The Nation Newspaper

Tag: lagos

  • Mobile courts: Lagos NURTW warns drivers

    Mobile courts: Lagos NURTW warns drivers

    Lagos State Council of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) has urged commercial drivers to always comply with traffic laws to avoid being charged before the Mobile Courts.

    The government last week inaugurated the Special Offences (mobile court) to deal with cases of traffic and environmental abuses. The court to be manned by qualified magistrates will summarily try such cases.

    Offences like commercial motorcyclists driving against traffic, refusal to obey traffic signs, commercial bus drivers (Danfo) who operate on motion with their open etc will be tried by mobile court.

    The union chairman, Tajudeen Agbede urged commercial drivers, Okada riders and Keke Marwa operators to be wary of prosecution, adding: “We have been telling our members to always obey the laws. Conductors should always make sure that the door of the bus is closed whenever the vehicle is on motion.

  • Lagos pays retirees N649m

    Lagos pays retirees N649m

    NO fewer than 119 retirees from local governments, SUBEB, TEPO and parastatals in Lagos State have received  their Retirement Benefit Bond Certificates of N649 million, the Director-General, Lagos State Pension Board (LASPEB), Mrs. Folashade Onanuga, has said.

    In a statement signed by LASPEB spokesman, Mrs. Basirat Lawal, she said this brings the number of retirees paid between August 2015 and  last month to 2,409.

    According to her, the total accrued pension paid by the government is N10.652 billion.

    She explained that accrued pension rights are gratuity and pension entitlements due to staff that transited to the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) but had served under the “Pay As You Go” pension scheme dispensation.

    According to her, the bonds were issued at the 23rd Retirement Benefit Bond Certificate Presentation Ceremony last week in Lagos. Onanuga urged the beneficiaries to take care of their health and invest the money wisely.

    She also advised the beneficiaries to be wary of fraudsters and not accept any business proposal they don’t understand.

    She urged them to keep the money in a fixed deposit account with banks if they could not think of any business at the moment

  • Lagos City Marathon: Ladipo commends organisers

    Rafiu Ladipo, the Chairman of Nigeria Football and Other Sports Supporters Club, has praised the organisers of the Access Bank Lagos City Marathon for the publicity they accorded the race.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the marathon, an initiative of the Lagos State government, was sponsored by Access Bank and supported by Eko Atlantic City, Eko Hotel/Suites and Lucozade Sport.

    Ladipo told NAN that he was impressed with the “comprehensive publicity’’ given to the event which created the much needed awareness and attracted fans from within and outside the country.

    “The media has not only done their job, but did a remarkable coverage worthy of commendation; I am impressed because a large number of fans from even beyond this nation are watching.

    “Some people are physically present at various venues to cheer the competitors, while others are watching it on their television sets and phones because it is aired live,’’ he said.

    He, however, recommended that subsequent editions should be made to hold on national environmental sanitation days to give more fans the opportunity to be part of it.

  • Lagos Marathon: Okada riders make brisk business

    Commercial motorcyclists, otherwise called “Okada’’, on Saturday took advantage of the restriction of vehicular movement on certain roads for the Access Bank Lagos City Marathon to operate on restricted corridors.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Okada riders took advantage of the stranded commuters at bus stops along Ikorodu road to charge exorbitant fares in the metropolis.

    NAN reports that between Maryland and National Stadium bus stop in Surulere, they charged as much as N700 and N1,500 for what ordinarily should have been N200 depending on the operator .

    Between Fadeyi and Maryland or stadium, they collect between N500 and N1000.

    NAN observed that people who could not wait till 10 a.m. were the ones who rode on commercial motorcycles, that in most cases carried two persons in violation of traffic law.

    Those who could not afford it resorted to trekking long distances.

    Some commuters who spoke with NAN said one side of the 10-lane Ikorodu road would have been left open since the athletes were only using one side.

    NAN also observed that some people were not aware of the marathon as they were shocked to discover that the roads were empty.

    “I thought it was environmental sanitation day. I don’t know there was anything like marathon that would stop vehicular movement,” Mrs Adebisi Lawal, a trader, told NAN.

    A motorist, who simply identified himself as Raymond, told NAN at Fadeyi BRT bus stop that he had waited at the spot for about three hours.

    Raymond said he was going to Surulere but was stopped by the police to wait till 10 a.m.

  • Youths and Lagos Employment Trust Fund

    It is now an open secret that things are no longer at ease with the Nigerian economy. Sharp decline in the global prices of crude oil, a major source of income for the country, has brought the nation’s economy almost down to its knees. Presently, oil price continued its abysmal somersault. As at the time of putting this together, Brent, the global oil marker, fell by more than $2, or six per cent, to $31.48 per barrel the lowest since in April 2004.

    With the global price of oil now at all-time low, economic analysts are already speculating that, unless a miracle occurs, things might be tough for the nation in 2016. In the previous year, the Federal Government scaled down the benchmark for the 2015 budget from $78 to $73 per barrel (ironically, a barrel of oil in the international market presently oscillates from $37 to $30 per barrel). As a reflection of how bad the situation was in the previous year, the Federal Government had to bail out some states that could no longer meet up with their financial obligations to their workforce. Some Federal Government agencies equally did not fare any better in this respect.

    Unfortunately, the private sector is also not totally immune from the gloomy economic reality in the country. With the diminishing fortune of the naira, local industries are facing serious challenges that could actually lead to downsizing of workers if the situation is not quickly redressed. Hence, from every perspective, these are, indeed, trying times for the country.

    The way things stand, the unemployed in the country, especially the youth, might be in for a hard time. If the working class is not actually finding things easy with the present harsh economic reality, without a doubt, the growing populace of the unemployed might just as well be on a journey to Siberia. Sadly, the unemployment situation has become worse with the low-productivity rate of the manufacturing sector. The power situation isn’t helping matters either. The inability of subsequent administrations to improve the nation’s power condition spells greater doom for the unemployed in the country as most manufacturing firms with the fair prospect of creating jobs are either relocating or folding up. Curiously, multinational firms, that hitherto held great job prospects for Nigerians, are equally not left out of this gloomy trend.

    With the present scenario, our nation is certainly sitting on a keg of gun powder. With the rampaging and heartless Boko Haram sect destabilizing the economy of the North-east, and by inference depleting the already dwindling national economy by engaging the nation in a needless war, we cannot afford to be at peace with the current unemployment situation in our nation. The implication of having a large percentage of unemployed youth aimlessly lurking around is not, by any means, palatable. To make ends meet, a hungry and disenchanted jobless youth could easily be lured into embracing vicious anti-social options. And any nation that allows its youth to go astray has already mortgaged its future. As a nation, we cannot afford to toe such an ignoble path.

    Any nation that denies its youth the necessary enabling environment to thrive does so at its own peril. Youths are the dynamo of every society. Their energies, inventions, character and orientation define the pace of development and security of a nation. Through the aggregate of their creative talents and labour power, a nation makes giant strides in economic development and socio-political attainments. In their dreams and hopes, a nation finds her motivation; on their energies, she builds her vitality and purpose. And because of their dreams and aspirations, the future of a nation is assured.

    Without doubt, the youth represents the most vibrant and adventurous group in any society. In the words of late Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe: “If you want to know the future of any nation, take a look at what the youths are doing presently.” Usually, if the prevailing condition in a given society does not offer the youth the needed platform to channel their burstling energy into positive use, they readily embrace rebellious predisposition. It is a well-known fact that nature abhors a vacuum.

    Therefore, if there is anything that government at all levels needs to focus primarily on now, it is youth empowerment through various job-creation platforms. It is, indeed, in this respect that the Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode must  be commended for coming up with a far reaching creative and institutionalized framework to address the pathetic and appalling unemployment situation in the state. Since his assumption of office, Ambode has so far taken several steady strides that clearly demonstrate his resolve to take Lagos to new heights. However, in fulfillment of his campaign promise, the most audacious and positive steps he has taken, thus far, was  the recent institution of a N25bn Employment Trust Fund to address unemployment and promote wealth creation through entrepreneurial development.

    The beauty of it all is that the initiative is a carefully thought out project that will definitely outlive the Ambode administration. It is a huge gift to Lagos, in particular, and the entire nation as a whole. By providing a legal and institutional framework for the laudable initiative, Ambode has gone a step further ahead to secure a better and brighter future for our youths. When he eventually leaves office, what he is bequeathing to the coming generation would speak volumes for him in years to come as a visionary and passionate leader. One would also like to commend the leadership and members of the Lagos State House of Assembly for the thorough and speedy work it did in making the Employment Trust Fund bill to see the light of the day.

    One salient quality of a reliable leader is the ability to make promises and keep it. Thus far, Ambode has come out as one leader who loves to keep his words. The establishment of the Employment Trust Fund was in line with keeping faith with the promise he made to the people during the electioneering campaign. The fund is to be reimbursed by the state government with an annual contribution of N6. 25billion. It is projected that the fund would hit ambitious N25billion mark over a period of four years.

    Already, a 10-man board comprising of seasoned professionals, under the leadership of former chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service, Mrs. Ifueko Omoigui-Okauru, has been put in place to manage the fund.

    With this initiative, the Lagos State government has thrown a big challenge at the youths of this country and it is not exclusive to the unemployed. It is a salvo to fire their imaginations, direct their energies and discover talents. The state is all out to back the evolution of value-generating ideas that may as well be what Nigeria requires to get out of the threatening economic quagmire.

    It is hoped that more of such forward-looking and resourceful initiatives would come up from the stable of the Lagos State government. If our people are to be freed from the shackles of poverty and hopelessness, this is the path we must continue to tread. It is the only path to economic emancipation. It is, indeed, the right path to prosperity.

    • Lateef, a public affairs’ commentator, writes from Ikeja.

     

  • Lagos Marathon: Traders bemoan low sales

    Traders who had stormed the starting point of the Access Bank Lagos City Marathon at the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere on Saturday, said  sales were not encouraging.

    They told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that in spite of the large turnout of athletes for the event, they were disappointed with the poor patronage.

    NAN reports that the traders had displayed their wares around the point and along the routes in anticipation of making brisk business.

    Abigail Akintayo, a food vendor, said she prepared a huge quantity of food, anticipating that she would make good sales.

    “The patronage I got was not too encouraging owing to the kind of event and the crowd that turned out for the marathon.

    “I hope other people coming to the stadium for other activities will patronise my food so that I can sell my remaining food,’’ she said.

  • Lagos and the nuisance of ‘danfo’ drivers

    Lagos and the nuisance of ‘danfo’ drivers

    For me, it was like a scene from a blockbuster movie. It was such a horrendous scene that I couldn’t get over the shock for some time. I left home for work that fateful day, looking forward, as usual, to an eventful working day. But alas, the whole of the day was messed up by the wayward action of a naughty ‘danfo’ (commercial bus) driver who acted in, perhaps, the most irresponsible manner I had ever witnessed in my whole life. We were caught in the typical Lagos early morning traffic gridlock which wasn’t really as bad as it used to be because it was a moving traffic.

    My mind was not actually on the traffic situation as I had an urgent task to accomplish that auspicious morning. As I was I was thinking of how I would carry out the pressing assignment, I looked up and behold I saw a ‘Danfo’ bus that moved completely out of our line and faced on coming vehicles in what I considered a very audacious display of lawlessness and haughtiness. He drove in such a reckless fashion that every oncoming vehicle had to delicately swerve to avoid having a smash with it.  Sadly, a heavy duty lorry which, perhaps, was oblivious of the stray ‘danfo’, was approaching and within a twinkling of an eyelid, there was a collision between the lorry and the ‘danfo’ and what followed next is better seen than imagined. It was such a repulsive scene.

    By now, the whole place was in serious disarray as commuters, pedestrians and others along the road were running helter-skelter in utter confusion. Thanks to some brave guys who put a call through to the Lagos State Ambulance Service, ambulance came in no time to ferry wounded commuters in the ‘danfo’ for emergency medical care. The whole place had become a mess of sort. The goods inside the heavy duty lorry had littered everywhere. The hitherto moving gridlock had now become completely motionless with serious overriding impact on adjourning and other link roads along the route. It took the combine efforts of men of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, LASTMA,   Federal Road Safety officials, traffic police and others to put the traffic situation back to normality. But then, the havoc had been done already because I eventually ended up spending about 4 hours on a trip that ordinarily shouldn’t have taken me more than 30 minutes.

    Welcome to the above the law and irritating world of Lagos ‘danfo’ drivers!  It is no longer news that in Lagos‘danfo’ drivers are notorious for contravening traffic laws. For instance, the BRT lanes are strictly meant for BRT buses but ‘danfo’ drivers, in their characteristics style, have continued to flout this rule with impunity. Aside this, most of them drive against traffic, carry more than the required number of passengers, stop to pick passengers at un-designated places, over speed among many others terrible acts. Whenever they are apprehended by relevant officials for such acts, they simply resort to harassing, and even beating up the hapless officials. They act in such unruly manner that makes nonsense of the law of the land. In Lagos, impunity is a way of life for the ‘danfo’ drivers whose reckless attitude on the road has become quite legendary.

    Like most cosmopolitan cities across the world, Lagos experiences gridlock which is popularly referred to in local parlance as ‘go slow’. Though, the Lagos traffic jam occurs as a result of many factors, it is, however, really worsened by human factors. Human induced actions that complicate traffic hassles in the State include deliberately driving in an unsafe or threatening manner, illegal parking, street and roadside trading, driving against traffic, making illegal U turn and disobeying traffic lights and other traffic instructions.

    One significant truth that is always ignored is that failure of motorists, particularly commercial bus drivers, to obey simple traffic rules and regulations often lead to traffic snarl that occasionally cripple socio-economic activities in the metropolis. Sadly, traffic chaos has severe consequences on the socio-economic landscape of the state. These include economic losses arising from delays, diminished productivity, wasted energy, environmental degradation and a diminished standard of living. Other outcomes are missed appointments, higher fuel bill, decreased productivity and diverse health challenges. This, no doubt, poses great threat to the State’s viability as a decent place to live, visit and invest.

    With time, especially with an effective and efficient  mass transit system in place, the Lagos state government should save our souls by gradually phasing out commercial buses on major roads in the metropolis. Public transportation is too important and strategic to be committed into the hands of unruly and disorganized set of individuals. This could jeopardize drive for foreign and local investments in the State. The traffic situation of every city determines the volume of investment that is attracted to the city. No sane investor would want to put his money in a place that is renowned for irresponsible traffic behaviour. It is, therefore, imperative, all other things being equal, for authorities concerned in Lagos State to address the nagging question of the nuisance of commercial bus drivers in the State, once and for all. To avoid any public outcry that such step might attract, especially from transport unions, willing commercial bus owners and drivers could be incorporated into the enlarged BRT system to avoid job losses.

    Consequently, there is an urgent need to expand the operational scope of the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system. Though the system does not use all the features of some of the renowned BRT systems across the world, it still has many advantages over a traditional bus system. Universally, the BRT system has the capability of moving huge numbers of people from one place to the other at a time in a faster and more convenient way. The system operates on the concept of utilizing dedicated lanes in areas where competition with highway traffic would be greatest while it makes use of existing highways and roads in areas that are less congested in order to reduce cost. According to the Lagos Metropolitan Transport Authority, LAMATA, by 2009 the BRT system has lifted over 52million passengers.

    The BRT scheme, if well expanded and strategically developed, could help in drastically reducing traffic chaos in the State. A first step towards achieving this would be to inject new busses into the fleet of the scheme. Once this is done, the next strategy would be to create more routes across the State for the scheme to meet more needs. In creating these new routes, priority should be given to areas with greater population density such as Badagry, Mowe-Ibafo axis, Sango-Ota axis, Alimosho among others. Also, the BRT scheme could be planned to include commuting within short distances within a particular local government or location.

    The efficiency with which people, goods and services can move from one point to the other largely determines the quality of life of a society. Hence, every investment and every effort geared towards sanitising the sector is not misplaced.

    • Omojoye wrote in from Palmgroove, Lagos

     

  • 7 jailable traffic offences in Lagos

    7 jailable traffic offences in Lagos

    Under the Lagos Traffic Law of 2012, which will be strictly enforced from Monday by the Traffic Courts, violators of some of the offences can be jailed for some number of months.
    Below are the seven offences that offenders can either be fined, imprisoned or both.
    +Driving an unlicensed vehicle
    +Driving with a fake number plate
    +Driving a vehicle with an unauthorized or defective number plate
    +Driving with a forged driver’s licence
    +Neglect of traffic directions
    +Driving motorcycle without approved crash element by driver and passenger
    +Operating vehicle within restricted routes or beyond official hours
    Full Text of Traffic Law
    The state government last Friday inaugurated five Mobile Court buses for road traffic offenders, with a pledge to end impunity on the roads.
    The Chief Judge of the State, Justice Olufunmilayo Atilade‎ and the State’s Attorney General, Kazeem Adeniji, restated their commitments to ridding Lagos of recklessness and impunity on the roads at the inauguration.

  • Lagos launches mobile court for traffic, environmental offenders

    Lagos launches mobile court for traffic, environmental offenders

    Lagos State Government on Friday inaugurated the Special Offences (Mobile) Court to summarily deal with rising cases of traffic and environmental abuses in the state.

    The court, which will be manned by highly-qualified magistrates in the state, will summarily try cases involving traffic and environmental offenders.

    Speaking at the inauguration ceremony held at the Lagos State High Court in Ikeja, the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Adeniji Kazeem said the  launch of the mobile court, was one of the ways through which the administration of Governor Akinwunmi Ambode aims to broaden the pathway that guaranty citizens’ access to justice and at the same time ensure the preservation of civility in the society.

    He said the development was an institutional reaction to identified societal challenges, and that henceforth traffic offenders such as motorcyclists who drive against traffic and refuse to obey traffic signs like zebra crossing and traffic light indication, would no longer find it easy to get away with commission of such crimes in the state.

    He also said commercial bus drivers popularly known as Danfo drivers on motion with their doors open thereby endangering lives of those of their passengers and other road users, would equally be prosecuted in the court, while anyone crossing the highway where pedestrian bridges are provided, would equally face trial.

    Kazeem, who disclosed that henceforth driving on Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) lanes of non-designated vehicles by anyone including military personnel, would attract prosecution, also warned people to desist from parking at undesignated places and indulging in noise pollution and street trading among others.

     On her part, the Chief Judge of Lagos State, Justice Olufunmilayo Atilade lamented the death of a 25-year-old British Nigerian graduate, Doyin Serah Fagbenro who was killed by a reckless Danfo driver about three weeks ago in Lekki-Ajah area of Lagos, said the story of the victim was just one of the many deaths occurring as a result of reckless driving and indiscipline.

  • Lagos council embarks on road projects

    Lagos council embarks on road projects

    Agbado/OkeOdo Local Council Development Area of Lagos State on Wednesday commenced construction work on two roads to alleviate the suffering of motorists and commuters.

    The two projects, Owodunni and Shotunde Streets, according to the Executive Secretary of the council area, Hon David Famuyiwa, “will give hope to the people of Agbado/OkeOdo in their quest for pothole-free road network.”

    Famuyiwa said Owodunni Street which stretches from Alagbado, a suburb of Lagos,to Ota inOgun State, when completed would boost economic activities between the two states.

    He said: “We have leveraged on the commitment of GovernorAkinwunmiAmbode to taking road construction to the next level, but the acute shortage of funds for the potential level of performance has been a daunting challenge.

    “In spite of the prevailing circumstances, we have been able to carry out a couple of repairs on AdeleyeStreet; Pipeline road;Ikola road; Ajasa-Command Road and Old Otta Road, among others. As a government, we are passionate about the welfare of our people and that is why we would stop at nothing to bring the desired change to our people.”