The Nation Newspaper

Tag: lagos

  • ‘Lagos is second to none’

    ‘Lagos is second to none’

    Lagos State has been forging ahead since inception of the fourth republic because of the   developmental strides of its successive administrations.

    A businessman, Chief Modestus Umenzekwe, said the state is second to none in the country.

    The President, Adem Industrial and Commercial Company in Coker-Aguda  also backed Senator Oluremi Tinubu’s quest for a Special Status for the state, saying the revenue realised from the state justified the status.

    He said projects such as  Lake rice, Atlantic City on Victoria Island, roads construction and light rail transport system have boosted the state’s economy.

    He urged Igbo traders to support the government to establish a convenient business climate.

    He said: “The security situation around the business premises have been very impressive. The Ambode’s Mega City mantra has crept into Adem in form of orderliness and civil disobedience especially in payment of necessary taxes. The light rail project which is very close to the trader’s premises and to be commissioned next year (this year) will be historic. So, appreciate your host community and avoid confrontation as they are friendly and accommodating.”

    Umenzekwe lauded the initiative of President Muhammadu Buhari on increased local production and consumption, saying the ceramic sector and plumbing materials were well favoured by the policy.

    “A greater percentage of our goods is now sourced locally as the foreign currencies are hard to acquire. Therefore, traders must desist from in fake and substandard products and cooperate with the Federal government to increase local industrialisation,” he said.

  • Lagos welcomes baby of the year

    The Lagos State government has welcomed the first baby of the year.

    The baby boy, who weighed 2.8 kg, was delivered at General Hospital, Badagry, at 12.01am today.

    Congratulating the 24 year-old mother Mrs Grace Samson, a part three nursing student of Isfopsy University, Cotonou and her child, the governor’s wife, Mrs Bolanle Ambode, said she was delighted to see that mother and child are doing well.

    Mrs. Ambode encouraged mothers to ensure their children are immunised.

    She encouraged mothers to register their babies as advocated by UNICEF and National Population Commission (NPC).

    Health Commissioner Dr Jide Idris said the government will continue to ensure good healthcare is delivered to residents.

  • RCCG builds 11-bed hospital in Lagos

    RCCG builds 11-bed hospital in Lagos

    The Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Lagos Province 2, has built a multi-million naira healthcare facility, Stillwaters Hospital, in Magboro community on the Lagos/Ibadan Expressway.

    The 11-bed not-for-profit hospital was inaugurated at the weekend by the wife of the General Overseer, Mrs. Folu Adeboye, as part of the church’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).

    Mrs. Adeboye advised community leaders and other residents to protect the hospital, guard against religious and ethnic discrimination in the use of the facility.

    “Whatever God does, He does it for all. We must not say this was done by Christians and therefore not value it. We must live in love and protect the facility,” she said.

    Provincial Pastor Yemi Lebi said Stillwaters, besides being fully stocked with drugs, boasts state-of-the-art medical equipment, including ultrasound scan facilities and an x-ray machine.

    Land for the project, he added, was donated to the community by former Ogun State Governor Olusegun Osoba, but the community was unable to equip the health centre built thereon.

    Lebi said RCCG took over and upgraded the health centre with a tentative staff strength of two doctors, a matron, several nurses among others.

    “It is not for profit, will be highly subsidised and patients will pay only a token to access healthcare at Stillwaters,” he said, adding that this was only one of the church’s many CSR projects.

  • ‘Lagos expanding facilities to meet water demand’

    The Managing Director of the Lagos Water Corporation (LWC), Mr. Muminu Adekunle Badmus, has said the government is expanding water facilities to meet the demand of 540 Million Gallons per Day (MGD).

    Badmus, an engineer, who spoke at the weekend at the corporation’s headquarters in Ijora, Lagos, said the expansion led to the inauguration of the Otta-Ikosi Regional Waterworks that produced 4MGD in May last year, with 80.32km pipes between Agbowa and Itokin.

    He went on: “These include Ado, Agbowa, Ago-Hausa, Ago-Owu, Ajebon Orugbo, Iganke, Ikosi, Odo Ayandelu and Otta Ikosi. In the same month, the corporation inaugurated Mosan-Okunola Mini Waterworks, which produces 2MGD with 5.0km-pipe network/reticulation in Mosan Okunola Local Council Development Area (LCDA). This is serving Abesan Estate, Baruwa and neighbouring communities.

    “The government recently approved the commencement of the development of Odomola Water Scheme II that will produce 100MGD water plant and the reticulation of the primary, secondary and tertiary distribution within the Odomola service areas, such as Lekki Phase 1, Dolphin, Victoria Island-Saka Tinubu, Victoria Island Annex, Ikoyi-Alexander Road, Ikoyi-Club Road, Badore, Epe 1 and Epe II. This project will be executed on Public Private Partnership (PPP) basis.”

    Badmus said the Governor Akinwunmi Ambode administration was executing the construction of Adiyan Water Treatment Plant Phase II with 70MGD capacity, which would serve about 3,000,000 people by providing potable water, adding that it would be completed soon.

    “When completed, it will serve Ikotun, Idimu, Isolo, Agege 1 & II, Ajegunle, Lagos West, Amuwo Odofin, etc.”

    He said there was a plan on the upgrade/expansion of Ishasi Waterworks to 35MGD to serve Ajangbadi, Iba, Ijegun-Egba, Otta-Awori, Ketu and adjoining communities.

    According to him, reticulation was ongoing from Isiwu (Otta Ikosi area) to Ikorodu to boost water production.

    “This will also serve Ikorodu and neighbouring communities.”

  • Lagos urges telcos, others to play by rule

    Lagos urges telcos, others to play by rule

    The General Manager, Lagos State Infrastructure Maintenance and Regulatory Agency (LASIMRA), Mr. Babajide Odekunle, has urged telcos and other infrastructure providers to obey planning rules. He warned that end has come to the era where they operate beyond the government’s approval.

    Speaking on the sidelines of the stakeholders’ forum organised by the agency at Renaissance Hotel, Isaac John Street, Ikeja, he said the agency decided to embark on Utility Infrastructure Audit in the state to have a reliable data about the infrastructure level, lamenting that some service providers have abused their right by exceeding what they asked and got approval for.

    He said: “The cost of not having the audit of infrastructure in the state is a lot. Operators apply for permit of one kilometer and ended up taking between two and three. The simple thing is that they have been shortchanging the state. It is not right and we will not accept that. If you have been given the right of way (RoW) of one kilometer and you have used two or three, you must pay for the extra.”

    He said the approach of the agency at regulating the activities of infrastructure providers in the state is anchored on four pillars identified as business enabler; health and safety; community partnerships; and urban control.

    “As business enabler, while we take our statutory role as a regulatory agency very seriously, we have a defined procedure for issuing permits for our areas of operations. We are a one-stop shop for all operators irrespective of the area of operation in the state. We ensure that no local government area/local development area demands for the same permits that are issued by LASIMRA, he said, adding that the agency’s administrative model of operations has become a case study for other states.

    He said the orderly management of the built environment remained important to the agency.

    “In the areas of overground and underground infrastructure, we are determined to sanitise the infrastructure erected on the ground and underground. We stand to partner with all stakeholders in order to achieve harmony and peaceful coexistence. Our Stakeholders’ Engagement Unit seeks to engage stakeholders in the areas of project information, environmental impact, community development, communication and project awareness,” he said.

    He added that the agency is saddled with the task of ensuring controlled development of communications, power, gas and water infrastructure in the state because they are critical to an orderly urban environment. “Our approach will be to engage on a sustainable basis, all our stakeholders in order to achieve an environment that is liveable and prosperous,” Mr Odekunle said.

  • Sambisa victory: Lagos, Kano legislatures laud Buhari

    Sambisa victory: Lagos, Kano legislatures laud Buhari

    The Lagos State House of Assembly has hailed President Muhammadu Buhari and the military for sacking Boko Haram insurgents from Sambisa forest.

    Chairman, Committee on Information and Strategy, Tunde Braimoh (Kosofe II), who addressed correspondents in his office in Alausa, said the fall of Sambisa forest re-established the essence of government, which is to protect life and property.

    “The President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Muhammadu Buhari, continue to manifest utter pragmatism in face of daunting challenges.

    “The President is systematically, consistently and steadily pursuing his policies and programmes with no room for cosmetism, grandstanding, self-aggrandisement or self-adulation.

    “Security of lives and properties is the most basic function of any good government and a government that fails in this fails in all. With this feat, the Federal Government has re-established the essence of governance in Nigeria,” he said.

    According to Braimoh, the fall of Sambisa is a major step in regaining security of life and property in the country, saying the fall implies that total victory over the insurgents is imminent.

    Braimoh said peace would enhance socio-economic activities in the area and aid foreign investments.

    He urged the President and the military not to rest until the insurgents were completely rooted out.

    In the same vein, the Kano State House of Assembly praised President Muhammadu Buhari and the military for the victory.

    The House made the observation yesterday at plenary. It said every patriotic Nigerian must share in the joy.

    Kabiru Rurum, the Speaker, noted that the success was not only for people of Northeast, but the country.

    He attributed the success to the President’s resolve and doggedness of the military in meeting the promise to Nigerians to secure the country.

    “The success recorded by the military is as a result of the efforts of the President. Therefore, he deserves praises from all angles,” he said.

  • Army chief: Boko Haram fighter arrested in Lagos

    Army chief: Boko Haram fighter arrested in Lagos

    Governors, IBB, Tinubu hail Buhari, troops

    Fed Govt urges vigilance

    Nigerians were told yesterday to be more vigilant after the arrest of a Boko Haram suspect in Ikorodu, Lagos.
    Boko Haram terrorists, who fled Sambisa Forest after it was captured at the weekend, are believed to be finding their way into communities.
    Chief of Army Staff Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai, who broke the news of the arrest during the reopening of two Borno State major roads, which were shut in 2013 because of the insurgency, did not give further details on the arrest.
    The Federal Government called for increased vigilance among Nigerians as Boko Haram escapees seek to integrate themselves into communities far and near.
    Information and Culture Minister Lai Mohammed, in a statement yesterday, congratulated “the gallant troops of the Nigerian military for finally seizing the Sambisa Forest from the Boko Haram terrorists,” and urged Nigerians “to continue to support the troops as they clear the remnants of the terrorists who are now on the run”.
    ‘’We urge Nigerians to keep our gallant and victorious troops in their prayers, and to also imbibe the mantra of ‘if you see something, say something’ as a way of ensuring that no escaped terrorist is able to wreak havoc in their communities. It is also important to know that now that they have been dispossessed of their fortress, the Boko Haram escapees will intensify their cowardly attacks on vulnerable targets if only to maintain an illusion of terror. But there should be no panic because the worst is over.’’
    Gen. Buratai urged troops to pursue fleeing Boko Haram terrorists and intercept them. He spoke before Borno State Governor Kashim Shettima cut the tape to re-open the two major roads – Maiduguri-Gubio-Damasak and Maiduguri-Monguno-Baga.
    He told the troops: “You must maintain the momentum of the operation. We must pursue the terrorists wherever they are. We must not allow them to regroup.”
    He said in spite of the takeover of the terrorists’ last stronghold in the Sambisa forest as announced by President Muhammadu Buhari, “we have no time to waste”.
    The chief of army staff described the seven-year fight against the Boko Haram terrorists as “quite sober and touchy”, saying that a number of officers and soldiers had died in the war.
    He prayed for the repose of their souls and vowed that the army would recommit itself to the fight until “remnants’’ of the terrorists are cleared.
    Maj.-Gen. Lucky Irabor, the Theatre Commander, Operation Lafiya Dole, said the Northeast had been secured.
    He also said insurgency had brought untold hardship on the people of Borno and the entire Northeast.
    The information minister praised the military for the feat and hailed Borno State Governor Kashim Shettima for his unwavering support for the military and his administration’s determination to quickly restore normalcy in the state.
    The minister’s plan to lead reporters to join Minister of Defence Mansur Dan Ali, the Service Chiefs and Shettima at the opening of the two roads was thwarted by bad weather which prevented them from travelling to Maiduguri.
    ‘’Unfortunately, due to bad weather, our flight to Maiduguri from Abuja was cancelled after several hours of waiting at the airport. However, the Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai, accompanied by the top brass of the military, re-opened the two arterial roads. This is very significant because the two major roads, which were closed due to the activities of the terrorists in the area, are of strategic importance to the economy of the Lake Chad Region,’’ he said.
    Mohammed said overall, President Muhammadu Buhari provided the much-needed impetus for the military’s victory, and urged Nigerians to keep supporting the President in his untiring efforts to restore peace and security across the country and also revamp the economy.

  • Lagos to mark 50th anniversary with new roads

    Lagos to mark 50th anniversary with new roads

    Lagos State Government will complete and inaugurate some major roads before the celebration of its 50th anniversary of its creation on May 17, next year.
    A source in the state Ministry of Works and Infrastructure told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) yesterday that some of the projects to be inaugurated included: the Abule-Egba Flyover and roads in Agbado Oke Odo Local Council Development Area, and the Lekki-Ajah flyover.
    Others are: Rehabilitation of Freedom Road and Admiralty Way in Eti-Osa Local Government Area, Ojodu Berger Bridge, Laybys and Slip Roads.
    Rehabilitation/Upgrading of Ishefun/Camp Davies/New Market Roads; Aiyetoro Road in Alimosho Local Government and the construction of arterial roads in Epe.
    The roads are expected to reduce gridlock as well as increase connectivity between the hinterlands and some boundary communities between Lagos and Ogun.
    The source said contractors were working round the clock to complete and hand over the projects in April.
    The government is proposing to spend N138.24 billion on road infrastructure in the 2017 budget.
    “Governor Akinwunmi Ambode is so passionate about delivering these massive road construction projects across the state to Lagosians to mark the 50th anniversary of the state.
    “Our governor is interested in making all Lagosians happy and that is why he has been personally inspecting most of the projects,” the source said.
    NAN also learnt that the “state government is also planning to extend the ongoing road demarcation of the Ikorodu road median with wire mesh to the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway”.
    The source said the extension, which was being planned toward the old tollgate on Lagos Ibadan Expressway, was to enforce the use of foot bridges on the axis.

  • Lagos to mark 50th anniversary with new roads

    Lagos to mark 50th anniversary with new roads

    Lagos State Government will complete and inaugurate some major roads before the celebration of its 50th anniversary of its creation on May 17, next year.
    A source in the state Ministry of Works and Infrastructure told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) yesterday that some of the projects to be inaugurated included: the Abule-Egba Flyover and roads in Agbado Oke Odo Local Council Development Area, and the Lekki-Ajah flyover.
    Others are: Rehabilitation of Freedom Road and Admiralty Way in Eti-Osa Local Government Area, Ojodu Berger Bridge, Laybys and Slip Roads.
    Rehabilitation/Upgrading of Ishefun/Camp Davies/New Market Roads; Aiyetoro Road in Alimosho Local Government and the construction of arterial roads in Epe.
    The roads are expected to reduce gridlock as well as increase connectivity between the hinterlands and some boundary communities between Lagos and Ogun.
    The source said contractors were working round the clock to complete and hand over the projects in April.
    The government is proposing to spend N138.24 billion on road infrastructure in the 2017 budget.
    “Governor Akinwunmi Ambode is so passionate about delivering these massive road construction projects across the state to Lagosians to mark the 50th anniversary of the state.
    “Our governor is interested in making all Lagosians happy and that is why he has been personally inspecting most of the projects,” the source said.
    NAN also learnt that the “state government is also planning to extend the ongoing road demarcation of the Ikorodu road median with wire mesh to the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway”.
    The source said the extension, which was being planned toward the old tollgate on Lagos Ibadan Expressway, was to enforce the use of foot bridges on the axis.

  • Police sergeant dies as dilapidated Barracks building collapses

    Police sergeant dies as dilapidated Barracks building collapses

    A police sergeant and another person lost their lives when a building collapsed at Highway police Barracks in Ikeja, Lagos State, on Christmas Day.

    The General Manager, Lagos State Emergency Maganement Agency (LASEMA), Mr Adeshina Tiamiyu confirmed the death.

    Tiamiyu said that the agency had earlier received a distress call on the collapsed building at High Way Police Barracks opposite Area F, Ikeja.

    He said that the toilets and stairways of wing `D’ of the building collapsed at about 4.00a.m.

    Tiamiyu said the agency’s officials in collaboration with men of Lagos State Fire Services, the police and the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) recovered the two bodies of the dead men.

    He said one of the corpses was simply identified as Danjuma while the name of the other one was yet to be known.

    “Their bodies had been deposited at the Mainland Hospital Mortuary, Yaba,” Tiamiyu said.

    Tiamiyu also said that the state Commissioner of Police, Mr Fatai Owoseni, had visited the barracks and ordered the evacuation of residents living in the affected building as well as those in other dilapidated buildings.

    He added that Owoseni also ordered the immediate demolition of the affected block.

    Tiamiyu said LASEMA with other stakeholders had commenced the demolition of the affected building following the directives of the Commissioner of Police. (NAN)