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  • Lagos Country Club beat Ghana’s Tesano Sports in international friendly

    Lagos Country Club beat Ghana’s Tesano Sports in international friendly

    Nigeria’s foremost family and sports club, Lagos Country Club, Ikeja, has beaten Ghana’s Tesano Sports Club in an international sports friendly.

    The International Inter-Club Sports Exchange held at Tesano Sports Club, Accra, Ghana, saw members of both clubs compete in swimming, squash, badminton, Table tennis, chess, darts, and draughts.

    The chairman of Tesano Sports Club, Patrick Arthur, while welcoming their Nigerian friends to Accra, said the club has hosted three Nigerian clubs this year

    “This year has been one of the busiest for Tesano,” he said.

    “We’ve hosted clubs from Nigeria, among them Ikoyi Club 1938 and Abeokuta Sports Club. Next year, we’ll definitely come to Nigeria. And based on what I’m seeing and experiencing, I’m sure it’s to Lagos Country Club.”

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    Responding, the President of Lagos Country Club, Seyi Adewunmi, thanked the Tesano Sports Club management for the hosting. He also extended an invitation to Tesano to attend the 75th anniversary of the Lagos Country Club.

    Harping on the essence of the friendly, Adewunmi said, “The new name for the competition is collaboration. We need to have an exchange program from time to time. Not only that, we need to work closely together to see how we can affiliate ourselves with each other. For example, our people come to Accra a lot and I’m sure your own members come to Lagos too.”

    At the end of the sports meet, participants were awarded certificates and treated to a sumptuous lunch.

  • Demolition: Lagos insists on non-selective application of law

    Demolition: Lagos insists on non-selective application of law

    The Lagos State Government yesterday insisted that it would not be selective in the application of the law in the ongoing demolition of illegal structures at Lekki phase II and environs.

    The Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, who made this clarification yesterday in Lagos, said that the state government was committed to ensuring that justice and fairness were served to all equally.

    Wahab, who was besieged by pleading occupants and owners of the fully built structures constructed on the drainage setbacks and already marked for demolition, said stopping the demolition exercise would amount to double standards.

    The commissioner added that the demolished blocks of duplexes were on the same drainage setback alignment as the ones yet to be removed.

    Read Also: Sporting Lagos: An Avenue To Modernizing Nigerian Football

    He said that the state was irrevocably committed to reclaiming its drainage setback and restoring its master plan.

    Wahab explained that it was sad that the government had to make a very difficult decision to pull down the fully built-up structures to reclaim the drainage setback for the free flow of stormwater in the area.

    He said that the owners of the structures demolished in Ikota were aware that they contravened the law.

    The commissioner said that the owners had different engagements with the ministry from 2020 when most of the structures were at foundation levels and several notices served.

    “At Ikota, the level of encroachments is just unimaginable; people have built on the canal path and we resolved that these nuisances cannot be allowed to continue; it just had to stop.’’

  • How policemen brutalised me, forcibly collected N2.6m — Lagos businessman

    How policemen brutalised me, forcibly collected N2.6m — Lagos businessman

    A Lagos-based transporter has cried out for help after some operatives of the Zone 2 Police Headquarters who allegedly arrested his trucks and drivers forcibly extorted him of over N2.5 million reports KUNLE AKINRINADE.

    Kamardeen Onikunkewu had no inkling of the fate that awaited him on August 3 when he rushed out of his home to seek the release of his drivers from the grip of policemen attached to Zone 2 headquarters, Lagos. The truck drivers were said to be on their way to deliver some goods for a food processing company when they were flagged down by the cops around the Sagamu axis of Ogun State.

    Onikunkewu, who is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Olaiya Logistics Limited, said he tried to intervene in the matter for possible release of his drivers and trucks with registration numbers BDG 227 YD and APP 730 YA when the police team assaulted and extorted him to the tune of over N2.5 million, which they forced him to transfer in various sums to some POS operators (Omolara and Kehinde and Aminat) who in turn released the money in cash to the policemen.

    He said: “On August 4, 2023, I got a call from one Kazeem who said that one Joshua gave him my contact and that he wanted to hire my trucks to deliver some goods for his employers, a food processing company, in Abuja. I knew the said Joshua was one of the leading persons that give me haulage jobs hence I accepted to deliver the goods for N750,000 but we eventually settled for N600,000.

    ”I went to the location where the goods were being loaded into the trucks and I gave my drivers and their assistants some money for their trip and left the place. I demanded an upfront payment after the goods were loaded into my trucks but I was told that I would be paid afterwards. Strangely, when my drivers gave me the waybill of the job, I saw Auchi, Delta State, and Oyo on the document.

    “While the trucks were waiting to fuel, they were again asked to proceed to Mile 2 to pick up some goods. So I asked my drivers to take the trucks back to the yard.

    Read Also; Lagos shuts Mile 12, Owode Onirin markets for environmental infractions

    “It was while they were trying to park the trucks that some policemen from Zone 2 headquarters stormed the place and arrested my drivers.” The transporter explained that when he was told that the police had intercepted his drivers and trucks, he quickly rushed to the scene and tried to introduce himself as the owner of the vehicles, but his intervention was met with severe brutality that left him with serious injuries.

    “When I went to the policemen, they came up with various reasons for arresting my drivers and trucks. First, they claimed my drivers were smoking Indian hemp, and they later said they were caught with some prostitutes.

    “They demanded that I get them some drinks before we could talk about securing freedom for my driver and trucks.

    “They said the only thing that could enable us to discuss how to prevent my drivers and trucks from being taken to their office was if I paid for the beer they bought from a woman at the filling station where my trucks were intercepted.

    “They collected my ATM and paid for the drinks.

    “Before then, they had collected my phone, and as I was about to pee at a spot near the fuelling point, they saw the balance on my bank account when the notification of the payment for their drinks was sent to my phone. They pounced on me from behind and hit me with the butt of their rifles.

    “When I asked why I was being brutalised, they further dealt me slaps and blows and threatened to demobilise me completely if I did not cooperate with them.

    “They beat me mercilessly and dragged me into their patrol vehicle in handcuffs and zoomed off to their office where they further kicked and slapped me.

    “They dragged me out of their vehicle like a criminal and meted out inhuman treatment to me. They detained me and my drivers and prevented us from reaching out to my family, having seized my phone.

    “I was abandoned in the cell at Zone 2 Police headquarters and it was not until one of the top officers went round the cell and asked questions about our continued stay that they allowed us to communicate with our family and friends on the phone.”

    Further expatiating, he said: “Not satisfied, the policemen seized my phone and forced me to open it. They scrolled through my phone and checked my transactions, and when they saw that I had about N3 million in my bank account, they invited a POS operator in their premises and forced me to transfer the money to her and subsequently took the money from her in cash.”

    “I was detained for two weeks while my drivers spent three weeks in their custody. We begged for food from people who came to see other inmates.

    “The money they forcibly collected from me was not mine. It was the proceeds of a vehicle I helped one of my associates named Dokun to sell. Only N800,000 of the total amount taken from me was mine.

    “They threatened that I must not tell anybody about what transpired otherwise they would deal with me. They later demanded the sum of N2.6 million in the presence of my lawyer. I begged them for hours but they refused.

    “The money was transferred to a female POS operator who in turn shared the cash with the policemen.

    “The company that contracted me to deliver goods has since evacuated their goods from my trucks where they were parked at Zone 2, yet the policemen have refused to release my vehicles because I could not give them the additional amount they are demanding in spite of my several visits and pleas to them.

    “Now I do not have any money to even feed my family or take care of myself because my trucks are my source of livelihood and they have not been released by the police at Zone 2.

    “They put handcuffs on me and wounded me badly and have refused to release my trucks because they are demanding additional money even after they had cleaned out my account.

    “They are contemplating charging me in court on false attempted theft. 

    “The owner of the money they collected from me has been disturbing me for his money and has even threatened to use legal means to retrieve his money while I have also been languishing in want as a result of my travails at the hands of the policemen, who are under the supervision of an Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Michael Akindipe a.k.a. Lion.”

    A document showing transactions on Onikunkewu’s UBA account sighted by our correspondent revealed that the money was taken from the date of the incident on August 4 to August 12 in various sums from his bank ranging from N100,000 to N300,000 and N1.5 million using different POS operators with the names Salisu Aminat, Omolara Folake, and Kehinde Rasaq.

    Contacted through a WhatsApp message and phone conversation, the Public Relations Officer of Zone 2 Police Headquarters Lagos, Hauwa Idri-Adamu, promised to revert to our correspondent.

    She, however, had not done so at press time.

  • Lagos govt demolishes structures on drainage channels

    Lagos govt demolishes structures on drainage channels

    • Says no room for illegality

    Demolition of illegal structures and shanties on setbacks and drainage channels began yesterday at Ikota and Gedegede communities in Lekki Phase 2 of Lagos State.

    This followed the expiration of contravention notices served on the property owners.

    Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, said the demolition underscored the seriousness of the Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu administration about law and order restoration.

    Wahab, represented by the Director of Drainage Enforcement and Compliance, Mahmood Adegbite, said the state started serving contravention notices on the property owners since 2000 when the structures were at the foundation level.

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    “They were, however, recalcitrant and rebuffed all measures suggested by the government to prevent flooding. They sand-filled the setback of the channel, preparatory to building more structures,” he said.

    He added: “We cannot write the story of Lagos without the unfortunate incidence of flash flooding. We all know that flooding is caused by natural forces, as well anthropogenic factors, one of which is building on flood plains and right of way of drainages.

    “One of the major buildings demolished today was at the foundation level in 2000 when the owner was told that the building was constructed within the drainage right of way.

    “The approved right of way is 15 metres, but due to the area’s high density, it was reduced to 10 metres. But property owners here built on the right of way, and still obstructed the water carriage way from 15 metres to three metres.

    “The drainage channel in question is about four kilometres. So, after this demolition, the maintenance crew will dredge and widen the canal’s width.”

    Wahab advised aspiring and property owners to cooperate with the government and seek information before embarking on any building project, “to avert issues like this.”

    “Few people cannot be allowed to cause hardship for the majority. We also received petitions about these unwholesome activities that bother on impunity and we had to act decisively. This should serve as a warning to others who have done similar things at other locations. They should know their actions have consequences at the end of the day,” he said.

  • Reforming Lagos Scholarship Board for better efficiency

    Reforming Lagos Scholarship Board for better efficiency

    The Lagos State Scholarship Board, in the last one year, has been working to achieve greater efficiency through a number of reforms, OYEBOLA OWOLABI reports

    Established in 1968, the Lagos State Scholarship Board has been steadily fulfilling its mandate of awarding scholarship and bursary to indigenes of Lagos State in tertiary institutions across the country. The board, currently led by Abdur-Rahman Lekki, is, however, working to achieve greater efficiency in its functions, especially to conform to the THEMES+ Agenda of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.

     Data and documentation

    On documentation, the board sought to do things differently, especially since Lekki’s appointment in July 2022. The first step was to ensure proper documentation of beneficiaries’ data. 

    “It was difficult because we didn’t have enough, though we had a list of beneficiaries. But, today, we can boast of data of any demography of our beneficiaries. We have everything that will help us make informed decisions and curb fraud because no one person has the same identifiers, such as matric number, LASRRA number, e.t.c. We have every unique identifier for every beneficiary,” Lekki said.

     Automation of Administration

    The board is also automating its administration to simplify the application process, ensure transparency, and curb revenue loss. Before now, it was a herculean process from registration to verification. Students in and outside Lagos came to the board’s office to obtain the form, and staff members travelled to schools outside the state for verification. This tedious process also resulted in revenue loss.

    But, today, the process has become simpler and done in lesser time. Everything from application to verification is done online. And it has curbed revenue loss since the application fee now goes directly into the government’s TSA account.

    “We have got government’s approval to automate the entire scholarship/bursary administration. We also understand we might not be able to deliver everything at once, so it will be done in phases. But we have fully digitised the application process end to end. Hopefully, before mid-next year, we would have completed the whole process. This has helped to curb revenue loss, and save time because everything is done online and payment is made to the government’s TSA account. Before now, the students had to come to our office, obtain a teller, pay in the bank and return to verify the payment, after which the form is collected and returned to us. But this has changed now and everything now happens online,” he said.

    Before now also, students had to travel to Lagos or a member of staff travel to their school to verify their status. But the automation has changed this.

    Read Also: Lagos govt to increase Blue Line trips to 54 from Monday

    “We introduced the virtual verification where students outside Lagos connect with us through zoom and everyone is attended to. This helps our system to have some level of integrity. Before now, verification entailed students bringing their results to our office, but we understand how easy it is to manipulate things. So, now, verification is done by the schools directly. We write to the schools to send us a list of their students. This has helped to fish out those who graduated already and those who are not even students.

    “In fact, some schools have told us they are API ready once we complete our automation process. This means that verification will be done directly on the system because our system will be connected to that of the institution. Once a student applies online, the system sends the information to the institution which then sends a confirmation to us, this is the level we want to go with our automation. The Lagos State University (LASU) has expressed readiness for this. With this, applicants can know if they qualify or not in one week because all of those processes will be done seamlessly,” Lekki added.

     Partnership and Assessment

    The board, to further make its administration more transparent, established the Partnership and Assessment Department. This department now handles student verification, and is also in charge of building partnerships with the private sector and non-governmental organisations. Now, the board has three approved technical departments – Scholarship, Bursary, Partnership and Assessment departments.

    “Before now, we had the Scholarship and Bursary departments separate and each processes the application it receives, up to the four levels of verification required – indigeneship, studentship, academic status and assessment, before the final approval. But we decided to separate the verification levels by creating the Partnership and Assessment Department to screen, assess and verify the applications. This was done to make the process tidier, separate functions and powers, and ensure credibility. The department has been fully approved by the Office of the Head of Service.

    “The department is also in charge of building partnerships with the private sector and non-governmental organisations. We are doing this because we know the budget is not enough to take us anywhere. Our budget for 2022 was N1.95 billion, and that is paltry if we actually hope to get something meaningful out of education funding. That is why we decided to create a structure that will relate more with the private sector,” Lekki added.

    Foreign scholarship support

    Though the government has since suspended foreign scholarships, the board continues to use its network and partnerships to help students get funded foreign scholarships.

    According to Lekki, it is still to government’s accolade if its indigenes get opportunities to study abroad, especially programmes and courses not offered in Nigerian institutions.

    Lekki said: “We found out that there exist so many funded admissions outside the country, in fact in billions of dollars, so the board thought of how to help our students benefit from this. We might not fund, but we can find a way to facilitate them, especially for some special courses. So we partnered with a foreign NGO that helps to facilitate foreign scholarships. The NGO pays every kobo required up to the visa level, supports on mentoring and how to identify universities that offer applicant’s preferred course and the funding. It also guides on how to write Statement of Purpose (SOP). Once the visa is obtained, the funded scholarship programme takes over, pays for the return trip and every other thing. And from statistics, they have about between 90 to 95 per cent conversion rates, meaning that when they present 100 students for admission; between 90 and 95 students get it.

    “In their last application cycle, about 1,500 Nigerians applied; 200 were screened, but they could only fund 70 because of their budget. Of the 70, four were Lagosians.”

    Looking forward: Social inclusion

    Despite the low funding however, the Board is looking to give greater inclusion to persons with disabilities and the overtly poor. According to Lekki, the Board intends to create a special scholarship category for students with disabilities, the vulnerable and multi-dimensionally poor. This, the Executive Secretary said, is to further support and encourage them to strive for more.

    Lekki added that many of the requirements to qualify for scholarship will be relaxed for them as well. For instance, qualifying for a scholarship requires a First Class or a minimum of Second Class Upper (2.1), but this will not be necessary for the special scholarship category.

    He said: “We are working in line with the THEMES+ agenda of social inclusion, so we have come up with a special scholarship for people with disabilities and the multi-dimensionally poor and vulnerable. We have sent this to the Ministry of Economic Planning and Budget (MEPB) and, hopefully, there will be budgetary allocation for it this year.

    “This means that these set of people will get special scholarships to support them because some of them don’t even have money to obtain the form for scholarship, they may even not know when the application process begins. So we created this category to help them. We have also fashioned out a way to identify them through the social register domiciled with the MEPB. And if possible, we will visit their homes.

    “We are also working with the Office of Disability Affairs to ensure this succeeds. We will also be relaxing many of our requirements for qualification. For instance, you must have a First Class or 2.1 to qualify for scholarship. But for persons with disabilities and the poor, it will be relaxed. This is because poverty may impede someone’s intellectual capacity. There are also many other reasons why these persons may not make a 2.1, for instance access to classrooms. Not because they are not brilliant, but sometimes because of the conditions they found themselves. So, we’ll deliberately relax those rules to encourage them.”

    The board is also considering setting up a loan’s board to allow students benefit more from education funding.

    “Funding is the major problem of higher institutions is funding, so if loans are available, it will be a veritable opportunity for the poor. We are still working on it because the law has not been promulgated, but at least it’s an idea that we are considering.

    “We hope to offer interest-free loans where students will pay at their convenience, for say 10 years or more. Benefitting from the loan will, however, be conditioned upon whether you have a job or not, as well a certain limit of income per month. We are still working on the details, with the state’s Law Reforms Commission to see how to review the laws to accommodate all of that,” Lekki added.

  • Lagos govt to increase Blue Line trips to 54 from Monday

    Lagos govt to increase Blue Line trips to 54 from Monday

    • Route to be shut Saturday, Sunday for electricity switch over

    Beginning from Monday, October 16, Lagos State Government will increase the train trips from 12 to 54.

    Ahead of the increase in trips, train services will run on morning peak only on Saturday, while there will be no service from Saturday afternoon and the whole of Sunday, October 15, to allow the complete change over to electricity.

    It is expected that by next Monday, the tracks would have been energised, (i.e begin to run on the electricity as projected), thus allowing for the deployment of additional train sets for daily passenger operations.

    The train trips are expected to hit 74 before the end of next month in line with the laid down projections by the Lagos Rail Mass Transit (LRMT) Blue Line (Marina to Mile 2).

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    The Managing Director of Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA), Mrs. Abimbola Akinajo, an engineer; said in a statement: “We need to shut down train operations while the switch over to electricity is on, for passenger safety and to ensure the test is carried out in a safe manner.

    “The practice worldwide is to suspend passenger operations whenever a huge change such as the one we want to carry out over the weekend is to take place. The switch will allow us to introduce more trips and carry more passengers.”

    It will be recalled that passenger operation of the first phase of the Lagos Rail Mass Transit (LRMT) Blue Line was launched by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on September 4, and has to date moved over 80,000 passengers.

    It is projected that movement between Marina and Mile 2 in the coming months will surpass 150,000 passengers daily.

  • Lagos demolishes illegal structures, shanties in Lekki 2

    Lagos demolishes illegal structures, shanties in Lekki 2

    The demolition of illegal structures and shanties on setbacks and drainage channels started on Wednesday, October 11, at Ikota and Gedegede communities in Lekki Phase 2 of Lagos State.

    This followed the expiration of several contravention notices served on the property owners.

    The commissioner for the environment and water resources, Tokunbo Wahab, said the demolition underscored the seriousness of the Sanwo-Olu administration about law and order restoration.

    Wahab, who was represented by the director of drainage of enforcement and compliance, Mahmood Adegbite, said the state started serving contravention notices on the property owners in 2000 when all the structures were at foundation levels.

    He said: “They however proved recalcitrant and rebuffed all measures suggested by the government to prevent flooding, sandfilled the setback of the channel preparatory to constructing more structures.

    “We cannot write the story of Lagos without the unfortunate incident of flash flooding. We all know that flooding is caused by natural forces, as well as anthropogenic factors, one of which is building on flood plains and the Right of Way of drainages.

    Read Also: Lagos stops construction on illegal jetties

    “One of the major buildings demolished today was at the foundation level in the year 2000 when the owner was told that the building was constructed within the drainage right of way.

    “The approved right of way is 15 metres but due to the area’s high density, it was reduced to 10 metres. However, property owners here built on the right of way and still obstructed the water carriageway from 15 meters to 3 metres.

    “The drainage channel in question is about four kilometres, and so after this demolition, the maintenance crew would dredge and widen the canal’s width.”

    Wahab advised aspiring property owners to cooperate with the government and seek information before embarking on any building project to avert issues like this.

    He added: “Few people cannot be allowed to cause hardship to the majority. We also received petitions about these unwholesome activities that bother on impunity and we had to act decisively. This should serve as a warning to others who have done similar things at other locations; they should know their actions have consequences at the end of the day.”

  • Lagos begins crackdown on unregistered vehicles

    Lagos begins crackdown on unregistered vehicles

    • 200 vehicles impounded in 48 hours

    The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) has begun a crackdown on unregistered and unpainted vehicles within the metropolis.

    Over 200 vehicles have been impounded in less than 48 hours, Special Adviser to the governor on Transportation, Sola Giwa, said.

    Giwa, in a statement yesterday, said unregistered vehicles pose a significant risk to road safety and security, ‘as they often bypass necessary inspections and regulations, and also jeopardise their roadworthiness’. He noted that the exercise is to rectify this anomaly by ensuring that all vehicles on Lagos roads comply with the necessary registration and licensing requirements.

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    The special adviser hinted that enforcement operation revealed that certain transport companies around CMS, Obalende, Ajah, and Ojo Cantonment corridors have been operating without proper documentation, stressing that the government will hold such companies accountable for their actions. “Transport companies found to be operating without the appropriate documentation will face legal consequences,” he insisted.

    Giwa reiterated that impounded vehicles will not be released until they are duly registered and have met all necessary safety standards. He however reiterated the government’s commitment to improving road safety and ensuring that transport operators adhere to the necessary regulations.

    He added that the ongoing crackdown is part of efforts to create safer and more efficient transportation systems in Lagos State.

  • SGBV: Lagos’ two-year scorecard

    SGBV: Lagos’ two-year scorecard

    To mark the 2023 Domestic and Sexual Violence Awareness month, celebrated every September, OYEBOLA OWOLABI examines some achievements of the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency (DSVA) in its two years of existence.

    Sexual and domestic violence may not be totally eradicated, but it can, in the least, be reduced to the barest minimum. This is what the Lagos State Sexual and Domestic Violence Agency aims to achieve through its various programmes and avenues set up to help survivors seek redress and punish offenders.

    Executive Secretary of the agency, Mrs. Titilola Vivour-Adeniyi, said the agency is posed to helping survivors regain their confidence, re-integrate them into the society and continue in its enlightenment campaigns to ensure the message reaches the innermost part of the metropolis.

    The agency has also adopted certain measures to achieve this mandate. 

    Education

    In conjunction with the Ministry of Education, The Lagos DSVA was able to mainstream prevention and response into the education sector through behavioural mindset programmes. The Kings and Queens Club was borne out of this.

    The Kings’ Club, with over 2,223 members, was established to engage boys from an early age on issues of sexual and reproductive rights, health, sexual and Gender Based Violence, promoting positive masculinity, gender equality and equity, SDG5, relationship with the other sex, anger management and transitioning from boy to man. The Queens’ Club has also been instrumental in engaging female secondary school pupils on same issues, including their raison d’être, femininity, gender equality and equity, SDG5, relationship with the other sex, grit, tenacity and resilience. And from the 330 girls initially inducted by the governor’s wife, the club can now boast of over 2,230 Queens, a laudable testament of the initiative’s impact and sustainability.

    The agency also developed and launched ‘My Passport of Rights’, a booklet in the form of a passport which summarises the rights of children, forms of abuse, and steps to take to report abuse. The booklet was distributed free to secondary schools, and about 18,000 pupils have gotten their copy. The booklet was designed with children in mind; it explains all they need to know about their rights in the simplest language, and also help them teach their peers.

    The effort did not also exclude the teachers since they play great roles in moulding the children who perhaps spend more time in school. Critical stakeholders, such as guidance counselors, school administrators, heads of schools and principals, were trained on their role in preventing and responding to child protection concerns.

    This birthed the online course on Safeguarding and Child Protection. The five-module course specifically familiarises front-liners working with children, or in a child-centered institution, with the concept of child abuse perpetrated by front-liners themselves, child peers, support staff and child educators. It helps them to better understand the indicating factors of children who have, or are experiencing abuse. It examines the existing laws on child abuse in Lagos State, discusses the sections which address abuses, and also explains children in conflict with the law.

    Over 20,621 professionals in Lagos have so far taken the certified course, while about 500 education stakeholders outside Lagos have also completed the course.

    The agency, in partnership with the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCS), also introduced a curriculum to rehabilitate sex convicts. A total of 120 sex offenders participated in the flagship programme tagged ‘Psycho-Social Intervention for Sex Convicts’ – 63 inmates of the Ikoyi Correctional Center and 57 from the Apapa Correctional Centres participated in the programme.

    According to Vivour-Adeniyi, the initiative is critical in view of the fact that not all sex convicts would serve life sentences; some would be released back into the society. “There is therefore a compelling need to assist them in learning necessary coping strategies required to replace abusive behaviours, attain full recovery and ultimately reduce recidivism,” she added.

    Social services and protection

    Because the security and safety of survivors is paramount, especially during trial, the Lagos DSVA established ‘Eko Haven’, a shelter/transit home for survivors. Most especially, Eko Haven provides succor for survivors of abusive relationships till they are able to stand alone again.

    At the home, survivors can access health, psycho-social, as well as livelihood      stablished the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Trust Fund to provide grants to high risk survivors. The grants are used for education, accommodation, setting up businesses or scaling up of existing ones and counseling. In the last two years, 354 high risk survivors have been able to access financial support from the fund. Some of them are now employers of labour and are also giving back to the society.   

    The agency also collaborated with the Ministry of Health, Primary Health Care Board, Lagos State Health and Management Agency (LASHMA), and Office of the First Lady, to drive systematic response and mainstream SGBV into the health sector. Survivors are now able to access quality health care services free. This has thus removed the financial burden which hindered from accessing medical care.

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    Doctors were also trained on conducting forensic examinations and presenting comprehensive medical reports which are admissible in court. 

    Technology

    Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the agency continued to provide emergency services. With the support of the Joint EU-UN Funded Spotlight initiative, and technical support from the UNFPA, the agency developed the Gender Based Violence Virtual and Referral Service, the first of its kind in Nigeria. By calling the toll free line – 08-000-333-333 – victims and survivors were able to access emergency, psycho-social support, legal assistance and referral services every day. 

    This service, in the last two years, has provided support and succour to about 4,000 survivors in and outside Lagos, while 165 survivors were rescued from precarious situations. The innovation also helped to integrate the SGBV response into the state’s emergency response mechanism, and the service operates within the Command Control Centre of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA).

    Domestic and Sexual Violence Case Management System (Dsvcms)

    The development of the Domestic and Sexual Violence Case Management System (DSVCMS) is another first in the country. The initiative, supported by the Joint EU-UN Funded Spotlight Initiative, with technical support from UN Women, was instrumental in automating the agency’s processes. Through it, responders are able to e-manage their cases, even as it encourages transparency and accountability. The service app is available on both IOS and Android operating systems.

    Behavovioural mindset advocacies

    To further reach the grassroots, the agency initiated innovative programmes to cause behaviorual changes. One of such is

    ‘Idile Alayo’ (happy home). Traditional Marriage comperes, popularly known as ‘Alaga Iduro/Ijoko’, were also conscripted into the state’s zero tolerance campaign to infuse advocacy against domestic violence in their programmes. About 400 of them have been engaged via this program, with more in view.

    The agency, in partnership with the Ministry of Local Government, also introduced compulsory pre-marital counseling for intending couples. Over 715 intending couples have taken the pre-marital counseling course, before saying I DO. 

    Carrying the men along

    To ensure no gender is left behind in the war against SGBV, ‘The Hidden Crime: Violence against Men’, was launched. The initiative was curated to spotlight domestic violence against men. At the launch, which was attended by over 400 men, participants were educated on abuse forms, and encouraged to report such when they experience it. The aim was to help men develop preventive and response mechanisms, thus compelling them to break the culture of silence.

    ‘Man wey Sabi’ is another initiative conceptualised to reach men at the grassroots. It was conceived to break gender stereotypes, as well as address gender and sex roles which fuel and entrench gender inequality, which continues to remain a driver for Sexual and Gender Based Violence. Through this initiative, men are encouraged to perform roles, such as cooking and tendering to children, which the society has tagged traditional to the woman. The men are encouraged that performing domestic chores does not make them less a man, thus changing gender stereotypes. This is done through cooking competitions in major markets across the state.  

    The Lagos DSVA was recently recognised for its work. The award was presented by BudgIT, a leading Civic-Tech organisation that promotes accountability and transparency in governance through social innovation and advocacy.

    According to BudgIT, the Lagos DSVA got the award for its commitment to social justice and advancing service delivery for survivors of domestic violence, as well as for institutional transparency.

    Mrs. Vivour-Adeniyi, who dedicated the award to victims and survivors, said: “I would like to dedicate this award to all the victims and survivors who have trusted us enough with their stories, shared their pain, and sought help. Thank you for allowing us to help you. We use this medium to encourage anyone experiencing domestic and sexual violence to know that we believe you, government is here for you. Kindly break the culture of silence, speak up, and get help.”

  • Why we’re insisting on compliance with planning laws, by Lagos govt

    Why we’re insisting on compliance with planning laws, by Lagos govt

    Lagos State Governor Babajide  Sanwo-Olu has said compliance with physical planning laws and other laws of the state is required to achieve sustainable cities.

    The governor spoke during the celebration of the 2023 World Habitat Day with the theme: ‘Resilient Urban Economies. Cities as Drivers of Growth and Recovery’, held in Ikeja, where he recounted the efforts of his administration to create sustainable communities.

    He said the World Habitat Day offered a reminder of the roles and responsibilities leaders and citizens bear to the environment.

    The governor, represented by the Special Adviser, e-GIS and Urban Development, Dr. Olajide Babatunde, called on all concerned to be mindful of their responsibilities towards the built environment, “particularly at this period that different parts of the world groan under the impact of climate change and related challenges.”

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    He said Lagos under his administration experienced many challenges, including Covid-19 pandemic,   ENDSARS protest, the attendant destruction of public and private property and other disasters such as flash floods, rainstorms, building collapse, fire outbreaks and gas explosion that left telltale impacts on lives and property.

    “However,  Lagos,  in the face of all these adversities, continues to soar high, bringing its resilience to bear and rebounding with vigour and innovative measures to guarantee a prosperous state that will pivot a 21st century economy to the benefit of all,” he said.

    He noted that with purposeful leadership and consistent incremental efforts of successive civilian administrations since 1999, Lagos State had risen above its socio-economic challenges, mostly defined by its bourgeoning population and strategic position as cultural and economic hub in the West African sub region.

     The Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Dr. Oluyinka Abiodun, acknowledged the significance of the World Habitat Day as an important international observance dedicated to creating awareness and inspiring actions on the state of human settlements across the world. 

    He said since its declaration by the UN-HABITAT in 1985 as an official United Nations International Day, the day had become a rallying point for lovers of the environment, who shared renewed interest in sustainable cities for all.