Emergency workers have recovered all the six bodies of missing teenagers of Wednesday’s boat mishap in Ojo – Irewe waterways, Lagos.
Three of the bodies were recovered Wednesday night and the other three at about 9am on Thursday, said the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) southwest spokesman, Ibrahim Farinloye.
The six teenagers were among 15 persons involved in the boat accident that occurred on Wednesday morning after a fibre boat ran into their canoe.
While nine others including the paddler were rescued alive at the time of the accident, the deceased could not be found.
According to rescuers, the children between ages 13 and 17 were on their way to school when the mishap occurred.
Tag: lagos
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Lagos boat mishap: Six bodies recovered
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Lagos secures $200m World Bank loan to improve public finance, investment climate
The World Bank Board of Executive Directors has approved $200 million credit to Lagos State to support a range of reforms pertaining to fiscal sustainability, budget planning, budget execution, and the investment climate in Lagos.
A statement from the World Bank in Abuja yesterday, said the credit facility or ‘operation’ “will help sustain the state’s recent economic growth and poverty reduction, while continuing to deliver social services to the city’s expanding population.”
The credit which would be sourced from the International Development Association (IDA), supports the Third Lagos State Development Policy Operation, is the last of a series of two development policy operations which aim to improve public finances and the investment climate in a fiscally sustainable manner.
The statement said: “In the past decade, Lagos State achieved significant economic growth, improved its infrastructure and services, significantly reduced crime, and brought millions of people out of poverty.”
According to the World Bank’s Jariya Hoffman, Task Team Leader for this Project “the operation’s focus on furthering improvements in the transparency of the budget system, effectiveness of public expenditures, and the business climate will help sustain the pace of economic growth and thus the state’s positive momentum towards income equality and the delivery of public services. With enhanced budget transparency and efficiency, adequate funding can be shifted to programs to benefit the state’s booming population, especially the poorest families.”
The World Bank added that “the operation will enhance the state government’s fiscal sustainability by anchoring the budget in a framework that accounts for key fiscal risks and improves revenue collection.
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Federal Govt, Lagos and Apapa
SIR: Apapa is very strategic to the economy of Nigeria, being a major gateway to the country’s sea ports. The major share of government’s revenue comes from both the Apapa and Tin Can Island Ports. More than 75 per cent of the goods imported into the country come through the ports in Lagos and the major ports in the country are based in Apapa. Apapa is undoubtedly vital to the prosperity of Nigeria.
Unfortunately, in recent time, motorists, commuters as well as business men moving towards the axis have been subjected to untold hardship occasioned by perennial traffic gridlock that has become a recurring decimal along the ever-busy Apapa-Oshodi expressway. The traffic which usually stretches several kilometers is often mostly chaotic at Mile 2 and Julius Berger yard with people spending close to four hours on a journey that should not be more than thirty minutes.
The issues involved along the axis are multi-faceted. One, the Apapa-Oshodi road, a federal government road, is in bad shape and in need of urgent rehabilitation. Second, the nuisance of trailer drivers on the road is a major concern. Not only that they drive recklessly, but they equally park their trailers indiscriminately along the road. The indiscriminate packing of trailers on either side of the road is a serious factor in the painful traffic gridlock that commuters regularly suffer on the road. Third, incessant cases of abandoned vehicles equally constitute a major hindrance to motorists on the highway.
Also, the unprecedented upsurge of petrol tankers on the road is closely tied to the continuous importation of locally consumed fuel in the country. There are more than 50 depots in Lagos, which means there are between 50 and 400 trucks that load in one day. Consequently, a minimum of 3,000 trucks travel to Lagos on daily basis to lift petroleum products. Over 80 per cent of fuel supplies in the country are from Lagos. Hence, tanker drivers come from all over the country to source the products.
The fallout of the current situation on the country’s economy is indeed rather enormous. First, the difficulty in accessing the ports makes it very hard for agents to process their papers for the clearance of goods. The delay in the clearance of goods from the ports, invariably, makes the nation’s ports one of the most expensive in the world. It takes about two to five days for empty containers to be returned back to the port and yet the importers and their agents are made to pay demurrage and levies for a fault that is not theirs. The situation might get worse unless government muster the will to effectively intervene. The traffic crisis has equally resulted to loss of business and enormous man-hours. Indeed, most business interests in the Apapa axis have either folded up or relocated while the value of properties along the axis has seriously diminished.
Evidently, the Apapa- Oshodi chaos is a reflection of the systemic failure in the country. There is a need to creatively look into the petroleum distributive system and bring out more acceptable system of distribution. Equally vital is the need to redevelop the Apapa- Oshodi Road into a modern and world class highway. The Lagos State Government is showing the way forward in this respect with its on-going effort to transform the Badagry Expressway into a world class six lanes highway with BRT and light rail facilities. The Federal Government needs to closely work with the Lagos State government to fully restore the lost glory of Apapa.
- Tayo Ogunbiyi
Ministry of Information and Strategy, Alausa, Ikeja.
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Credit card fraud: Court okays suspect’s extradition to U.S
Justice Saliu Saidu of the Federal High Court, Lagos, has granted an application by the Federal Government seeking to extradite Mr. Olugbemiga Adebisi to the United States to face credit card and other fraud charges.
The office of the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) said three indictments were filed in the U.S District Court, New Hampshire, against Adebisi.
He was charged in the Hampshire court with “access device fraud, receipt of stolen mail matter, aggravated identity theft and fraudulent use of social security number” on July 20, 2006.
The alleged offences were in violation of Title 18, U.S. Code, sections 1029, 1708, 1028A and Title 42, U.S. Code, Section 408(a) 7(b).
Adebisi was also said to have been charged on April 5, 2005 in the Trial Court of Massachusetts, Middlesex County, Concord District Court, U.S.
He was accused of “larceny over $250 credit card fraud, forgery of a document, uttering false document and identify fraud.”
The offences were said to be a violation of Massachusetts General Law, Chapter 266, Section 30(1), 37(c)(e) and Chapter 267, Section 1 and 5.
Granting the application, Justice Saidu held that he was satisfied that “the U.S had formally requested for the extradition of the respondent within the requirement of the Extradition Act Cap E25 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.”
He added: “The affidavit of Alfred Rubega (a United States Assistant Attorney) was signed before a magistrate judge of the District of New Hampshire, which has not been disputed by the respondent in the case.
“And this affidavit was only attached to a certificate duly executed from the Department of State of the U.S.A. and the United State Department of Justice and further certified by one David Warmer, an Associate Director, Office of International Affairs Criminal Division, Department of Justice, U.S.A.
“All these are enough evidence to give credit and validity to the affidavit of Alfred Rubega.”
A lawyer from the AGF’s office, Akintah Ukaeyina, had argued that the offences for which Adebisi is being wanted in the U.S are also provided for and punishable in the contemplation of Nigerian laws.
But Adebisi’s lawyer, Toye Latilo, urged the court to refuse the extradition application because it was only initiated after his client had challenged his prolonged detention without charge.
“The respondent was arrested at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport by the Interpol on the basis of a warrant of arrest issued in the United States and from that time till date he has been in the prison custody.
“It was when the respondent applied to enforce his fundamental right that the applicant was prompted to initiate these proceedings before this court,” the lawyer said.
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Lagos to partner Navy on security
Lagos State Governor Akinwunmi Ambode has called on the Navy to assist the state in the fight against crime.
He spoke when he visited the Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral Usman Oyibe Jibrin, at the Defence Headquarters, Abuja.
Ambode decried the spate of robberies in Lagos State, which informed his visit to the Chief of Naval Staff.
In a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Habib Aruna, the governor said Lagos being the foremost commercial hub of the country cannot be a breeding ground for criminals.
He said his administration has resolved to evolve strategies that will frontally confront insecurity through collaborative efforts of the government, private sector and security agencies.
Vice-Admiral Jibrin thanked the government for the harmonious working relationship with the Navy and promised that the service would assist the government in any capacity.
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Lagos warns against public smoking, noise pollution
In its resolve to end public smoking and noise pollution, the Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA), has strengthened its public sensitisation/awareness campaign to Computer Village in Ikeja, the capital city of the state.
The campaign entitled “Sensitisation Programme on what the Law says on Public Smoking and Noise Pollution in Lagos”, attracted many people who were eager to be educated on issues of environment.
Speaking at the event, the General Manager of the agency, Mr. Rasheed Shabi, said the awareness had become necessary as it had been discovered that thousands of people have contracted several hazardous and life-threatnening diseases through smoking, noise pollution and fumes from power generating sets.
According to Mr Shabi, environment is polluted when there are different types and levels of unwanted noise as a result of human activities or natural occurrences.
This, he said, easily damages psychological health, causing hypertension, high stress levels, hearing loss, sleep disturbances and other harmful effects.
According to the LASEPA chief, noise comes from vehicles, aircraft, power generating sets, loudspeakers of churches and mosques, music vendors (record sellers), commercial noise from clubs, bars, houses, construction noise, neighbourhood noise and parties, fireworks, crusades, promotional adverts (vendors of telephone, computer and accessories, among others.
According to him, they have different degrees of impact on the environment. Such impact can be evaluated based on the degree of disturbance and effect on ear drums of individuals within the environment.
Mr Shabi said the acceptable limit of noise in residential area is 55dB during the day and 45dB at night. Unfortunately, noise level reaches as high as 90dB and beyond in residential quarters. This value is not only unbearable but kills.
According to him, noise pollution is common among the religious houses, namely churches, mosques and other worship centres, garages, markets, record sellers, telephone and computer vendors. The implication of which is high level of noise emanating from loud speakers and other activities.
He said: “The permissible noise limit within the mixed dwelling area such as the computer village should not ordinarily exceed 65dB during the day, but this has, in recent times, been recorded to be as high as 100dB and above, which has already above the permissible noise limit for that environment.
“Religious bodies that are expected to address their congregation only, equally place speakers outside to call the attention of neighbouring residents and passers-by.”
The awareness/enlightenment campaign, according to the LASEPA chief, aimed at educating telephone vendors, computer products and accessories dealers on the need to avoid public disturbances while carrying out their businesses.
•A Street in Computer Village, Ikeja He also said the religious houses both within and outside the Computer Village are guided by these regulations put together by the state government and the stakeholders; that no externally placed horn speakers should be mounted on buildings and these include churches and mosques.
He advised that noise generating activities and worship centres should be constructed with acoustic materials to shield noise and ensure its control. These activities should not be held under shanties, canopies and uncompleted buildings to curtail noise, he added.
He reeled off some effects of noise pollutions to include stress-related illnesses, speech interference, hearing loss, sleep disruption or disorder, reduced productivity, high blood pressure and sudden death.
Health effect of noise, as he said, include anxiety and stress reaction and in extreme cases fright. The psychological manifestations are headaches, irritability and nervousness, feeling of fatigue and decrease in work efficiency.
Mr Shabi warned telephones vendors, computers and accessories dealers to ensure that noise generated within the Computer Village is within the acceptable limits of the state government, adding that openly displayed loud speakers, blaring noise are not permitted.
Occasional open shows/display by manufacturers or vendors to promote new products is not allowed without the necessary permits and must be done under control/regulations stipulated by the agency to ensure that noise generated is within the permissible noise limit.
•Some of the working generating sets He urged traders at the Computer Village to zone and buy a bigger generating plant, even gas plant and have agreement when and how to be on and off.
He further warned the religious leaders to stop using residential and uncompleted buildings as worship centres. Makeshift structures, shops, garages, flats, corridors and passages within tenements also are not to be used as worship centres.
Mr Shabi noted that open air crusades by religious organisations are not allowed without the necessary noise permit from the state government. External speakers are not allowed. All speakers are expected to be placed inside the churches or mosques to generate minimal noise that can address only the congregation.
The LASEPA boss said it has been bound by the law of the Lagos State that all monthly night vigils and weekly services that exceeded 7:00 p.m. shall be held without the use of musical instrument if the church is not fully enclosed.
The chairman of Computer Village Community Development Association (CDA), Mr Adeniyi Olasoji thanked the agency for the sensitisation and awareness.
He pledged the community’s support for the agency to ensure that noise pollution and the misuse of louds peakers within the community is eradicated.
Mr Adeniyi promised to constantly monitor noise pollution within the community and report unyielding company to the agency for further action.
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Policemen detained for shooting at bus
THERE was panic in Ilupeju, Lagos yesterday as policemen shot at a passenger-laden commercial bus.
The policemen are being detained at Ilupeju Police Station on the order of Lagos Command spokesman Kenneth Nwosu, a Deputy Superintendent (DSP). Nwosu told our reporter last night that what the policemen did was wrong.
The policemen pursued the bus from Ikorodu Road into Adegboyega Street in Ilupeju, shooting, as passersby and residents running for cover.
They fired at the Oyingbo-bound vehicle, with number-plate KRD 516 XF when the driver allegedly refused to stop as ordered. The bullets hit the front tyre which got burst while the bus was on motion.
The incident happened at 9am on the one-lane Coker Road in Ilupeju in Odi Olowo-Ojuwoye Local Council Development Area (LCDA). The bus was carrying traders who went to buy food stuff at Mile 12 Market in Ketu.
When the driver eventually stopped in front of a church on Adegboyega Street, four policemen, riding in a pick-up marked, “Police Ilupeju Division” with number-plate MUS 04 AW, descended on the driver and his conductor, with the butts of their rifles.
The passengers fled the scene to avoid being beaten by the policemen, who also used the sharp ends of their guns to deflate the bus remaining tyres. It took the residents’ intervention to rescue the driver from the policemen.
Tempers rose when the residents demanded to know the offence of the driver, who was identified as Fatai Olatunji. The policemen tried to whisk him away, but residents resisted the move. The officers were also prevented from towing the bus to their station. Hot arguments ensued between the residents and the policemen, which almost led to confrontation.
Afraid of being attacked by the mob, one of the officers, Adams Ajih with Force Number 358918, called their station, claiming that the driver attempted to kill them.
Speaking to our reporter, Ajih said: “The commercial bus driver took the wrong lane and faced the police vehicle. We tried to stop him but he fled. This is why we chased the bus. But, it is not true that we fired shots at the vehicle. Rather, the driver attempted to kill us by driving on our lane.”
When our reporter told the policemen that Coker Road is one-lane, Ajih insisted that the driver was driving on “one-way road”.
Olatunji denied taking one-way, alleging that the policemen attempted to extort money from him.
Olatunji said: “I was coming from Ketu and passed through Ilupeju to avoid the traffic gridlock on Ikorodu Road. As I drove on Coker Road, I discovered a vehicle had broken down on the road. I moved to negotiate to the opposite lane to avoid the faulty vehicle and rejoin the lane in the front; then, I saw the police pick-up coming from the opposite direction.
“I moved back a bit to allow the policemen go, since they have the right of way. But, they asked me to stop. I asked what my offence was, but they could not mention anything.
“One of them came down and broke my side mirror. Another officer also shot at the vehicle, which made me drive away from the scene. The policemen made a turn and ran after my bus. I later found out the front tyre had burst after being hit by bullets.”
A passenger, who gave his name as Taofeek, said the passengers were terrified by the policemen’s action.
As the mob grew, the policemen left, saying they were going to get a towing-vehicle to remove the bus from the road. They did not return.
Another officer identified in the police vehicle is Monday with Force Number 362282.
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REVEALED: Cause of fire at Ile-epo oja
The cause of the fire outbreak at Ile-epo oja, Abule Egba are of Lagos state that consumed many shops over the weekend has been discovered.The inferno which reportedly started at about 9pm was blamed on careless handling of generators.It was gathered that one of the shop owners put off the generator and carried it inside without allowing the heat to reduce and then kept a carton on it before leaving for home.Reports further claimed that the carton containing seasonings melted due to the hotness of the generator resulting in the fire that razed no fewer than four shops.Eyewitnesses reported that one of the miscreants (area boys) hanging around saw the fire and informed another shop owner, Segun who sells cassette at the other section of the building.Segun was said have notified the Agege fire station immediately who came but were unable to immediately put the fire under control.Thus, the Agege fire station contacted Alausa fire service station who eventually came to help.Owner of one of the affected shops, who sells cooking utensils and household items, was said to have brought in new goods on Friday before the fire incident of Saturday. Her shop was completely razed by the inferno.An old man whose shop was also razed said: “This is my only means of livelihood. I also send my two children to school from what I make here.”He also sells household wares and cooking utensils.
It was discovered that many Northerners who trade nearby rushed to offer help as the fire stated. They broke into some shops as part of efforts to savage a few of the goods as they could.When The Nation arrived the scene, some men were seen tiding up the shops. -
Lagos Speaker consoles Mamora
Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly Mudashiru Obasa has condoled with a former Speaker of the Assembly, Senator Olorunnimbe Mamora, on the death of his mother.
Mrs. Elizabeth Mamora died on June 17. She was 93.
Obasa described the late Mrs. Mamora as a woman of virtue, who inculcated in her children godliness, hardwork and honesty as exemplified by the qualities of the former Speaker.
“No matter how old one’s parent is at the point of death, one will still mourn because nobody can play the role parents play in the life of their children and that is why at this sober period, we have to sympathise with our own Senator Mamora and the entire family on the loss of mama.
“For the Mamora family, it is better to celebrate mama’s life rather than mourn her because she had led a good and fruitful life as exemplified in the children she left behind,” Obasa said.
He said: “Mama was a good Christian mother ,who taught all her children how to live in the way of the Lord and strive to excel.”
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Fed Govt plans increase of gas supply to Lagos
The Federal Govern-ment is working to make up the natural gas supply shortfall of 400 million standard cubic feet per day (mscf/d) to the Lagos axis for power plants and other industrial concerns before the end of this year, it was learnt.
The Group Executive Director, Gas and Power, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Dr David Ige, told The Nation that the state-run oil firm is working hard to ensure that the gas supply gap is completely closed before end of August to improve power supply.
He said the Escravos-Lagos Pipeline Project is expected to be completed within that period, which will significantly boost supply to the Lagos axis. He also noted that pricing issue is no longer responsible for inadequate gas supply for domestic usage including the power plants as the current domestic gas price is competitive.
He said: “We are making a lot of progress in terms of constructions on both the East and West pipelines. We expect that by December next year, we would have the mechanical completion of the pipeline and by early 2017, we will start to flow gas through them.
“Lagos pipeline is almost completed, we expect that between now and end of August that project would have been completed. We have completed and inaugurated Lagos to Oben, completed Emure to Itoki and the bit that remains now is from the Benin end to Emure and that is progressing very well. The expectation is that before end of August this year, the Escravos-Lagos Pipeline would have been completed and would have doubled the capacity of the pipeline to two billion standard cubic feet per day (bscf/d) of gas. That volume will make it the biggest pipeline in Africa.
“On the Eastern side, we have gas. For example, we have gas at Gbarain-Ubie power plant in Bayelsa State, which we hope to commission shortly, we have gas at Omoku in Rivers State, which is awaiting the power plant and we have gas at Egbema in Imo State. The gas supply to the power sector was over Ibscf/d and we expect that by the end of this year, we will make significant increase in that.
“Cumulatively, we produce 2bscf/d and some of the gas we have available is probably stranded may be because some of the power plants are not ready. Over the next couple of months, we will see a bit of increase in gas supply. However, not all these gas volumes are in active generation today. It is either the power plant is not ready or the power evacuation is not ready.”
Ige also said contrary to reports, pricing is no more responsible for lack of gas supply. He noted that the challenge is that gas consumers don’t pay for the gas they take; hence the gas debt was so huge at a time that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) had to intervene.
He said: “I’m not sure gas pricing is an issue for producers and consumers because gas price has been increased to export price in Nigeria. The issue today is not pricing really. What has remained a challenge in Nigeria is the mounting debt because the gas price is not being paid by the consumers at the rate they supposed to pay. A couple of months ago, the CBN put a programme in place to extinguish some of the legacy debts. But we will ensure that the new volumes that are being supplied are actually being paid by the end consumers through power operators back to gas suppliers. I believe that right now the issue is not the price; it is the collection and the payment. Our price now is at par with that of Henry Hub.”
