Tag: Lagos State
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Baddo cult group scares us- Ikorodu-based Entertainers lament
The dreaded Baddo cult group terrorizing the residents of Ikorodu have dominated both online and offline discussions in recent times.Even Nigerian celebrities who reside in the suburb in Lagos are scared stiff over the cult group’s horrifying activities
Entertainers like Oga Bello, Funsho Adeolu, Baba Suwe, Lord of Ajasa, Sanyeri, Nike Peller,are residents of Ikorodu and they have bemoaned that safety of lives and properties is now a luxury in the town.
Reacting to the spate of killings by the terror group, veteran actor Oga Bello in an interview with Punch said: “If you have God, you have everything. I am not really scared of them because I have God by my side to protect me. I am very prayerful and I am following the instructions given to us by the government. Our prayer is that God should not let these boys ever come close to us. I don’t move at night; neither do I leave my house very early in the morning. Some of my friends may want to think twice before coming to pay me a visit but I am fortunate not to have friends that move around at night”.
In the same vein, comic actor Babatunde Omidina also known as Baba Suwe said he is scared by the Baddo terror group.
In his words: ”I was born and bred in Lagos but I have been living in Ikorodu for over ten years. Since I have been here, nothing like this has happened before. Personally I am very afraid of these boys and my prayer is that I should never encounter them in my life. With all that I have heard about their activities, I am scared of them. Their activities have hindered my movement because it is no longer advisable to move around at night. In fact you would be shocked at the number of vigilante groups you would meet on the way. Ikorodu is now hot and a lot of people do not want to come here. It is so bad that lots of landlords have vacated their homes for fear of these boys. They ran for their lives” he said
Sensational actor, Funsho Adeolu who also resides in Ikorodu with his family noted that whenever he leaves home for work, he has fears about his family’s safety, as a result of the terror’s group sinister activities.
Hear him:“If I say I am not scared of them I would be lying but I know that God is in control. Anywhere in the world, people face terrors. People in the north faced worse situations than this but God kept some people while others had to flee. I am praying that God would be in control of everything but to say that I am not afraid, that would be a lie. It is just for us to beg the government to beef up security in Ikorodu and do something about these boys. It is not something that they cannot handle because Ikorodu used to be a very peaceful place. This is the 21st century and such barbaric acts should be frowned at.
“I have been living in Ikorodu for about 12 years now and since then, I have never encountered anything like this Badoo cult group. I would not say that their activities have not affected me because anytime I leave my family to go and work, I always nurse this little fear over their safety but I believe that God is protecting them. I have only heard about their activities but I have not seen anything like that and I believe that they cannot come my way because I am covered by the blood of Jesus,” he said.
Gov. Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State has however assured Lagosians that his administration would curtail the activities of the notorious group known as “Badoo” in the Ikorodu axis of the state.
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Sallah: LASG resumes sales of LAKE Rice
Lagos State Government said it would resume the sales of LAKE Rice at approved retail outlets across the state from Monday, June 19, ahead of the Eid-el-fitr.
The state’s Commissioner for Agriculture, Mr Oluwatoyin Suarau, said this on Sunday while reviewing the modalities for the distribution of the lake rice across the state.
Suarau said that the sales would be part of the state government’s commitment to ensure food security and help residents sail through the current economic recession.
According to him, the rice which has been subsidised to ensure affordability is fresh and safe for consumption.
“The selling of the rice is auspicious, especially, with regards to the forthcoming Eid-el-fitr.
“The ministry will ensure a fair distribution of the rice across the state and ensure that the product is available during the festive period.
“’The prices of the product have not changed: a 50kg bag will sell for N12,000 while each bag of the 25kg and 10kg are going to be sold for N6,000 and N2,500 respectively,’’ he said.
The commissioner listed the approved sales’ outlets to include: Lagos State Agric Input Supply Authority Centres at Ojo, Ajah, Odogunyan in Ikorodu, and Epe.
Other will include the secretariats of all the 57 local government and local council development areas in the state.
He said Lake rice would also be available at the Agricultural Development Area Complex at Oko-Oba, Agege; LTV8 Complex in Agidingbi; the State Universal Basic Education Board complex at Maryland; the Government Technical College premises at Idimu-Alimosho and the Eko Farmers Mart, in Surulere
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E-waste management: emulate Lagos state, environmentalist urges Delta govt
The National Secretary, Nigerian Environmental Society (NES), Mr Paul Akporowho, has urged the Delta state government to formulate policy to ensure proper management of e-waste in the State.
Akporowho, in Warri on Sunday, said such policy has become necessary to address the indiscriminate dumping of electronic wastes in the state.
He said the state government should procure recycling and recovery equipment to convert such waste products into wealth.
The environmentalist noted that the Lagos State Government had taken such measure to properly manage e-waste in the industrialized state.
“Delta should emulate Lagos State in managing its electronic waste products.
“Here in Warri, you find electronic waste products everywhere and this is very worrisome.
“If there is a policy framework on ground, it will help in managing the situation; people will not dump such products indiscriminately.
“Discarded batteries, transmitters and other items are everywhere and people pick them, remove the useful parts and throw the rest into dump sites.
“The dump site at Orhe community on the Warri-Benin expressway is one of such sites. A lot of the waste contains harmful chemicals such as lead and mercury.
“When these chemicals contaminate the underground water, same could be consumed by human beings through boreholes. Overtime, it could affect the reproductive system and cause other health challenges”, he said.
Akporowho urged the state government to encourage the oil multinationals operating in the state to also have in place an effective e-waste management policy.
According to him, the oil companies generate a lot of electronic waste materials as well.
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Recession: what other states can learn from Lagos – Reps
As Nigeria gradually makes its way out of economic recession, the House of Representatives on Wednesday commended the Lagos State Government’s role, saying that the success story of the State was not only benefitting residents, but helping to get the nation’s economy back on track.
Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Economic Recession, Hon. Olabode Ayorinde who said this when he led members of the Committee on a courtesy visit to Governor Akinwunmi Ambode at the Lagos House in Ikeja, said the State currently dictates the pace of the economy in Nigeria.
While congratulating the Governor on his developmental strides in the last two years, Ayorinde said other States could learn from the template Lagos deployed to tackle the economic recession.
He said, “We take legislative notice of the serious development that is going on in Lagos State and with your permission, we don’t mind interacting with those that are in charge perhaps there are one or two things that we can recommend to other states in the nation because in togetherness we can only move this nation forward.
“Talking seriously, the economic power of Lagos State also dictates the pace of the economy in Nigeria. Some of the steps that Lagos is taking now, some other States that have not been able to pay salaries may not be able to take such steps.
“We are looking at this nationally; for example, if an industry is working in Lagos that is employing about 5000 persons I am sure that the company will not employ only citizens of Lagos State. So, it is to the benefit of Nigeria and if the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the country increases, it is not a factor of where it comes from, wherever the economy has been improved, it is national income and Nigeria will be better for it”.
Earlier, Ayorinde said he was in Lagos with his team to inspect some of the moribund industries in the State, with a view to coming up with appropriate legislations that would help them get back in business.
Responding, Governor Ambode said his administration intensified its capital expenditure to reflect the State’s economy, noting that 60 percent of its budget last year was ploughed towards infrastructural projects in all parts of the State to tackle recession.
He said such projects contributed significantly to keep the State’s economy afloat with low income earners engaged, adding that it was important for government at all levels to keep spending on infrastructure.
“Every contract or construction that you see in the nooks and crannies of Lagos, there is a bricklayer that is employed; there is a driver that is driving lorry load of sand; there is that food seller that is giving the workers some food and a minimum of N5,000 in every household has a multiplier effect on the economy.
“So, that is the sure way that we have done this and we have not kept that development in one area, we have replicated it in all the senatorial zones so that those living in Badagry can earn income in Badagry and actually improve on the economy.
“This is what we think should be replicated by other States in the country and even at the national level.
“You need to spend your way out of recession and that is why it appears there is nothing like recession in the city of Lagos,” Governor Ambode said.
The Governor also said that his administration invested massively on security and reviving a 24/7 economy for the State through the Light Up Lagos project, saying that such was important for the economy to thrive.
Besides, Governor Ambode called for convergence between fiscal and monetary policies to tackle recession, while also urging lawmakers to come up with legislations that would take people out of poverty.
“I want to enjoin our legislative house that we need to fast-track some of our legislations that are really people-driven and also back us in terms of the executive decisions that will take us out of recession,” he said.
*PRESS RELEASE
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“Entertainment industry is an integral part of Ambode’s vision”- Ayorinde
Mr. Steve Ayorinde, the Lagos State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, in an exclusive interview with TheNewsGuru spoke on Governor Ambode’s vision to revitalize entertainment, tourism and sports in Lagos State.
In his words:” Entertainment and development of the art will continue to be an integral part of the vision of this administration, because that is probably one of the two or three sectors in the world that may not ever witness recession, because no matter how bad the economy is people will still look for things to give them succor, go to concerts, theatres even if it is free. It is incumbent on the government therefore to continue to encourage such a sector not just because it is necessary but because without the sector being there the danger for the society is better imagined.”
He further emphasized on Governor Ambode’s dream to make Lagos a preferred destination when it comes to tourism and the arts. ” The vision is to establish Lagos family as the preferred destination in terms of tourism, hub of creative economy in Africa, home to Nollywood, biggest hip-hop industry in Africa and biggest stand-up comedy in Africa. Our aim is to continue to support the industry so that it can continue to be the number one job creator in the state and in the country. The amount of resources that the creative sector controls is huge, which is why we have in our budget the construction of cinemas in all the five divisions of the state as well as to start work on five new stadia across the divisions. The youth population is growing, without sufficient jobs you don’t want to add to the challenges at hand by not providing for the future.
“We just had the Rasheed Gbadamosi expo and one of the defining element of that expo is the fact even student were part of it – from all our tertiary institutions, Yabatech, LASU, UNILAG, LASPOTECH – setting the creative ones among them as an example to others to emphasise that there are so many other things that they can do that will be beneficial to them and the society other than hanging out on the street and creating havoc” he added.
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Mawere creeks in Ikorodu, major hide-out for militants, says community leader
Some community leaders of Isawo in Ikorodu area of Lagos have urged government to clear the creeks, saying that this would check kidnappings and other violent crimes in the area.
The residents of the creeks, bordering Lagos and Ogun States, told NAN on Sunday that criminals were using the areas as hideouts and operational bases.
Two suspects arrested in connection with the kidnapping of eight students and staff at Nigerian-Turkish International College in Ogun confessed to using the Mawere creeks for their operations.
According to Chief Musediku Ibrahim-Ayinla, the Baale of Oke-Oko Isawo near Ikorodu, many of the kidnappers operating in Lagos and Ogun were hiding in Mawere creeks.
“They were involved in NNPC pipeline vandalism before the military forced them out of Isawo in Ikorodu.“Since they do not have access to pipelines any longer, they resorted to kidnapping people and moved to Mawere creeks in Ogun; from that creek, they can operate anywhere.
“The main threat to Lagos State and Ogun is Mawere creeks; that is where the militants are hiding now.
“And if government want to check kidnappings and robberies, all the creeks in the area should be cleared,” the community leader told NAN.
He commended the joint military task force for flushing out militants from Isawo area of Ikorodu, noting that there had been no sporadic gunshot since the military kept vigil of the area.
He also urged the Lagos State Government to fulfil its promise to construct a new road to link Isawo with Lagos – Ibadan Expressway to open up and bring development to the area.
Also, a community leader in Mawere, Oke-Oko in Ogun, Chief Taiwo Adisa, corroborated Ibrahim-Ayinla’s position, urging government to clear the creeks harbouring criminals in the area.
The chairman of commercial motorcycle operators in Isawo, Mr. Fatai Azeez, said violent crimes had reduced drastically in the areas cleared by the Lagos State Government last year.
“One thing the government must do to ensure safety of Ikorodu area is to clear all the creeks housing the militants.
“There is no more pipeline vandalism in the area that was cleared last year; more areas need to be cleared,”Azeez said.
NAN reports that more than 50 people lost lives during clashes between the militants and residents of Isawo near Ikorodu last year, leading to the deployment of troops to the area.
NAN also reports that some parts of the creeks leading to Arepo in Ogun, notorious for pipeline vandalism, were cleared by the state government last year.
