Education, Healthcare top Lagos' N1.1trillion 2020 budget

 AgegePulse Magazine

• Sanwo-Olu earmarks 62 per cent for capital spending



With a proposed fiscal plan of N115 billion for public infrastructure, Lagos State, next year, will be a massive construction site.

Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on Friday, presented the Year 2020 Budget proposal to the House of Assembly, unveiling his administration’s plan to accelerate the growth of the State’s economy by proposing aggressive investments in critical priority areas - physical infrastructure, environment, human capital and security.

Sanwo-Olu announced that the State expenditure of N1.168 trillion will be funded from a projected Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) of N1.071 trillion while the budget deficit, put at N97.53 billion, will be financed through internal and external loans, just as he noted that the fiscal proposal also included a provision for the new minimum wage.

Giving a breakdown of the budget tagged “Awakening to a Greater Lagos”, Sanwo-Olu earmarked 62 per cent representing N723.75 billion of total spending for capital expenditure, revealing that recurrent expenditure, put at 38 per cent, will take N444.81 billion.

Disclosing that about N167.81 billion of the recurrent expenditure will go for personnel costs and other staff-related expenses, representing 22.02 per cent of the total revenue, the Governor noted that the proposal is within the acceptable wage policy, which benchmarks 25 per cent staff overheads in the budget.

He said the proposed budget would help the State achieve a sustainable social investment and scale up private sector-led economic growth through investment in infrastructure and security, improve civic engagement in governance and foster partnership with the Federal Government and the Civil Society.

Explaining why his administration will be earmarking huge funds to the environment and public infrastructure, Governor Sanwo-Olu said Lagos requires resources to confront the combined threats from population explosion and climate change.

“Lagos faces an existential threat, arising from the interplay of demographic and climate change. Lagos will continue to be a magnet for multitudes within and outside Nigeria, in search of jobs and economic prosperity. These levels of migration put phenomenal strain on the physical and fiscal resources of the State”, Sanwo-Olu maintained.

“This budget seeks to aggressively invest in and develop our education, health and other physical infrastructure sectors. As at September 2019, our capital expenditure on Works and Infrastructure was just N31 billion, which is less compared with N78 billion proposed in the current year. It is our intention to spend N115 billion on physical infrastructure in 2020.

“In response to the perennial challenges of flooding in the metropolis, we have to triple the capital budget provision to tackle these observed problems from N3 billion in 2019 to N9 billion in 2020. We are embarking on massive desilting of major drain systems across the State next year”, he added.

Lagos also plans to spend N48 billion on Education and Technology, representing 60 per cent rise in capital allocation to the Ministry of Education.

On Healthcare, the State plans to spend N33 billion on programmes, which include proposed revamping and re-equipping of over 350 Primary Health Centres across Lagos.

Sanwo-Olu described the proposed budget as “unique”, noting that its details reflected the wishes of residents, following series of consultations and feedback from stakeholders across senatorial districts.

The Governor assured residents of transparency and accountability in the implementation of the budget, pointing out that there would be strict performance mechanism to drive compliance and measure the progress of the budget at the execution stage.

He said: “The 2020 Budget will be supported by a Performance Management System that will ensure that, by December 2020, we shall achieve an optimal budget implementation when compared with previous years. This is in line with our commitment to transparency and accountability in the management of public finances.

“We have provided N11.8 billion as counterpart funds in preparation for various social impact schemes. In addition, we have made provisions for N7.1 billion this year to provide for industrial hubs, parks, graduate internship programs and virtual markets for artisans. This is in support for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) which are the engines for both economic and employment growth.”

Reviewing the performance of 2019 Appropriation Bill, which he signed into law in June, shortly after he assumed office, Sanwo-Olu said his administration embarked on strict implementation of the budget and achieved 69 per cent efficiency at the end of September.

He said his administration completed critical projects that directly impacted residents, including two Maternal and Child Care Centers (MCCs) in Eti-Osa and Alimosho areas, and the 492-flat Lateef Jakande Housing Estate in Igando.

The Governor outlined several other capital projects captured in the 2019 budget, including 31 arterial roads in Ojokoro/Ijaiye area, a High Court and Magistrates Court complex in Eti-Osa Local Government Area, and a Police Command Complex in Ojo Local Government Area, promising that they will be completed.

Sanwo-Olu observed that the approved re-ordering of the 2019 budget by the Legislature gave the government an opportunity to raise N250 billion in addressing critical infrastructure needs such as the rehabilitation of public schools, ongoing construction of Lagos–Badagry Expressway, Agege–Pen Cinema Overhead Bridge, Agric–Isawo Road, Bola Ahmed Tinubu–Igbogbo Road, and the ongoing road rehabilitation by Lagos State Public Works Corporation.

He added that the loan will also enable his administration to start the desilting of drain systems, provision of security and emergency hardware, light rail infrastructure, and construction of a General Hospital in Ojo, with provision for a Spinal and Neurology Unit.

Sanwo-Olu reiterated that his administration’s development agenda, known as Project T.H.E.M.E.S, was designed to address major challenges facing the State and creating a city that would work for the citizens. He said his administration was ready to transform Lagos by rethinking projects that will improve the wellbeing of the residents.

The House of Assembly chamber was filled to the brim, as a large crowd of Lagos residents, comprising leaders and members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), State Executive Council members, traditional rulers, workers, traders, artisans, students and stakeholders in the private sector witnessed the budget presentation.

LASEMA BATTLES FIRE AT LAGOS ISLAND

 AgegePulse Magazine

The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, LASEMA, has reiterated the need for all traders and residents in the State to desist from storing combustible materials in their various homes and shops to prevent fire outbreak that may lead to loss of lives and properties.

Speaking on the unfortunate fire outbreak which gutted a six-storey building at 43 Martins Street and a three-storey commercial building of lock-up shops at Dosunmo market on Tuesday, 5th October, 2019 around 10:00am, the Director General/CEO of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, LASEMA, Dr. Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu explained that goods worth millions of Naira were destroyed as a result of the fire incidence.

According to the Director General, incident of fire outbreak is on the high side due to the inability of property and shop ownerss to put necessary precautionary measures in place to avoid incidents that could have disastrous consequences appealing that storage of highly inflammable materials such as petrol, Diesel, kerosene should be avoided, while desisting from storing combustible materials at home or shops.
He further explained that the fire which continued burning non-stop for about 24hours despite all efforts to put it out by the LASEMA Response Team, Lagos State Fire Service, UBA Fire crew, Federal Fire crew, Union Bank Skylift Fire Truck and other Emergency responders, was as a result of the combustible materials stored in the buildings which kept re-igniting the fire.

While seeking the support of residents of the State, especially shop owners for adequate protection of lives and properties, the LASEMA Boss warns that everyone should desist from storing generators in their penthouses or roof tops as well as combustible materials in their various shops, because safety of lives and properties of Lagosians is paramount to the administration of the Governor of Lagos, Mr. Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu.

In addition, he explained that Government had made provision for fire hydrants in the past at Idumota and it's environs, which was destroyed by the residents in that area. He therefore advises everyone to desist from such heinous act and also install fire extinguishers in their various homes, offices and shops so as to forestall a future reoccurrence.

The State Governor, Mr. Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu, while at the incident site on, Wednesday 6th, October 2019,
commiserated with the traders on their losses, highlighting Government's plans to carry out proper enumeration of the traders, businesses, property owners who suffered losses as a result of the fire in order to organize financial assistance, while harping on the regeneration of Lagos Island, saying the Island, saying that the Island is dominated by buildings over a century century old.

Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu stated that, integrity tests will be conducted on all the buildings during the regeneration exercise to ascertain thier integrity, while the very weak ones detected in the course of conducting the tests, would be pulled down to further reduce chances of  disasters of such great magnitude in the State.

Dr. Oke-Osantintolu enjoins Lagosians and traders not to overbuild commercial areas, saying that they should respect the physical planning laws of the state regarding provision of roads, setbacks and parking spaces for vehicles and allowances for fire fighting appliances to penetrate the area in case of a fire incident.

He assured residents that there was no need to panic, nor hesitate to contact the relevant authorities in the event of any form of emergency/disaster through the State emergency toll free line 767 or 112.

GEION defies FIRS, Minister’s directive to pay ARCO Group reconciled monies owed

…as PENGASSAN and NUPENG Gets Set For Mother Of All Labour Strike

Buba Ali is dead. He died out of frustration waiting for money he worked for, but was not forthcoming! His family said he slumped one early morning, and gave up the ghost. Musa Hassan is dead too. He died out of the frustration that killed Buba Ali.

 Both men died broke despite having worked in the prosperous Nigerian oil industry. Their families are aggrieved but embarrassed and do not want us to use their real names in print.

Ali and Musa are victims of a cross fire between an indigenous oil company known as Arco Group and an American company known as General Electric International Operations Nigeria (GEION), both being operators in the oil and Gas industry. Late Ali and Musa Hassan are among the several number of people who are being owed by Arco Group, an organization that was cheated out of a contract deal and forced by circumstances not to be able to make severance payment to exiting staff.

Late Ali and Musa Hassan represent the agony that most of the ex staffers are facing due to General Electric Operations Nigeria (GEION) refusing to pay what is duly owed to Arco Group, despite the intervention of The Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) and the Minister of Labour and Employment.

But respite seems to be in sight as the oil industry, is presently boiling. The industry is angry. The labour unions are angry. And the union leaders of PENGASSAN and NUPENG have declared that all hell will be let loose after their 14 day ultimate for GEION to fulfil the payment of arrears due ARCO Group by this weekend.

The general anger has been provoked by the fact that never has a foreign organization been so defiant to the authorities or an agency of the federal government. And the labour unions are peeved and set to go on a sympathetic protest to identify with ARCO Group an organization that is being owed by GEION a foreign company to the tune of ₦1,891,752,214.48, $7,326,125.99 and EUR 328,189.32, inclusive of accrued interests. These being accumulated reconciled monies, said to have been dubiously concealed by the American company.

According to our investigations, the issue dates back between 2006 and 2015, when ARCO General Electric International Operations Nigeria (GEION) had a joint contract for the maintenance of Nigeria Agip Oil Company (NAOC)’s gas plants in some different locations in Delta and Rivers states of Nigeria.

Somehow along the line, GEION is said to have changed ARCO Group’s position to that of a sub-contractor to GEION, reducing its work scope, and making all manner of unjustified deductions from Arco’s invoices.

But the major act of contention was the issue of the deduction of withholding tax (WHT) at the rate of 10% from payments due to Arco, rather than the stipulated statutory rate of 5% which was supposed to be paid to ARCO Group.

ARCO Group reported the illegal deductions when it demanded WHT credit notes from GEION for the sums deducted from its invoices purportedly as tax. Rather than a coherent explanation, GEION could not explain why the credit notes, reluctantly provided it, did not match the volume of monies deducted from its invoices, ostensibly as WHT.

Upon further investigations, the issue became messier when it was found out that it wasn’t ARCO Group alone that short changed in this manner by GEION. And that attracted a further investigation by the Federal Inland Revenue Service, and the obvious was found out that GEION had not been straight in its withholding tax credit notes dealings.

FIRS in 2017 confirmed that the applicable rate of WHT to be 5%, and instructed GEION to furnish ARCO Group with credit notes to match purported WHT deductions from ARCO’s invoices. While in other climes, GEION would have been slammed with stiff penalties for such fraudulent error, GEION instead was given opportunity to attend a reconciliation meeting between FIRS, ARCO Group and itself, where at the end of the meeting, was confirmed that the total amount over deducted from ARCO Naira invoices was ₦446 million and some $3 million had been over-deducted in the Dollar invoices.

The reconciliatory meeting also confirmed that between 2006 and 2008, the sums of ₦74 million and $1.275 million deducted by GEION were not remitted as required by law, and could therefore not be accounted for. Another sum of $563,861.05 deducted from 12 ARCO invoices in 2014 could not be traced!

The matter eventually reached a dead end when on Tuesday 24th September, 2019, the Hon. Minister of Labour reconvened the meeting to deliberate on the FIRS report, and issued final instructions to the parties through a letter dated 4th October, 2019, that GEION should make the payments as agreed upon. But GEION has continued to turn a deaf ear to the all entreaties at all fronts.

It was at this point that the labour leaders in PENGASSAN and NUPENG stood up in one accord and said “no, enough is enough,” that no foreign company should hold its government agencies in such disregard.  It was against this backdrop that the unions gave a 14 day ultimatum to industry stakeholders to call to order General Electric International Operations Nigeria, GEION, and all other authorities, over the non-payment of terminal benefits to its members who were laid off in August 2019 by ARCO Group.

The ultimatum which commenced on last Monday was signed by PENGASSAN General Secretary Lumumba Okungbawa and the General Secretary of NUPENG Afolabi Olawale. The ultimatum was addressed to the Group Managing Director of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation.

Both the Labour unions said that the ultimatum became necessary after GEION failed to act according to the decisions reached at the reconciliation meeting with the Minister of Labour and Employment held in September. Which among other things agreed that GEION should within 7 days apply to FIRS for the refund of the over-deducted sums paid to FIRS as agreed during the reconciliation exercise with FIRS. That GEION and ARCO should meet afterwards between the following 2 weeks to reconcile the deductions that had not been done and ensure that the workers who were laid off are paid within one week. Tax deductions made by GEION on behalf of ARCO supposed to be remitted to FIRS but which was not done, should be returned to ARCO within 3 weeks.

GEION was also supposed to meet with FIRS within 2 weeks because of the sum confirmed by the Lagos state Inland Revenue Service office as having been remitted by GEION but presently under dispute for further reconciliation. The unions noted that the refusal of GEION to heed to the agreements is a slap on constituted authority and an affront for which they will have no option but to go on an indefinite strike after the expiration of the ultimatum.

A combination of PENGASSAN and NUPENG strike in Nigeria has always been the most feared in the country as it literally means the paralysis of the economy of a nation that largely depends on oil for survival and popularly referred to as the giant of Africa boasting of about 180 million people.

A nation which critics lament is already going through severe hardship due to insecurity, insurgency attacks in the northern part of the country and land border closure that has restricted trade flow in several sectors of the economy. Can the country survive the impending doom of economic stand still in the next one and a half week? Only time will tell.

Nigerian Roads Not in Bad Shape, Says Fashola

AgegePulse Magazine

The Minister of Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola, has described as mere hypes, reports on the poor state of the country’s roads.

He insisted that Nigerian roads were not in a bad state as often portrayed.

Fashola was responding to question asking him to justify the amount of approvals given for Nigerian roads and yet they remain in terrible state.

“The roads are not as bad as they are often portrayed.

“I know that this is going to be your headline, but the roads are not that bad”, he told State House Correspondents after the Federal Executive Council meeting presided over by Vice President Yemi.

The minister explained that but for funding challenges, most road projects would have been long completed.

Fashola also stated that some parts of the country faced peculiar issues like high water table, which made construction in the rainy season difficult.

He mentioned the South-East and South-South among areas with such difficulties.
The minister added that the ministry and contractors were waiting patiently for the rains to subside so that they could return to sites.

The minister said: “When I come here to announce that a particular amount was approved for a contract that doesn’t mean the amount has been paid contrary to what you suggest. “You are mindful also that minister of finance, different arms of government are escalating the fiscal challenges we face as a nation in trying to fund the budget. You are also mindful that the last few budgets in Nigeria for almost 20 years have been deficit budgets and these are terminologies that are realities and I think we should acquaint ourselves with if we are  not just to report news but also educate the public.

“You must also be aware that between awarding a contract and also mobilizing to site there is a distance. First of all we have to have an agreement that is the relationship between the ministry of works or any other ministry and the ministry of justice, then there is a role that banks play, they have to give guarantee. These are things that I would like to know if I was a correspondent in order to be able to help me inform members of the public.

“Building materials – rocks, laterite, quarry, iron rode have to be ordered, construction companies don’t keep them. The process of producing blasting rocks requires approval from the office of ministers of Justice and even the office of the NSA to get approval to get dynamite. All of these are the things that go on. So the point that I am making to you is that there is a distance between approval, implementation, actual construction and the result.

“The other point I wish to make known to you also is that the problem of the other places you talk about – Warri, Benin – Sapele road and the South East, first of all you must understand that those places don’t stand in isolation, the Niger Delta is the longs of Nigeria that is a rain forest. It’s a high water table area. These problems are not as pronounced now in January and February, the reason is that, that is the dry season of the year.

“This is the raining season, it’s weather conditions and there is no country in the world that doesn’t face transport challenges in an extreme weather. In some places it’s winter and snow they cancel flight, it’s transportation,  they cancel rail Programmes. In some places it’s typhoons, hurricanes while in some places you can’t even come out. So this is the season, we are just getting to the end of the raining season. Flood, it will affect road, we have seen cities submerged, we’ve seen infrastructure blown up in other parts of the world, it’s one world – it’s the rainy season, it’s the same planet, this is our own time to experience it. It’s moving out of Nigeria now and going somewhere else.
“So what we experienced in this year is unusual, it’s not a good time to be in the transport system. We also want this season to quickly end so that we can go back to work during the dry weather.”

Fashola assured Nigerians of massive mobilization of contractors for roads rehabilitation ahead of the Yuletide season
He said: “That takes me to the point about preparation for the end of the year. You know that we have the ember months preparation, the team has already started work we would be working with law enforcement, we would be working with FRSC and we would be working with our contractors.

The plan is that, in places where they have not yet constructed, they should make palliative so that the heavy traffic movement during the end of the year is manageable and reduce the inconvenience of our commuters.

“You must understand also that on every road where construction is going on it’s a construction site. So help us manage the understanding of the public that you can’t drive through a construction site at normal speed. The ideal thing is that you slow down a construction site but we can’t afford to do that. We regret it but we do our best to bring them to the barest minimum.

The inconvenience is pronounced also by way that we don’t control weather and if we don’t have rain fall in one year it will also affect food as well. So these are the realities of existence about three months in every year and then we will move on to much better weather.

“Let me also say that today in council my colleague in transportation Rt Hon Rotimi Amaechi announced something we expect to benefit from those initiatives on some critical routes during the next few weeks that will bring the relief to our roads network as soon as those rail services come on stream. I am confident that all of these problems would become history within a short time.”

Source MetroWatch 

How My Older Daughter Beat Our 13-year-old To Death In Lagos

When a Lagos trader Mr. Emeka Omenka and his wife Ifeoma allowed their 13-year-old daughter Precious to visit her half-sister in Lekki, they never knew it was a decision they would regret the rest of their lives.

Precious, a Junior Secondary School (JSS) 3 pupil died on October 25 at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC) Ebute Metta from complications of the beating she allegedly received from her older half-sister Nneka and her mother Seki Eko on October 14.

According to the death certificate issued at the hospital, the primary and secondary causes of death were Acute Kidney Injury (AKI) and Cardiopulmonary Collapse.

According to the National Kidney Foundation, AKI is a sudden episode of kidney failure or kidney damage that happens within a few hours or a few days and causes a build-up of waste products in the blood, making it hard for the kidneys to keep the right balance of fluid in the body.

Other causes of AKI, the foundation said, are decreased blood flow to the kidney caused by shock, clotting, bleeding or severe diarrhoea, severe allergic reaction, overuse of pain medicines used to reduce swelling or relieve pain from headaches, colds, flu, and other ailments.

The teenager went to Nneka’s house in Ikota, Lekki on October 12 on the latter’s request.

Omenka said his 13-year-old daughter was returned on October 16 looking weak with complaints of body pains. He said Precious gave details of how she was kicked in the stomach, chest and sides several times, adding that she was beaten with a mop stick and a cable as well. They tried to relieve the pains with analgesics and hot water massage.

“I am in pain,” he said. “My heart is broken. I do not even know where to start. I am finding it so difficult to understand how my older daughter and her mother beat up my girl so badly to the point that she died as a result of wounds she sustained. Nneka is my first daughter. I had her out of wedlock with one Seki Eko I was in a relationship with. She runs a beer parlour at Oluwole Market. But Nneka was trained by my wife Ifeoma who loved her like her own child.

“When I got married to my wife, it was difficult for her to conceive and so she brought up Nneka like her own child. So, when she came and said Precious should come to her place in Ikota, we did not have any reason to deny her request. Her husband lives in Dubai. She promised to send her to a private school to appreciate my wife for taking care of her.

“Precious went to her place on October 12. It was that weekend that it rained all through. Then, on October 14, which was a Monday, it also rained and Precious said she peed on the bed. That was her offence that made my daughter and her mother to descend on her like that.

“When they finished, they brought her back and dumped her at my place in Apapa Road, Ebute Metta. She was complaining of body pains and narrated what happened to her at her sister’s place in tears. I could not bear it and I wept as she was talking.

“My wife and I bought painkillers that we gave her. My wife was also using hot water and cloth to massage her body. We did not know that it was so bad. When we saw that she was not getting better despite the painkillers, we decided to take her to FMC because that’s where she was born.

“She was already stooling on her body and her mother was cleaning it. So, at the hospital, she was rushed to the emergency room after the doctors said she was short of blood. They did so many tests and scans and discovered that she was bleeding internally and that her bladder burst too.

“She was in the hospital some days and was booked for emergency surgery. I was busy running around to raise money to save my daughter’s life. I even borrowed from friends and family members so that she could be saved but at last we lost her.

“Nneka did not tell me what happened to my daughter and did not even come to the hospital until her relative from her mother’s side who works at the FMC called her to rebuke her. That was when she came and spent about N14,000 on my daughter’s drugs that day.

I did not go to the police station then because I was busy running around for my daughter to be alright. But after she passed on…my kinsmen advised I report at the station. I went to Denton Police Station and Iponri but they told me it did not happen in their jurisdiction and that I should go to Lekki to report.

“I just sent a message to her husband and told him what she did. My wife has been inconsolable since then.

“I want justice for my daughter. I feel very disappointed that this happened to my family. I want human rights to come and government to investigate this case. Nneka is my daughter but Precious is also my daughter and she did not deserve to die like that,” he said.

The mother of the deceased told our correspondent she was still in shock over the incident, denying insinuations that Precious might have been ill.

She said: “My daughter was very healthy and even cooked for her younger ones that day before following Nneka. Nneka and her mother should explain what happened to my daughter. Nneka was brought to my house when she was 17 and we trained her in the university. I never did any wrong to her and then, she chose to pay me back this way?”

Our correspondent contacted Nneka for her reaction to the allegation and she said she would call back because where she was in a noisy place. After 90 minutes, our correspondent called again but she asked, “Who gave you the information? I cannot answer you if you do not say who gave you information. If you are recording me, I am recording you too and we all have our exhibits.”

Later, a woman, Tolu Fagbayila who said she was Nneka’s manager and public relations person called but declined to give her client’s side of the story.

She insisted on a physical meeting for a way forward.

Our correspondent told her a physical meeting was not necessary and that Nneka’s reaction could be sent through email, WhatsApp or SMS by the lawyer or anyone speaking on her behalf but that was not done.

Nneka reportedly told those around her the teenager died as a result of ruptured appendicitis, adding that the girl was ill before she took her to her house.

Efforts to reach her mother Seki Eko on her telephone number were unsuccessful. Meanwhile, a coalition of child advocates has signified interest in the matter following The Nation online report of the case.

Mr. Omenka told our correspondent that the advocates have contacted and interviewed him, adding that they also volunteered to take over the case and ensure justice.

Sources at the police station said an order to exhume the teenager’s body would be sought so that autopsy could be conducted.

Police spokesman Bala Elkana confirmed the case was reported at Ajiwe Division in Ajah, adding that the suspects have been arrested.

He said, “The father of the girl reported the incident at Ajah Police Station. He said he has since buried the girl. We have arrested the suspects and the case has been transferred to homicide section of State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence (SCIID) Yaba.”

Source: The Nation

LAGESC to commence operation zero tolerance on street trading, hawking

AgegePulse Magazine

The Lagos Environmental Sanitation Corps (LAGESC) has announced that Operation Zero Tolerance on street trading and hawking will commence across Lagos soon, just as the Agency promised to liaise with relevant stakeholders to ensure a successful exercise.

The Corps Marshal of the agency, CP Gbemisola Akinpelu  (rtd), who disclosed this today at Alausa, Ikeja during an advocacy campaign to the President-General, Association of Commodity Women and Men of Nigeria, Mrs. Folashade Tinubu-Ojo said the exercise is in line with the mandate of the present administration for promoting a cleaner, hygienic and beautiful environment that gives aesthetic pleasure.

According to her, “The Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu led administration has always maintained the State government's resolve towards ensuring a greener and cleaner environment. It is therefore important to seek the support of your association and members to key into this vision towards ensuring adequate synergy in order to eradicate street trading, hawking, and indiscriminate dumping of refuse and other environmental nuisance associated with some market places”.


Mrs. Akinpelu opined that the activities of street traders on major roads, such as displaying of goods on roads setbacks and walkways, hawking on highways and indiscriminate dumping of waste impede the free flow of traffic, adding that the traders also expose themselves to various dangers including auto accidents.

While appreciating the tremendous contribution of the leadership and members of the Association towards the socio-economic development of Lagos State, the Corps Marshal, however, solicited for the cooperation of the traders in ensuring proper waste disposal.

In her response, the President-General, Association of Commodity Women and Men of Nigeria, Mrs. Folashade Tinubu-Ojo appreciated the Corps Marshal’s efforts to sanitise the environment and expressed readiness to partner with the agency in the area of advocacy in markets across the State.

She, however, appealed for a human face in the Agency’s interactions with traders and assured of increased assistance from the body.

Policeman dies as 2 multi-storey buildings gutted by fire in Lagos Island

AgegePulse Magazine

  
Fire fighters as well as other emergency responders are still battling to put out the fire on Martins Street. (Twitter/ @rrslagos767)
Fire fighters as well as other emergency responders are still battling to put out the fire on Martins Street. (Twitter/ @rrslagos767)

Two multi-storey buildings were gutted by fire at different locations in Lagos Island on Tuesday, November 5, 2019 destroying goods and property worth millions of naira in the ever busy commercial city centre.
A five-storey building situated at Oluwole Market, adjacent to Mandillas Building, and another three-storey building located at Dosumu Street, both in Lagos Island, were burnt on Tuesday.

While the fire at the three-storey building on Dosumu street was successfully put off, fire servicemen were still battling to extinguish the fire raging at the six-storey building at Martins Street as at 7:40p.m. on Tuesday.

Fire fighters as well as other emergency responders are still battling to put out the fire on Martins Street. (Twitter/ @rrslagos767)
Fire fighters as well as other emergency responders are still battling to put out the fire on Martins Street. (Twitter/ @rrslagos767)

As at the time of filing this report, the Lagos State Rapid Response Squad (RRS) posted on it twitter page (@rrslagos767) that the incident had claimed the life of a policeman from a nearby division.

"We are still at the scene of the fire incident. Though it has reduced to a reasonable extent, Efforts are still on to put it out completely. Partial building collapse occurred during the process which claimed the life of a policeman from a nearby division." they twitted.

Fire fighters as well as other emergency responders are still battling to put out the fire on Martins Street.

(Twitter/ @rrslagos767)
Fire fighters as well as other emergency responders are still battling to put out the fire on Martins Street. (Twitter/ @rrslagos767)

According to NAN reports, a combined team of servicemen from Lagos Fire Service, Federal Fire Service, Julius Berger, UBA and Union Bank were at the scene battling to extinguish the fire.

Confirming the reports, the Director General, Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Dr Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, said at the scene that emergency officials were able to localise the fire and stopped it from spreading to other buildings.

“We received a call earlier this morning that there is a fire incident that involves two multistorey buildings at Martins Street and Dosumu Street in Lagos.

“Immediately we activated our emergency response plan and other stakeholders in managing emergency moved to the scene.

“We are able to locate and localised the fire but the major challenge we are having is access to major source of the fire; secondly, we discovered that they stored highly inflammable materials in the building.

”The way the building is positioned is adjacent and interlocked to the centre area, but we make use of combined team method to localise the fire which spread from one shop to the other but we are trying to put it off now,” Oke-Osanyintolu said.

Olufemi appealed to Lagosians, especially traders at Lagos Island markets, not to panic.
He, however, pleaded with traders to stop putting generators and petrol inside their shops to avoid similar accidents in the area.

Chief (Mrs) Folashade Ojo, Iyaloja of Lagos, who also visited the scene, called for regular public power supply to prevent indiscriminate use of generators causing fire outbreaks.

Olanrewaju Elegushi, Special Adviser to Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Lagos Central Business District, sympathised with the affected traders and also said the state would soon provide fire hydrants in the area to enable the servicemen have access to wate

Pulsing com

Eight held as army foils Boko Haram bid to attack Lagos

AgegePulse Magazine

Eight Boko Haram suspects arrested in connection with plans to attack facilities in Lagos are being held by the military, the army said at the weekend.

The Nation gathered on Sunday that the insurgents made attempts about two weeks ago to attack one of the universities in the state, but operatives of the 81 Division beat them to their game.

Four persons directly involved in the botched plan were arrested and immediately whisked to the Army Headquarters in Abuja for further investigation....

read full article

https://lagosreporters9ja.com/2019/11/04/eight-held-as-army-foils-boko-haram-bid-to-attack-lagos/

POLICE ARREST A LAGOS NOTORIOUS CULTUST

By Tunji Oyeleye

Operatives of Operation Crush from Bariga Division, Lagos, have arrested one Adegboro Odunwole alias Gobe.

A statement by the Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Bala Elkana, made available to Crime Fighters, Police and You, on Sunday, November 3, says Gobe was arrested on November 1, 2019 at about 1400 hours.

Elkana said the arrested suspect was a factional leader of “AIYE” confraternity which operated on Akilo street in Bariga.

According to him, Gobe had been on the watch list of Lagos State Police Command for a long period as he was said to be responsible for series of violent attacks and killings in Bariga.

The Lagos PPRO said that the suspect would soon be charged to Court.

MFM Coach, Tony Bolus Lauds players over opening day win

AgegePulse Magazine

Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries FC head coach Tony Bolus has praised his charges after their 1-0 win over Heartland FC in a Matchday One fixture of the 2019/20 Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) season decided at the Okigwe Stadium in Owerri on Sunday.

The Olukoya Boys gave a good account of themselves against the Naze Millionaires as they claimed an opening day win courtesy of a 39th minute header from Clement Ogwu when he connected a long throw-in from Najeem Olayinka.

Fidelis Ilechukwu's men created lots of goal-scoring chances shortly after MFM FC's goal but the Lagos-based team goalkeeper Folarin Abayomi denied the hosts with breathtaking saves. His bright display in between the sticks earned him the man-of the-match award.

After the crucial victory Bolus appreciated his boys for their brilliant performance.

“I need to appreciate my boys for their effort today and for keeping and playing to instructions. They maintained the tempo of the game from the beginning to the end of the game. They were able to keep their cool and the ball and I appreciate their effort a lot and I believe it's going to continue till the end of the season," he said.

The former Giwa FC manager also talked about the lapses he noticed during the match and promised to make amendment before his team’s next league game against FC  Ifeanyiubah.

“There were lapses in the team despite the victory so we will go back home to the drawing board and right our wrongs.

"We had opportunities to be two to three goals up but we failed to make them count although they had theirs also but our goalkeeper was great in goal today. All the same we still need to work on the team to prepare for FC Ifeanyiubah,” he concluded.

Hamza Koudeih: Unravelling a Money Laundering Honcho

AgegePulse Magazine

Hamza Koudeih is a Lebanese, resident in Lagos and steeped in money. From his $1.3million residence in Eko Atlantic Pearl Tower to his high-end automobiles, Hamza Koudeih oozes money, all of which he made doing nothing in the country but money laundering. .
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According to investigation, he has done this to the tune of a whooping $19million. The acting Chairman of the EFCC, Ibrahim Magu, described the recent arrests of a social media celebrity, Ismaila Mustapha, popularly known as Mompha for his alleged involvement in internet-related fraud and money laundering and Koudeih, his international collaborator, as a landmark achievement of the Commission in the recent time.

For details of this and other stories, visit our website: www.efccnigeria.org
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#InternetFraudsters #YahooBoys #YahooYahoo #Scam #Fraud #Crime #Corruption #EFCC #TheFightAgainstCorruption #FightingForYou

Who killed Lagos?

By Chioma Gabriel

AgegePulse Magazine

Yes, it is the same Lagos that I’m talking about. Lagos is dead, murdered by bad leadership over the years. If you are living elsewhere and is nursing a dream about Lagos and the beautiful life, just know you are having a nightmare. The dream of a beautiful Lagos has been murdered by bad administration, selfish politicians and greedy businessmen. You don’t need to know their names but their actions speak louder than words.

Lagos is locked down. People sleep in traffic. There are no roads and where there seem to be, their bad conditions have hindered movements. The average Lagosian is a victim.  Every road is a pot hole and if you want to make a choice, it would be which pothole is deeper and how would you avoid deeper potholes. But there are no smooth roads anymore.


The problem with Lagos is the offshoot of failed promises handed down by subsequent governments at federal and state levels. The politicians say one thing and mean another.

They make promises bearing in mind that they would never execute them. They make political statements on how to fix the dilapidated port access roads, yet the nation’s business gateway suffers from the same problem.

And how do I know? I know because my office is located in the midst of the chaos; the chaos visited upon Lagos by politicians of yester-years and today who lied to Nigerians about what they planned to do for the people.

How many tank farms are located around the ports and who owns them? Now, the owners of the tank farms and other trailer-related businesses are the people that destroyed Lagos. Some are past leaders. Others are current leaders and they are bigger than Nigeria and other Nigerians.

They may be four or five; six or eight but they are selfish and care about themselves and not about others. The destiny of over 120 million

Who killed Lagos?

Nigerians are in the hands of these few people and because of them, an entire city is ruined; because of them, other businesses have been asked to go to hell; because of them, other road users have been asked to move to Siberia because the businesses of the few Nigerians located around the ports come first and these are the real owners of the roads. Others have been told they have no business living or operating around the area. We heard from the grapevine that even Nigerian Ports Authority will soon have to relocate and those in charge mean business.

Politicians past and present were consistently promising to end the protracted gridlock in Oshodi-Apapa and around the ports. The current governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu promised to end it within 60 days in office. But the truth is: the gridlocks have just matured to a new level. Sanwo-Olu has denied promising to end the gridlock in 60 days. The presidency and its task force on the gridlock have also failed. In fact, it’s as if the presidency is not being told the truth about what is going on in Apapa ports and its environs.

From all indications, it’s also obvious that Governor Sanwo-Olu does not understand the problem. As long as the tank farms and the tank-farmers are the untouchable Nigerians, that problem will never be solved. Why would any government approve so many tank-farms to be located within a small community causing thousands of containers to flood the area and the entire Lagos?

What happened to the trailer parks in Lagos and other places and why are there not enough? Why are the trailers refusing to park where they should and prefer blocking the roads? Why are they untouchable?

Vanguard Newspaper

4 RESCUED IN 2–STOREY BUILDING COLLAPSE AT GLOVER COURT, IKOYI, LAGOS

...As LASEMA Activates Lagos Emergency Response Plan

AgegePulse Magazine

A total of four out of the five trapped construction workers in a collapsed two–storey building has been rescued today, Friday 1st November, 2019 at  Glover Court Ikoyi.

In quick reaction to the incident, LASEMA the Agency saddled with emergency response in Lagos, has activated the State's Emergency Response Plans in an ongoing operation is still exerting all necessarily efforts to excavate the site in order to save the remaining trapped victim from the building that collapsed this afternoon at about 4.10pm.

In the ongoing operation at the Glover court construction site which houses a total of four different 2-storey buildings, all under construction of the five people trapped in the collapsed building at the time of collapse, the only construction worker reportedly still trapped under rubbles of the collapsed building is 24 year old Yomi, as all other workers have been accounted for.

Lagosians within vicinity of the incident have been enjoined to stay calm and allow emergency responders do their job.

Emergency responders present at the scene include LASEMA, LASG FIRE LASAMBUS and LASBCA.

Sanwo-Olu restates commitment to payment of new minimum wage

AgegePulse Magazine

The Lagos State governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has restated thei commitment of the administration to the payment of the new N30, 000 minimum wage.

The governor stated this while addressing this year’s Long Service Award of the State at the Lagos State Secretariat, Alausa, Ikeja on Thursday.

In the address delivered on his behalf by the secretary to the state government, Mrs Sherifat Folashade Jaji, the governor said “As you are already aware, we are committed to the payment of the new minimum wage”.

He also commended the awardees made up of workers who have put in between 30 and 35 years in the service of the state.
He also stated the commitment of the state to staff welfare and development.

Secretary to Lagos State Government, Mrs Sherifat Folashade Jaji

“As a government we recognise the need to pay utmost attention to issues of welfare and capacity development which are crucial to the building of twenty first century economy. In line with this recognition, I wish to use this opportunity to restate the commitment of this administration to the training and retraining as well as developing innovative ideas to promote staff welfare”, the governor declared.

In his own address, the Lagos State Head of Service, Mr Hakeem Muri-Okunola, said the award which is the thirteenth in the series was designed to recognise the contributions of the workers to the service of the state and encourage them to work more in furtherance of the objectives of the administration.

Muri-Okunola also commended the governor for his commitment to the welfare of the workers.

About 1000 workers who have put in between 30 and 35 years in the service of Lagos State were recognised.

LSUBEB Permanent Board members in a group photograph with The Secretary to the State Government and  HOS.

Currency Couterfeiter Bags Two Years for N1.4m Fraud

AgegePulse Magazine

The EFCC, Sokoto Zonal Office, on Thursday, October 31, 2019 secured the conviction of one Muhammad Muzakkir (a.k.a Mai Bakin Gyale) before Justice Kabiru I. Ahmed of the Sokoto State High Court, Sokoto. Muzakkir was convicted on two separate charges of a one-count amended charge each of cheating and counterfeiting in currency, contrary to Section 320 of the Penal Code Law and punishable under Section 322 of the same law.

WIZKID CONFIRMS TENI’S VIGINITY STATUS

Okay, so a Twitter user asked Teni whether she is still and a virgin but instead of answering, Teni directed the Twitter user to get an answer from Wizkid. Here is Wizkid's reply

Okay, so a Twitter user asked Teni whether she is still and a virgin but instead of answering, Teni directed the Twitter user to get an answer from Wizkid.

 Here is Wizkid’s reply ‘anywhere starboy enter! No dey close again‘

Wizkid
✔
@wizkidayo
 anywhere starboy enter! No dey close again 😎

Source: TVCConnect

Direct Mobile Numbers Of Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu And His Cabinet Members

AgegePulse Magazine

*Executive Council*

*LAGOS STATE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL MEMBERS.*
<
*Names, Portfolio, E-mail and Phone Numbers*

1 Mr. BabaJide Sanwo-Olu Governor bosgov@lagosstate.gov.ng 09017077777

2 Dr. Kadri Obafemi Hamzat Deputy Governor kohdg@lagosstate.gov.ng 08032215026

3 Mrs Sherifat Folashade Jaji Secretary to the State Government sjaji@lagosstate.gov. 08023122483

4 Mr. Hakeem Muri-Okunola Head of Service hmo@lagosstate.gov.ng 08034030263

5 Mr. Tayo Akinmade Ayinde Chief of Staff tayoayinde@yahoo.co.uk/td> 08022903706

6 Mr. Gboyega Soyannwo Deputy Chief of Staff gsoyannwo@lagosstate.gov.ng 090xxxxxxx

7 Dr.  Rabiu Onaolapo Olowo Commissioner for Finance rabiuolowo@lagosstate.gov.ng 08022903706

8 Mrs. Folashade Adefisayo Commissioner for Education fadefisayoo@lagosstate.gov.ng 08033008550

9 Prof. Akin Abayomi Commissioner for Health akinabayomi@lagosstate.gov.ng 09031101982

10 Dr. Idris Salako Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development isalako@lagosstate.gov.ng 08053500032

11 Mr. Tunji Bello Commissioner for The  Environment and Water Resources tbello@lagosstate.gov.ng 08035272200

12 Mr. Gbenga Omotoso Commissioner for Information and Strategy gomotoso@lagosstate.gov.ng 08034004237

13 Mrs. Bolaji Dada Commissioner for Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation WAPA bolajidada@lagosstate.gov.ng 08033244981

14 Mr. Lere Odusote Commissioner for Energy and Natural Resources lodusote@lagosstate.gov.ng 08175016555

15 Dr. Frederic Oladeinde Commissioner for Transportation foladeinde@lagosstate.gov.ng 08068519606

16 Mr. Gbolahan Lawal Commissioner for Agriculture glawal@lagosstate.gov.ng 08055552407

17 Moruf Akinderu Fatai Commissioner for Housing mfatai@lagosstate.gov.ng 08099000555

18 Mr. Moyo Onigbanjo (SAN) Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice m.onigbanjo@lagosstate.gov.ng 08033243869

19 Mr. Hakeem Fahm Commissioner for Science and Technology hakeemfahm@lagosstate.gov.ng 08183374053

20 Mrs. Ajibola Ponnle Commissioner for Establishments, Training and Pensions aponle@lagosstate.gov.ng 08023143545

21 Mr. Segun Dawodu Commissioner for Youth and Social Development segundawodu@lagosstate.gov.ng 08022241430

22 Mrs. Uzamat Akinbile-Yusuf Commissioner for Home Affairs uakinbile-yusuf@lagosstate.gov.ng 08033267731

23 Mrs. Yetunde Arobieke Commissioner for Local Government and Community Affairs yarobieke@lagosstate.gov.ng 08033006419

24  Mrs. Lola Akande Commissioner for Commerce and Industry lolaakande@lagosstate.gov.ng 08028610411

25 Mrs. Olufunke Adebolu Commissioner for Tourism,Arts and Culture oadebolu@lagosstate.gov.ng 08162200022

26 Mr. Sam Egube Commissioner for Economic Planning and Budget segube@lagosstate.gov.ng 08029990194

27 Dr.  Wale Ahmed Commissioner for Special Duties and Inter-governmental Relations wahmed@lagosstate.gov.ng 08022234870

28 Engr. Aramide Adeyoye Special Adviser Works and Infrastructure aadeyoye@lagosstate.gov.ng 08077761036

29 Ms Ruth Bisola Olusanya Special Adviser for Agriculture rbolusanya@lagosstate.gov.ng 08069359523

30 Princess Aderemi Adebowale Special Adviser, Office of Civic Engagement remiadebowale@lagosstate.gov.ng 08155558770

31 Mr. Afolabi Ayantayo Special Adviser on Political and Legislative Affairs aayantayo@lagosstate.gov.ng 08054539126

32 Mrs. Toke Benson-Awoyinka Special Adviser for Housing tbenson-awoyinka@lagosstate.gov.ng 0808155288

33 Mr. Joe Igbokwe Special Adviser Office of Drainage Services. jigbokwe@lagosstate.gov.ng 08033060452

34 Mr. Tubosun Alake Special Adviser for Innovation and Technology talake@lagosstate.gov.ng 08180445694

35 Architect Kabiru Ahmed Abdullahi Special Adviser for Urban Development k.abdullahi@lagosstate.gov.ng 08067770777

36 Anofi Olanrewaju Elegushi Special Adviser for Central Business Districts, CDB aelegushi@lagosstate.gov.ng 07055555886

37 Bonu Solomon Saanu Special Adviser for Arts and Culture bsaanu@lagosstate.gov.ng 08032661223

38 Mr. Oluwatoyin Fayinka Special Adviser for Transportation ofayinka@lagosstate.gov.ng 08023059317

39 Oladele Ajayi Special Adviser for Commerce and Industry deleajayi@lagosstate.gov.ng 08023290562

40 Mr. Tokunbo Wahab Special Adviser for Education twahab@lagosstate.gov.ng 08022042478

41 Mrs. Solape Hammond Special Adviser for Sustainable Development Goals and Lagos Global solape.hammond@lagosstate.gov.ng 007062157665

"Having big booty is better than having master degree” – Naira Marley

AgegePulse Magazine

Nigerian popular rapper Naira Marley has made a controversial tweet on Twitter that has got him trending on the platform.

In his tweet, the ‘Jo Soapy’ crooner stated that a woman who has a big butt is better than one with a Masters degree.

 He also went on to pray for his female followers to have bigger butt and flat stomach.

Having big booty is better than having master degree”

Then in a follow-up tweet, he wrote ;

“To every female Marlian may ur butty get fatter and may ur stomach get fatter”

See his tweets below;

First Lagos military Gov Mobolaji Johnson dies at 83

AgegePulse Magazine

 Retired Brigadier Mobolaji Johnson, the first military governor of Lagos State, is dead. Credible sources close to the Lagos State Government confirmed the death of the ex-governor last night.

  Mobolaji who was born on February 9, 1936, died yesterday at the aged of 83.

 He served as governor between May 1967 and July 1975, under the military regime of General Yakubu Gowon.

DailyTrust

LAGOS SHUTS 14 HEALTH FACILITIES FOR NON-COMPLIANCE

……assures the public of best practices in health care delivery

AgegePulse Magazine

Lagos State Government through the Health Facility Monitoring and Accreditation Agency, HEFAMAA has shut 14 health facilities in the month of September for non-compliance with regulatory standards. 

 The Executive Secretary of HEFAMAA, Dr. Abiola Idowu who disclosed this after an enforcement exercise carried out by the agency recently, stressed that the state government remains committed to putting a halt to the ugly trend of having unqualified personnel work in health facilities and will continue to insist that the environment for the dispensation of medical care should be suitable for the promotion and maintenance of good health.

Idowu stated that the government will not tolerate any form of illegal health practices in the state as health security is an integral part of public security which is the primary duty of the government. She stressed that the government will ensure that all health facilities in the state conform to best practices. She urged all health facility operators to abide strictly by the standards of the Health Facility Monitoring and Accreditation Agency (HEFAMAA) to avoid being sanctioned.

She urged members of the public to continue to cooperate and support the State government in the fight against quackery and illegal operation of facilities by reporting those behind such acts to relevant government agencies to safeguard the health and the well-being of the citizenry.

She advised owners and operators of health facilities in the State to ensure they complete their registration with HEFAMAA, collect the agency’s logo and display them at a visible position in around their facilities where members of the public can see.

Dr. Abiola advised members of the public not only to be cautious but to desist from patronizing any health care provider that has not been certified as well as report any suspicious health care facility to HEFAMAA.

 She enjoined the people to continue to have confidence in government's ability to fulfill the mandate of accessible, affordable qualitative Healthcare.

“Lagos state is a responsible government and will not relent in its efforts of ensuring that the wellbeing of the people is upheld”, She said.