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Tag: Babajide Sanwo-Olu

  • Gov Sanwo-Olu releases 56 prison inmates

    Gov Sanwo-Olu releases 56 prison inmates

    Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has released 56 inmates from various correctional facilities across the State.

    This is contained in a statement issued  by the State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Lawal Pedro (SAN), on Tuesday in Lagos.

    Pedro added that the Governor commuted one inmate on death row to life imprisonment and as well pardoned one inmate.

    He said the Governor signed the release, commutal and pardon orders on June 25 on the recommendation of the Advisory Council on the Prerogative of Mercy.

    “The approval for the release of the inmates was in line with the commitment of the governor to decongest correctional facilities in the state as part of the justice sector reforms,” he said.

    The commissioner said the Advisory Council on Prerogative of Mercy, in reaching its recommendations, exercised due diligence in its deliberation of the applications in line with the applicable guidelines.

    “The Council took note of the information provided by the correctional authorities, the nature of the offence, period of incarceration, age, health and behavioural conduct of the inmates,” Pedro said.

    The exercise was pursuant to the provisions of Section 212 (1) (2) of the 1999 Constitution of The Federal Republic of Nigeria.

  • Lagos set to reintroduce monthly environmental sanitation

    Lagos set to reintroduce monthly environmental sanitation

    The Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu has approved the reintroduction of monthly environmental sanitation in the state, eight years after its cancellation.

    Recall, the state government on November 23, 2016, announced it was doing away with the monthly enviromental sanitation following the defeat it suffered from a legal battle over the restriction of movement during the monthly sanitation..

    In a recent development, the state Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, disclosed to newsmen that the State Executive Council granted the approval.

    He said the sanitation which would commence in July, would be officially announced by the governor soon.

    “Lagos governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, and the state executive council have approved the re-introduction of the monthly sanitation. The governor will announce it officially for the exercise to commence this month,” Wahab, who spoke in Yoruba language, said in a 21-second clip shared on the Lagos State Environmental Update page on X.

    It is, however, unclear if the re-introduced environmental sanitation which would be symbolically launched In July at the Lagos Island would take the format of the cancelled monthly sanitation

  • Gov Sanwo-Olu told to build 4th Mainland Bridge before end of tenure

    Gov Sanwo-Olu told to build 4th Mainland Bridge before end of tenure

    Stakeholders in Ikorodu have urged Governor of Lagos State, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, to build the 4th Mainland bridge and work on other uncompleted roads before the expiration of his tenure.

    The stakeholders, who disclosed this in separate interviews on Sunday in Ikorodu, Lagos State, said Ikorodu had infrastructural deficit, said: “Ikorodu is lagging behind in terms of infrastructural development, we are not where we are supposed to be in terms of infrastructural development”.

    Prince Lanre Balogun, former Lagos State Commissioner for Rural Development, said that Gov. Sanwo-Olu, as a competent administrator, would deliver on his campaign promises to Ikorodu division as he did during his first term.

    He urged the governor to build the 4th mainland bridge and other uncompleted roads before the expiration of his tenure.

    “If you look at the budget of Lagos state in terms of infrastructure, you can now apportion them into division.

    “How much do they give Ikeja, Epe, Lagos Island and so on, and check how much of budget is allocated to Ikorodu in terms of infrastructure.

    “That is when you will know that we have a lot of infrastructural deficit.

    “The 4th mainland bridge which he promised that he will deliver, as we speak, they have finished the paper work/master plan and secure partners,” Balogun said.

    “The Isawo road is under construction but has not been completed, Igbogbo Baiyeku, Offin-Oreta road, all need attention.

    “We urge the governor to call on the contractors to go back to site.

    “Infrastructural development is for those living, anything given now is for those alive, I urge people in authority to take note and intervene immediately,” he said.

    Also, Chief Kayode Olomo, Baale of Ojogbe area of Ikorodu, said that Sanwo-Olu started well with Ikorodu but he needed to do more.

    “For example, he gave us two commissioners during his first term. But we want him to replace the commissioner he removed with an indigene.

    “Gberigbe axis also needs the intervention of government,” he said.

    On her part, Princes Adebukola Osho, the Iyaloja of Ikorodu central, said Gov. Sanwo-Olu has actually done well in his first term, adding that she believed he would do better this second term.

    She urged residents and political leaders to mediate and probably lobby on areas that needed attention.

    She added that this was necessary because the areas needing the attention of government must be identified to attract intervention.

    “This is the first time we are having a parallel government in both the Local government, State and the Federal.

    “Let us keep lobbying; we will enjoy more dividends of democracy in Sanwo-Olu’s government,” she said.

  • LG autonomy: Tinubu took Lagos to court in error – Sanwo-Olu

    LG autonomy: Tinubu took Lagos to court in error – Sanwo-Olu

    Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has said the President Bola Tinubu-led administration took the State to court over local government autonomy in error.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports Governor Sanwo-Olu to have said Lagos State should have been left out of the legal action instituted by the federal government against Governors at the Supreme Court over alleged misconduct in the administration of local governments.

    To Sanwo-Olu, it was a legal anomaly for the federal government to join Lagos in the Supreme Court matter, decades after the local governments in the State had been enjoying full autonomy.

    Sanwo-Olu, who spoke on Monday in support of the suit, however, said the Attorney General of the Federation should have identified those that were not in compliance with the law before filing a blanket lawsuit against all States.

    The Governor spoke at the on-going Justice Reform Summit organised by Lagos State Judiciary with the theme: “Enhancing the Administration of Justice for Economic Growth, Investment Protection and Security in Lagos”.

    The summit, attended by the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Lateef Fagbemi, is being held at Marriott Hotels, Ikeja.

    Sanwo-Olu said infringement on the local council autonomy was an affront to the spirit of the constitution to which the judiciary must make a clear interpretation for equity and fairness. He said a better justice system would protect the interests of parties and discourage actions limiting efficiency of any government entity.

    He said: “It is interesting to read the news that the Honorable Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation has sued all the 36 states because Governors did not give autonomy to the third tier of government. The only mistake, which I am going to tell our Attorney General, is that some of us are in compliance.

    “The Attorney General should have done his due diligence to identify which states are not in compliance, so that we don’t sue all the 36 states together. You can determine which states are not violating the Constitution. If it is three, four or five states are in compliance, then you can sue the 31 states violating autonomy of the Local Governments. That is part of the back work that we need to do.”

    Sanwo-Olu said the judicial reform must remain on the agenda in a functional society in order to improve administration of the justice system and make the court the last hope of the common man.

    The Governor said the judiciary in Lagos had remained a beacon in protecting the rule of law and setting good examples for other jurisdictions in dispensation of justice. But he challenged judges and law officers to change the status quo in order to raise the standard of the justice system.

    Drawing a parallel with Singapore – a fishing village with environmental similarities with Lagos, Sanwo-Olu said Singapore’s faith in rule of law and fairness transformed the efficiency of the country’s justice system, leading to the country’s rapid economic growth and prosperity.

    He said: “Just like Lagos, Singapore has no resources. Singapore is what it is today because of Ease of Doing Business. It takes less than 30 minutes to register a business in Singapore, which makes it to surpass many countries in Ease of Doing Business. Singapore has one of the best judiciary system in the world; they have quick turnaround time in mediation and dispute resolution.”

    Sanwo-Olu said Lagos needed strong judicial system to attain all its investment potential, while promoting transparency and accountability. The Governor urged the Bench and the Bar to collaborate to promote an efficient justice system.

    Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Kayode Ariwoola, represented Justice Iyabode Yerima of the Supreme Court, hailed Lagos judicial system for being “a forerunner” in justice development, stressing that other jurisdictions usually borrowed from examples set by Lagos.

    The CJN listed some of landmark examples set by Lagos judiciary in the justice system to include Administration of Criminal Justice laws, which after implementation, set the template for the designing of Criminal Justice Act at the National Assembly.

    Fagbemi, SAN, represented by Mr. Fernandez Marcos-Obiene, said robust and transparent reforms embarked on by Lagos in the justice system had promoted economic growth, pledging that the Federal Government would continue to provide platforms for reforms that would improve public trust in the judiciary.

    Chief Justice of Lagos, Justice Kazeem Alogba, commended Gov. Sanwo-Olu for his non-interference stance in judicial matters in Lagos.

    Alogba said: ”No society thrives without robust justice system. The essence of any society is to have justice, without which there will be no peace and order. Security is an integral element of a robust justice system. When you have judges who are incompetent and corrupt in the system, the society will suffer for it.”

    Other speakers at the two-day event included the President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Mr. Yakubu Maikyau, SAN, and Lagos State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Lawal Pedro, SAN, among others.

  • What we hope Prince Harry, Meghan Markle take away in their visit to Nigeria – Gov Sanwo-Olu

    What we hope Prince Harry, Meghan Markle take away in their visit to Nigeria – Gov Sanwo-Olu

    Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State, has commended Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, for rehabilitating serving and fallen heros mentally and physically, by creating the Invictus Game.

    The governor made the commendation on Sunday, while receiving Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan, the Dutchess of Sussex, at the Lagos House, Marina, on a courtesy visit.

    Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan, arrived Nigeria on May 10, to promote the Invictus Games.

    Invictus Games is an initiative of Prince Harry, founded to support the rehabilitation of wounded and sick service men and veterans, including Nigerian soldiers and their fight against terrorism.

    The royalties arrived the Lagos House at exactly 1.10 p.m. and were accompanied by Gen. Christopher Musa, Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff, and his wife, Lilian.

    The visit, which is mainly to promote the Invictus Games, founded in 2014, and aimed at helping serving members of the military and veterans to overcome their physical injuries or mental health challenges, which helps them develop a sense of belonging and increased self-esteem.

    “We’re indeed happy for what they’re doing, especially for our military men on conversations around mental health and how they can manage people, who require support both in the military and private.

    “Mental health issues are also something we all live around, with the denial, and the stigmatisation.”

    Sanwo-Olu explained that the royal couple were on a visit to Nigeria, and Lagos was one of their stop-overs and that Nigerians were excited about their wonderful ideas.

    “We just want to assure you gentlemen of the press that for Prince Harry, this has been a very informative trip to the country, he has seen a lot, he is still soaking in a whole lot.

    “And part of the things that we’re hoping that he would take away is our diversity and the extent of how big our country is, how we continue to ensure that we live together in peace and harmony and the role Lagos plays,” Sanwo-Olu said.

    The governor said he looked forward to hosting the couple in the near future, adding that Meghan, who has a decent percentage of Nigerian in her genealogy, looked well in her Aso-oke, (Nigerian traditional attire).

    “Talking importantly about the Invictus Game, at what point can we have it in Nigeria , so that the Nigerian competitiveness can also be reflective in that game,” the governor said.

  • Yemi Alade blasts Sanwo-Olu over demolition of properties in lagos

    Yemi Alade blasts Sanwo-Olu over demolition of properties in lagos

    Nigerian singer Yemi Alade has berated The Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, over the demolition of properties across the state.

    In a post on her Instagram Story on Sunday, the musician said that it does not make sense that people would invest millions of dollars into real estate only for the Lagos State government to demolish such structures.

    Yemi Alade noted that the state government is making people lose trust not only in the idea of Nigeria but also in the little coin they saved to make their lives worthwhile.

    She wrote: “Lagos State, what’s going on? What’s going on? Does it make sense that people will invest millions of naira and millions of dollars into real estate, buying houses and land, and Lagos State will go and be breaking walls and breaking houses, rendering people homeless overnight?

    READ ALSO:Yemi Alade reveals she was robbed in Ivory Coast

    “And it’s done serially. It’s done back-to-back. Right now, Maryland, Mende area is on fire. People are sleeping in their houses, waking up the next day homeless.

    “You’re ruining the real estate value of the country, ruining the real estate value of Lagos. Making people lose trust not only in the idea of Nigeria but lose hope entirely in the little coin they’ve saved to make their lives worthwhile. To create some kind of generational wealth.

    “How is this okay? And why? Does it make sense? In multi-million-dollar houses, there is a better way to do things.”

  • Stop cursing Nigeria – Sanwo-Olu tells citizens

    Stop cursing Nigeria – Sanwo-Olu tells citizens

    Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State has called on Nigerians to refrain from speaking ill of the country but pray for  its  betterment.

    Sanwo-Olu gave the advice at the 2024 Eid-el-Fitr elebration on Saturday at the Lagos House, Ikeja.

    The celebration  had the theme: “Allah will not Change the Way of the People until they Change What is in their Hearts”.

    The governor, who was represented by his Deputy, Dr Obafemi Hamzat, urged Nigerians to change their thoughts and speak positively about the country.

    According to him, God will not change anything for any society until the people would decide to change  their minds for good.

    Sanwo-Olu added that the citizens should stop cursing the country so that God would change it for the better.

    He, therefore, urged Nigerians to believe in their current leaders and pray for them and the country.

    “Almighty God will not change anything for any society until they change what is in their minds.

    “Our collective intent should be to keep praying for Nigeria and the leadership to do the right thing.

    “That is when Allah will intervene in the present situation of our country.

    “It is, therefore, important for us to desist from talking ill about the country,” he said.

    The governor also charged the people to be empathetic toward one another, adding that they should be their brothers’ keepers.

    He appealed to parents to guide their children and wards right.

    Sanwo-Olu harped on children being respectful while reiterating that it was  the responsibility of parents to raise their children in the way of God.

    In her address of welcome, the Wife of  Lagos State Governor, Dr Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, urged Nigerians to emerge from Ramadan not only as individuals who had undergone personal growth but as agents of change within their communities.

    She advised them to commit to fostering a society built on the principles of justice, equity and compassion.

    “Let us remember that true change begins within the depths of our hearts.

    “The joint Ramadan and Lent experienced this year should remind everyone of the universal value of humanity that unites all regardless of religious belief, background, or ethnicity,” she said.

    She advised Nigerians to reject bigotry and prejudice in all its forms and work toward building a more inclusive society where everyone would be valued and respected.

    Justice Abdulrraheem Ahmad of the Sharia Court of Appeal, Kwara State, said that the current situation in Nigeria was not vested upon the people by Allah but was a creation of the people’s handiwork.

    He advised Nigerians to  have a change of mindset and speak positively about the country.

    Ahmad also urged the people to be righteous, as well as fair and kind to one another  irrespective of religion, race or tribe.

  • Sanwo-Olu talks tough of menace of building collapse

    Sanwo-Olu talks tough of menace of building collapse

    Lagos State Government on Thursday reiterated its resolve to demolish buildings that fail its integrity test.

    Gov. Babjide Sanwo-Olu reassured of the step as 14 buildings in close proximity to the two that went up in flames at Dosunmu Market on the Lagos Island on Tuesday caved in to the fire.

    “A lot of residential apartments have been turned to warehouses. I am saying without any iota of doubt that more buildings will go down.

    “I just finished the assessment of a very unfortunate, but preventable disaster.

    “Access was denied to the first responder to the fire for a couple of hours. This fire started more than 48 hours ago and is still alive.

    “At the last count we have about 14 houses that have been affected and more may go down after the extensive test.

    “What I have seen here is what could have been prevented; we do not have a full report yet, so I do not want it to speculate.

    “From the initial report, it was gross carelessness,’’ he said at the site of the fire.

    Sanwo-Olu added that the Dosunmu Market would be closed indefinitely, but that government would assist those to be affected.

    “We will bring down any property that does not conform to our rules and regulations of construction.

    “We cannot allow anyone to put the lives and property of others and the environment at risk.

    “We will support those affected by the fire so they can get back on their feet, however.

    “There are more progressive things we ought to be doing than to be spending scarce resources on avoidable accidents,’’ the governor lamented.

  • Sanwo-Olu, Anyaoku, Adebanjo, others demand new Constitution

    Sanwo-Olu, Anyaoku, Adebanjo, others demand new Constitution

    Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, and other prominent Nigerians, including former Commonwealth Secretary-General, Chief Emeka Anyaoku; Afenifere chieftain, Pa Ayo Adebanjo, members of the National Assembly and former governors yesterday clamoured for a new Nigerian Constitution that would reflect true federalism and address the problems of the country.

    The event, National Constitutional Dialogue, which held at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, Victoria Island, Lagos, with the theme, “Lawful procedures for actualising a people’s constitution for Nigeria” was a colloquium in honour of Prof Ben Nwabueze Nigeria’s foremost constitutional lawyer, who died recently.

    Until his death, Prof. Nwabueze was the chairman of The Patriots, a pan-Nigerian group of eminent national leaders of thought, now headed by Chief Emeka Anyaoku, former Secretary General of the Commonwealth.

    They said Nigeria has two options in getting a truly federal constitution by either adopting the recommendations of the 2014 National Confab or go for a relatively inexpensive Constituent Assembly on a non-party basis for producing a widely desired constitution for Nigerians.

    They resolved to meet with President Bola Tinubu to get his buy-in and also liaise with the leadership of the National Assembly on the matter.

    Welcoming the participants to the colloquium, Anyaoku who chaired the National Dialogue said Nigeria is a pluralistic country that is still struggling to become a nation with assured political stability and progressive socio-economic attainments.

    He said Nigeria had failed to develop like other pluralistic countries in the world because of its inability to devolve powers to federating units.

    According to him, other pluralistic countries are far ahead of Nigeria in terms of development because they have implemented true federalism.

    “First, Nigeria is a pluralistic country that is still struggling to become a nation with assured political stability and progressive socio-economic development.

    “The fact from across the world is that some pluralistic countries have succeeded in becoming developed nations while other pluralistic countries have failed and disintegrated.

    “The lesson from this is that pluralistic countries, which have succeeded in becoming nations, have generally practised true federalism with considerable power devolved to the federating units.

    “This fact was acknowledged by our founding fathers who negotiated painstakingly and agreed on the Independence Constitution of 1960-1963,” Anyaoku said.

    He said Nigeria’s present constitution lacked the legitimacy that should flow from a democratically-made constitution.

    The diplomat added that the constitution had proven to be unsuitable for tackling many of the serious challenges confronting our country.

    He said: “It is a widely recognised fact that the crucial areas of the country have significantly deteriorated and continue to deteriorate.”

    Anyaoku said Nigeria had suffered deterioration in many fronts in security, healthcare, education, economic well-being of the citizens and infrastructure.

    He said that the country had equally suffered in the area of social cohesion, social values and the sense of national unity.

    He said that Nigeria had the option of getting a truly federal constitution by adopting the recommendations of the 2014 National Confab organised by President Goodluck Jonathan.

    “Or we go for a relatively inexpensive directly elected constituent assembly on non-party basis for producing such widely desired constitution,” he said.

    In his welcome speech, chairman of the organizing committee, Dr. Kalu Idika Kalu, former Minister of Finance, lamented that after 64 years of independence so many issues such as citizenship, unwholesome North/South divide, political rights, religion and freedoms, accountability in governance, security, etc., still remain outstanding.

    The keynote speaker, Prof Mike Ozekhome, said the 1999 Constitution is leprous and “even one million amendments by the National Assembly cannot cure it of its leprosy.”

    Ozekhome tasked the National Assembly to set up a National Referendum Commission that would collate all recommendations towards driving a new constitution.

    He said: “We must take this conversation and make it very effective. It’s for the National Assembly to constitute a law where these people would come together. It’s something very simple. Why do we have a federal agency controlling waterways in Lagos?

    “You would see state officials fighting the same course, the moment they get to federal, they change 360 degrees. I’m wondering what is going on, what’s happening. I don’t know what’s happening.”

    According to him, there is a mystery about the central government which must be unravelled.

    “There’s something about the federal that shocks everybody, we need to be bold to unravel this. Let us be able to make the change we desire. Let the soul of Prof. Ben Nwabueze rest in peace.”

    The event was attended by Governor Sanwo-Olu, Chief Anyaoku, Pa Adebanjo, the Secretary to the Lagos State Government; Senators Aminu Tambuwal and Gbenga Daniel; former Governors Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti), Rotimi Amaechi (Rivers), Ibikunle Amosun (Ogun), Donald Duke (Cross River), James Ibori (Delta), Victor Attah (Akwa Ibom) and Rauf Aregbesola (Osun).

  • Hardship: Gov Sanwo-Olu to use Mama Put feed Lagosians

    Hardship: Gov Sanwo-Olu to use Mama Put feed Lagosians

    Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State on Thursday reeled out measures to ease pressure faced by residents of the state in the face of hardship following rising cost of living.

    The measures come in the wake of groanings across the country about the sharp rise in cost of living resulting from the removal of subsidy on petrol and the devaluation of the Naira after abolition of multiple official foreign exchange rates.

    Youths in Ibadan, Oyo State, days back, held a protest over the cost of living, while the organised labour has also slated a two-day protest for next week across the country over the matter.

    Unfolding measures to reduce pressure on residents in Lagos, Sanwo-Olu urged the people to be resilient in weathering the storms, assuring them that glorious days lay ahead.

    He said that the state, on its part, had decided to reduce the number of days in which its workers would come to work, to ease pressure on the staff.

    The governor said that public servants would be expected to be at the office thrice in a week, while the state government would also feed some 1000 to 1500 residents daily.

    “In a week’s time, civil servants from level one to level 14 will only be required to come to the office thrice in a week.

    “This doesn’t mean that there won’t be personnel to provide services for the public. It will be rotational.

    “Also, we will go the local governments for our soup bowls initiative, we have identified caterers to partner with.

    “We will feed 1000 to 1500 persons in each local government per day, in the first instance for 30 to 60 days,” he said.

    Sanwo-Olu said that students needed to be in school everyday, so the government would work out transport allowance for teachers to be able to be there.

    He said that in the area of public transportation, from this weekend, there would be 25 per cent reduction on the Bus Rapid Transit, rail and other state public transport systems.

    On health, Sanwo-Olu said pregnant women in Lagos State will enjoy free delivery all over the 31 State General Hospitals.

    “Both natural deliveries and Caesarian Section are now free in all  state general hospitals,” he said.

    The governor said the six health districts in the state would also carry out health missions, twice a week, to provide health checks for residents.

    ”There will be doctors and nurses on ground, this takes effect from next week,” he said.

    He said he had also cleared arrears of pensions of retirees, with the exception of the 2023 set, which would be sorted soon.

    “We are deliberate on bringing succour to our people,” he said.

    In the area of Agriculture, Lagos State government reiterated its commitment to food security in the state.

    “As we speak we’re soon going to receive 100 trailers of rice, for food purchase and redistribution, what this means is that there’s a limit to what an individual can buy. This will checkmate the possibility of hoarding.

    “We intend to open food hubs like we did at Mushin, we plan on replicating this at other local government areas.

    “We intend to focus partnership with other states where we have lands to ensure food security in the state,” he said.

    He said that Sunday markets would be opened in 42 markets to buy food items at 25 per cent reduced cost.

    Sanwo-Olu said that the state would cap what a person could buy, at not more than N25000 worth.

    “On education, he said all government schools should desist from demanding for tax clearance from parents and guardians for enrollment of their children, to reduce out-of-school children.

    Gov. Sanwo-Olu said the state was insisting that landlords should not collect more than one year rent, urging residents to report defaulting people to the government.

    He said there must also be a stop to the dollarisation of the economy to make things better.
    Sanwo-Olu said the governments of

    Lagos, Ogun and Oyo were working together to light up the stretch of Lagos Ibadan expressway.

    He said his journey since assumption of office had not been without challenges.

    Sanwo-Olu said that the lowest moments of his administration were the global pandemic COVID-19, the EndSars movement and the death of Sylvester Oromoni.

    ”Our resilience paved way and we got emboldened to move past the challenges, and since then, we haven’t looked back. We keep building on all verticals,” the governor said.

    He called on the private sector to partner with government to make life better.