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Tag: lagos

  • The new Lagos riders

    The new Lagos riders

    In Lagos State, cycling is gaining momentum according to this report by Joe Agbro Jr.

    It was a bright day, perfect for outdoor activities. And for Komolafe Ademola and two of his friends in the highbrow Allen Avenue, Ikeja area, part of enjoying the day meant taking turns to leisurely ride a bicycle in the estate grounds.

    “I love to cycle,” Ademola gushed after his turn, bustling with the energy of a contented young man. Hitherto, eyebrows would have been raised at the actions of Ademola and his friends. Except in the rural areas, In Nigeria, riding of bicycles is largely considered children’s pastime. But, that is not the situation in Lagos anymore. “It is good exercise and my two children have bikes of their own too. Atimes, instead of driving you can just go around with it. That guy (referring to one of his friends) has two cars,” Ademola said. “But he still loves riding.”

    Ademola and his friend are not alone in this new found love for cycling. Indeed, many residents are beginning to adopt cycling as not only sports but also as a means of movement. And in different parts of Lagos, young people, especially boys and men can be seen pedalling away – either in the course of work or leisure.

    For 15-year old Olakunle, a student of Oduduwa Grammar School, Mushin, riding a bike is fun. Though, he said only rides his bicycles within his Mushin residence. According to Olakunle, it is his brother who is a mechanic that uses the bicycle most of the time. “If he has a job to do somewhere,” he said, “that is what he uses to go there.”

    While Olakunle rides just for fun, to Tunde Olaoye, a graphic artist who resides in Surulere, cycling is his mode of transportation to and fro work daily. “It is very easy and cheap for me,” he said. “I don’t have to worry about hold-up or transport fare. I just get on my bike and go where I want to.”

    Indeed, on nearly every nook and cranny of the state, there is someone pedalling, even contesting the use of the road with motorists. Asked whether he worries about being knocked down by other vehicles, Olaoye offered his advice offhandedly. “Anyone who is not expert enough should not ride on busy roads.”

    Also, it seems the introduction of the Lagos State Traffic Law which banned commercial motorcycles of categories of 200CC engine capacity or less from 475 roads in the state, has increased the number of bicycles on the road.

    One of those affected is Benjamin Okpokri who works as an office assistant in Ikeja and blames his biking on the absence of commercial motorcycles popularly called Okada. “In the course of my work, I have to move around at short notice,” he said. “Because they (government) have banned Okada, I can’t do that anymore. Since there is no law against bicycles, it was decided I could be using it to move around. At first I didn’t like the idea. But, I am now enjoying it.”

    Because of this renewed interest in cycling, second-hand bikes have flooded the market, and bicycle sellers are having a field day.  Akeem, a bicycle seller at the Computer village, Ikeja said he has been enjoying huge patronage. “I used to sell only used computer parts before,” he said. “But, for the past two years, I’ve been selling bicycles and it is moving well.”

    The costs of these second-hand bicycles range from about N10, 000 to N35, 000 depending on the functionality. Also, adornments such as crash helmets are available but so at the moment, traffic law enforcement officials hardly look at that. Hence, it is a common sight to see many of the riders get on highways without the proper safeguards such as crash helmets, shin guards, and knee pads. In addition, reflective lamps, and headlights are often missing on many of the bicycles.

    The risky activities of these riders however have come to the notice of the Lagos State Safety Commission headed by Mrs. Dominga Odebunmi, the director-general. According to her, bicycling is a legal form of transportation which the Lagos state government recognises. She however that caution must be adhered to by the riders.

    “The fun must be done in a safe manner,” she said. “If anything happens to them, it’s not going to affect only them. I notice that we don’t have as many bicycles as so many other countries. But, we want to encourage that bicycle riders should make use of their personal protective equipment which is their hard hats, knee pads, chin pads, and ride not in between vehicles. They should ride where the vehicle drivers can actually see them in the mirror. And they should lower their speed. They don’t race against vehicles on the road.”

    Good advice for the riders. And while some people believe biking is just a fad, there is no doubt that it is fast catching on. And whether for work or leisure, it seems this way of getting from point A to point B is going to be around for sometime. Anyone in doubt just needs to move around Lagos to see the citizens’ growing passion towards biking.

  • Across the states 27/03/2013

    Across the states 27/03/2013

  • Police confirm abduction of Briton in Lagos

    Police confirm abduction of Briton in Lagos

    THE Police in Lagos yesterday confirmed the abduction of a Briton on highbrow Victoria Island on Saturday by suspected gunmen.

    Yesterday, a statement credited to the spokeswoman of the United States (US) Consulate in Lagos claimed that a foreigner was kidnapped at about 11pm on Saturday.

    The Commissioner of Police, Mr. Umar Manko, who confirmed the incident, identified the victim as a Briton.He said the man was abducted in front of his home by unknown gunmen as he was returning from a late night function.

    Detectives from the Special Intelligence Bureau (SIB) and the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) of the command have been deployed in all the nooks and crannies of the city and its environs in search of the abductors and the victim.

    The police commissioner said: “We have set our dragnet and we will get the kidnappers and rescue the victim. The victim is not an American; he is a Briton and we are trying all efforts to ensure that the kidnappers are arrested and brought to book.”

    Command spokesman Ngozi Braide described the victim as a businessman and a resident of Victoria Island.

    “We have started investigation of the matter and we will get the abductors soon,” she said.

    The US Consulate said on Sunday that an expatriate was kidnapped but gave no further details.

    Its (US Consulate) spokeswoman had said in a message to US nationals: “The US Consulate General in Lagos received a report that an expatriate was kidnapped on Victoria Island on Saturday, March 23 at approximately 11 pm.”

  • Lagos to provide lawyers for the indigent during weekends

    The Lagos State government has promised to provide lawyers for defendants who have cases to answer in magistrates’ courts during weekends.

    The Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Ade Ipaye, said in a statement on criminal justice administration issued in Lagos that arrangements have been made to provide counsels from the Directorate for Citizens’ Rights and Office of Public Defender (OPD) free to those who might need their services.

    Ipaye explained that the move is in furtherance of the state government’s policy of enlarging access to justice and ensuring service delivery at points of public need.

    “At least one court will be open for business on Saturday in every one of the seven Magisterial Districts of Lagos State to ensure that the machinery of justice is not concentrated in one part of the State at the expense of other locations.

    “Thus as from the commencement of this programme, there will be at least a Court sitting at each of the seven Magisterial District in Lagos. When the Courts sit on Saturdays, they have their full jurisdictional powers and can, among other things, hear matters relating to remand, bail and other non-custodial disposition.

    “You may recall in 2009, this administration enacted the Lagos State Magistrate Court Law No. 16 of 2009”, he said.

    The Justice commissioner remarked that one of the innovative provisions of the Lagos State Magistrate Court Law No. 16 of 2009 is the authorisation of at least one Magisterial Court in every magisterial District to be opened and available for business on Saturdays, adding that the rules and operational guidelines for the implementation of this provision have been issued by the Chief Judge of Lagos State, Justice A. A. Phillips.

    He said this step was especially necessitated by the need to ensure that citizens are not deprived of their liberty unjustly and that suspects who were arrested by the Police on Fridays would no longer be denied bail and made to spend the weekend in Police or Prison custody with the excuse that they can only be arraigned in Court the following Monday.

    “The Saturday sitting of Magistrate Courts in Lagos State is therefore a practical demonstration of our government’s commitment to the promotion of law and order as well as protection of fundamental rights of the citizenry” he said.

    He, therefore, enjoined the people of Lagos to take advantage of this latest development in justice delivery and to continue to partner with the state in its efforts to maintain security, law and order.

     

  • Lagos govt to build 1000 low-cost houses at Ijora/Badia, says Commissioner

    Lagos govt to build 1000 low-cost houses at Ijora/Badia, says Commissioner

    The Lagos State Government is to develop 1000 low-cost houses at Ijora/Badia, in the Apapa/Iganmu Local Council Development Area (LCDA), to replace the shanties recently demolished in the area by the state government.

    Commissioner for Environment, Mr Tunji Bello stated this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) yesterday.

    The state government had recently demolished shanties at Ijora/Badia, leading to the displacement of over 60, 000 persons in the area.

    Bello explained that the proposed housing project would alleviate the plight of residents of the area who lost their homes and properties in the demolition.

    He said the demolished shanties were not legitimate houses for which the owners could be paid compensation by the state government.

    “If they were legitimate houses or appropriately approved buildings that people were living in, the government normally pays compensation, but when you have shanties all over the place and they are cleared, there is usually no compensation.

    The Ministry of Housing has a beautiful plan for the area. The state government is planning to build over 1000 houses around there and work will soon commence on the project,” he said.

    The commissioner said that the houses would be affordable and be placed under a mortgage scheme, for easy assessment.

    “The houses are for the poor and anybody who is not poor can assess them. It is going to be under a mortgage system. It is not a thing that you must have much money before you can buy.

    “All the estates that the Lagos State Government has developed, we are putting together under a mortgage scheme, for people to be able to access them. What we are doing is to give the people the opportunity to own their own houses, even with the little money they have.

    “The payment system will be stretched out for the convenience of the buyers, for the next 20 to 25 years,’’ he said.

    Bello urged Lagos residents to take advantage of such opportunities to help the urban renewal initiatives of the state government to reduce shanties in the metropolis.

     

  • Ikuforiji, Lagos Assembly honoured

    Lagos State House of Assembly Speaker Adeyemi Ikuforiji was at the weekend honoured with the “Most Outstanding Speaker in Nigeria” award by Global Excellence magazine.

    The Lagos Assembly got the “Most Outstanding House of Assembly in Nigeria” award.

    Ikuforiji said the awards would encourage him and his colleagues to break new grounds.

    He said: “These awards are testimonies to the one you gave me last year. My colleagues and I will not rest on our oars. We view these awards as a new challenge to prove that things can be done differently and better.”

  • Lagos reopens Ladipo market, list conditions for operation

    Lagos reopens Ladipo market, list conditions for operation

    Lagos State Government has re-opened the Ladipo International auto spare parts market shut for two weeks for poor sanitation and environmental degradation.

    The market was opened on Monday following the intervention of various individuals including the Imo State Governor Owelle Rochas Okorocha and other leaders of Igbo community in the state.

    State Commissioner for Environment Mr. Tunji Bello said series of meetings were held with the leaders of the market where the terms and conditions for the market re-opening was agreed on.

    Bello who was represented by Permanent Secretary Office of Drainage Service, Mr. Muyideen Akinsanya, said the agreement reached was jointly signed by President Ladipo Central Executive Committee (LACEC), Mr. Ikechukwu Animalu, Secretary of Ladipo Central Executive Auto Dealers’ Association, Pastor Steve Paul and Chairman Mushin Local Government, Hon. Babatunde Adepitan.

    He listed the conditions to include; non-conversion of the drainage Right of Way (RoW) into trading points and mechanic workshops, non-conversion of the access roads in the market for trading activities and Non-conversion of the shops in the market for residential purposes.

    The agreement also impressed it on the traders not to dump wastes and vehicle parts into the canal and that they should maintain the general cleanliness of the market environment at all times.

    The traders were urged to ensure proper security arrangement in the market which shall be acceptable to the Government and which cost shall be borne by the traders while illegal trading activities in and around the market environment will no longer be allowed.

    Also on the agreement are “that Aguiyi Ironsi International Trade Centre shall remain closed until a resolution is reached with Mushin Local Government, while all statutory revenues, and fees shall be payable to Mushin Local Government and other relevant Government Agencies regularly.

    “That no mechanic workshop shall operate on any access roads leading to the market; while only one – side parking shall be operated by the traders.”

    Government also nullified all allocations and permit around the canal setbacks stressing that traders shall patronise Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) appointed PSP operators and pay service charges promptly, while the LACEC has been empowered to ensure compliance by all the traders in the market.

    “Failure to adhere to the stipulated conditions and agreement shall resort to the Government relocating them from the present location.” it stressed.

     

  • Lagos to demolish 2,000 houses

    The Lagos State Government is gearing up to demolish over 2,000 dilapidated houses in Adeniji Adele to make way for new structures.

    The Commissioner of Physical Planning & Urban Development, Mr. Toyin Ayinde, told The Nation that the administration is interested in the well-being of residents and will do everything to achieve it.

    On the demolished Ijora Badia, another slum in the metropolis, he said that only a fifth of the area, which is also the least resistant, has been taken over by the state.

    He said the same area was cleared by the state in 2005, but before the government could take possession, illegal occupants took it over.

    He regretted that these illegal occupants were the same people who were moved in 1973 from the site of the National Theatre Iganmu and were given a temporary occupancy of one year in Ijora Badia.

    He maintained that as far as they remained in an informal settlement, they would continuously be moved. He said the government needed to also move them to allow the contractor to move in to site and began the construction of 1,008 housing units in the site.

    On the housing model that the government intends to build, Ayinde said it is a mixture of wet and dry construction, adding that the units will be assembled at theh site.

    He said the construction would be a pilot scheme for contractors to prepare them for the units planned for Adeniji Adele on Lagos Island which would be completed in 18 months.

    On the cost of the units after completion, he refused to mention a figure, but rather insisted that there would be consideration for those who were evicted.

    The commissioner said they would be expected to pay a certain amount while the government would pay the balance.

    He blamed some non-governmental organisations for criticising the government, especially on the upgrade of slums.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • Bianca’s children sue Ojukwu’s firm, others for Lagos property

    Bianca’s children sue Ojukwu’s firm, others for Lagos property

    Two children of the late Ikemba Nnewi, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu– Afamefuna and Nwachukwu– have sued a company, Ojukwu Transport Limited, and seven others over some property located in Ikoyi and Yaba, Lagos Mainland.

    The claimants, who are infants, are suing through their mother and “next friend” Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu.

    The suit is before the Head Judge, Justice Funmilayo Atilade, of the Lagos State High Court, Igbosere.

    The other defendants are Prof Joseph Ojukwu, Engr Emmanuel Ojukwu, Lotanna Putalora Ojukwu, Dr Patrick Ojukwu, Arc Edward Ojukwu, Lota Akajiora Ojukwu and Mrs Massey Udegbe (doing business under Massey Udegbe & Company).

    The claimants sought a declaration that they are entitled to the possession and occupation of a property located on 29 Oyinkan Abayomi Drive (formerly Queens Drive), Ikoyi until the harmonisation of the management and administration of the first defendant’s assets.

    They also asked the court to declare that the threat to forcefully eject them from 29, Oyikan Abayomi Street, Ikoyi, by the defendants is illegal.

    The children urged the court to hold that they are entitled to the possession of the properties on 13, Hawksworth Road, Ikoyi (now 13, Ojora Road, Ikoyi), 32A Commercial Avenue, Yaba, 30, Gerard Road, Ikoyi, and 4, Macpherson Avenue, Ikoyi.

    They claimed that the houses were in the possession of their father from the time the properties were released from government acquisition till date.

    The claimants prayed for an order restraining the defendants either by themselves or through their agents or privies from interfering with their possession and control of 29, Oyinkan Abayomi Street, Ikoyi.

    They also urged the court to stop the defendants from interfering with their possession of the other properties.

    The claimants stated that throughout the period their father was struggling to retrieve the properties from the government, the second to seventh defendants “never played any role in the struggle nor contributed financially or otherwise to the realisation of the struggle.”

    They said while Ojukwu was alive, he lived with his household at 29, Oyikan Abayomi Drive and was in “exclusive possession” of the other houses which form the subject of the suit.

    But the defendants denied the claims, saying the children are neither directors nor creditors of Ojukwu Transport and therefore have no locus (legal right) to question the company’s activities.

    The defendants said at no point did they attempt to forcibly take possession of 29, Oyikan Abayomi Drive, Ikoyi.

    “The property belongs to the first defendant (the company). The fact is that the claimants’ mother, being greedy, felt she could hold onto the first defendant’s properties.

    “For over 12 years prior to his death, the late Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu moved to Enugu and since then had not lived at the first defendant’s property as alleged by the claimants.

    “The property became dilapidated and in a state of disrepair.

    “The first defendant challenges the claimants to show proof of any such agreement which their late father had from the first defendant for him to control and/or manage the properties of the first defendant.”

    When the case came up yesterday, counsel to the claimants, Nick Omeye, said the first to seventh defendants had served him with their statements of defence.

    The eight defendant’s lawyer, he added, served him with a memorandum of appearance yesterday morning.

    The eighth defendant’s lawyer, Ifeanyi Okumah, asked for a little time to file the statement of defence.

    The court granted him 14 days to do so.

    Counsel to first to seventh defendants George Uwechue (SAN) informed the court that he had filed a counter-affidavit and an affidavit of compliance in response to the claimants’ processes.

    Justice Atilade, who granted a prayer for extension of time, adjourned till March 19.

     

  • ‘Lagos PDP will fail in 2015’

    ‘Lagos PDP will fail in 2015’

    The Chairman of the Lagos State Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Chief Henry Ajomale, has said that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) will build on its electoral failure in the next general elections.

    He urged Nigerians to support the All Progressive Party (APC) in its bid to dislodge the party at the centre and offer a credible leadership to the country.

    Ajomale, who spoke in Lagos, said the PDP had destroyed crippled the economy and extended the national lean years.

    The party leader said that God had heard the voice of the masses who are struggling to overcome poverty, adding that they would be liberated by the APC in 2015.

    Ajomale said: “The Poverty Development Party will fizzle out. They have misused the wealth of the nation. Nigerians are tired of the PDP. That is why they are waiting to support APC in the future elections. PDP is already jittery because the masses have accepted APC. The end of the PDP is near”.

    The politician described the Jonathan Administration as a national burden, pointing out that its transformation agenda has collapsed.

    Ajomale added: “It is time for all Nigerians to support the APC to send PDP out of the Nigeria in the 2015 elections. PDP has failed Nigerians and they should be sent parking. They cannot intimidate any of us. They are just spreading lies all around.Whether they like it or not, APC has been accepted by the people and people continue to troop in everyday.

    “ People are tired of the PDP and they are ready to get involved. We must rededicate ourselves to the task of liberating ourselves from the PDP, which has destroyed our economy and increased poverty in the land”.