Tag: lagos

Lagos  State Office of Disability Affairs (LASODA) has celebrated over 200 physically-challenged children  to mark the day of special needs children.

General Manager of LASODA, Oluwadamilare Ogundairo, said the occasion was to give more credence to the government’s policy of inclusiveness.

 He said: “This is a testimony of the government’s commitment to the THEMES+ Agenda of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s, where no one is left behind. Every year, we gather them from to celebrate them. It is important to give them a sense of belonging.

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 Guest speaker, Mrs. Bisola Olufolajimi, who spoke on ‘Embracing the Future Generation through Hygiene’, emphasised the need to protect the children from harm.

 She said: “Heath is wealth and hygiene is life. You are as clean as your life is, or the length of your life will be. We have been able to enlighten people here today on how children with disabilities should be kept safe via cleanliness at home, school or at the centres…’’

It is essential to ensure the areas they are kept are clean and protected from germs and bacteria which can cause infection and invariably death, because, children with disabilities tend to live longer and healthier in a safe environment.”

 Mrs. Olufolajimi stressed that food poisoning can happen when their food is not well cooked, stressing that taking care of their skin, oral health and washing of hands before serving them food is also very important.

She also called for consistent awareness and advocacy on the need to prioritise their health.

 A parent, Mrs. Oluchi Francis, said every child with disability needs support and must be catered for in terms of oral hygiene, food nutrition, medication and finance.

 Mrs. Francis, whose child has cerebral palsy, called for government’s intervention and proper observation, as well as provision of therapists to keep them alive.

Lagos state government has said that getting a planning permit in Lagos would now take just 10 days. 

The government has introduced a series of innovations to make the process attractive, friendly and seamless.

The general manager of the Lagos state Physical Planning Permit Authority (LASPPPA), Kehinde Osinaike, at a one-day seminar, said: “It is now compulsory to complete the Planning Permit processing within 10 working days for some category of development proposals.

The seminar, ‘Improving the Planning Permit Process for Ease of Doing Business in Lagos State’, was organised in conjunction with the Real Estate Developers Association of Nigeria (REDAN).

According to Osinaike, the innovations were introduced because the Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu administration believes in voluntary compliance approach to planning permit.

He said: “It is in fulfillment of government policy that LASPPPA recently introduced series of innovations that made Planning Permit processes attractive, friendly and seamless to the public. One of the innovations is the 10-Day Deal, a policy which makes it compulsory to complete the process of Planning Permit within 10 working days for some category of development proposals. Hitherto, it was 28 days. This excludes encumbrances for non-compliance with tax policy.

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“We also created additional District Offices to reduce work load, ensure higher efficiency and bring Approving Offices closer to the people. The number of District Offices moved from 30 to 50 within two years, including the e-pp Office at the headquarters. We are committed to having offices in all the 57 local government areas.

“We also offer free services for planning information. This is to ensure that prospective land buyers first obtain information on status of land before agreeing to the transaction; we grant provisional planning permits on properties with unregistered title with a validity of nine months. This is to allow prospective house owners process title documents and embark on construction simultaneously.

“We grant pilling permit to high-rise buildings once payments are made, to ensure projects are timely delivered, among others.”

Osinaike added that the agency will continue to collaborate with Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), professional bodies in the built industry, civil society organisations, community leaders, relevant MDAS on reporting of illegal and non-conforming developments so Lagos can be a safe space for everyone.

The head of research and development in the Lagos State Materials Testing Laboratory, Titilayo Lawal, stressed the importance of testing building materials to ensure safer buildings. According to her, ensuring safe building materials could be related to safe and healthy eating.

She said: “Our job at the laboratory is to test the viability of construction materials so we can have safer structures. Most people don’t know that water for construction requires same quality as drinking water. 

“Saline water is bad for construction because the salt will cause the iron to corrode. Sand, steel, concrete cubes, among others, all need to be tested to ensure they are right for the structure to be erected.

Director-General of the Lagos Safety Commission, Lanre Mojola, harped on the need for occupational safety at construction sites. 

He urged site managers to employ a safety official who will enforce compliance to safety guidelines, and report infractions to the appropriate authority 

As part of strategic moves to bridge the skill gap in the housing sector, Lagos State has commenced a comprehensive training project targeted at artisans and craftsmen in the sector.

The skill acquisition programme, tagged “Master Craftsman Training Programme” commenced on 19th August 2023. It is to enable residents of the state, mainly the youth in the construction sector, to update their skills and acquire other competencies that will make them more employable. The ultimate goal is to improve their economic well-being.

According to the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Housing, Mr. Kamar Olowoshago, the intensive training, which is for six weeks, is a weekend programme that will be centred on critical construction trades.

These include electrical installation and maintenance works, painting and decorating, plumbing and pipe-fitting, carpentry and furniture making and masonry (block laying and concreting).

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There will also be classes on connected areas such as customer relations, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and Health and Safety. The training will be conducted by experts in the field who will train and retrain participants based on current trends in the industry.

Locations of the programme include Ikotun in Alimosho Local Government and Ikorodu in Ikorodu Local Government. The opportunity is open to residents that are above 18 years.

Applicants must have evidence of being registered with the Lagos State Residents Registration Agency. They must also have basic training in the skills, either in technical colleges or through the informal apprenticeship method.

The selection process will be based on timeliness.  Forms can be obtained at the Director of Administration and Human Resources Office, Ministry of Housing Lagos State.

This initiative, by the Governor of the State, Mr. Olusola Sanwo-Olu is in addition to other steps being taken to ensure increase in safe and decent homes for Lagosians. With the inauguration of over 22 new homes across the State by the Sanwo-Olu administration, the past four years have, no doubt, brought about vibrant activities in the sector.

In order to consolidate on the gains of the past, housing projects inherited from past administrations were completed and commissioned.  Suffice to say that through this strategy, unwarranted wastage, which would have resulted from continued abandonment of such housing projects, was curtailed.

In this category, there were 15 budgetary allocation housing schemes, comprising over 5000 home units at various locations in the state at different levels of completion. Some of the scheme sites are Igando, Igbogbo, Ibeshe, Odo Onosa/Ayandelu,  Agbowa, Sangotedo, Egan-Igando, LASU main Campus, Iba, Ajara, and  Epe to mention a few. It gladdens the heart to note that over 95% of these schemes are completed now. They are now livable cities with enviable community life.

• Orders Sulaiman Ogun-Oloko  to stop parading himself as new monarch

A Lagos High Court sitting at Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS) has stopped the Lagos State Government from installing the new Olu of Iwaya.

Justice Olukayode Ogunjobi also restrained one Sulaiman Ogun-Oloko from parading himself as Olu of Iwaya Kingdom or acting in the office of the Olu of Iwaya Kingdom pending the determination of suit No LD/7218GCMW/2020.

The suit was instituted by Ramon Rufai Ogo-Oluwa Aromire, the Olu of Iwaya (elect) by Oloto Royal Family Ruling House of Iwaya Kingdom; Adelani Onitolo; Oluwole Onitolo and Rufai Kolawole Babatunde.

Listed as defendants in the suit are the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu;  Commissioner for Justice and Attorney General of Lagos State; Commissioner for Local Government and Community Affairs, the chairmen of Lagos Mainland and Yaba Local Council Development Area and Sulaimon Ogun-Oloko.

Following a motion exparte, heard on Thursday, August 24, 2023 before Justice  Ogunjobi, the court granted leave to the applicant, Ramon Rufai Ogo-Oluwa Aromire to apply, by way of judicial review, for declaration of the court setting aside the purported installation and or recognition of one Sulaiman Ogun-Oloko as the Olu of Iwaya Kingdom.

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Sulaiman Ogun-Oloko who has been parading himself as Olu of Iwaya is expected to receive staff of the office today (Saturday).

The Obaship tussle has been a legal matter before the court for the past two years before Justice Ogunjobi granted the injunction on Thursday to stop Ogun-Oloko from receiving the staff of the office.

Justice Ogunjobi set aside the purported installation and or, recognition of Sulaimon Ogun-Oloko by the Lagos state government whether on 25 May 2023 or 27 May 2023 as the Olu of Iwaya Kingdom and during the pendency of the suit or risk being in contemptuous of the court.

The court also issued an order of mandamus mandating the governor and other defendants to ensure that the stool of Iwaya, being the res in the suit, be restored to status quo preceding May 25, 2023, pending determination of suit LD/7218/GCMW/2020.

The judge fixed 19 September 2023 for the hearing of the case.

The Chairman of Badagry Local Government, Olusegun Onilude, has kicked off the remodelling of Badagry Town Hall in Lagos State.        

At the groundbreaking, Onilude said the town hall project would cost the local government N145 million, noting the project was part of his campaign promises to give Badagry Town Hall a facelift.

 “The remodelling of the town hall has been a significant part of the community for generations, and this development will revitalise the cultural heritage of the people of Badagry. This is one of the greatest cultural legacies not just of structure, but of our heritage,”  hsaid.   

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Onilude noted the Badagry Town Hall, built in 1938,” is a  legacy on a foundation stone which we are trying to build a future on. I think that’s what we’re doing right here in the city of Badagry.”  The council boss urged the contractors handling the project to follow the specifications and timelines meant for the completion of the project.

 He urged the people to continue to show cooperation and support the government in paying dues and taxes regularly. In his goodwill message, Chief Onusekan Gbewa, Jegen of Awhajigoh, commended the council chairman for his initiative to give the historical monument of Badagry a facelift.

Lagos State Office of Disability Affairs (LASODA) has trained select officers in the civil service in basics of sign language, to ensure a more inclusive society for hearing-impaired persons.

General Manager of LASODA, Dare Dairo, described the training as important towards achieving the THEMES+ Agenda of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu. The theme of the training was ‘Bridging the Communication Gap with the Deaf for an Effective THEMES+ Agenda in Lagos State’.

Dairo said communication is fundamental to the society.

He added that the training would serve as an awakening to make people understand the importance of effective communication with persons with hearing-impairment.

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He said: “It gives me hope that the essence of the service charter in Lagos State is not in vain, but that we understand our role as a service provider. It is also good that we understand that public and civil servants are here to serve the people, even to the least and most vulnerable of the society.”

“This is why this training is important if our service must be inclusive, especially if it must resonate with the THEMES+ Agenda of Mr. Governor, which encompasses youths, women and persons with disabilities.

“Many of us may have not had the opportunity to interact with persons living with disabilities. Also, other MDAs most times refer them to LASODA because they are unable to communicate with them. This is why it is important to equip ourselves with this knowledge so we can all work smart and fast. The time taken to transfer such persons to LASODA would have been spent judiciously if the attending officers are able to communicate effectively with the challenged person.

“We want to feel the presence of LASODA in all MDAs so we can have social inclusion. LASODA has a mandate in education, but no single classroom is managed by it. Persons living with disability have a right to health care, but LASODA has no single medicine shop it manages, so how do we achieve an inclusive government/society?

“All these agencies have a disability desk, and our prayer and hope is that we will  one day have sign language introduced as a cadre in the civil service. The officer would not only be a sign language person, but also the disability and inclusion officer in that agency. This would then make the work of LASODA easier.”

A participant, Cynthia Ibe, a lawyer and child advocate at the Cece Yara Foundation, lauded the government for the training initiative. She described it as timely.