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Showing posts from July 17, 2016

Power outage hits Ikoyi, VI, Oshodi

3D Electric powerlines The Management of Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), Lagos Region, on Sunday announced a one-day power outage in some parts of Lagos on Monday to effect repairs. TCN announced the outage in a statement by its Public Relations Officer, Mr Celestina Osin, in Lagos. The statement said the areas that would be affected include Ikoyi, Victoria Island, Alagbon, Apapa, Ijora, Surulere, Itire, Oshodi, Mushin, Nigerian Air Force Base, Shogunle and all their environs. It said that there was an urgent need by the company to disrupt electricity supply to them from the Akangba 132KV Transmission Substation on July 18, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The statement said the reason for the planned outage was to enable the MBH contractor carry out important repairs on the Itire 132KV Transmission Line 1 and the Ojo 132KV Transmission Line 2. It noted that it was from the lines that the areas were fed electricity. “During the period the outage will last, the 4×90 MVA power trans

News: 'Justice Will Be Done': President Obama Responds to Shooting in Baton Rouge Which Has Left 3 Officers Dead

'Justice Will Be Done': President Obama Responds to Shooting in Baton Rouge Which Has Left 3 Officers Dead http://ift.tt/29Rmwsu @Peoplemag

AU launches long-awaited AU passport

The African Union (AU) Passport launched today in Kigali, Rwanda The long-awaited African Union (AU) passport was on Sunday launched at the opening ceremony of the 27th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the AU Summit in Kigali, Rwanda. The Assembly is made up of heads of states and governments of the 54 member states of the AU. The AU Commission’s Chairperson, Dr Dlamini Zuma, presented the passport to the Chairperson of the union, President Idriss Deby of Chad and President Paul Kagame of Rwanda. Zuma, in her address, said the passport was a landmark achievement of the commission and was intended to help with regional integration of people of the continent. She said Africa was full of hope, possibility and optimism and she was sure that the commission would achieve its aim of a better Africa. “We see hope in the resilience of our people and the strides of countries towards eradicating poverty and transforming our economies. “We see hope in the ever-changing landscapes of our

Relocation of Alade Market followed due process-Concessionaire

Lai Omotola The Concessionaire of Alade Shopping Mall, Master Reality International Concepts Limited on Sunday said the relocation of shop owners and traders from old Alade Market to the new one followed due process. The concessionaire also debunked allegations of unlawful invasion into the market and forceful ejection of the traders which some aggrieved traders under the aegis of Association of Concerned Traders in Alade Markets leveled against it. Chief Executive Officer, CEO, Master Reality International Concepts Limited, Lai Omotola made the clarification in a statement he issued in response to an open letter a legal practitioner, Jiti Ogunye wrote to the Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode on Thursday on behalf of the concerned traders. In the letter to Ambode, the concerned traders had alleged that the officials of Ikeja Local Government and by extension Lagos State Government continued “to invade the market and eject traders therefrom.” However, Omotola said the letter

My father’s abductors haven’t contacted family for ransom-Son

The kidnapped Oba Goriola Oseni Kazeem Ugbodaga Son of the abducted Lagos monarch, Alhaji Kabiru Oseni says his father’s abductors have not yet established contact with the family to demand for a ransom. Oba Yushau Goriola Oseni, the Oniba of Ibaland, was abducted by gunmen on Saturday night in his palace at Iba in Lagos, Southwest Nigeria. His guard was killed while one of his wives was shot. Reacting to the development, Oseni lamented that he was coming from Oto-Ijanikin when he was informed by his sibling that his father had been kidnapped by some unknown gunmen. “They left with the wives phone. This is embarrassing. And since his abduction, they have not called nor demand for anything. What is paramount to me at this time is the release of my Father,” he said. Lagos deputy Governor, Dr. Oluranti Adebule was among the sympathizers who visited the oba’s palace on Sunday to assure the family that the monarch would be released. Adebule condemned the kidnap of the aged monarch,

OAU Crisis: Between Wumi Raji and Adediwura Alawode

Kunle Jaiyesimi ‘Kunle Jaiyesimi It is no longer news that Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria is in crisis, as reported by various platforms. Wumi Raji, an Associate Professor in the Department of Theatre Arts of the same University wrote that the University “is in deep crisis” and has a lot to say about it, http://ift.tt/29yu2Zw”. On the 15th day of July, 2016, a hitherto Google-unknown character, in person of Adediwura Alawode, brilliantly wrote a rejoinder to WumiRaji’s piece, http://ift.tt/29GjUdx“. The choice of the tag “hitherto Google-unknown character” in describing Adediwura Alawode was a result of the fact that while Wumi Raji provided his full identity, including his department, designation and a bold picture in the piece he wrote, the rejoinder writer only went as far as stating at the end of his piece, “Adediwura Alawode writes from OAU”. Inasmuch as no one is to immediately presume that the referenced OAU stands for Organisation of African Unity, it is righ

APC releases time-table for Ondo governorship primary election

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has released the timetable and schedule of activities for the conduct of the party’s 2016 governorship primary election in Ondo State. The Party’s National Organising Secretary, Sen. Osita Izunaso, made the announcement in a statement released to newsmen on Sunday in Abuja by Mr Edegbe Odemwingie, APC Assistant Director, Publicity. Izunaso said the announcement was in line with the provisions of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended), of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) guidelines and Party guidelines. According to the timetable and schedule of activities, the sale of forms will commence at the APC National Secretariat from Tuesday, July 19 and last until Friday, Aug. 5. The statement pegged the sale of forms at N5 million while intending aspirants are expected to pay N500, 000 to pick expression of interest forms. It, however, said that the forms would be free of charge for female aspirants. “Last day for submission of complet

Lawyers urge LASG to give teeth to Tenancy Law

Some lawyers in Lagos on Saturday called on the Lagos State Government to set up a special taskforce aimed at ensuring full compliance with the State Tenancy Law of 2011. The lawyers said that some landlords had continued to breach the provisions of the tenancy laws. The Lagos State House of Assembly had in August 2011, passed the Tenancy Bill and was assented to by ex-Gov. Babatunde Fashola. Section 4 of the law provides among others: “It shall be unlawful for a landlord or his agent to demand or receive from a sitting tenant rent in excess of six (6) months from a monthly tenant, and one year from a yearly tenant in respect of any premises. “It shall be unlawful for a sitting tenant to offer or pay rent in excess of one (1) year for a yearly tenant and six (6) months for a monthly tenant in respect of any premises. “Any person who receives or pays rent in excess of what is prescribed in this Section shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction, to a fine of On

Lagos to upgrade 21 school libraries

The Lagos State Government on Sunday said it had concluded plans to upgrade 21 secondary school libraries across all the six educational districts in the state. The Special Adviser to the Governor on Education, Mr Obafela Bank-Olemoh, said in a statement that the libraries would be upgraded by the end of 2016. Bank-Olemoh also announced the commencement of the State Digital Library project. According to him, the state government’s Private-Public-Partnership initiative tagged: Adopt-A-Library, was geared toward transforming the state public libraries into modern, ICT-enhanced knowledge centres. He said the Ipaja public library had been upgraded, while the Ilupeju public library was recently upgraded by Custodian & Allied as well as the Herbert Macaulay Library, Yaba, currently under renovation by Guaranty Trust Bank. Bank-Olemoh said that the libraries and ICT centres at Ireti and Falomo Secondary Schools were recently upgraded by ARM Pensions, while Citibank also upgraded the

Assembly commends Ambode for repairing federal roads

Governor Ambode The Lagos State House of Assembly Committee on Works and Infrastructure has lauded Gov. Akinwunmi Ambode for his commitment to the rehabilitation of federal roads in the state. The Chairman of the Committee, Mr Abiodun Tobun, in Lagos on Sunday said that the state government had invested “heavily” on federal roads. Specifically, Tobin said the House would collaborate with the state government on the reconstruction of the Lagos- Badagry international expressway, “The repair of that road is ongoing though it is a federal road. The state government is spending heavily on that road, it has not been abandoned. “The State’s Public Works Corporation has taken pains to fix 10 bad portions of the road. “We should appreciate the government for repairing federal roads in this time of economic hardship, especially the Badagry expressway. “It is an international road. Customs are collecting revenue (duties) for the Federal Government on the goods that come into the country.

Sports writers welcome FIFA president’s visit to Nigeria

Gianni Infantino The President, Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN), Honour Sirawoo, says the expected visit of FIFA’s President, Gianni Infantino to Nigeria will open a new vista for the nation’s football. Sirawoo made the assertion in a statement by the association’s Secretary-General, Olawale Alabi, on Sunday in Ilorin. The statement said the visit underscored the regard Nigeria enjoyed in the politics of international football as a result of the untiring efforts of the Amaju Pinnick-led Nigeria Football Federation (NFF). It said the visit would also serve as a veritable platform for stakeholders to share ideas on the advancement of Nigeria’s potential in the game. Infantino and FIFA’s Secretary-General, Fatma Samoura, will visit Nigeria on July 24 on a two-day working visit. “It is no mean feat to have the FIFA president visiting Nigeria with other world football officials. I congratulate the NFF on this. “It’s a great job which must be fully utilised toward the up

Pele visits Nigeria August 11

Pele Brazil’s football legend, Edson Arantes do Nascimento, popularly known as “Pele’’ will be in the country in August for a two-day programme on youth development and empowerment. The facilitators of the visit, Winihin Jemide Series (WJS) and Youth Experience Days Africa (YEDA), made the disclosure at a news conference on in Lagos. The football great, is renowned for many achievements, including scoring 1,281 goals in his professional career. Pele has also been named Athlete of the Century by the International Olympic Committee and FIFA respectively. His forthcoming visit will be his second visit to the country, the first in 1967 was occasioned by a two-day cease fire during the Nigerian civil war. His visit allowed the warring sides to watch Pele and Santos play an exhibition match in Lagos. Pele would be in the country from Aug. 11 to Aug. 12 for the programme, tagged “WJS/YEDA Legend Edition’’. The organisers said that programmes line-up for the events were street footbal

NSE boss lauds stakeholders on Apapa gridlock

The Apapa Branch Chairman of the Nigeria Society of Engineers (NSE), Mr. Taiwo Olalekan, on Sunday, commended the efforts of some stakeholders to end the traffic gridlock in Apapa. Olalekan said that the cooperation of the various stakeholders has ended the congestion around the ports, the access roads and all major roads in and out of Apapa. He said that the collaboration between the NSE, state and local governments, tank farm owners, alongside other stakeholders, had returned sanity to the roads. The NSE branch chairman lamented that improper planning was responsible for the previous gridlock on Apapa roads, adding that trucks parking on the highway and bridges also caused the rapid dilapidation of the roads. “I am commending them because they heeded our advice, and that has solved the problem to some extent, but they can do better,” he said. Olalekan stressed the need for some training for drivers and owners of articulated vehicles, to totally eliminate the problem of traffic c

3 policemen shot dead in Louisiana

Police officers block off a road after a shooting of police in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, U.S. July 17, 2016. REUTERS/Joe Penney Three police officers were shot to death and several others wounded in Baton Rouge, Louisiana on Sunday, the city’s mayor said, as the country remained on edge in the wake of police shootings of black men and the killings of five Dallas officers. The officers in Baton Rouge were responding to a call of shots fired when they were ambushed by at least one gunman, Mayor Kip Holden told NBC News. A gunman was shot but his condition was not clear, a Louisiana State Police official told NBC. A spokesman for the East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office said police and sheriff’s deputies were involved in the shooting incident. “Multiple officers from both agencies sustained injuries and were transported to local hospitals,” he said in an email. He said there were no firm numbers on the number hurt or the extent of injuries. While the scene of the shootings was contained,

FRSC to clampdown on fake drivers’ licence syndicates

FRSC Boss, Boboye Oyeyemi The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) said in Lagos on Sunday that it would continue to intensify efforts to clampdown on fake drivers’ licence syndicates in the country. Mr Olatunji Oguntoye, the Surulere Unit Commander of the corps in Lagos gave the assurance in an interview in Lagos. He said: “In this locality (Surulere), Lagos we are battling with the issue of fake drivers’ licences in some quarters and this is attributed to the activities of touts in our neighbourhoods. “But we are doing all we can to see that we overcome it, hence, in our public enlightenment activities, we encourage people not to patronise fake officials. “That is what led us to transform the old licence to this one. You cannot be issued any licence now without physical capture. “If we capture your photograph, we also input your data in our system. “But if you say you are getting a drivers’ licence today through a third party, can you say it would be properly done? How will

Fake Super Glue floods market

Super Glue The Alteco Chemical PTE Ltd., a company that produces Alteco 11O Super Glue, has raised an alarm over the faking of its product across the country. Mr Ifeanyi Dike, the company’s Media Consultant, said on Sunday in Onitsha that the company’s products that were faked and worth millions of naira were confiscated during several raids in Onitsha, Aba and Lagos. Dike, who noted that over 100 shops were raided in Onitsha alone, said the raid was carried out in collaboration with the Police after obtaining Anton Pillar Order from court. The Anton Piller order is an order of court which requires the defendant to permit the plaintiff to enter the defendant’s premises to obtain evidence. “Six different companies faking Alteco 110 super glue with designs that deceive unsuspecting consumers have been sued. “Counterfeiting practices have a far reaching impact on many facets of people’s lives, especially as the materials and manufacturing processes do not follow standards,” the med

3 judges sacked for judicial malpractices

Justices Oloyede and Yunusa The National Judicial Council of Nigeria (NJC) has dismissed Justice Mohammed Yunusa and two other judges for judicial malpractices. SaharaReporters reports that the NJC met on Thursday and Friday to consider several allegations of judicial misconduct by Justice Mohammed Yunusa of the Federal High Court, Justice Olamide Falahanmi Oloyede of the Osun High Court, and an unnamed judge from Benue State. At the end of its deliberations, the NJC decided that the three judges deserved to be dismissed for acts of gross misconduct. An NJC source stated that Justice Yunusa had the worst case, with numerous petitions accusing him of receiving kickbacks and bribes. He was also accused of writing and delivering two different judgments in one case. Our NJC source disclosed that one of the strongest cases against Justice Yunusa was his decision to grant an interlocutory injunction stopping the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission from investigating and arresting S

Oil Wells: Niger Delta lawmakers insist on 65 percent

File photo: Niger Delta militants fighting for control of crude oil in Niger Delta To facilitate development in the Niger Delta region, South-South and South East lawmakers have urged the Federal Government to review the ownership structure of oil wells in the country. “The people of the Niger Delta region should possess at least 65 percent of the oil wells contrary to the present ownership structure where less than 10 percent of the oil blocks belong to our people.” They noted that the region’s development is being hindered by the present payment mode of derivative oil funds. “There is an urgent need for the Federal Government of Nigeria to put in place adequate machinery that would ensure direct payment of derivative oil funds into the hands of Niger Delta Benefiting communities” the principal officers and members of the Houses of Assembly in the region said. Rising from the first parliamentary session of the South-South and South-East Houses of Assembly in Owerri, Imo State we

JAMB clarifies 2016 admission strategy

Professor Dibu Ojerinde: JAMB Registrar The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) says the recent lists forwarded to various tertiary institutions was for candidates that qualified for screening based on institutions’ capacity. The board’s Registrar, Prof. Dibu Ojerinde, made the clarification on Sunday in Lagos in a statement. According to the statement, they are in no way the admission lists. It added that if, however, the number of candidates on such lists was not sufficient for existing vacancies, the institutions could source from the omnibus printout earlier sent to them by the board. “The public and all tertiary institutions should note that admission will only be approved by the board after appropriate screening of the candidates by the institutions. “The list which is made up of candidates who met the national cut-off point within the set criteria is then forwarded to the institutions,’’ it said. The statement noted that the intention of the board was to ensu

Church donates foodstuff to unpaid civil servants

Gov. Abiola Ajimobi The Redeemed Christian Church of God, Oyo Province 2, has donated foodstuff to some Oyo State civil servants to alleviate their suffering caused by non-payment of their six-month salaries by the state government. Pastor Enoch Tomoloju, the pastor in charge of the province, said on Sunday that the gesture was to meet the physical needs of the people in addition to their spiritual needs. “This is part of the corporate social responsibility initiative of our General Overseer. “We are showing brotherly love and encouragement to them not just spiritually but also to meet their domestic needs. “These are people who have families and have children to feed,” Tomoloju said. The foodstuff were distributed to about 100 beneficiaries, and they include rice and garri. One of the beneficiaries who pleaded anonymity said he received the donation with mixed feelings. “The effort of the church in reaching out to us at this critical hour is highly commendable. “This is howe

RRS apprehends suspected bandit

The suspected bandit arrested by the RRS Kazeem Ugbodaga Operatives of Rapid Response Squad (RRS) of the Lagos State Police Command, at the weekend arrested a suspected member of an eight-man robbery gang, Abdullahi Olanrewaju, 30, during the gang’s operations at Abeje and Onibeju Streets in Agege area of Lagos, Southwest Nigeria. The operatives, who were led to the scene of the robbery by Inspector Anthony Inege, noted said one of the victims, who managed to escape through the window, alerted them that armed men were operating in their building. The officers followed the complainant to the robbery scene where they met men of the underworld numbering about eight in an attempt to enter another building on the street. It was gathered that while the robbers sighted the police, they opened fire at them. The swift response from the RRS operatives, who were on patrol routine in the area, led to the arrest one of them while others made away with two pump action guns, a sum of N549,500

Joint taskforce begins manhunt to rescue kidnapped Lagos monarch

The kidnapped Oba Goriola Oseni Kazeem Ugbodaga A joint taskforce comprising the police, army and the navy have begun manhunt to rescue Oba Yushau Goriola Oseni, the Oniba of Ibaland, who was abducted by gunmen yesterday night in his palace at Iba in Lagos, Southwest Nigeria. Gunmen stormed the palace around 11:30pm on Saturday and forcefully took the monarch away, killed his guard and shot one of his wives. Men of the Rapid Response Squad, RRS, Federal Anti-Robbery Squad, army and the navy were seen at the palace of the oba this afternoon as they began manhunt for the gunmen who kidnapped the oba. A Police Armoured Personnel Carrier, APC, has been stationed at a junction close to the oba’s palace at Iba Junction, as large detachment of security personnel has been deployed to the area with the mandate to rescue the aged traditional ruler. An Armoured Personnel Carrier, APC, stationed at a junction close to the kidnapped oba’s palace Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Lago