The Nation Newspaper

Tag: lagos

  • Atiku commiserates with Lagos governor

    •Ex-VP wishes Tinubu quick recovery

    Former Vice- President Atiku Abubakar has commiserated with Lagos State Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola on the death of his father.

    In a statement by his media office in Abuja yesterday, he said although the death of Pa Ademola Fashola was a sad development, his demise in the holy month of Ramadan was a grace from God.

    Atiku urged the Fashola family to accept the death of its patriarch in good faith.

    He said: “While it is understandable that the death of a parent is always a painful experience, I enjoin members of the Fashola family to take the death of their patriarch in the holy month of Ramadan in good faith.

    “The deceased, no doubt, has left an indelible mark as a man of honour, judging by the quality of children that survived him, and secondly, by his sterling administrative qualities in his days as the advertisement manager of the Daily Times of Nigeria Ltd.”

    Atiku noted that Governor Fashola is a shining example of how a good home can make a positive influence in the life of an individual, and by extension, in the life of a country.

    He said the dream of having a good country must start with the dream of building good homes.

    Atiku also sent wishes of quick recovery to the former Governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, on the surgery for sports injury to his knees.

    He said having been a victim of such domestic accident in the past, he would urge Tinubu to brace for the surgery and, upon recuperation, apply caution in his body fitness workouts.

    “It is a painful experience to bear an injury on one’s knees or on the ankle. It is even more painful to enter into the theatre as one advances in age. But I will urge the Asiwaju to brace for the surgery, while we wish him quick recovery,” the statement added.

     

  • Lagos lawmakers pray

    Lawmakers in the Lagos State House of Assembly have commiserated with Governor Babatunde Fashola on the demise of his father, Alhaji Ademola Fashola.

    They said the death of Governor Fashola’s father was a great loss. The legislators prayed that God should grant the governor the fortitude to bear the loss.

    Mr. Saka Fafunmi representing Ifako Ijaiye Constituency 1 said: “It is unfortunate that it happened during the Ramadan. He was a good ambassador of peace. We will miss him.

    “I did not know that he was old because of his good looks and physique. I pray that God Almighty will give Governor Fashola the fortitude to bear the loss.”

     

     

     

  • Lagos and homeless 70

    The news that the Lagos State government dumped 70 beggars of South East origin at Onitsha, Anambra State, has upset many, especially Nigerians from that part of the country. That development is unfortunate and should be decried.

    Inasmuch as Lagos faces the dire prospect of its facilities being over-run by economic migrants from other parts of the country, the solution is certainly not dumping citizens in their suspected places of origin as it was the case with these 70 beggars.

    Yet, the Lagos action and the consequent emotional angst are only mere symptoms. The real challenge is to locate the real problem; and solve it, once and for all, to avert a future recurrence. To do this however, both the Lagos State government and the aggrieved citizens must quit the emotional game.

    To start with, the ‘Onitsha 70’ was not the first case of Lagos destitute shipped back to their states. There were earlier reported cases of 160 “northern beggars”; and even Yoruba hinterland destitute sent to Oyo State.

    These were very drastic actions, no doubt. But the rational reasons that fuel it must be tackled: an economic pull that though drags virtually the whole of Nigeria to Lagos, while Lagos in return is not equipped to cope with the flood. That is the crux of the matter.

    Because Nigeria’s federation is structured on elite consumption and hardly productivity, there is little or no attempt to create economic hubs all over the country. In the absence of that, there is always the long treasure pilgrimage to Lagos.

    Lagos, to the bulk of deprived Nigerians, is the magic city that solves all economic problems. But that grand illusion to economic migrants is dire straits to the government, as it tries to manage its limited facilities, stretched to breaking point, to cope with the explosion.

    Indeed, it is a grand failure of state in which Lagos is as much a victim as the destitute it expels. Destitute streams into Lagos because of little or no opportunities in their locale, leaving their home government free of their woes. Lagos, on the other hand, picks up the extra burden when its burden is crushing enough, as it is. Meanwhile, the Federal Government, in Nigeria’s skewed federation, sits on idle funds better needed in the states to avert the migration catastrophe that Lagos faces.

    Meanwhile, when Abuja was decided on as the new federal capital, Gen. Murtala Muhammed, the then military head of state, made a firm pledge that special provision would be made for Lagos, because of its peculiar status as the nation’s economic capital. But that has been observed in the breach as even extant federal infrastructure in Lagos has progressively decayed with almost no hope of resuscitation.

    Even value-added tax, the consumption tax, the bulk of which is generated in Lagos, is redistributed with a skewed formula that prevents the state from benefiting from its own tax sweat.

    To prevent future recurrence of destitute expulsion therefore, the Nigerian federation must, as a matter of urgency, be restructured. But that is in the long run. In the short run, the country must give Lagos special funds to cope with the extra burden it carries. Also, state governments whose natives stream into Lagos must wake up to their responsibilities. It is ingenious, to say the least, to pass your due burden to a sister state and yet mount the mountain tops to scream when that sister throws back at you your original problems.

    So, a tri-partite – Lagos, Federal Government and other states – initiative is called for to think of equipping Lagos for its extra burdens, while also trying hard to reduce the influx of migrants by creating economic opportunities in other parts of the country.

     

  • ‘Supreme Court ruling on Lagos hotel binding on courts’

    THE government of Lagos State has said the ruling of the Supreme Court validating the state’s Hotel Licensing Law as amended and the Hotel Occupancy and Restaurant Consumption Law of Lagos State is binding on courts.

    The Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Ade Ipaye, who spoke in an interview at the Lagos House, Ikeja, said the Supreme Court’s decision in those two cases would supersede any pending court action.

    He added: “It is important to make it clear that if anybody pretends not to know which government should regulate tourism, then the person needs to refer to the decision of the Supreme Court in those two cases. The decision is binding on all authorities, persons and courts in Nigeria.”

    Mr. Ipaye said there were two cases determined by the Supreme Court on July 19, with one instituted by the Federal Government in the Attorney-General of the Federation versus the Attorney-General of Lagos State seeking to invalidate the Hotel Licensing Law of Lagos State as amended and the Hotel Occupancy and Restaurant Consumption Law of Lagos State.

    The other case, the commissioner added, was filed by the Attorney- General of Lagos State against the Attorney- General of the Federation and sought to invalidate the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation Act to the extent that it intruded into the jurisdiction of the states and sought a declaration from the Supreme Court that it is the House of Assembly that has the exclusive jurisdiction to legislate on tourism matters with the exception of the regulation of tourism traffic.

    Reacting to a question on whether the state would seek a reimbursement of the revenue it lost to the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC) in the past six years, the Commissioner for Tourism and Inter-Governmental Relations, Mr. Disun Holloway, said the essence of the ruling was not about the amount to be collected or that was collected.

    He went on: “It is about how we will regulate and make sure that the tourism and hospitality industry performs.

    So, it is not about the collection of funds. Government has spent a lot of money to prepare for the industry. So, without collecting money from the industry, we have spent a lot to make sure the industry runs well. It is not about reimbursement.

    “As far as we are concerned, it is about how we would take the opportunities coming up. In the rest of the world, there are some places that have conflicts. How can we redirect the tourist traffic to us? This is the essence of what we are doing.”

     

     

     

  • Lagos begins e-ticketing for BRT buses

    Lagos State Government yesterday launched the electronic ticketing (e-ticket) system for the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) buses under the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA).

    The e-ticket system enables BRT passengers to pay bus fare as low as N20 within a stipulated distance as against the fixed fare of N70 to N120.

    Governor Babatunde Fashola, who launched the e-ticket system at the BRT CMS Terminal, Marina, said it is to make the transportation system via BRT buses more efficient and fast for operators and users.

    Governor Fashola, represented by his Deputy, Mrs. Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, said users of BRT buses with the e-ticket can pay less for travel time, adding that ticketing would be made more user-friendly.

    The governor said: “We have, over the years, ensured that we have an effective and reliable transportation system on the road, water and rail. From the event of today, what we have done is to make road infrastructure attractive, reliable and efficient for those who choose to use this service, especially those at the grassroots, who will make use of this from today.

    “It will give users the opportunity to save, instead of paying N120 or N70. You can also buy a week or a month worth on your card, depending on your travel time, which is more effective and makes the process efficient and fast.”

    He added that the e-ticket system, the first in Nigeria, was a step in the right direction as government would improve its intra-model transportation system.

    Governor Fashola said: “We are looking forward to attaining a transportation system obtained in developed countries. We are developing the model befitting of a mega city.”

    The Managing Director of LAMATA, Dr. Dayo Mobereola, said the e-ticketing system is being developed not just for the BRT buses, but also for journeys on ferries and trains.

    “This e-ticketing model is to make it easier for passengers to travel at ease, making use of this system. It is equitable, simple, easy for collection and easy for the control of operators. It is attractive to the users, administrators and operators.

    “It has intra-modal abilities, which at the end of the day you can use not just for the buses, but also for ferries and trains. It has a simple pairing and sharing methodology,” he added.

     

  • ‘Lagos centre to partner training institutions’

    The Lagos State Public Service Staff Development Centre (PSSDC) will partner other training institutions, its Director-General Mrs. Olubunmi Fabamwo has said.

    She spoke while receiving a delegation from the Institute of Strategic Management of Nigeria led by its President,Dr. Otive Igbuzor, in her office.

    Mrs. Fabamwo said as the training arm of the public service, the centre is poised to equip workers with the tools needed to keep pace with the state’s focus of being Africa’s mega city.

    She said 21st century managers must be equipped with strategic planning tools to remain effective.

    The centre, according to her, has aligned its vision with that of the state and is simultaneously benchmarking its services with other training institutions in Africa to deliver on its mandate.

    The centre, Mrs. Fabamwo emphasised, is not only a training institution, but that it provides solutions for stakeholders, especially in the public service.

    She said a framework was in place to achieve its objectives, adding that 21 old courses have been reworked and 37 new ones designed to accommodate the public service.

    Igbuzor said the visit was part of activities marking the 10th anniversary of the institute.

    The institute chose to reach out to PSSDC because of the recognition of its “critical mandate of developing requisite manpower needed for the sustainable growth and development of the public service in Lagos state”, he said.

    He said the institute was proud to be associated with the centre and would be willing to collaborate with it in deepening strategic management, especially by the public sector.

     

     

  • Age falsification: NBA, others differ on Abia CJ

    Some prominent lawyers on Tuesday differed on the prosecution of Acting Chief Judge of Abia State , Justice Shadrack Nwanosike , who was found guilty of falsifying his age.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the National Judicial Council (NJC) had at its 63rd Meeting, held on July 17 and 18 recommended Nwanosike for compulsory retirement.

    The lawyers, in interviews with NAN in Lagos, unanimously commended the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Aloma Mukhtar, for her efforts in sanitising the nation’s judiciary.

    Mr. Onyekachi Ubani, Chairman, Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Ikeja branch, said the issue of a judge falsifying his age was disgraceful.

    “What the NJC is doing now is praise worthy. It shows that there is hope in this country.

    “The beauty about it is that somebody is being punished for it, which was not the case in the past.

    “However, it is not sufficient to just dismiss him, he should be prosecuted,” Ubani said.

    A lawyer and activist, Mr. Fred Agbaje , said Nwanosike’s involvement in forgery was an embarrassment to the judiciary.

    Agbaje said: “ He is the head of judges in that state and if he could be found to have falsified his age, he is not eligible to remain there a day longer.

    “Apart from asking him to just retire, the NJC should go further to prosecute him because falsification of age is a criminal offence.”

    Another lawyer, Mr Wale Ogunade, also called for the prosecution of the judge.

    “It is only in Nigeria that we attach sentiment to things. There is no one who is above the law,” he said.

     

  • 42 Boko Haram suspects arrested in Lagos, Ogun

    42 Boko Haram suspects arrested in Lagos, Ogun

    Army alleges plot to attack Southwest

    20 feared dead in Kano bombings

    Forty-two suspected Boko Haram members were paraded yesterday by the Army in Lagos.

    They were arrested in various parts of Lagos and Ogun states, after fleeing the military intervention in some parts of the North. The suspects were arrested between July 12 and 23.

    Parading the suspects at the headquarters of the 81 Division, the General Officer Commanding (GOC), Gen. Obi Umahi, said they were seized during raids done in conjunction with intelligence operatives following plans by the sect to unleash terror in parts of the Southwest.

    One of the suspects, Ibrahim Abubakar Bori, said they took part in several major operations in Borno State, where several military personnel and civilians have been killed since the insurgency started in 2009.

    “We were involved in several major operations in Maiduguri, where several security agents and civilians were killed.

    “I and some others here were recruited by Mallam Hassan Ibrahim.”

    Ibrahim, 22, admitted recruiting some of the suspects and disclosed that he went with Ibrahim Ismaili and Alhaji Black to kill a soldier and a man described as Buka.

    He said: “We rode in a tricycle and it was Alhaji Black that pulled the trigger.

    “I met both Ismaili and Alhaji Black in Lagos, while I was riding Okada. We all went to Maiduguri, where we carried out some operations.”

    However, some of the suspects denied being terrorists, alleging that they had been in Lagos for many years.

    Black, who was indicted by Ismaili, said he had been staying in Lagos for about five years, riding Okada (commercial motorcycle).

    He said the army came to Kirikiri to arrest some suspects and he was taken along with them.

    The Army said the raids were conducted at Ibafo trailer park and Ileke new trailer garage in Ogun State; Aviation Quarters at Mafoluku, Oshodi; Ketu/Mile 2 Motor Park; Orile Trailer Park; Lekki new extension and Bar Beach, which are fast becoming Boko Haram terrorist enclaves.

    Gen. Umahi said the suspects, who were arrested at various intervals, gave information that led to the arrest of others.

    The GOC reiterated security agencies’ determination to rid Nigeria of terrorists, adding that the suspects would be handed over to security agencies.

    Gen. Umahi, however, refused to disclose if weapons were recovered during the raids.

    He said: “In response to intelligence report on the influx of Boko Haram terrorist elements into Lagos and Ogun states, 81 Division headquarters organised and conducted raids with intelligence operatives in these states between July 12 and 23.

    “The Boko Haram trickling influx is adduced to their plan to unleash terror in some parts of the Southwest.

    “During interrogation, they confessed to have participated in various major terrorist attacks in the North, especially Maiduguri, where majority of the suspects fled from.

    “We are bent on ensuring that Lagos and its environs remain safe for Nigerians and will not hesitate to fish out criminals,” Gen. Umahi said.

    Security agents March 14, raided Ijora Badia, Lagos following intelligence reports, which led to the arrest of over 14 suspected Boko Haram members.

    The suspects were said to have disclosed during interrogation, their planned massive attacks on Lagos, with designated 16 landmarks slated for simultaneous bomb blasts.

    That foiled attack was the second in March. No fewer than three suspected Shiite sect members were arrested in Illorin, the Kwara State capital in February, with the allegation that they had plans to bomb Israeli and America’s interest in Lagos.

    The group allegedly planned attacks on the Lagos offices of the U.S. Agency for International Development; the Haifa-based ZIM Integrated Shipping Services Limited and the Jewish Cultural Centre.

    Also in June, the army said it arrested about 15 Boko Haram suspects at various parts of the metropolis, with most of them arrested at Ijora Badia and Kotankowa areas between February and May, who were handed over to security agencies.

    Sophisticated weapons were recovered including explosives and remote controls during the previous raids

    The vehicles that were to be used to transport the bombs to their designated places were also among other items recovered during the raid.

    When the Presidential Committee on Dialogue and Peaceful Resolution of Security, visited Lagos, it emerged that about 104 Boko Haram members arrested in the Northern part of the country, were being detained in Lagos prisons.

  • NDLEA arrests Nigerian, Cape Verdean for importing cocaine

    Officials of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a Cape Verdean in connection with the unlawful importation of 2kg of cocaine hidden in female handbags.

    The drug was detected during the inward screening of Emirate passengers at the arrival hall of the Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos.

    The 35- year old Cape Verdean, Rosangela Gomes Gonealves Correia and Olua Uguru Christopher, a 36- year old Nigerian are currently explaining their roles in the illicit import.

    NDLEA Lagos Airport Commander, Mr. Hamza Umar, said that the Cape Verdean whose statement was obtained in Portuguese has provided useful information to the anti-narcotic investigators.

    “The statement of the lady was obtained in Portuguese by a language interpreter. Both suspects are calm and cooperating with authorities in the investigation. The parcels of cocaine hidden inside the linings of the female handbags were found during search,” Hamza stated.

  • Military police arrests, releases 28 soldiers in Lagos

    Military police arrests, releases 28 soldiers in Lagos

    The Military Police on Thursday said it arrested 28 soldiers in the streets of Lagos.

    Maj. Oyegoke Badamosi, spokesman for the 9 Brigade, Nigerian Army, Ikeja Cantonment, made this known to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.

    Badamosi said the soldiers were arrested by the military police attached to “Operation Checkmate”, to curb misconduct and unauthorised movement of personnel in the city.

    He added that the operation was aimed at checkmating soldiers who go about without staying in their duty posts.

    He, however, said those arrested had been released after confirmation from their offices that they were genuine personnel.

    Badamosi said that the operation would be a daily routine and would be extended to other parts of the state to enable the military authority to continue to enforce armed forces rules on erring personnel.

    An eye-witness, who simply gave his name as Moses, told NAN that the soldiers were arrested around Onipanu and Palm Grove areas of Lagos.

    According to him, “military police arrested soldiers on Ikorodu Expressway.’’

    Another eye-witness, Ms Victoria Joseph, said motorists and pedestrians panicked during the arrest.