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  • Lagos Q1 revenue hits N101.69b

    Lagos Q1 revenue hits N101.69b

    • Declares N4.85b surplus

    The Lagos State government has generated N101.69billion revenue in the first quarter of this year. Out of this sum, a surplus of N4.85billion was realised as against an expected N29.92billion deficit, the State’s Commissioner for Economic Planning and Budget, Akinyemi Ashade said yesterday.

    He told reporters at the ongoing Ministerial Press Briefing at the Bagauda Kaltho Press Centre, Alausa, Ikeja to commemorate Governor Akinwunmi Ambode’s first year in office, that the generated revenue  was above that of last year which he put at N97.28billion in the first quarter, adding that in absolute terms, the revenue performance was N4.4billion more than the comparative period of last year.

    According to a statement  by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Habib Aruna, the Commissioner said the feat was achieved despite the diminishing statutory allocation from the Federation Account, pointing out that it was due to Governor Ambode’s purposeful and visionary leadership.

    He expressed optimism that with the implementation of multiple revenue collection channels and broadening of the revenue base, the government would achieve progress in its revenue drive.

    Giving a detailed breakdown of the budget performance, the Commissioner said N76.06billion was the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) of the state in the first quarter representing 72 per cent of the estimate for the quarter and 75 per cent of the total revenue, as against the N67.21billion generated in first quarter of last year representing 74 per cent of the estimate and 69 per cent of the total revenue in the corresponding period for last year.

    He said the Lagos Internal Revenue Service (LIRS) revenue for the first quarter this year stood at N67.25billion representing 90 per cent estimate for the quarter; 88 per cent of the total IGR and 66.12 percent of the total revenue, compared to N60.58billion (87 per cent of the estimate for first quarter last year), representing 90 per cent of total IGR and 62 per cent of total revenue last year.

    Ashade said: “This performance was N6.67billion more in absolute terms compared to corresponding period in 2015 and due largely to more participatory structural and systemic re-engineering.

    “Over the course of the first quarter of 2016, federal transfers contributed N25.64billion (83 per cent of the estimate for the quarter) and accounted for 25.21 per cent of total revenue. Further breakdown showed that statutory allocations contributed N7.48billion while VAT (value added tax) contributed N18.16billion.”

    Speaking on the performance of capital expenditures for the period under review, the czommissioner explained the government spent N48.88billion on capital projects which represented a 51 per cent better performance of N15.08billion (24 per cent) as at the first quarter oflast year.

    He said as at the end of first quarter of this year, the ratio of capital expenditures to recurrent expenditures closed at 50:50, better than a ratio of 21:79 recorded for the same period last year but short of the ratio of 58:42 projected for this year.

    He, however, expressed optimism that capital expenditure performance would experience significant improvement in the second quarter of this year based on the projections and expectations of revenue inflows.

    Ashade, whose Ministry is also responsible for managing the state’s existing relationships with development partners as well as identifying new potential ones to drive further development, disclosed that the State Government has gone into partnership with the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to invest in a monorail project that will link Marina to Oniru in Victoria Island and Ikoyi, and later connect to the Lekki Rail Line project which is also in the works.

     

     

    The commissioner said the monorail project is an urban mass transportation project different from ongoing Blue Line Rail project that will connect Mile 12 to CMS, and the Red Line Rail Project.

    “A detailed feasibility study has been commissioned on the monorail project to validate the initial survey, which will eventually lead to an investment of $1billion (about N300billion) in the project if the results of the feasibility study are positive, amongst other conditions,” he said.

    Ashade further said under the Eko Urban Project, the government, in partnership with the Agence Francaise De Development (AFD) would soon embark on the upgrade of slums in Amukoko in Ajeromi/Ifelodun Local Government Area of the state and Ilaje-Bariga in Bariga Local Council Development Area, as well as the provision of modern waste disposal facility in Epe.

    He said the projects would soon take off as the AFD has already committed a $100million loan for the projects, while the state Executive Council has equally approved the upgrade of the slums.

     

  • Lagos urged to intervene in Ebute-Ero market crisis

    The leadership of Ebute-Ero Market has urged the Government, House of Assembly and leadership of Association of Market Women and Men to call those fomenting trouble in the market to order.

    The Iyaloja of Tinubu-Ojo Market in Gorodom, Ebute-Ero on Lagos Island, Mrs. Risikat Philip, enjoined the government to mobilise the relevant agencies to prevent a breakdown of law and order in the market.

    A section of the market leadership led by Alhaja Basirat Owolewa last week protested at the House of Assembly against the leadership of Mrs. Philips, who was installed by the Iyaloja-General, Chief Folashade Tinubu-Ojo. Mrs Owolewa alleged that Mrs. Philip’s leadership is insensitive and fraudulent.

    But Mrs. Philip said there was no truth in the allegation, “because she is not an Iyaloja and there is no way she can protest against the Iyaloja installed by Mrs Tinubu-Ojo.”

    Mrs. Philip traced the genesis of the crisis to when she stopped Alhaja Owolewa and others from allegedly extorting money from traders.

    She alleged that since then, they have been fighting against her leadership.

    The Iyaloja alleged: “These people don’t pay any levy, including environmental and waste disposal levy. But they prefer to extort money from traders, citing reasons for collecting the money. This is why Alhaja Owolewa is protesting against the leadership.

    “I am a woman of peace. I don’t fight. In fact, these people once took me to the police station. When the police looked at the issues raised, they asked us to write an undertaking to keep the peace, which we did. But they did not stop at that.

    “They refused to account for the money collected, and when we asked them to sign for the money, they refused. The more we try to organise things for them, the more they frustrate our efforts.

    “Their actions have caused agitation, resulting in frictions between ethnic groups in the market. All they are interested in is to extort money from traders.”

    Mrs. Philip said in trying to resolve the crisis, Chief Tinubu-Ojo separated the market for peace sake.

    Alhaja Owolewa debunked the allegation that she extorted money from traders.

    She said the last time she collected money as the financial secretary was about three years ago, adding that since the traders revolted against the leadership, she stopped collecting money from them.

    Alhaja Owolewa said the market could not be divided because Ebute-Ero market is one and gazetted by the Lagos Island Local Government.

    The Babaloja of Igbo Traders Association, Mr. Henry Ogbodo, described as frustrating the activities of Alhaja Owolewa and her cohorts.

    He alleged that the woman and her team were fond of extorting money from his members.

    Ogbodo appealed to the government and the Iyaloja-General to caution the woman.

  • Breaking News: Police arrest alleged wife killer in Lagos

    Breaking News: Police arrest alleged wife killer in Lagos

    The Police has arrested suspected wife killer in Lagos, Lekan Shonde.

    He was arrested on Monday by operatives of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) in Lagos.

    Shonde alleged that his deceased wife, Ronke provoked him by describing vividly how her lover slept with her in a hotel in Abuja.

    The man was accused of killing his wife at their Idimu-Egbeda home last Thursday.

    He reportedly fled the scene after the incident, leaving behind their two children.

    Details later…

  • Lagos releases N1.6b counterpart fund for Lekki FTZ

    Lagos releases N1.6b counterpart fund for Lekki FTZ

    The Lagos State government at the weekend said it has released N1.6billion counterpart fund to boost infrastructural development in the Lekki Free Zone Development Company (LFDC) project.

    Commissioner for Commerce, Industry and Cooperatives Rotimi Ogunleye, who broke the news at a briefing in Lagos, said the move was to encourage investors’ participation in the project.

    Ogunleye said the government was engaging the host communities to ensure a sustainable cordial relationship with investors.

    He said: “I want to assure all prospective investors in the zone that the government has overhauled the security network in the area to guarantee a safe haven for investment.”

    According to him, the World Bank report listed the Lekki Free Zone as the fastest growing FZ, adding that the products from the zone are compliant with international standards as they go through the standardisation laboratories.

    The commissioner maintained that the LFZ project, which has remained the flagship of the government industrial development initiative, was conceptualised to provide enabling environment for industries to operate and attract local and foreign direct investments.

    Ogunleye added that the ministry has remained unrelenting in its efforts to attain and sustain high level of viable and vibrant commercial and industrial activities in the state in line with its mission to promote economic growth and development in the state.

    He explained that the ministry had divided the zone into two parcels and four quadrants namely: South-West, South-East quadrant in parcel A and the North-West as well as the North-East quadrant in parcel B for ease of development.

    “To fast track development in the zone, clearing of a parcel of land measuring about 520,000 square meters and bounded within N3/E6A-N3/E5, N4/6A-N4/E5, N4/E6A-N4/E6 and N5/E6-N5/E6 is being carried out by the contractors from local communities have reached 90 per cent completion.”

    He said the Lekki Free Zone Project is a catalyst the government hope will shoot the state into real global economic reckoning.

    The commissioner hinted that the project is attracting considerable number of investors within and outside the country, such as Dangote Refinery and Petrochemical Complex at the South-East quadrant.

    He noted that Dangote Group is developing a world class refinery with a processing capacity of 650,000 barrels of oil per day, adding that the $11 billion project will satisfy local, Africa and international market demands.

    Ogunleye added that the government is in partnership with the Chinese Consortium, China Africa Lekki Investment Limited (CALIL), for the development of 3000 hectares of land in the South-West quadrant of the zone.

    “The joint venture with the Chinese consortium has resulted in the provision of over 72km of paved roads, 5.5km stabilised earth roads, 1.92km of drainages, 87 units of staff quarters, three units of VIP chalets, 22 units of guest house, three potable water schemes, 150 solar powered streetlights and three standard factories of 3,800m in the zone.

    “The project has also attracted some investors who have begun business operations in the zone, some of which are: The Candel FZE – Agro Chemical formulation plant, Loving Home Furnishing FZE – office furniture manufacturing, Dabupum FZE- water pumps, Crownature Nigeria FZE – Garments factory among others,” he said.

  • Waterways Authority cautions Lagos residents

    The Lagos State Waterways Authority (LASWA) in partnership with Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) on Saturday cautioned residents of Lagos against littering waterways with human wastes.

    The Secretary of LASWA, Mr Damilola Famakinwa, gave the warning during the authority’s clean-up exercise at Ebute Ero Jetty, Lagos Island, Lagos.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the exercise was conducted in collaboration with Wecyclers, a Non-Profit Organisation to clean debris around the jetty.

    Famakinwa said that the exercise was to sensitise and enlighten members of the public on the benefits of keeping the waterways clean.

    “Our objective is to educate members of the public on the dangers of polluting our waterways and to make them imbibe a culture of keeping waterways clean.

    “Observation has shown that generally, Lagosian violates and do not take proper care of the waterways.

    “Lagosians litter the waterways with empty plastic, bottles, nylons and various kinds of filth.

    “Another practice is open defecation on the waterways, littering it with human wastes in the form of urine and even faeces.

    “This is totally unacceptable. We have organisations emptying their waste water and various chemicals pollution in the waterways,” he said.

    Famakinwa said that the pollution of waterways necessitated the campaign tagged: ‘Caring for our Waterways’, with the support of relevant agencies.

    According to him, the pilot campaign commences at Ebute Ero because the authority notices various kinds of dirt and litter in the waterways alleged caused by market men and women in the area.

    The scribe highlighted some of the dangers to include accidents and obstruction to easy navigation on waterways.

  • Appeal court affirms 25 years jail for Boko Haram convicts

    The Court of Appeal, Lagos Division, has affirmed the September 30, 2015 judgment of the Federal High Court in Lagos which convicted three men of participating in terrorism and belonging to outlawed Boko Haram sect.
    In a judgment delivered by Justice Y.B. Nimpar, the appellate court upheld the decision of the lower court which sentenced Ali Mohammed, Adamu Karumi and Ibrahim Usman, to 25 years imprisonment each.
    They had been arraigned in November 2013 along with 14 others before Justice Ibrahim Buba, who found them guilty as charged in September 2014.
    Displeased with their conviction and imprisonment, the convicts subsequently approached the Court of Appeal seeking to overturn the judgment.
    But the Lagos State Ministry of Justice, which charged them to court and secured their convictions, said in a statement on Sunday by its Public Relations Officer, Mrs. Bola Akingbade, that the appeal was dismissed for lacking in merit.
    According to the ministry, the convicts had contended that they were charged and convicted under an inapplicable law.
    They had also contended that the 25 years’ imprisonment imposed on them was excessive and urged the higher court to reverse their conviction.
    But the appellate court refused their prayers.
    Mohammed, Karumi and Usman were arraigned on eight counts in November 2013 before Justice Buba along with 14 other suspected Boko Haram members.
    Those charged with them were Bala Haruna, Idris Ali, Mohammed Murtala and Kadiri Mohammed and Mustapha Daura.
    Others were Abba Duguri, Sanni Adamu, Danjuma Yahaya and Musa Audu and Mati Daura, Farouk Haruna, Abdullahi Azeez, Ibrahim Bukar and Zula Diani.
    But in the course of trial, the then Lagos State, Attorney-General, Mr. Ade Ipaye, entered a nolle prosequi, discontinuing criminal charges against 13 of the suspects, leaving only Mohammed, Karumi, Usman and Haruna.

  • Re-train HIV counsellors, Lagos tells partners

    The Lagos State Government has urged its partners to retrain HIV counselling and testing (HCT) service providers in the state.

    This,  the state AIDS Control Agency (LSACA), said, can be achieved by organising refresher training for them.

    LSACA made the call during the monitoring of the National Youth Network on HIV/AIDS (NYNETHA) MTV Shuga’s HIV Counselling and Testing outreach at the University of Lagos.

    The agency said there were gaps in the quality of HCT, stressing that it was determined to work in line with the National HCT policy guidelines to monitor the quality of service delivery to ascertain the level of competence.

    Besides, HCT was one of the primary entry points into prevention of the virus.

    It was an important part of a continuum of HIV prevention and treatment services, it added.

    “It was one of the many times when a comprehensive individual assessment would be taken and should he/she be positive, made it the best opportunity for accurate referrals to more intensive services,” it said.

    LSACA  said ‘quality assurance’ was not negotiable as it ensured high quality HCT and adherence to standard operating procedures, such as the use of test kits that had not expired and ensuring client’s satisfaction and reliable results.

    The agency said out of the 20 Counsellor Testers seen, 80 per cent of them were knowledgeable in HCT procedures while the remaining 20 percent were un-informed.

    “About 60 per cent of the adherence counsellors lack capacity. The referral directory for tracking and follow-up actions for the HIV positive clients were not available at the various sites where HCT were conducted within the campus,” it said.

  • World Bank funding coming for Lagos agric

    World Bank funding coming for Lagos agric

    More funding is expected from the World Bank to boost Lagos State government’s efforts to expand its agriculture sector to provide food security and improved nutrition of the rural poor.

    The Lagos Commissioner for Agriculture, Hon Suarau Oluwatoyin who spoke yesterday in a press briefing to commemorate the 1st year of the administration of Governor Akinwumi Ambode in Lagos, said the state is partnering with the World Bank for financial support to boost agric productivity.

    According to him, Lagos needed an agricultural system that produces more food to feed its residents more efficiently.

    Under its Commercial Agriculture Development Project supported by the World Bank, he said 29 investment plans valued at N233.3 million were implemented after project restructuring for 208 entrepreneurs.

    The state, he also said received no objection for 38 investment plans for 376  common interest groups (CIGs) entrepreneurs valued at N288.81 million.

    He said 55 participants of its Women and Youth Programme are awaiting empowerment, while the selection of 255 additional participants is progressing.

  • Congresses cancelled in Adamawa, Lagos, Osun

    Congresses cancelled in Adamawa, Lagos, Osun

    The national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has cancelled results of the ongoing party congresses in Adamawa, Lagos and Osun states.

    The party has similarly disbanded the congress committees in the three states with immediate effect.

    A statement yesterday by the National Organising Secretary, Abubakar Mustapha, said new congress committees had been constituted to replace the disbanded ones in the three states.

    Congresses in the affected states have been rescheduled to hold from Friday.

    Congresses across the states have been characterised by crisis triggered by alleged manipulation of the exercise by vested interests in the party.

    Sharp disagreements have also greeted the zoning of the various party offices at the national level, with various factions threatening to stall the upcoming national convention billed to hold in Port Harcourt, Rivers State on May 21.

  • Lagos to build N49b medical park

    Lagos to build N49b medical park

    The Lagos State government  plans to build a N49billion medical park in partnership with the private sector.

    Commissioner for Health Jide Idris, who briefed reporters after the weekly State Executive Council Meeting, said the project is in line with Governor Akinwunmi Ambode’s commitment to improving  healthcare experience, promote medical tourism and excellent healthcare services.

    The project has been awarded to MEDIPARK International Limited Consortium, comprising MEDIPARK International Limited, Cleveland Clinics Ohio USA, St. Barnabas Healthcare System New Jersey and American Hospital Management Company, Washington DC.

    Idris, who was with Commissioner for Information and Strategy Steve Ayorinde and Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development Wasiu Anifowose, said the project would be completed in 20 months.

    He said the medical park would be sited at the former tate School of Nursing site, spanning over two hectares expanse of land on Awolowo Road, Ikoyi.

    “The ultimate goal is that we as a government believe that health is wealth and there is no amount of investment in the healthcare sector that can be too much for the  people of this state because the progress of the state is important to us,” the commissioner said.