Tag: LASG

WHEN he addressed the press last Tuesday, the Lagos State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Adeniji Kazeem, spoke of the preparedness of the state to decide on the death sentences passed on the General Overseer of Christian Praying Assembly, Chukwuemeka Ezeugo, a.k.a. Rev. King, and others. The cleric, in particular, had been tried for murdering a church member in 2006. The death sentence passed by a Lagos High Court in 2007 was eventually affirmed by the Supreme Court in 2016, an inordinate nine years after the lower court first determined the case.

The Lagos attorney general did not say why the state appears to be in a quandary over the signing of death warrants: whether the state should go ahead and simply affirm the Supreme Court decision and sign the death warrants, as some expect, or to commute the sentences to life, as a few, including international activists, have campaigned. Whatever the eventual decision, finally, Lagos at least appears poised to decide one way or the other. In the words of the attorney general: “Some people say out there that even if we commit these infractions and they sentence us to death, they will never kill us. It does send the wrong signal sometimes…I’ve heard the people from the British High Commission and other embassies complain even on our recently-passed anti-kidnapping law; but I must say, you must have to look at your own local factors and deal with them. We are going to move in that direction. I’m sure you will hear from me, but I’m not sure that I want to openly state and give you a date when we are going to take that action.”

But judging from the drift of his argument, Mr Kazeem seems persuaded that some strong signals ought to be sent out to criminals who casually commit capital offences. He was not unequivocal, but he seems amenable to the signing of death warrants. That would be a mistake, however, as this column has consistently maintained, beginning with the enactment of the anti-kidnapping law. In the past few decades, few states have dared to sign death warrants, and a campaign to get them to do it has met with stiff opposition. In fact, the debate over signing of death warrants and imposing the death penalty itself had led some lawmakers and lawyers to advocate for a committee of the Supreme Court to be charged with that responsibility. The advocates did not explain why a new select committee would find it easier to sign death warrants when governors who are customarily charged with that responsibility have been wary of doing it.

There is no scientific evidence to support that death penalty or enthusiastic signing of death warrants discourage capital offences. Every study done to find that inverse relationship has instead established that states and countries without the death penalty enjoy lower incidence of capital offences. If death penalty has had no impact on armed robbery, for instance, it is not because death warrants were not signed. When death warrants were signed, and the public entertained to the sanguinary bar beach shows of decades past, armed robbery still thrived. And as extremism and terrorism are showing in many parts of the world, those likely to be recruited often have a history of violence and criminality themselves.

In any case, Lagos is an aspiring megacity, one with an image to cultivate and protect. It is eager to nurture and sustain a reputation far exceeding that of many cities in Africa and the rest of the world. Its standards must not be lowered. Its image must not be compromised. Rather than flirt with death penalty and signed warrants in the inexcusable desire to curb capital offences and please agitated prison keepers, it is time Lagos found better and brilliant ways of curbing crime. The death penalty component of the anti-kidnapping law was inadvisable, as this column suggested when it was contemplated. The world is moving away from capital punishment; Lagos must not lag behind. The state is selling itself as the most modern and cosmopolitan city in Nigeria, and one of the fastest growing in Africa and the world. It cannot drive that great process and nurture the coveted image of its vision by scrounging for easy, cheap and controversial options.

Lagos is the pacesetter in law reform. Now is the time to look once again at its law books and institute measures and processes that will show Nigeria how crime control and peaceful conurbation can be achieved. The cost of signing death warrants will be too prohibitive for the new Lagos. The state can’t afford that cost, regardless of the capital offences committed within its borders.

•Vows to rid state of illegal structures

The Lagos State Government yesterday rubbished claims by  owners of the buildings demolished in Ikoyi that they were not duly served with contravention, removal and quit notices before the exercise was carried out.

Information and Strategy Commissioner,  Steve Ayorinde, said they were all  notified in advance  and expressed dismay at what he called the flagrant disobedience of building regulations in the state.

He vowed that government would  intensify efforts to rid the state of illegal structures.

Ayorinde, in a statement  against the backdrop of recent demolition of some illegal structures in Ikoyi, said: “In our effort to maintain a sustainable, organised, liveable and friendly environment, the government will not renege on its declared stance of zero tolerance for structures and properties without development permit or approved building plans.”

He also warned that all those who choose to erect illegal structures in violation of the  laws in order to take advantage of third parties will not only have those structures removed but will also be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.

According to him, the buildings in question were situated in an area originally designated as residential area, but the developers unilaterally and without recourse to the state government commenced development of industrial and commercial concerns in these locations thereby distorting the master plan of the area; causing environmental nuisance, traffic snarls and more importantly a security threat to the neighbourhood.

On the allegation that the buildings were not duly served with necessary contravention, stop work and removal notices, the commissioner said that the state government will not succumb to blackmail in any form.

“We have documentary evidence of service of all statutory notices, the buildings were also marked with the X red oxide to also call the attention of the owners to physical planning contraventions,” he said.

Ayorinde added, “Having served the statutory contravention notices on the offending structures and when owners of such structures failed to remove them within the statutory notice period, we were compelled to remove such structures. This government is committed to following due process and will strictly enforce provisions of the law on this subject matter.”

He said that arbitrary location of kiosks, illegal parking lots, unapproved mechanic workshops, roadside restaurants and other unplanned commercial centres have contributed in no small way to distorting physical planning designs of the state.

 

Lagos State government has disclosed that it is working towards reducing the number of days to get building permit by prospective builders to 20 working days from the current 30 working days and that with time the number of days will be reduced further.

Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Mr. Anifowoshe Abiola, disclosed this while speaking on behalf of the governor at the stakeholders interactive session in Alimosho organised by the Lagos State Physical Planning and Permit Authority, (LASPPPA) which held at Isheri-Olofin, Alimosho, at the weekend.

The theme of the interactive session was: Population influx and Alimosho development plan: Prospect so far.

In his keynote address, Anifowoshe said the state government does not believe in planning for the people instead it believes in planning with the people and that is why the stakeholders session is an opportunity to get their inputs.

“There must be orderly development, that is why government has Alimosho Model City plan which is a comprehensive plan to ensure orderly development in Alimosho spelling out where to build and not to build,”

He advised prospective builders to ensure  that they have building permits from LASPPPA before building to avoid losses that may result when such buildings are demolished for building in unauthorised places, because any structure without a permit is illegal.

“Alimosho city plan is for orderly development, that is why before you put up any structure you must have a permit so as not to disrupt the city plan.”

He called on residents of Alimosho and its environs to leverage on the population strength of the area, its vintage location and the  sporadic urban growth to conform with the already designed Alimosho Model City Plans.

In his welcome address earlier, General Manager of LASPPPA, Mr. Remi Oni-Orisan, declared that the state from yesterday commenced  ‘Operation Summit Your Building Plan’ for government’s approval regardless of the level of such development, urging all developers, builders and individuals to henceforth comply with the directive without any further delay.

He said that the Alimosho Model City Plans was designed by the state government to cater for the diverse needs of people who are residing in the area now and for those who may also reside within the area in the future without any environmental threat .

The General Manager assured residents of Alimosho that government is aware of some challenges that could make building permit application difficult in the past , promising that Governor Ambode is seriously making concerted efforts and proposals to strategically tackle some identified challenges.

The traditional ruler of Ajasa, Alajasa of Ajasa, Oba. Sule Uberu Odu-Alabe on behalf of the community pledged the support of the community to aid the realisation of the mega city plans for the area.

Oba Sule Odu-Alabe,  however, pleaded with the state government to give ample time for residents of the area to comply with the directive of applying for physical planning permit considering the long years of existence of some structures within the Alimosho and environs.

 

Lagos state government will soon start disbursing funds from the state employment trust fund to those with business and creative ideas to either start up or expand existing businesses.

This was disclosed by Governor Akinwunmi Ambode at the Eleniyan Youth Empowerment Summit organised by Hon. Segun Olulade, member of the Lagos state House of Assembly representing Epe 2 constituency, which took place in his constituency at Epe yesterday.

The summit with the theme: ‘Unlocking the potentials within: Making your ideas work’, had in attendance, several youths from across the state, politicians, traditional rulers, market men and women amongst others.

Ambode who was represented by the Commissioner for Wealth Creation and Employment, Mr. Babatunde Durosimi Etti said “the board of the fund has met with the various institutions, they’ve completed their process, and they are just putting finishing touches to it and the funds will be disbursed once the disbursement procedure is out”.

The Governor said once the fund is disbursed it will be an opportunity for start-ups and expansion of existing artisans and entrepreneurs, “in addition there would also be opportunities for small businesses. Ideas, creativity and innovation are prerequisite, the opportunities are there all around you in the environment”, the commissioner said.

The fund he said is not limited to Lagosians alone, “it is going to reach every resident of Nigeria that is eligible, creative and it is irrespective of the business area, but you must be creative. The opportunities are there and those that are ready to harness the opportunities  would be able to take advantage of it”, Etti said. Adding that that the fund comes with three per cent interest rate.

In his welcome address earlier, the organiser of the event, Hon. Olusegun Olulade charged the youths to go into the world with their potentials, adding that they are firebrands that would hit the world with their knowledge, enthusiasm and potentials.

He told the over 1,000 participating youths that they would achieve excellence as they go into the world, and that youths are integral parts of the growth and development of Nigeria.

“I am inspired by my humble background to start a youth based foundation to bridge the gap between the youths and their aspirations. Youths should be seen as assets and not liabilities.

“This programme is one of the focal points of my foundation. The summit is one of the many opportunities that would come from Eleniyan Foundation for our youths. I charge you to be ready to hit the world. It is time for young people to shift from lack of job to creating something on their own,” he said.

In his goodwill message, Senator Olorunibe Mamora commended Olulade for being a man of the people and for his passion for the youths.”

 

You have done well because you have taken the concept of effective and efficient representation which is the most important role of legislators,  very serious” he said.

 

Mamora, who urged the youth to be positive minded, said that every destiny was a product of thinking. He added, “Be positive in your thinking, ideas rule the world. When you come up with big ideas, you can make a lot of money. Take maximum advantage of this summit.”

 

The guest speaker at the event, who is also a motivational speaker, career/business coach and a social reformer, Mr. Muyiwa Afolabi, defined potential as the ability or the capacity to do or become something.

 

According to him, one’s potential is his or her ability to do something, adding that the youths are greater and better than they currently are. He added that to unlock means something is locked, and that the programme is being used to discover the power of unlocking in the youths, adding that everyone is born with blank minds, but that people’s minds are shaped by their environment.