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Tag: lagos

  • Ban on `danfo’: Lagos NURTW asks member not to panic

    The National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Lagos Chapter, on Tuesday advised its members not to panic over the proposed ban on operations of yellow commercial buses.

    The state Chairman of the union, Mr Tajudeen Agbede, gave the advice in an interview with the agency reporters in Lagos.

    Lagos State Gov. Akinwunmi Ambode had on Feb. 6 announced a plan to stop operations of yellow commercial buses popularly known as `danfo’ for a more efficient, well-structured and world-class mass transport system.

    Ambode said that the well-structured transport system would ease movement within the state and make Lagos cleaner without burdening the people in terms of taxes.

    Agbede told NAN that the union was discussing the proposed ban with the government, adding that the union was ready to cooperate with the state government on its mega city project.

    “We are still discussing with the government on the proposed ban on yellow buses, but we believe it is going to yield a positive result.

    “The union is ready to comply with the conditions of making the state a mega city.

    “We are ready to change the colour of our buses and also comply with the directive to follow the service lanes,” Agbede said.

    According to him, the union members are also ready to refurbish their vehicles to attain mega city standards.

  • Lagos raids, shuts 27 illegal drug stores

    Lagos raids, shuts 27 illegal drug stores

    TWENTY-seven unregistered pharmaceutical and patent medicine stores have been shut in Lagos by the state government through its Task force on Counterfeit, Fake Drugs and Unwholesome Processed Foods.
    It was during a raid by the task force officials on illegal drug stores in Ojo Local Government Area, Special Adviser to the Governor on Primary Health Care, Dr. Olufemi Onanuga said
    Officials of the task force were drawn from: National Agency for Food Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC); Pharmacists’ Council of Nigeria (PCN); Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN); Federal Task Force on Fake Drugs and the State Rapid Respond Squad (RRS).
    Onanuga, who said the raid was the first in the year, confirmed that 27 out of the 31 outlets visited in Ojo-Igbede, Ajangbadi, Ketu-Ayetoro, Iyana Era, Iyana Iba and Isashi as well as Seriki, Kembiri, Iba, Adaloko and Okokomaiko – all in Ojo Local Government Area of the State – were sealed off for various offences.
    He said the affected outfits engaged quacks to man community pharmacies and operated beyond the scope of licensed patent medicine shops by selling unethical products and dispensing drugs to unsuspecting citizens without prescription from qualified medical personnel.
    Other offenses according to him are: illegal operation of unregistered premises, displaying and storing drugs in unconducive environments, thereby compromising the potency and integrity of the products and rendering them ineffective.
    Onanuga lamented that though some of the stores visited were registered, 95 per cent of them had no qualified pharmacists on ground to attend to the public resulting in the display of expired drugs for sale to the public.
    Besides, he informed that some of the premises engaged in illegal clinical practices such as patient admission and drip setting of intravenous infusions.
    His words: “This is unacceptable. We as a government will do the needful in terms of enforcing the law and sanctioning erring operators.
    “The sealing of these pharmacies and patent medicine stores was in accordance with the provisions of Chapter C34 of the Counterfeit, Fake Drugs and Unwholesome Processed Foods (Miscellaneous Provision) Act of 1999, No. 25.
    “Licensed patent medicine vendors are authorized to sell only drug products in their original packs in approved pack size as produced by the manufacturing companies. The law prohibits dispensing and wholesaling of drugs by patent medicine vendors.”
    He restated that the activities of the State Task Force on Fake Drugs would not only be sustained but intensified until operators in the sector adhere strictly to the provisions of the law on the operation of pharmaceutical stores and patent medicine shops.
    According to him, owners of the sealed premises have been scheduled to attend an investigative meeting later in the week at the Pharmaceutical Inspectorate Unit of the Health Ministry for further inquiries.
    He said the affected owners would be notified of the procedures and appropriate conditions them must meet for the reopening of their shops in line with government regulations and payment of administrative fee.
    The Chairman of the House Committee on Health in the State House of Assembly, Segun Olulade, who was part of the raid, said the government would not relent in its resolve to rid the state of fake drugs and proliferation of illegal pharmaceutical outlets.

  • Lagos enlists military in anti-domestic violence battle

    Lagos State government has enlisted the military to help in tackling domestic violence, rape, sexual assault, child abuse, maltreatment and neglect.

    Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Response Team (DSVRT) Coordinator  Mrs  Titilola Vivour-Adeniyi, at a session with officers at the 9 Division, Nigerian Army Headquarters; 149 Battalion, Ojo; and 174 Battalion, Ikorodu, said there was need for collaboration to end domestic violence.

    The philosophy of rape, being an act of violence and not a crime of passion, she said, had been thrashed out, adding that the myth that a woman’s dressing is a determinant factor was debunked with scientific data.

    She said the Prevention Against Domestic Violence Law 2007 applied to all Nigerians, advising the officers to engage children in command schools on their right. This, Mrs Vivour-Adeniyi said, could be done through information, education and communication materials, in the form of Safeguarding The Rights of A Child textbook as well as posters, pamphlets and fliers.

    She said DSVRT would take concrete steps to advance sensitisation including engaging the Nigerian Army Officers Wives Association, the Navy, Air Force and Nigeria Security of Civil Defence Corps (NSSDC).

  • Lagos@50: Fela reawakens on stage

    Lagos@50: Fela reawakens on stage

    From April 13 to 15, Lagosians and Afrobeat music enthusiasts from all over the world will step into unforgettable nights of  dance and music by the late Afrobeat maestro, Fela Kuti. The event which is tagged,, ‘Fela! The Concert’, berths in Lagos, courtesy of Smooth FM the Easter weekend at the Eko Convention Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos.

    Conceived by iconic Bill T. Jones and using his pioneering music, a blend of jazz, funk, African rhythm and harmonies, the musical explores Fela’s controversial life as an artist, a political activist and revolutionary musician. Featuring many of Fela Kuti’s most captivating songs and imaginative staging, the show is a provocative hybrid of concert, dance and musical theatre unlike the last edition in April, 2011.

    As the pioneering forefather of Afrobeat, Fela Kuti’s musical legacy is as influential as the story of his extraordinary life. In a chaotic world burdened with non-stop reformation, many look to music as a means of escaping the problems of the world. Fela did the opposite. His music was borne of humanity and an overriding quest to influence the tide of the tempests tormenting civilisation.

    ‘Fela! The Concert,’ which stars cast members of the Tony Award winning Broadway musical welcome music lovers and audiences into the extravagant and rebellious world of the Afrobeat legend.

    Its patterning shapes history and emotions even as it proclaims an orderly universe. Thus it lives on after the last notes have fallen silent, on the lips of the proverbial music great. Fela Anikulapo- Kuti was indeed a music great; that is why his melodies experience persistent rebirth in several forms, every year.

    Tickets would be sold from February 13 at Eko hotel, Quickteller, Afritickets, Naija Ticket Shop, Terra Kulture , The Jazz Hole and Smooth FM Studios.

    Famed as the creator of Afrobeats music, Fela Kuti was born as Olufela Ransome-Kuti on October, 15, 1938 and died August 2, 1997. The controversial artiste and political activist who at one point married his 27 back-up singers later changed his name to Fela Anikulapo Kuti.

     

  • Brash days forever

    Brash days forever

    Recently my classmates – the class of September 1973 of Government College, Ughelli – had our inaugural reunion in Lagos. Classmates, some of whom had not seen each other since we left school in 1978, gathered from across the world in a hilarious weekend full of laughter and recollections. This column pays tribute to that class as a metaphor to school time and power of memory.

    “I am a fag, (a bush man) a dirty, stinking fag. I am to be seen and not to be heard. As from this moment, I promise to discard all my rustic and outlandish ideas to become a true member of Oleh House, Government College, Ughelli.”

    I still recall that evening of odd foreboding in the common room of Oleh House. Usually the common room was prim with tables and benches and designed more for lucubration than celebration. But that eerie evening for me in Class One etched in memory my first consciousness of life as ritual.

    It was one of those rituals I recall with fondness today, a ritual of belonging to a school where I formed some of my enduring manners and habits, and of course some of my endearing friends.

    After that solemn declaration, every senior boy in the common room watched with contemptuous glee. The room was now clear of all tables, leaving mainly benches lined along the four walls. The seniors sat as spectators, cheering and jeering. A class five senior presided, a bowl of salt water in his hand.

    After the declaration of the class one student, he would answer some questions. Then the presiding senior would shout, “Brine or no brine?” That is, salt water or no salt water? And depending on how the class one student performed in questions propounded to him, they shouted “Brine!” or “No brine!” or a babel of loud “brine,” loud “no brine,” low “brine,” or low “no brine.”

    Because of a certain childish bloodthirstiness of the night, the seniors were more inclined to shout “brine.” That meant the class one initiate, his face smothered in powder and a wrapper dangling like a tail from his buttocks, would be plied with a concentration of saltwater, which he was obliged to drink, the cup sometimes “garnished” with powder flaking down from his face.

    The class one student was a bush man, like an animal, hence he tied a cloth that dangled down like a tail from his buttocks. A senior, stick in hand, would swing down with fury as though cutting off the tail. With mischief, the “civilising” stick landed often on the lower back and missed the tail.

    Yet after that night, we danced and sang and eventually took part in the tasty delicacies of the night. That was the beginning, in a rite that brought us in five years from class to class, to play hockey, sometimes hookie, tackle bullying seniors, play cricket and yowl “Howzat sir,” admiring those who marched as Man O War Trojans, playing soccer, preparing for general inspection, evening debates, doing “awoko” or lucubration for exams, salivating for “cuum” (beans and dodo) “A.G.G.S”, (Rice and dodo) double decker,” (beans and rice) and “obroshun,” (bread, egg, tea, butter and fish stew) and the inter-house sports, including soccer, and also looking the other way when you became a beneficiary of a mashed ration; that is, a prefect slamming a latecomer’s meal into another student’s plate.

    We all were doing all these because we wanted to become high school graduates and pass an exam to qualify us as undergraduates. Few of us thought beyond that.

    But we knew we wanted to be lawyers, doctors, engineers, pilots, journalists, teachers, etc., but we lived one day at a time.

    When we sat for the school certificate exam, we knew that our epic sojourn was at an end. We all parted ways. Some of us were never to see again. I have always wondered in my quiet moments at the whereabouts of some of my friends. Some remained in the Delta part of the then Midwest. Others moved away to the Edo part. Some, like me, hardly returned as I became a Lagos habitue. But my heart always throbbed with Ughelli, the plays, the fights, the pranks, the episodes of bravado and diffidence, the hungry moments when I and Victor Agbro and Bright Atiyota and Anslem Uduehi and Ebifegha Akangbou and Matthew Uponi hunted endlessly for fruits. I recall our staple of bread and groundnut, when it was three point two, meaning the bread was three kobo and groundnut two kobo; or six point four. Inflation damaged the equation and it was around nine point one when we graduated.

    Today we all have gone our different ways. Some have become bold who were shy at school, some have become great at science who looked locked in the arts. Some have become wealthy who did not seem to know how to make a kobo. Some became soldiers, others professors, others writers, others not so successful.

    Some have become household names, others have taken humble paths. Some have decided to win souls for the Almighty, while some have gone to the Almighty.

    Yet, we know who we are. If any of us is a mighty man today, a great CEO or a military general, or a great doctor or a tycoon with boat loads of cash, when we see each other, we see not the new man with great beard or wrinkled brow, or the fancy car or fat bank account, or the skewed accent, or the big government bureaucrat or the famous writer or the music maestro or topflight diplomat, it is the small boy running with smudged uniform we still remember. The boy who, in class one, answered “yes please,” to the bully who called him, “Class one…rotten dodo… ewa gutter…”

    You remember the struggles and triumphs in class, the rush to avoid the hooting of Principal Demas Akpore’s advancing SUV, the late-night reading to pass the next day’s test, the collective devouring of a bowl of eba and Geisha and the cheering on of the school in a match against Edo College.

    So, when we meet, it is not a reunion of superior with an inferior, but a reigniting of boyhood, of old times, of the brash innocence of a time when ambition was all about going through the routine glory of a day in school, of eating the eba and okro soup, avoiding detention from a sully senior, or going to bed as a way of counting the days when the term ended and we returned to our parents.

    We reunite as fellows and as brothers. The rich is not rich, the famous not famous, the heady not heady, but all of us in hugs and recollections of our times of innocence. That’s the value of this. It is a celebration of memory, of a time of sweet vigour and inestimable playfulness, and the beginning of a mighty dream.

     

    Lagos marathon

    They started as equals, their muscles at rest. An hour later, some hearts were racing, others flagging, others lagging far behind.

    The boys and girls knew who the masters of the race were at the 2017 Access Bank Lagos City Marathon. In the end, two sets of heroes emerged. The first were the athletes, like the first-place runner, Abraham Kiptum of the lean, bony vitality who breasted the tape, and collapsed to the floor, about a hundred kilometres away from Nigeria’s alpha Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, who would hand him a cheque of $50,000.

    The other, more authentic hero is Lagos. For the first time, Lagos is showing it is not only Nigeria’s city on the hill, but the country’s indispensable place. What a way to market it but an event of international charm like the marathon. Last weekend made it the second, and a much better performance in terms of organisation and buzz than its first. Lagos with its talent, imagination, business opportunities, cultural diversity and vitality, is the potential London, Dubai and New York. All those cities had the sort of humble beginnings with Lagos.

    The Marathon prompted CNN to ask: “is Lagos the next marathon haven?” With the marathon, Governor Ambode has sown the seed. His vision for tourism and hospitality can only make that dream blossom. Kiptum breasted the tape, but he ran roaring waves of the city. It is the first sure breath of Lagos in its marathon to join cities like Dubai and London as world’s elite cities.

  • Leadership and Lagos’ resilience city status

    Another milestone was recently recorded in Lagos State’s quest to build a globally competitive state as the governor, Akinwunmi Ambode received the certificate that admitted the state as one of the 100 Resilient Cities (100RC) in the world. Aside being a remarkable accomplishment, the feat is a further affirmation that recent strides of the current administration in the socio-economic transformation of the state across all sectors have not gone unnoticed. It is a common knowledge that, in the current political dispensation, Lagos has become a reference point when it comes to initiating and executing pacesetting innovative and strategic policies and programmes that are meant to uplift the living standard of the people.

    Since, the world has become a global village, the world could not but recognize the modest efforts of succeeding administrations in the state towards turning the city state around. Such recognitions have come from diverse globally recognized platforms and in varied forms, the latest of which is the admission into the league of 100 RC of the world. The 100RC initiative, which was established by the Rockefeller Foundation, is no doubt a starting point and an optimistic enterprise that would help the state address its salient developmental challenges.

    This much was revealed  at the 100 RC admittance event by Governor Ambode when he asserted that: “In spite of the challenges faced by the state in vital areas such as flooding, environmental degradation, public  transportation, security, unemployment, strain on existing  physical and social infrastructure, slums and a massive housing shortfall, Lagos remained resilient, dynamic and forward looking”.  While drawing attention to the intention of his administration to make every community in Lagos economically habitable to curtail rural-urban migration, the governor disclosed that conscious plans have been initiated to deal with most of the key challenges confronting the state.

    Urban resilience is the capacity of individuals, communities, institutions, businesses, and systems within a city to survive, adapt, and grow no matter what kinds of chronic stresses and acute shocks they experience. And it is undoubtedly a great honour that Lagos made the list of 100 such cities in the entire world. It needs to be stressed that only 11 of such cities are worthy of such recognition in Africa. Common indices used in identifying resilient cities include chronic stresses which weaken the fabric of a city on a daily basis, acute shocks which represent sharp events as flooding, outbreak of diseases and other such natural disasters  which threaten a city’s resilience to withstand, respond to, and adapt more readily to shocks and stresses.

    Others include being reflective which helps in using past experience to inform future decisions, resourcefulness which enables them to identify alternative ways to effectively use resources and flexibility which refers to willingness and ability to adopt alternative strategies in response to changing circumstances. Another vital indicator of resilient cities is inclusiveness which bothers on prioritizing broad consultation to create a sense of shared ownership in decision making.

    It is crucial to affirm that the innovative and visionary leadership which Lagos has benefited immensely from in the last few years play decisive role in launching the state into global reckoning. President of 100 RC, Michael Berkowitz authenticated this stand when he stated that out of the over 1,000 applications received and three rounds of selection process, Lagos was chosen for its innovative leadership, infrastructural strides and influential status not just in Africa but in the world.

    It is actually in the area of innovative leadership and infrastructural strides that Governor Ambode has predominantly warmed himself into global reckoning as an insightful leader. Not many actually gave him much chance of success when he was given the mandate of his party in 2015. Today, barely 18 months after, his administration has invested incredible vision, innovation, time, energy and resources in setting the pace for good governance in the country.

    Without doubt, the Ambode administration has positively transformed the profile of Lagos State. That Lagos is now a liveable city is being reinforced not by rhetoric and gimmick but with tangible developmental and infrastructural renewal projects that have won applause from all and sundry. From Ajah to Ojodu-Berger, from Epe to Ikorodu, from Abule- Egba to Oshodi, from Surulere to Lagos Island and all across the state, the face of Lagos is changing fast and for good.

    As a visionary leader, Ambode has attained a reputation that embodies qualities such as technocratic competence, commitment to results and above all integrity which Nigerians often complain are lacking in their leaders.  Detectable achievements in terms of construction of roads and bridges, environmental regeneration, employment generation, tourism and entertainment development, sports development, healthcare delivery, youth empowerment through T.H.E.S.E. which is an acronym for Tourism, Hospitality, Entertainment and Sporting Excellence, upgrading of public infrastructure, among others, have created a sense of relief among Lagosians that they have a government that is proficient in delivering enduring legacy projects.

    With the success of the various inventive strategies that were evolved to promote public security in the state, business atmosphere has become predictable and gratifying. Thus, the state now plays host to local and foreign investors who continue to provide the necessary impetus for economic growth. The various commitments by these investors are already yielding dividends in terms of creation of job opportunities. The governor further demonstrated his administration’s desire for job creation and poverty eradication, when cheques worth over N1 billion were recently presented to 705 beneficiaries from the state’s Employment Trust Fund with a charge from Governor Ambode for them to create more jobs, thereby contributing to the growth of the state’s economy.

    For any government that worth its salt, innovation is an essential component of governance. Aside being an indispensable device of governance, innovation is a continuous process as it has no finishing line. This is why the state government is taking on a foremost position in advancing science, technology and modernization as nucleus policy areas that not only hold the key to the state’s future, but could also make it one of Africa’s most productive hubs.

    Hence, the Lagos State government is continuously thinking outside the box to improve the lots of the people as evident in the institution of a N25 billion Employment Trust Fund, institution of Disability Trust Fund, production of LAKE Rice, provision and sustenance of street lights across the state, ingenuous tackling of traffic gridlocks across the state among countless others.

    This is what democracy is all about. This is what the people deserve and with the Ambode-led government, they won’t get anything less!

     

    • Adeyemi is Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Information & Strategy.
  • Government takes another shot at Lagos refuse with CLI

    Government takes another shot at Lagos refuse with CLI

    The development of a strategic roadmap by the Governor Akinwunmi Ambode-led administration  for the environment may have set the stage for Lagos to live up to its Centre of Excellence appellation. BUNMI OGUNMODEDE writes on the Cleaner Lagos Initiative (CLI) – Lagos’ new move against filth. 

    After a comprehensive review of its Environmental Sanitation Laws, the Lagos State government has introduced the Cleaner Lagos Initiative (CLI) for to effectively manage waste.

    The systemic failure in Private Sector Participation (PSP) operators’ involvement in waste management informed the CLI idea, with which the government hopes to tame refuse and create jobs.

    Earlier in the year, Governor Akinwunmi Ambode ordered the city-cleaners – the Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) – to stop further collection of waste bills. He directed that all payments should henceforth, be remitted to the accounts of PSP operators.

    The directives came on the heels of the cancellation of the monthly environmental sanitation, which was introduced by the state government during the administration of former Governor Bola Tinubu.

    Since he came on board, Ambode has never hidden his plan to radically reform the state’s sanitation laws and waste management policy.

    Last year, the government signed a $135 million (about N85 billion) partnership agreement with a foreign firm.  The partnership, under a Public Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement, is expected to last for four years.

    Ambode highlighted his administration’s policy direction on waste management when he spoke last week at MUSON Centre, Onikan, Lagos Island. It was at the annual lecture of the Centre for Values in Leadership (CVL). The lecture had “Living well together, tomorrow: The challenge of Africa’s future cities” as its theme. The governor told his audience of the massive reform being proposed in waste management.

    The implementation of the reform, according to him, kicks off by July.

    He said the time had come for the state to evolve a new waste management policy that would not only be befitting of a mega city state but ensure that the state remains clean and safe for healthy living.

    His words: “We are also embarking on massive reform in the waste and sanitation management system. I don’t like the way the city is and the Private Sector Participants (PSP) collectors are not having enough capacity to do it but again should I tax people to death. The answer is no.

    “I don’t want to tax the people. So, we need this partnership with private sector operators so that they can invest in the sanitation management of the city and in no time, maybe by July, the city will change forever.”

    The Environment Commissioner, Dr. Babatunde Adejare, said more than 600 Mercedes Benz compactors would be deployed and thousands of street sweepers engaged in all the wards across the state when the policy comes on stream.

    The PSP operators, Adejare explained, will be restricted to handling commercial waste, even as the existing landfill sites will be closed. Transfer Loading Stations (TLS) will be built in all local government areas and more than one million ultra-modern waste bins deployed.

    The litre bins will be fitted with censors to monitor their movement against theft and vandalism.

    Explaining the need for the introduction of a new technology into waste management, the commissioner stressed that the decision to contract waste management under a Public Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement was taken because of the high cost which the state could no longer shoulder in the face of limited resources.

    Under the reform, Adejare said three coded waste bags would be distributed to homes for proper sorting and waste disposal by residents.

    He said: “The result of this new arrangement is that waste disposal will no longer be a challenge as efficient system will be on ground for effective management which will eventually eradicate cart pushers in the process.”

     Why the CLI

    The CLI has been established as an extensive and sustainable waste management system to maximize the state’s potential in solid waste management, with focus on recycling, waste recovery and reduction efforts, liquid waste management, drainage management and waste water treatment.

    The news arrangement will also develop sufficient infrastructure for collection, processing and disposal of all waste to meet the state’s environmental objectives.

    “Specifically, it will create the enabling environment for non-governmental agencies, the private sector and the government to harness international best practices in this vital area of infrastructure”, it was learnt.

    The Nation learnt that the CLI will add value and empower those at the bottom of the value chain as it will incorporate citizens as solution providers. They will be taking up responsibilities for the sanitation of their immediate communities.

    Contrary to the fears of the PSP operators losing their jobs, no fewer than 27,500 community sanitation workers would be engaged under the scheme.

    A government source, who pleaded for anonymity, told The Nation: “While these jobs are important, the induced effect of higher spending power is where we hope to create about 400,000-500,000 jobs. These jobs are those generated as a benefit of the increased expenditures in the supply and distribution chains from the new employees spending more money in the general economy.”

    “The local multiplier effect of a progressive policy that pays above the federally mandated minimum wage in distributional terms is immeasurable. The positive impact on low-income households is particularly beneficial, not only to direct beneficiaries within the household, but also within the local economy as higher spending by workers typically results in an increase in demands of goods and services within their local communities.

    “The relentless efforts of the administration regarding employment for out of work youth who make up almost 50 per cent of the entire Lagos population have been exemplary. The state hopes to ultimately drive meaningful job growth and create opportunities in entirely new industries.

    “An increase in monthly income with the creation of thousands of jobs on the state economy translates to overall improvement in public finances, thereby acting as a catalyst for the delivery of socio-economic values across the state.”

     New roles for operators

    The revised legislative framework harmonising the various laws on environment into a single law to allow for a more convenient administration of the law and management of the environment gave consideration to PSP operators. But CLI has laid emphasis on elaborate and standardised regulation of the environment.

    In designing a sustainable waste management system, the government adopted a holistic approach to addressing the unique problems of Lagos as a city-state with its estimated 22 million population.

    The strategic policy, expected to tame Lagos waste is a product of the ministries of Environment, Justice, Urban and Physical Planning.

    A source said: “We have developed enforcement and most importantly, financing strategy, to support the initiatives.  Over the past 10 months, these efforts have been shaped into the Cleaner Lagos Initiative.

    “The role of the PSPs in the restructuring of the waste management system in Lagos going forward will be to serve the commercial sector of the state.

    “The positive impact that PSPs efforts have had over the years on the Lagos landscape is undeniable. However, we cannot deny that we need a comprehensive waste management system that is world standard. Currently, we do not have an existing structure in place to support those endeavours.

    The restructuring will benefit PSP operators because the state plans to introduce new environmental policies and laws that not only protect the citizens and the environment but all waste management operators who painstakingly invest the resources into helping with the clean-up of the city.”

    The restructuring has created new operational parameters, which will see the existing operators working in the commercial and public sectors.

    The source went on: “The law makes new provisions that protect the interests of existing investments by requiring all commercial entities to have a valid and enforceable contract with a registered operator.

    “There are over 10,000 registered commercial businesses in Lagos. So, the PSP operators are still very much relevant in the new waste management system.

    “Sustainable long-term funding is needed at both the state and local levels to support the efforts needed to reach the state’s goals. Therefore, systematic planning is critical to the long-term success of this comprehensive plan we have for the state.

    “We have worked to improve safety and security by boosting the security forces, the emergency response capabilities and by improving lighting. We are now turning our focus to sanitation and the environment- there is no denial that the system is flawed.

    “This administration has chosen to take the bull by the horns and address the challenges within waste management that are affecting our health, our economy and the very livelihoods of future generations to come in a phased, strategic and successful manner.”

     

    Our fears, by PSP operators

    Living with the fear that the reform may erase their jobs, waste managers, under the auspices of the Association of Waste Managers of Nigeria (AWAN), last Thursday, rushed to the Lagos State House of Assembly for protection.

    According to them, their investment is threatened, with the government’s “Cleaner Lagos Initiative”.

    They kicked against the new bill to harmonise all environment-related laws in the state into one. A public hearing was being held on the bill entitled: “A Bill for a Law to Provide for the Management, Protection and Sustainable Development of the Environment in Lagos State and for other Connected Purposes” at the Assembly when the AWAN members stormed the complex.

    The protesters carried different placards with various inscriptions, such as: “Dear Hon. members, Lagos MOE wants to cede our services to foreign firms, Monopoly! Wetin we fit do self”;  “Inequitable! 80 per cent to Oyinbo, 20 per cent to Lagosians not acceptable”; “If my people cannot clean their city, what can dey do? Asiwaju Tinubu said in 2006”; and “The Speaker, Lagos State House of Assembly, we humbly plead with you to speak for our investment which is the bedrock of entire Lagos Activities”.

    Mr. Taju Ekemode, the spokesman for the more than 200 protesters,  who are PSP chief executive officers and managing directors, said the new law that has ceded 80 per cent of waste management to foreign investors would adversely affect their investments.

    Ekemode, who is AWAN’s Vice Chairman, said: “We are here today to let the lawmakers know our feelings, what we suffer and what we may suffer with the new Cleaner Lagos Planning policy.We have been doing this job well over the years and there has been no problems.”

    He described as unfair the government’s plan to hire a foreign firm to clean Lagos.

    He said: “We are not against reform in any way, but the reform should be around the current PSP; that is what we are saying. The policy directing us to leave the streets to allow foreign firms to take over will kill businesses. Where do we put those trucks? We can’t use them to carry sand. Those trucks cannot be used for any other thing, apart from wastes. What do we do with our investments? What do we do with the loans we got from banks?

    “Before the bill is passed, we want the lawmakers to consider the PSP as representatives of the people. The governor said we should take over the commercial place, but the percentage of commercial centre in Lagos is just about 20 compared to what is being ceded to foreign investment.”

     

     

     

    Government: No cause for worry

    Going by the state government’s explanation, the protesting members of the Association of Waste Managers of Nigeria (AWAN) may be living with the fear of the harmless.

    In apparent response to a suit by the association of PSP (Private Sector Participant) operators reportedly served on relevant ministries within the state government, Environment Commissioner Babatunde Adejare, listed the gains of the new policy.

    A statement by the commissioner identified the people’s safety and wellbeing as priority for the Akinwunmi-led government.

    The statement reads: “We firmly believe in protecting and guaranteeing the basic human rights of the people. We acknowledged the numerous challenges that have plagued the state when it comes to sanitation. When our administration took over, it was apparent to us that we needed to make determined efforts towards water, sanitation and hygiene.

    “This is why over the last 10 months, we have taken a holistic approach to identifying the unique problems and have focused on creating a framework for a sustainable integrated waste management system.

    “We sought and obtained executive council approval to carry out a full review along with the ministries of Finance and the Justice, we put the existing laws and policies under a microscope, we have reviewed them to reflect that sanitation is treated as a non-negotiable requisite in Lagos.

    “And we have come up with strategies for regulation, enforcement and most importantly financing to support the initiatives. The Cleaner Lagos Initiative was born from the results of this process.

    The CLI was established as an extensive and sustainable waste management system for Lagos that will maximise the state’s potential in solid waste management with recycling, recovery and waste reduction efforts, liquid waste management, drainage management, and waste water treatment. It also seeks to fully develop sufficient infrastructure for collection, proper processing and disposal of all waste to meet the state’s environmental objectives.

    “The first phase of the initiative, tackles solid waste management which is in a clear state of crisis due to the moribund supporting infrastructure that must be beefed up- bin placement, transfer loading stations, material recovery facilities and of course landfills.

    The current arrangement is highly cumbersome – LAWMA in its role as regulator is expected to coordinate the activities of 350 individual companies and still carry out its own collection services.

     

  • Lagos PDP chieftains join APC

    Lagos PDP chieftains join APC

    •Ajomale: we’re expecting more

    Prominent Lagos State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftains Chief Bode Oyedele, Yahaya Dosunmu and Anthony Bakare have joined the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    They were received at the APC Secretariat on Acme Road, Ogba, Ikeja by top party leaders, including the Chairman, Otunba Dele Ajomale, his deputy, Cardinal James Odunmbaku, Vice Chairman Chief Funso Ologunde, former Deputy Governors Femi Pedro and Abiodun Ogunleye, Asiwaju Olorunfunmi Basorun, Senator Gbenga Ashafa and one-time Commissioner for Finance, Hon. Wale Edun.

    Oyedele, retired permanent secretary and former Presidential Assistant on Ecology, and Dosunmu, a former member of the House of Assembly, were founding members of the Alliance for Democracy (AD).

    The duo said they retraced their steps, following advice from a party elder, Prince Oluyole Olusi.

    Presenting flags and brooms to them, Ajomale urged them to work for the party’s victory in future elections.

    He said their return would ease the tension that usually characterised elections in Ibeju-Lekki and Eti-Osa and tilt the pendulum of victory towards the direction of the ruling party.

    Ajomale said: “They were in the opposition in Lagos for 16 years. They were formidable opposition figures in the PDP. They started as former strong members of the AD.

    “Dosunmu was even a member of the AD State Executive Committee. We moved from AD to AC, ACN and now APC. It is the same party.

    “Coming back to the APC is a blessing to our party in Eti-Osa, Lagos and Nigeria. In politics, you cannot discountenance anybody. They have come home and we have now received them.

    “Bakare is a force to reckon with. During the last election, he contested for the House of Representatives seat.

    We defeated him, but it was not an easy task. Now that he is one of us, we will not have problem in the area again.”

    Hailing Oyedele for coming back to the progressive fold, Ajomale added: “Whatever that had happened before, let’s forget it. We are creating a new dawn in Ibeju-Lekki. Ibeju-Lekki is a very serious local government, Bode Oyedele is a factor in Ibeju-Lekki.

    “You will not regret your defection. More people will defect from the PDP to the APC.”

    Bakare pledged his loyalty to the APC, saying he will work for its success in future elections.

    Thanking Olusi, Ogunleye and Ajomale for encouraging him to retrace his steps, Dosunmu said he was will not leave the progressives again.

    Oyedele said: “I am here with the PDP structure. I am here with the state vice chairman, Rasak Balogun. I have with me many state and ward chairmen. We want to hand over the structure to the APC.”

    At the ceremony were Dr. Abayomi Finnih, former Rural Development Commissioner Dr. Odutola Kasali, former House of Assembly Speaker Yemi Ikuforiji, APC Publicity Secretary Joe Igbokwe, his deputy, Abiodun Salam, Adebayo Balogun, Pa Abiodun Sunmola, Alhaji Mutiu Are, Tunde Isiak, Denge Anifowose, and the Administrative Secretary, Sola Abayomi.

  • #RunLagos: How to run marathon

    #RunLagos: How to run marathon

    As Lagosians prepares for the Access Bank Lagos City Marathon here are some helpful tips suggested by Douglas Scott, contributing editor for Runners World.

     Run a Dress Rehearsal

    Four or five days before the marathon, do a two- or three-mile marathon-pace run in your marathon outfit and shoes. Picture yourself on the course running strong and relaxed. Besides boosting your confidence, this run will provide one last little bit of conditioning and will help you lock in to race pace on marathon day.

                

     Don’t eat Fat-Load

    “During the last three days, concentrate on eating carbohydrate-rich foods, such as pasta, potatoes, bread, fruit and fruit juice, and sports drinks,” says Suzanne Girard Eberle. It’s the carbs, after all, not fat or protein that will fuel you on race day. Girard Eberle says what’s important is increasing the percentage of your calories that come from carbs, not simply eating more of everything. Since you’ll be tapering and expending fewer calories,” she says, “you don’t have to consume a great deal more food than usual. Rather, make sure your food choices are carbohydrate-rich—for example, spaghetti with red sauce, instead of Alfredo sauce, or a bagel versus a croissant.”

    Look Down

    Select the shoes–and the socks–you’ll wear in the marathon. The shoes should be relatively lightweight but provide good support, and the socks should be the type you wear in other races. If the shoes aren’t your regular training shoes, wear them on at least one 10-mile run at marathon pace. This test run will determine whether you’re likely to develop blisters or get sore feet–before it’s too late. If the shoes bother you on this run, get yourself another pair.

     

    Warm Up

    But just a little. Even the best marathoners in the world do only a little jogging beforehand, because they want to preserve their glycogen stores and keep their core body temperature down. If you’re a faster runner with a goal pace significantly quicker than your training pace, do no more than 10 minutes of light jogging, finishing 15 minutes before the start. Precede and follow your jog with stretching. If you’ll be running the marathon at about your training pace, skip the jog. Walk around a bit in the half hour before the start, and stretch (see below).

    Drink on the Run

    “Practice during your remaining long and semi long runs with the sports drink and energy gels you intend to refuel with during the race,” “Serious-minded racers and those with finicky stomachs should be using the sports drink that will be available on the race course. And remember that sports drinks do triple duty when compared with water by providing fluid, carbohydrates, and electrolytes, the most important being sodium.” Find out how often your marathon will have aid stations, and practice drinking at that rate. If you don’t run with fluids, place bottles along your training route.

    http://www.runnersworld.com/

     

  • Lagos warns against infected, unscreened blood

    Lagos warns against infected, unscreened blood

    The Lagos State AIDS Control Agency (LSACA) has urged  residents not to buy blood for transfusion from questionable sources, but to patronise registered blood banks or centres.

    According to the agency, patronising approved centres is one of the surest ways to avoid contracting HIV. This, the agency said, is because the state has put in place mechanisms to ensure blood supply with zero risk of transmitting infectious diseases, especially human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).

    The agency’s Health Educator, Mrs Olusola Adebambo, who said this at the sensitisation on basic facts of HIV/AIDS for out-of-school youths’, (i.e. area/street youths) at Lafiaji Hall, Lagos Island,  said it was advisable to screen one’s status rather than using blood donation as the means of detection. Such untested blood could make blood supply risky and endanger patients.

    “HIV antibodies may take a few weeks to develop after infection of the virus. If you were recently infected, you might have a negative test result, yet be able to infect the recipient of your donation,” she said.

    According to her, the virus attacks the body and depletes its immunity and if no drugs or medical intervention are sought, it ends in Acquired Immune Deficiency (AIDS).

    Other ways of contracting HIV, she said, are through sharing of unstrerilised sharp/cutting instruments/objects, including blades, shaving sticks, needles and syringes. The virus can be contracted through unprotected sexual intercourse, from HIV+ mother (mother, who is infected with HIV) to her unborn child.

    Manager, Local Action Committee on HIV/AIDS, Lagos Island Local Government, Mrs Dupe Orolugbagbe, told participants that the state has a Law that protects infected people, hence, it is mandatory to respect their fundamental human rights, show understanding and love, and relate with them as, “you do to others and the way you would want others to relate to you”.

    The duo of Adebambo and Orolugbagbe challenged participants to ensure an AIDS-free generation in the state, and demonstrated how protective barriers such as male or female condom could be used to prevent contracting HIV.