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Tag: Lagos

  • Electricity: Lagos ‘ll soon overcome blackout – Commissioner

    Electricity: Lagos ‘ll soon overcome blackout – Commissioner

    Lagos State Electricity Bill 2024, which is before the state House of Assembly, will end blackouts in the state.

    The state Commissioner for Energy and Mineral Resources, Mr Biodun Ogunlewe,  gave the assurance at  a one-day public hearing on the bill at the assembly complex, on Wednesday.

    The Bill for a Law to Repeal the Lagos State Power Sector Reform Law 2018 is to provide for creation and administration of Lagos electricity market and related matters.

    Former President Muhammadu Buhari, on March 17, 2023, signed into law,  a constitutional amendment that allowed states in the country to generate, transmit and distribute electricity in areas covered by the national grid.

    The nation experienced blackout as the national grid collapsed on Saturday for the fourth time in 2024.

    Ogunlewe said  that the bill, if passed into law, would allow the state government to generate, transmit and distribute electricity  directly to end users.

    The commissioner said that  all electricity users in the state would have access to quality electricity within two years after signing the bill into law.

    “We believe that the passage is the beginning of the revolution that Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu has promised the people of the state.

    “We are going to witness where the state grid will operate in such a way that we are not encountering the challenges that come from a largely single source.

    “The first thing the people of Lagos should expect from this bill is provisions in respect of other operators coming into the market  and in respect of environmental friendliness.

    “At present, there are issues not allowing the operators to do their businesses but they have been resolved in this bill.

    “I believe this bill will make the state the global centre of excellence where everybody is carried along,” he said.

    Ogunlewe said that the state government had ensured that all its class A roads were lighted while most of the class B roads were also lighted.

    He added that about 20,000 street lighting poles were functional at present.

    The commissioner said, in respect to rural areas of the state, the government would have interventions via off-grid  and macro-grid platforms.

    “Talking about the alternative source of energy, at the centre of Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu strategy, is an immediate sign-off of nothing less than 1,000 megawatts of non-renewable energy capacity coming in the market.

    “We are going to see a power sector that has a better energy meet.

    “It is not going to be fossil fuel alone, we are going to see a great departure from what we have in the past where there would just be an actual collapse,” he said.

    The commissioner said that the state was looking forward to the third reading of the bill when the committee would have considered comments and suggestions from stakeholders.

    NAN

  • Proof of ownership, tax clearance now mandatory in housing transactions – Lagos govt.

    Proof of ownership, tax clearance now mandatory in housing transactions – Lagos govt.

    The Lagos State Ministry of Housing has announced new requirements for processing housing transactions.

    The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Housing, Mr Abdulhafis Toriola, made this known in a statement issued by the Chief Public Affairs Officer, Housing, Mr Adesile Rufai, on Monday in Lagos.

    Toriola said that the new requirements would prevent fraud in transferring home ownership and protect people who might lose their homeownership documents.

    “All applications relating to homeownership transfer must include letter of allocation, payment receipts, valid identification, evidence of a Home Ownership Document Search.

    “These documents should be submitted to the Office of the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Housing.

    “Also, home owners applying for replacement of lost documents should attach their National ID card (NIN), police report, proof of lost document advertised in a national newspaper, for processing and confirmation of ownership,” the permanent secretary said.

    Furthermore, Toriola said that all applications for housing transactions now required a valid Tax Clearance Certificate for the applicant, including government employees.

    According to him, this is because housing projects are funded by taxes, and beneficiaries of these projects must have evidence of personal income tax.

    The permanent secretary  warned that applications missing any of these documents would not be processed.

    He emphasised that the Ministry aimed at making housing transactions more secure and ensuring everyone involved was legitimate.

    Toriola also stressed the importance of paying taxes to fund these housing projects.

  • SAD! Truck loses control, crushes female biker to death in Lagos

    SAD! Truck loses control, crushes female biker to death in Lagos

    Operatives of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) says it recovered the body of a yet-to-be -identified female biker who was killed by a loaded containerized truck in the Iganmu area of Lagos.

    It was gathered that the driver of the truck while descending Iganmu Bridge lost control, causing the truck to fall on the biker.

    The body of the biker, who was trapped under the truck after the accident that occurred at about 6:15 am on Monday has been retrieved.

    Confirming the incident, the Special Adviser to the Governor of Lagos State On Transportation, Hon. Sola Giwa, stated that the driver lost control while in motion and the truck fell on a female biker while descending Iganmu Bridge.

    The driver fled the scene upon realising the severity of the accident.

    “Immediately after the incident, LASTMA personnel called in other emergency responders, including the LASEMA Response Unit (LRU), for a rescue operation,”Giwa said.

    He added that the deceased’s body was taken away by personnel from the Lagos State Ambulance Service(LASAMBUS), and the containerized truck was evacuated to clear the way for free vehicular movement on Iganmu Bridge.

    While expressing his condolences to the family of the deceased, Hon. Giwa warned truck drivers to adhere to speed limits both within and outside the state.

    He also advised motorcycle operators, both commercial and private to obey traffic rules and regulations as stipulated in the Lagos State Transport Sector Reform Law, 2018.

  • 9,370 vehicles impounded for traffic offences in six months – LASTMA reveals

    9,370 vehicles impounded for traffic offences in six months – LASTMA reveals

    The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority said it impounded 9,370 vehicles from January 2024 to June 2024 for alleged traffic violations.

    The General Manager, LASTMA, Mr. Olalekan Bakare-Ok, gave the figure in an interview on Sunday in Lagos.

    Bakare-Oki said that 3,034 private vehicles were impounded, adding that they comprised 1,849 cars, 549 buses and 636 Sports Utility Vehicles, among others.

    According to him, 256 casualties were recorded during the period.

    The LASTMA boss advised the public to obey all traffic rules and regulations and respect traffic managers.

    He said, “In the last six months, it has been the good, bad and ugly, but so far, we have been able to surmount many challenges especially when it comes to training and retraining drive.

    “We have been able to train 2,000 of our staff, both internally and externally.

    “We started with external training. We had a collaboration with the training department of the Nigerian Police, Lagos Command, and we were able to train over 900.”

    Bakare-Oki added that the authority collaborated with “our three consultants on leadership skills, emotional intelligence, customer care, and incidents management.

    “We are doing all these so that we can improve on service delivery to Lagos residents,” noting that the LASTMA intends to “rebuild public confidence, especially in the area of public relations.”

    The LASTMA boss said that the authority’s call centre would be launched soon while adding that it would be toll-free, accommodate English and Yoruba languages, and Pidgin, which would also enable the LASTMA to get feedback.

    As regards enforcement, Bakare-Oki said the LASTMA started with the clearing of the Apapa Port, during which several operations were carried out, including removal of trucks, and tankers that parked indiscriminately on the Apapa route.

    “Apart from the Apapa corridor and even Iyana-Ipaja, we were on the island. We entered Idumota, Apogbon, CMS and other areas, and we cleared the stretch of the Lekki-Ajah axis.

    “ We were able to improve certain levels of sanity around the axis. Cumulatively, we have been able to touch the five divisions in Lagos in terms of enforcement, and this is continuous.

    “We are bent on improving the travel time for Lagos residents, especially during the peak period,” he said.

    Bakare-Oki said that LASTMA was putting everything in place to improve traffic management in the state, adding that it had deployed over 2,000 traffic equipment.

  • PDP, LP members defect to APC in Lagos

    PDP, LP members defect to APC in Lagos

    Hundreds of members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Labour Party (LP) on Thursday defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC)  at Mainland Constituency II in Lagos State .

    Receiving the detectors, Mr Rasheed Shabi, a  member of the State House of Assembly (Mainland ll) ,said President Bola Tinubu’s style of leadership endeared opposition members to the ruling party.

    Shabi added that the defectors joined  party to support the president towards  achieving his Renewed Hope Agenda.

    The lawmaker,  Chairman, House Committee on Environment (Parastatals), said the party had enough room to  accommodate more new members, assuring the defectors of equal treatment and fairness.

    “My dear defectors, the ruling party has your interest at heart.I ,therefore, urge you to be patient with President Tinubu led-government, everything will be fine, fuel price, food stuff prices will soon come down.

    “Congratulations to you for making the right choice, you are all welcome to the ruling party.

    “We will ensure that you will  benefit from all opportunities regarding the welfare of members without sentiments,” the lawmaker said.

    Shabi assured that he would continue to give his best to the people of  his  constituency.

    He urged the defectors, who are the Wards, A, B, and C  of the constituency, to be loyal and shun anti-party activities “so that you can enjoy the benefits of being APC member to the fullest.”

    In their separate speeches, some of the defectors from PDP and Labour Party described their former parties as weak in the state, promising to work hard to give APC  more weight at the grassroots

    Leading defectors from PDP, Mr Edupo Benjamin, noted that they were impressed by Shabi’s good work in the area of empowerment, facilitation of road projects, drilling of bore holes and others.

    Benjamin said that the lawmaker had been  providing books, school bags and tablet device for students, to help them in  their studies.

    Leading the Labour Party, Mr Azankpo Nobert, said they were convinced that APC was the place to be ,adding their former party abandoned them after the election.

    Nobert said the lawmaker was always available to listen to people and that he kept an open door always.

    In separate speeches ,some of the other defectors from PDP and Labour Party described their former parties as weak in the state, promising to work hard to give APC  more weight at the grassroots

    Also, Commenting, a APC Chieftain, Mr Tajudeen Agoro, who defected from PDP to APC in 2019, congratulated the defected members, saying that their decision was a wise one.

    “I can assure you will not regret your decision. In this party, you will be given opportunities to showcase yourself and tap  the benefits of politics.

    “Two things are the reasons we join politics: What we will benefit and what we will become.

    “All those opportunities are what I have benefited  since I joined APC in 2019. I believe that you would also get them,” he said.

    NAN reports that the event witnessed notable party leaders such as Mr Tunde Williams, a former Special Adviser to Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Labour Matters,Mr Bosun Agori,and Mr Tony Fasanmi

    Leaders of the various wards at the constituency were also present.zx

  • 7 rescued in Lagos building collapse

    7 rescued in Lagos building collapse

    The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) has rescued seven people who were trapped in a two-storey building that collapsed in Mushin.

    The agency’s Permanent Secretary, Dr Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, confirmed this in a statement on Wednesday in Lagos.

    He said the incident happened at No. 12, Cameron Str., of Ewenla, Mushin, Lagos.

    “The LASEMA Response Team arrived at the scene of the incident and discovered that a newly constructed two storey building had collapsed.

    “Seven people, three females and four males, were rescued alive and taken to a nearby hospital for treatment.

    “The agency’s search and rescue team have searched the rubble and can confirm that there is no victim underneath the collapsed building.

    “The area has been cordoned off and operation is still ongoing,” Oke-Osanyintolu said.

    He added that the agency and other key responders were on high alert.

    He also urged Lagos residents to remain calm and refrain from any non-essential travels due to the incidence of flash flood across the state.

  • NPFL to hold AGM July 16 in Lagos

    NPFL to hold AGM July 16 in Lagos

    The next Annual General Meeting of the Nigeria Premier Football League, (NPFL) will hold in Lagos according to reports from NPFL media.

    The AGM will deliberate on the scheduled kick-off date of the 2024/25 season which is fixed for Saturday, August 31.

    Davidson Owumi, the Chief Operating Officer of the NPFL, made this known via a letter to the clubs l, stated that the AGM will hold between July 15-16.

    “I write to convey the warm wishes of the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) Board and Management and to congratulate member clubs for the successful completion of the 2023/24 season.

    “It is in working towards the new season’s earnest preparations and take-off on August 31, 2024, that the Board has elected to invite member clubs for the AGM on a tentative date of July 15-16 in Lagos,” the letter said.

    Meanwhile, the NPFL have directed seven clubs to renovate their grounds in order to meet the facility Requirements of the Club Licensing Regulations.

    They were also directed to provide broadcast support facilities such as elevated camera stands.

    The clubs were ordered to upgrade their playing turf or face the prospect of playing on alternative grounds.

    The clubs are Abia Warriors, Sunshine Stars, Shooting Stars, Kwara United, Niger Tornadoes, Plateau United, and the newly promoted El-Kanemi Warriors.

    “As we look forward to the meeting, letters have been written to some of the clubs whose facilities were found not suitable to host the NPFL matches in the new season in compliance with provisions of Facility requirements of the Club Licensing Regulations,” Owumi added in the letter.

  • Workers groan as downpour causes gridlock in Lagos

    Workers groan as downpour causes gridlock in Lagos

    Some Lagos workers on Wednesday lamented the persistent rainfall which is causing gridlock and flooding in many parts of the state.

    NAN reports that Lagos is experiencing consistent rainfall, which is causing gridlock and flooding in various parts of the city.

    Some workers said that the rain has led to hike in transport fare, amidst economic hardship.

    It has become a common occurrence during the rainy season in Lagos and it leads to disruptions in transportation, businesses, and daily activities.

    Mr Oluwaseun Olatunbosun, a resident in Alimosho who works with Fibrenet around the Ikeja area, also said that there was always a hike in fare anytime the rain fell.

    “If there is no rain, I spend like N1,000 from my house around Orisunbare to Ikeja where my office is but I spend well over N1,000 during the rainy season.

    “As it is now, the traffic is heavy and I am sure there will be an increase in the fare as I am going to the office,” he said.

    Another resident, Miss Favour Blessing, who lives around Ilepo in Abule Egba and works in a Spar in Ikeja, told NAN that the fare to her office usually was between N600 and N800 if there was no rain.

    “Right now with the rain, the fare could be between N1,000 and N1,400.

    “It is worrisome because of the economic situation in the country. Sometimes I don’t even go to work because of the hike in fare when it rains,” she said.

    A schoolteacher, Mrs Juliet Okonkwo, said that most of her students come late to school during the rainy season.

    Okonkwo added that the rain does not only affect the students but also the teachers too.

    “We have to make our way to work even with the gridlock because we have a responsibility to the kids,” she said.

    Another Lagos worker, an architect, Mr Shola Ayodele, told NAN that work was always slow during rainy seasons.

    He added that the rainy season affected his site engineers because they hardly come to work, blaming their absence to the hike in fares.

  • Commuters stranded, cars submerged after heavy rainfall in Lagos [VIDEOS]

    Commuters stranded, cars submerged after heavy rainfall in Lagos [VIDEOS]

    Residents and motorists in several parts of Lagos were on Wednesday left stranded due to the hours of intense rain, with major roads overrun by floods, resulting in gridlocks in most parts of the state.

    In the videos that surfaced on social media captured some major roads in the state flooded, leaving workers who are on their way to the office stranded as they were unable to access vehicles.

    The NewsGuru.com(TNG) report that the entire Iyana-Owo, Olopo meji down to third mainland bridge was overrun by waters making it impossible for drivers to travel through the flooded area to reach their respective destinations.

    The flooded roads, at the filing of this report have caused a long traffic that extends to Alapere region of the state.

    Also, commuters and motorists are left stranded around various axis of the state due to the gridlock caused by the flood.

    Flooding is common in Lagos, a coastal city home to over 20 million people.

    Despite government efforts to construct drainages and advise against dumping refuse in them, flooding is almost certain during heavy rainfall.

    See videos below;

     

  • Three-year-old dies after falling into an open cesspit in Lagos

    Three-year-old dies after falling into an open cesspit in Lagos

    The family of a three-year-old boy has been thrown into mourning after following his tragic death after falling into an open cesspit in Lagos.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports that the Lagos State Police command’s spokesperson, SP Benjamin Hundeyin made this known in a post on X. com.

    According to Hundeyin, the three year old fell into the cesspit that was left open, adding that the death was avoidable.

    He wrote, “Somewhere in Igando today, this cesspit was left open. Unfortuately, a 3-year-old  fell into it and died. This was totally avoidable”