosecution alleged that Nwaoboshi and Golden Touch Construction Projects purchased a 12-storey property known as Guinea House on Marine Road in Apapa, Lagos for N805million between May and June 2014.

    The anti-graft agency claimed that N322million out of the N805million was part of proceeds of “an unlawful act, to wit: fraud.”

    The EFCC alleged that the N322million was transferred to the property’s vendor on the order of Suiming Electricals, which was accused of aiding Nwaoboshi and Golden Touch Construction Projects to commit money laundering on or about May 14, 2014.

    According to EFCC, Nwaoboshi, a former Delta State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chairman, got a contract through Bilderberg Enterprises Ltd to supply new construction equipment to the state Direct Labour Agency at N1,580,000,000.

    Read Also: EFCC arraigns Saraki’s aide, others for alleged N3.5b fraud

    The company allegedly imported and supplied used construction equipment rather than brand new ones despite receiving full payment.

    EFCC said Nwaoboshi, with the proceeds, bought the 12-floor building from Delta State Government at N805million in the name of Golden Touch Construction Projects.

    The commission said the Senator had “no visible legitimate business venture to generate the amount spent to purchase the said property.”

    The alleged offence contravenes sections 15(2)(d) and 18(a) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act 2011 and punishable under Section 15(3).

    After pleading not guilty to the charge, Justice Aneke allowed Nwaoboshi to continue on bail based on the terms earlier imposed on him by Justice Idris.

    Defence counsel Emmanuel Kachukwu (SAN) urged Justice Aneke order the release of Nwaoboshi’s passport to enable him travel to Indonesia on October 8.

    He said the lawmaker would return on October 19.

    Granting the request, the judge said the passport should be returned to the court’s registrar by October 23.

    Justice Aneke adjourned until October 25 for trial.

  • Senator Tinubu urges Nigerians to unite ahead of 2019

    Senator Oluremi Tinubu, representing Lagos Central Senatorial District, on Thursday urged members of All Progressives Congress ( APC) to unite ahead of the 2019 general elections.

    Tinubu made the call at the Eti-Osa Ward E located at Oyinkan Abayomi drive in  Ikoyi area of Lagos where she participated in the Senatorial and House of Representatives primaries in the state.

    The News Agency of Nigeria reports that  Senator Oluremi Tinubu was declared unopposed in the list of aspirants released by the National Working Committee of the APC and signed by the National Publicity Secretary, Yekini Nabena.

    Tinubu, who represented the district two times at the Senate, was being returned for a third term.

    Read Also: Zamfara APC primary: Marafa backs NWC decision

    The Senator commended the people of her constituency for returning her unopposed.

    She promised she would not disappoint her supporters and urged them to unite ahead of the 2019 elections.

    ”As we embark on the imminent elections, our politics should epitomize patriotic labor and selfless service to the community.

    ”Our vote is our right, hence, we must exercise this right within the ambit of law by refusing to be a party to vote buying or selling, and ensuring a peaceful election devoid of violence, chaos and upheavals.

    ”Together, we must ensure that our democratic process is sustained and that we embrace government efforts to transform our economy and make Nigeria a better place for all, ” she said.

    NAN reports that as at 1:09 p.m., when Senator Tinubu arrived,  there were no electoral officers on ground for accreditation and to conduct the election by affirmation.

  • Lagos to partner FBRA on PET waste

    The Lagos State government has indicated interest to partner with the Food and Beverage Recycling Alliance (FBRA) on the eradication of post-consumer polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles that are improperly disposed thereby blocking drainages and canals in our environment.

    The Commissioner for the Environment, Mr. Babatunde Durosinmi-Etti, disclosed this through the Assistant Director of Environmental Services, Mrs. Tolulope Adeyo in an interview in Lagos recently.

    Adeyo said the issue of waste has been of great concern and that any initiative to eradicate it, like FBRA’s waste collection and recycling scheme, is quite appreciated.

    Adeyo said the government has created an enabling system for organisations working through a Producer Responsibility Organisation (PRO) like FBRA, to thrive in order to attain a common goal of keeping the environment clean.

    She further stated that the Ministry is very much concerned about the sustainability of the environment and has therefore urged citizens in the state to join hands in the cleaning, segregating and proper disposal of waste, especially PET bottles to avoid environmental and health hazards associated with it.

    “We have lots of materials that we use daily that gets into our waste stream due to industrialisation and commercialisation. And because of the poor attitude of companies, wastes are being disposed indiscriminately, particularly plastics and PET bottles. Considering the havoc this cause during the rainy season in several parts of the state, the government has made giant strides in combating waste and is very much eager to collaborate with private sector in ensuring a cleaner and healthy environment,” she affirmed.

    Adeyo commended FBRA, which is the PRO of companies in the food and beverage sector, for its laudable role in ensuring that used PET bottles are mopped up through its partner, Recycle Points.

    With Recycle Points as collection partner, FBRA has made preparations towards recovery of PET bottles from the environment as well as advocacy campaigns focused on awareness and responsible waste management. It’s time to turn our waste into wealth.

    On the eve of the World Cleanup Day on September 15, volunteer staff of FBRA member-firms led traders and other users of Arena Market in Oshodi, Lagos in the recovery of post-consumer PET bottles and other packaging materials towards a cleaner and healthier trading environment.

    The initiative, which received the collaboration of the Lagos State Ministry of Environment, was organised in partnership with Recycle Points, FBRA collection partner.

    The Chairman of FBRA, Mrs. Folasade Morgan, said the campaign was used to enlighten traders, shoppers, as well as members of Nurses of-air Foundation on crucial issues relating to proper disposal and separation of waste, recycling, healthy lifestyle and other measures aimed at curbing environmental pollution.

    The Alliance has been adhering to the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) policy of government, which transfers significant responsibility to producers for the entire life-cycle of their products especially at the post-consumer stages.

    It has membership drawn from responsible and forward-thinking companies. These are: Nigerian Bottling Company Limited, The Coca-Cola Company Nigeria, Nigerian Breweries Plc, Seven-Up Bottling Company Limited and Nestle Nigeria Plc.

    Given its advocacy, it has received commendation from NESREA, the regulator of the environment, for its significant progress towards EPR compliance.

     

     

     

     

     

  • APC primary: Policemen at Airport Hotel, Lagos

    An army of policemen yesterday surrounded Lagos Airport Hotel, Ikeja.

    It is not immediately clear why they were there, but a source said their presence might not be unconnected with the primary of the All Progressives Congress (APC). Governor Akinwunmi Ambode and Jide Sanwo-Olu are in the race for the ticket. ”We suspect that the buses are moving in ballot boxes,” the source said.

    The Nation could not confirm the allegation.

  • Lagos assures trade unions of industrial harmony

    Governor Akinwunmi Ambode has assured trade unions of continuous support to ensure industrial harmony when addressing and resolving labour-related matters in the state.

    Ambode, who was represented by the Commissioner for Establishments, Training and Pensions,  Dr. Akintola Benson, at a training programme aimed at building capacity for trade union leaders, said he hopes that the union would utilise collective bargaining mechanism to advance the causes of trade unionism for the benefit of the workers of the Lagos State Public Service on the one hand, and the government and people of Lagos State on the other hand.

    Speaking on the theme: “Building Capacity: The Path to Constructive Government-Trade Union Collaboration in the Lagos State Public Service, said he believes that whether, and how, unions respond to external and internal challenges is conditioned by organisational capacity.

    He observed  notwithstanding the availability of the veritable tool, such as collective bargaining, it is suprising that there has been so much breakdown of industrial harmony in the country.

    He said Lagos found the answer, noting that the difference between the state model is that they invested in capacity building for trade union leaders, government officials charged with the management of trade union matters and workers generally.

    He said this can be understood as the ability to assess opportunities for intervention, anticipate, rather than merely reacting to, changing circumstances, frame coherent policies, and implement these effectively.

    He said: “It is not easy to theorise or specify concretely the components and causal dynamics of organisational capacity, but it is obvious to any informed observer that some European trade union movements possess this quality to a far greater degree than others. Perhaps we may define the key elements as structure, intelligence, strategy and efficacy.

    “A huge dose of capacity building for social dialogue at all levels of government and education and enlightenment for unions and employers on the rights and limits of all parties involved in industrial relations is a key component in this administration.