The Nation Newspaper

Tag: lagos

  • Lagos enjoins stakeholders to maintain professionalism

    Lagos enjoins stakeholders to maintain professionalism

    Lagos State Commissioner for Tertiary Education, Mr. Tolani Sule, has reiterated the state government’s commitment to ensure that quality service is provided for the citizens that patronise tutorial centres.

    Sule, who said this at the 2023 Stakeholders Forum on Continuing Education and Tutorial Centres, added that the purpose was to ensure standards were met in the education sector.

    Urging stakeholders to maintain a high level of professionalism and standards at their centres, Sule said the government would provide support to ensure growth at each centre.

    He said the government would create an enabling environment that would encourage more collaborations for the development of continuing education.

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    Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Tertiary Education, Adeniran Kasali, said the growth in education space was occasioned by the initiatives introduced by the Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu administration’s theme plus agenda.

    The Director, Lagos State Agency for Mass Education, Mrs. Oluwakemi Kalesanwo, urged the stakeholders to contribute positively, brainstorm on ways to surmount the challenges and create ways and manners to move literacy forward.

  • We’re committed to transparency, says Lagos Procurement agency

    We’re committed to transparency, says Lagos Procurement agency

    The Lagos State Public Procurement Agency has restated its commitment to transparency, accuracy and accountability in all government transactions.

     Its Director-General Fatai Onafowote said the agency is statute-barred to operate as mandated by the Lagos State Public Procurement Law.

     Onafowote spoke in statement  to clear the air on certain information posted on the agency’s website.

     He noted that the information had been misinterpreted due to misunderstandings arising from a lack of clarity, which according to him, had triggered unintended misinterpretations of the information.

     The statement reads: “We regret that specific details, particularly concerning the descriptions of government dealings, may have inadvertently led to confusion, impacting both governmental entities and corporate partners providing services to the state.

     “This arose largely from the lack of detailed descriptions in the project information, which has inadvertently led to confusion in the public space.

    “We empathize with public concerns and extend our sincere apologies for any distress caused. It’s never our intent to cast doubt or cause misunderstandings that might tarnish the reputation of respected individuals and organisations involved in these transactions.

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     “To address these concerns thoroughly, the agency has taken immediate steps. Line-by-line explanations of the contracts in question are attached herewith, aiming to provide absolute clarity and dispel any lingering misconceptions.”

     “The agency will continue to improve its internal processes and communication methods as our commitment as a government is to offer clearer and more accessible information to the public.

     “It is pivotal to stress that the agency’s autonomy exists to ensure fairness and transparency, not to cause confusion or discredit any involved parties.

    “We therefore assure the public of our unwavering dedication to upholding the highest standards of integrity in all our operations. Looking ahead, we pledge our continued commitment to consistently and accurately report all government transactions in the state. 

    “Our unwavering commitment remains to elevate the standard of living and enhancing the quality of life for the people of Lagos. Rest assured, this commitment will always take precedence.”

  • Lagos implements Executive Order on Safeguarding, Child Protection    

    Lagos implements Executive Order on Safeguarding, Child Protection    

    • By Joshua Uche

    Lagos State Government through the Joint Task Force  on Implementation of the Executive Order on Safeguarding and Child Protection has commenced monitoring and assessment across the six Education Districts in the state. 

    The members of the Joint Task Force  comprised top level representatives of the Office of Education Quality Assurance (OEQA), Ministry of Education, Ministry of Youth and Social Development, Lagos State Safety Commission, State Universal Basic Education Board, Child Protection Network and Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency (DSVA).

     According to the Executive Secretary of the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency, Mrs. Titilola Vivour-Adeniyi, the monitoring exercise which began on October 31 at the Lagos City College, Sabo-Yaba has so far engaged over 200 schools in Education Districts 4 and 5, whilst over 90 schools have been visited to ascertain and measure  compliance in these districts.

     On the spot assessments were conducted at the schools to confirm the practical implementation of the policy and identify strengths and areas for improvement.

    While speaking at the engagement, representative of the Office of Education Quality Assurance, Mr. Kamaldeen Akodu elaborated on the need for schools to put precautionary measures in place to ensure a safe learning environment.

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    Similarly, representative of the Ministry of Youth and Social Development, Mr. Jubril Yakub informed school administrators of the essence of the exercise, highlighting the fact that it is not punitive in nature rather corrective. He further explained the reporting procedures to be adopted in schools.

    Representative of the Lagos State Safety Commission, Mrs. Ajoke Oshokoya emphasised on the importance of having safety measures in schools.

    According to her, certain security measures such as having security personnel, safety equipments, conducting safety training, well maintained facilities for a hazard free environment,  are expected to be put in place to ensure the general well-being and security of students, staff and visitors.

    It would be recalled that the State Government in December, 2016 ratified the Executive Order (NO.E0/AA08 of 2016) establishing the Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy.     The policy is to be mandatorily adopted by all child centred institutions to ensure that the rights of children in their care are safeguarded and adequately protected even as clear cut protocols for handling reports and disclosures of abuse are clearly defined.

    The ultimate aim of the monitoring exercise is to ascertain the level of adoption and implementation of the Executive Order across all Six Education Districts in Lagos State.

  • Lagos upgrades revenue collection for hospitality sector

    Lagos upgrades revenue collection for hospitality sector

    The Lagos State Internal Revenue Service (LIRS) has deployed an upgraded process for the collection of Hotel Occupancy and Restaurants Consumption Tax (HORCT) in Lagos State.

     The Executive Chairman of the LIRS, Ayodele Subair, in a public notice directed at members of the public, operators and owners of hotels, event centres, restaurants, bars, and other related facilities in the state said the new collection process called the Eco Fiscal System (EFS) is an automated invoicing solution, designed to revolutionize the collection of consumption taxes in Lagos.

     He said the EFS evolution is in furtherance of LIRS’ commitment to building convenience into the payment of taxes and easing compliance with tax laws.

     “This technological advancement marks a significant leap in our continuous efforts to enhance revenue collection, streamline processes, and improve efficiency in tax administration. It simplifies compliance and improves accuracy,” he said.

     Traditionally, HORCT collection has been a tedious task for operators in the past, the manual process often led to errors, penalties and increased costs. However, with LIRS’ cutting-edge software, businesses can now automate and digitize their invoicing and collection processes.

    Built with operators in this sector in mind, EFS offers real-time online consumption tax billing, collection monitoring, and instant issuance of receipts with a unique invoice number. It also reduces compliance costs, facilitates easy administration and reconciliation for HORCT collections, and fosters transparency.

     Mr. Subair said by adopting the EFS, businesses can ensure accurate calculations, eliminating risk of mistakes associated with manual data entry. The system automatically applies relevant tax rates, saving businesses valuable time and resources. He added that the software provides secure and efficient record-keeping, simplifying audits and minimizing compliance risks.

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      “Our goal is to empower businesses with innovative solutions that enhance their operational efficiency and minimize compliance challenges. Businesses can focus on their core operations, leaving the complex task of tax compliance to our reliable and automated system,” he said.

     He enjoined all operators in the hospitality sector to adopt the Eco Fiscal System (EFS), emphasizing that operations on the system become effective immediately as Failure to comply is a contravention of the provisions in Sections 7(1), 8 and 9 of the Hotel Occupancy and Restaurant Consumption Fiscalization Regulation 2017 which attracts penalties as stipulated in Sections 11(2) of the HORC Law 2009.

     Subair reiterated that EFS is compatible with various e-commerce platforms and can seamlessly integrate with existing accounting systems, ensuring a smooth implementation process. He promised that LIRS officials would be visiting establishments in the hospitality industry, to integrate the software with existing systems and provide necessary assistance for a seamless transition to the EFS platform.

  • Don’t build on wetlands, Lagos warns developers, residents

    Don’t build on wetlands, Lagos warns developers, residents

    The Lagos state government has warned against developing the wetland bordering Magodo Phase II to prevent heavy flooding.

    The Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, gave the warning on Monday, November 20, during an inspection tour of some areas to assess the level of compliance with demolition exercises.

    Wahab warned that developing the wetland will be disastrous and detrimental to everyone.

    The Residents’ Association had petitioned the government on suspicious planned development of the wetland by the communities. But Wahab insisted that the government’s position remained that no wetland will be developed for residential or commercial purpose.

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    He said: “We had received many petitions with respect to the back-and-forth issues between the communities and residents. So today we came to see the state of the wetland. We had placed a signpost that this is a wetland and you can’t build on a wetland. But if people say they have a layout and approval, I am waiting for it.

    “We are doing this because we don’t want a repeat of what we are experiencing at Isheri-Oshun, that will be child’s play if people go ahead to build on this wetland. And we have reassured the residents that our position on wetlands remains and we shall enforce it.”

    Wahab also insisted that the buildings demolished around the Isolo/Jakande area of the state had no approvals, especially as they were on canals and totally blocked the path of water.

    He said: “People built on the canal path and closed it up 100 per cent, causing flooding when it rains, and yet abuse the government. They even sued the government in court. But two weeks ago, the matter was struck out, and we moved to demolish the structures. So today we have come to check the level of compliance so the contractor can move to the site and clear the canal path for the secondary collector.

    “None of these structures have approvals, and that is why we tell people to do a proper charting of their land, know where your land is situated, whether a commercial, residential or mixed area. Before building, there are requirements to meet beyond physical planning, you get a drainage clearance certificate from the environment ministry and we advise on the proper dimensions and location of drainages.”

    He promised that monitoring and enforcement against environmental infractions will continue because ‘our work is on the streets, not the office, and we will continue to interface with the people to ensure the right thing is done with and for the environment’.

    The commissioner was also at Ikoyi to assess the level of compliance with the 2m setback for canals, especially to distil the blocked canal which affects Dodan Barracks, resulting in flooding. He noted that efforts so far have shown some improvement, “but major work still needs to be done. So the equipment will move in this week to clean the collector approaching the lagoon.”

    Wahab was accompanied on the tour by Special Adviser on Environment Olakunle Rotimi-Akodu, Permanent Secretary Omobolaji Gaji, and other ministry officials.

  • Lagos tasks varsity auditors on transparency

    Lagos tasks varsity auditors on transparency

    The Lagos State Auditor-General, Moshood Adewuyi, has urged internal auditors of universities to key into principles of good governance, transparency and accountability for the benefit of their institutions.

    Adewuyi spoke at the 36th National Conference and Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Committee of Head of Internal Audits Departments/Units in Nigerian Universities (CHIADINU), held at the Lagos State University (LASU) Ojo. It was themed ‘Governance, Risk Management and Compliance: Issues and insights for University Internal Auditors’.

    No fewer than 120 universities were represented.

    The Auditor-General, represented by Head of Internal Audit, Lagos State Urban Renewal Agency (LASURA), Ms Olufunmilola Coker, described internal auditors as ‘indispensable in ensuring compliance with financial rules and regulations’.

    According to him, auditors are essential to growth and development of their universities, especially in situations where resources are limited and where value for money is expected.

    He said: “The role of auditors put them as ‘watchdogs or gatekeepers’, because they ensure proper documentations, examination of books and records, monitoring the use of resources in accordance with pre-determined financial plans, and safety of organisational assets.”

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    LASU Vice Chancellor, Prof. Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello, urged the internal auditors to deploy effective strategies for better resource management of their institutions.

    The VC, represented by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academics), Prof. Funsho Omobintan, said university managers need resources to tackle economic uncertainties that has strained their lean resources.

    Chairman of the Lagos State Audit Service Commission, Mrs. Oluwatoyin Adegbuji-Onikoyi, advised auditors to promote integrity and be firm in their tasks because the public relies on them for trust.

    Earlier, Director, Internal Audit LASU and National Chairman, CHIADINU, Mrs. Margaret Ogunkoya, said a well-planned Governance, Compliance and Risk (GCR) management strategy with an integrated approach was vital in helping institutions manage risk and maintain integrity.

    “Effective GCR practices can help organisations to build trust with stakeholders, enhance reputation and improve overall business performance,” she said.

  • Gbenga Adeyinka 1st extols Sanwo-Olu’s virtues as Unity Tour climaxes in Lagos

    Gbenga Adeyinka 1st extols Sanwo-Olu’s virtues as Unity Tour climaxes in Lagos

    One of Nigeria’s leading comedians Gbenga Adeyinka 1st has extolled the virtues of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu as he is set to round off his Laffmattazz South West Unity Tour in Lagos on Sunday, November 26.

     Adeyinka, who embarked on the Unity Tour in the early months of 2023 and visited five major cities across South West Nigeria, said Sanwo-Olu has become a beacon of hope for the creative industry in Nigeria with his laudable interventions.

     In a recent fireside chat with the media, the comedian, actor and master of ceremony said Governor Sanwo-Olu through the ministry of tourism, arts, and culture have supported several creatives that include entertainers in the film, music and comedy industries in the last five years without looking back.

     “It’s no-brainer that we have decided to climax the Laffmattazz train’s Unity Tour in Lagos after touring the cities in the South West that include Ibadan, Abeokuta, Ilorin, Osogbo, and Akure. Lagos can’t be compared to other states and Governor Sanwo-Olu has continued to create an enviable and conducive working atmosphere with support for entertainers to thrive in Lagos.

     “2023 will go down in history as the year where we allowed tribe and religious diversity to thrive and cause disunity amongst us because of politics. Myself and my team decided to use what we have to correct this and we set out on a Unity Tour across South West Nigeria. We ensured that entertainers with different political and religious leanings perform, entertain and preach the gospel of unity using the Laffmattazz platform and where else to round this off other than Lagos,” he said.

     Continuing, the 55-year-old actor, comedian and master of ceremony also explained why the Lagos edition of the Laffmattazz Unity Tour is tagged Lagos Again saying, “Last year, we had our first edition in Lagos after 12 years of touring the South West and we tagged it Lagos At Last and I dare say it was so successful. Lagos would always be home and we decided to round off the Unity Tour in Lagos, hence, Lagos Again.”

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     With backing from Nigeria Breweries’ Maltina, Goldberg and Ace, Adeyinka 1st noted that at least 33 entertainers are billed to thrill at the event scheduled to be held at the Balmoral Convention Centre situated in Federal Palace Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos.

     “Over the years, we have had some of the biggest names in the industry perform at different editions of Laffmattazz and the list is endless from Davido to Tiwa Savage, Teni the entertainer, D’Banj, Olamide and many more. However, for the Lagos Again edition, we will be having a potpourri of musical and comedy acts led by Tuface Idibia, Adewale Ayuba, Alibaba, Omobaba 1, and Ruggedman. We have over 25 comedians and seven music acts with a surprise act, DJ Vinnie, Magic Whizz, Carton Boys and GKB,” Adeyinka said.

     Other entertainers billed for the show, according to Adeyinka are Funnybone, Destalker, Madiba of Comedy from Benin, Bowjoint, Damola, Benjy d Joke, Bash, Koffi tha Guru, MC Ajele, Mc Lozy from Imo state, MC Danfo from Abuja, Baba Alariya, Dr Smile, Wisdom da mimic, Mc Stylo, Prince Phelar, Baba D Baba, Mecoyo, Mario, MC 90s, Lizzy Jay, MC Layor from Akure, Goroso Ekiti, Aristos Band, Ashny, the country man, real Iyke, and DJ Vinnie.

  • PHOTOS: Red Bull launches project to showcase Lagos beauty

    PHOTOS: Red Bull launches project to showcase Lagos beauty

    Red Bull launches project to showcase Lagos beauty

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  • Labour strike cripple ports, courts, schools activities in Lagos

    Labour strike cripple ports, courts, schools activities in Lagos

    The strike embarked upon by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) has paralysed activities at some business areas, schools, and other public places in Lagos state.

    Lagos courts on Wednesday, November 15, shut down in full compliance with the strike.

    The Nation reports that the last sitting of the coroner inquest into the cause of death of the late rapper, Mohbad which was adjourned to Wednesday, November 15, was stalled by the ongoing two-day-old workers’ strike as security officials at the court, refused magistrates and judiciary staff entry into the building.

    As a result, many litigants and court customers lamented the effect of the strike on judicial processes.

    A court official said that the closure of the courtroom was a result of the absolute adherence to the industrial strike action.

    The indefinite strike was called by the two unions to protest the assault of the NLC president, Joe Ajaero, and some other executives of the congress in Owerri, Imo state, on November 1, as well as the pending labour issues in the state.

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    The Nation also observed the activities around markets places like Ladipo, Agege, Oshodi/Isolo and other was devoid of the usual ‘hustling and bustling’.

    Schools (public) were not left out as pupils and students were seen returning home as they were sent away by the school authorities in the observance of the ongoing labour strike action.

    A secondary school student in the Isolo area of Lagos state explained though classes were held on Wednesday, they were, however, asked by their teachers to return home because of the ‘strike’.

    The NLC Public Relation Officer (PRO), Lagos chapter, Adejumo Ismail, who spoke to The Nation on Tuesday evening assured full compliance in the state on Wednesday, owing to the ‘level of mobilisation and sensitisation’ of their members.

    He admitted the ‘partial’ compliance on Tuesday was a result of the ‘late notice’ as the organised labour had announced a nationwide strike with its commencement from Monday midnight.

    The Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) on Tuesday, joined other affiliate unions of the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress to enforce a nationwide strike at the seaports.

    The Apapa and Tin-Can port facilities were all under lock and key as terminal operators suspended their operations. Facilities were shut against the stranded freight forwarders in total compliance with the strike action.

    A few port officials and clearing agents were seen gathered around the gate since they were unable to gain entrance into the port. Trucks were also observed to be stranded on the access roads due to their inability to enter the port.

    The APM terminal in Apapa in a notice to its clients informed that its services will be unavailable for the duration of the indefinite strike. But noted once the strike, which it said began on Monday, November 13, ends, operations will resume at the terminal.

  • BREAKING: Lagos schools send students home over NLC strike

    BREAKING: Lagos schools send students home over NLC strike

    Following directive by the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) asking workers to embark on industrial action, public schools in Lagos on Wednesday shut down operations in compliance with the directive.

    The Nation observed that students from various public primary and secondary schools were seen on the roads and streets, heading back home.

    Some other students were loitering around the school premises.

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    At a public secondary school in Mushin area of Lagos, the gate was left wide open as students were moving out of the school premises while some teachers were seen gathered under a tree, holding discussions

    A teacher, who craved anonymity, told The Nation that they complied with the directive from the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) which is an affiliate of NLC.

    NLC Public Relation Officer (PRO), Lagos chapter, Adejumo Ismail, who spoke to The Nation Tuesday evening noted that the NUT had promised to comply with the directive.

    He said: “The teachers have joined — NUT and ASUU too have joined. All the unions in the tertiary institutions have joined in solidarity.”

    Details Shortly…