TheNewsGuru

Tag: Lagos

  • Ban on `danfo’: [VIDEO] LASG assures there won’t be job loss as NURTW backs move

    Lagos State Government has allayed the fear of job lost in the state’s transport sector as it moves to stop operations of yellow commercial buses popularly known as `danfo’ in order to ensure a more efficient transport system.

    In an exclusive interview with TheNewsGuru.com, Lagos State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Steve Ayorinde assured that there will be no job lost by the time the state phases out usage of yellow buses, popularly known as ‘danfo’.

    Ayorinde who explained that the government has had series of meeting with stakeholders concerned in the business of mass transportation said the idea to phase out ‘danfos’ in Lagos is essential for the common good of all Lagosians.

    He furthered, “We are not taking the yellow buses out of the whole of Lagos. In the first instance, they will still be able to work in communities, local government roads, but not on the highways, major roads within the metropolis of Lagos.”

    Ayorinde added that the yellow buses will be allowed to move into the hinterland but stated that there will be sufficient and more environmentally friendly buses that will be provided by the state before that is done.

    He said, “The buses that will be brought with air conditions, provisions for physically challenged people will not be powered by angels, solar or driverless technologies. Drivers will work there, bus assistant will work there, so what it means is that we won’t just be able to employ erstwhile drivers of yellow buses but we will also be able to employ bus assistant that read tickets, sign and issue tickets and operate computers. Who says they can’t even be graduates? So far they are adequately remunerated.

    “That is the vision that the Governor Akinwunmi Ambode has for Lags state, So it is not about taking jobs away from anybody it is about making lives better for those who are in the sector.

    Meanwhile, the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Lagos Chapter, on Tuesday advised its members not to panic over the proposed ban on operations of yellow commercial buses.

    The state Chairman of the union, Mr Tajudeen Agbede, gave the advice in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Lagos.

    Recall that Ambode had on Feb. 6 announced a plan to stop operations of yellow commercial buses popularly known as `danfo’ for a more efficient, well-structured and world-class mass transport system.

    Ambode said that the well-structured transport system would ease movement within the state and make Lagos cleaner without burdening the people in terms of taxes.

    Agbede said that the union was discussing the proposed ban with the government, adding that the union was ready to cooperate with the state government on its mega city project.

    “We are still discussing with the government on the proposed ban on yellow buses, but we believe it is going to yield a positive result.

    “The union is ready to comply with the conditions of making the state a mega city.

    “We are ready to change the colour of our buses and also comply with the directive to follow the service lanes,” Agbede said.

     

     

  • Lagos approves increased fare for BRT, LAGBUS

    Lagos approves increased fare for BRT, LAGBUS

    The Lagos State Government on Monday approved a new price regime for LAGBUS and Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) effective from March 1 2017.

    The newly approved fare ranges from 20 per cent to 50 per cent on different routes plied by the buses.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that thousands of Lagos residents queue up daily to make use of the buses to enjoy lower fares and use the BRT to beat gridlock in the city due to their use of dedicated lanes.

    Mr Abiodun Dabiri, Managing Director, Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA), told newsmen in Alausa that the new fare structure for regulated bus operators in the state would take effect from March 1.

    He said that though the government was mindful of the current financial difficulties residents were going through, it approved the fare increase to save the bus schemes from collapse.

    Dabiri said what the bus operators spent on fuel had gone up 71 per cent, oil by 64 per cent and tyre by 90 per cent, threatening their continued operations.

    “In view of this and with government’s responsibility to avert a collapse of the franchise scheme, which currently serves over 500,000 commuters daily, government had to consider request by the operators for an upward review of bus fares,” he said.

    Dabiri said the current fares charged on some of the schemes had stayed constant for more than six years in the case of some operators.

    He said that though the government granted the request for fare increase, it would not allow transport users to do so arbitrarily.

    According to him, the operators have also been advised to improve their cost efficiency and effectiveness.

    “It will be difficult to pass the entire cost of operations to the consumers, bearing in mind that a lot of the users are in the low income bracket,” Dabiri said.

    He appealed to commuters to show understanding as the new fares take effect.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that from March 1, commuters from Ikorodu to Mile 12 would pay N100 as against N75.

    According to Dabiri, combining two zones like going from Ikorodu to Fadeyi will be N200 instead of N120, while combining three zones – Ikorodu to CMS – will be N300, instead of N200.

    Giving a breakdown of the new fares on the LAGBUS routes, its Managing Director, Mr Idowu Oguntona, said that the fare from CMS to Ajah would be N200, up from N150.

    He said that commuters from Leventis to Eko Hotel would pay N100 instead of N70, while those going to CMS from Oshodi would pay N150 as against N100.

    Oguntona said the new fare regime would affect the 61 routes of LAGBUS.

  • Why we are implementing new waste management policy in Lagos – Ambode

    Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State has said it was important for the state to evolve and implement a new waste management policy that would not only be befitting for a mega city but ensure the overall cleanliness of the state.

    The Governor, who spoke at the Annual Lecture of the Centre for Values in Leadership (CVL) held at Muson Centre in Onikan with the theme: “Living Well Together, Tomorrow: The Challenge Of Africa’s Future Cities”, said government was embarking on massive reform in waste management system, expressing optimism that the plan will fully be actualized by July this year.

    He said: “We are also embarking on massive reform in the waste and sanitation management system. I don’t like the way the city is and the Private Sector Participants (PSP) collectors are not having enough capacity to do it but again should I tax people to death, the answer is no. I don’t want to tax people and so we need this partnership with the private sector so that they can invest in the sanitation management of the city and in no time maybe by July, the city will change forever.”

    TheNewsGuru.com recalls that recently, Governor Ambode directed the Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), to stop the collection of waste bills, while instructing that all payments should be remitted to the coffers of Private Sector Participation (PSP) operators, just as the government also canceled the monthly environmental sanitation exercise.

    It would also be recalled that the State Government had last year signed a $135 million (N85 billion) agreement with a foreign firm as part of its new waste management policy, a partnership under a Public Private Partnership (PPP) initiative expected to last for four years.

    The State’s Commissioner for the Environment, Dr. Babatunde Adejare who also explained the new drive said the investment, which would kick off next year involved the deployment of over 600 Mercedes Benz compactors and the engagement of street sweepers in all wards in the state, while private sector operators would be restricted to handle commercial waste.

    Adejare also stated that the new policy would involve closure of existing landfill sites, creation of transfer loading stations in local councils and deployment of over one million ultra-modern waste bins with censors to monitor their movement against theft.

    He said this was aimed at introducing new technology into waste management in the state.

    He stressed that the decision to contract waste management under a Public Private Participation (PPP) arrangement was because of the high cost which he said the state could not afford because of limited resources.

    Under the reform, Adejare said three colour coded waste bags would be distributed to homes for different kinds of waste.

    “The result of this new arrangement is that waste disposal will no longer be a challenge as efficient system will be on ground for effective management which will eventually eradicate cart pushers in the process,” he said.

     

     

  • Smart City: Lagos set to train one million residents on computer coding

    Smart City: Lagos set to train one million residents on computer coding

    …Commences screening, selection of 1500 facilitators

    Ahead of the much anticipated roll out of CodeLagos, the Lagos State Ministry of Education said the programme would seek to teach at least one million Lagos residents to code by 2019 and also foster necessary skills to create sustainable solutions to social challenges and create employment opportunities.

    The government also announced the commencement of the screening and selection exercise for facilitators for the programme.

    In April 2017, three hundred (300) Coding Centers across six (6) Education Districts in Lagos State will be commissioned, marking the beginning of the CodeLagos after-school programme in both public and private schools – primary, secondary & tertiary. Centers will also be set up at State public libraries and other community spaces.

    Speaking at a press briefing, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Education, Mr. Obafela Bank-Olemoh, said that; “CodeLagos will not only cultivate a savvy workforce to drive our mega-city, but it will generate employment and business opportunities as we mobilize up to 1,500 facilitators in 2017 alone.”

    “CodeLagos is an initiative of the Lagos State Government which aims to teach one million Lagos residents to code by 2019. The program will foster necessary skills to create sustainable solutions to social challenges and create employment opportunities.”

    Bank-Olemoh also underscored the commitment of the State Government, under the leadership of Governor Akinwunmi Ambode to position Lagos State as the technology frontier in Africa saying it was also in line with the Lagos Smart City initiative in partnership with Dubai Smart City.

    He said the application process, which is primarily online, entails a submission of bio-data and completion of a general assessment, while successful applicants will receive world-standard trainings on the necessary skills areas.

    “Qualifying candidates must be available to participate in all the required trainings which would be provided by the State in collaboration with private sector partners within the technology sector. They must also be willing to commit at least 12 hours weekly to facilitate CodeLagos courses at designated centers upon the launch of the initiative in April,” he said.

    The application portal, Bank-Olemoh said, opened on Tuesday, February 7, 2017, and is accessible on www.codelagos.org

  • NOUN female staff killed as fire engulfs apartment in Lagos

    NOUN female staff killed as fire engulfs apartment in Lagos

     

    The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, LASEMA said it received a distress alert at about 3.10 am on Thursday for a fire incident that led to the death of a woman identified as a staff of the National Open University of Nigeria, NOUN.

    The incident occured at No. 7 Jemigbon Street, Apollo Estate, off Elebiju, Ketu, Lagos.

    The agency said its Emergency Response Team including the LRU Fire Unit and the Lagos State Fire Service rushed to the scene, and prevented the spread of the inferno to other buildings in the estate.

    LASEMA spokesman, Kehinde Adebayo, in a statement sent exclusively to TheNewsGuru.com said preliminary investigation conducted revealed that a duplex which was converted to flats (5 mini flat, a two bedroom flat, a four bedroom flat) was gutted by fire as a result of power surge.

    He added: “Further investigation revealed that inferno which engulfed the entire building got an adult female entrapped and severely burnt.

    “The body was recovered by ERT, handed over to the State Environmental Health Monitoring Unit and has since been deposited at the Lagos Mainland General Hospital Mortuary.

    “The woman was identified as a staff of the National Open University of Nigeria”.

    General Manager, LASEMA, has sympathized with the family.

    He urged residents to ensure they put safety measures in place.

    This he said include provision of more than one emergency exit route, installation of surge protectors and fire alarm systems to avoid loss of lives and properties.

  • Labour unions hold protests in Abuja, Lagos

    Labour unions hold protests in Abuja, Lagos

    Members of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC have gathered at the Unity Fountain in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, to commence the march against what they call the effect of poor governance.

    Leading the Abuja rally, President of the NLC, Comrade Ayuba Wabba said the protest was embarked on to voice out the hardship faced by the people on almost a daily basis. He said the labour in conjunction with other stakeholders will ensure that the government of the day accedes to the yearnings of the poor in the society.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that the Co-convener of the Bring Back Our Girls campaign (BBOG), Mrs Aisha Yusuf who also took active part in leading the rally said the protest is meant for Nigerians to express their anger over the hardship being faced by them.

    Meanwhile, members have also converged at the National Secretariat of the NLC in Yaba marching through the streets of Lagos, to the State Government House in Alausa and the State House of Assembly, to make their demands known.

     

     

    Details later…

  • Gunmen kidnap Estate Secretary in Lagos, kill 3 security guards

    Gunmen kidnap Estate Secretary in Lagos, kill 3 security guards

    Some gunmen on Thursday stormed the Isheri North Estate, GRA, in Lagos kidnapping the estate secretary, Mr. Dayo Adekoya.

    According to a report by Channels Television, the gunmen arrived the area around 1am shooting sporadically into the air before kidnapping Adekoya. was abducted at about 1am by gunmen who stormed the estate.

    Three security men working as guards in the estate were also reportedly killed in the operation.

    TheNewsGuru.com recall that nine landlords of an estate close to the area were late last year abducted alongside their trainer.

    Also recently in the area, eight staff and students of the Nigeria Turkish International School were kidnapped and released.

    Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Fatai Owoseni, has confirmed the incident.

  • Tension as Hausa trader kills bus driver over N30 in Lagos

    There was pandemonium on Monday on Mojeed Sanni Street in the Igando area of Lagos State as a 40-year-old trader, Ibrahim Adamu from the northern part of the country allegedly killed a 30-year-old bus driver identified as Lekan Adeleke over a paltry N30

    According to a report by Daily Post, trouble started on Sunday after the deceased reportedly bought noodles worth N230 from the suspect’s son on Sunday night and had paid N200 and promised to pay the balance of N30 the following day.

    The suspect’s son, who purportedly did not buy the idea, was said to have reported to his father, Adamu, who became angry and attacked Adeleke the following day (Monday).

    When Adeleke saw that he could no longer handle the situation, he took to his heels but the suspect followed him and hit him in the head with a spiked plank as he tried to jump a gutter.

    Adeleke fell and hit his head against the edge of the gutter and become unconscious.

    Following the development, Adamu took him into his kiosk and started pouring water on his head.

    He was doing this when a large number of residents stormed the place. When he sighted them, he abandoned his victim and took to his heels.

    Speaking in Hausa while he took off, Adamu reportedly asked his son to flee in another direction.

    The incident which happened on Monday caused chaos in the area as some residents and friends of the deceased made a bonfire on the road.

    They threatened to avenge the killing and consequently chased away Hausa traders in the community.

    Luck, however, ran out on Adamu as he was nabbed by the irate mob.

    The men were about carrying out jungle justice on him when policemen from the Igando division, led by the Divisional Police Officer, Olatunji Ajimuda, stormed the area.

    But for the intervention of the police, the suspect would have been lynched as they destroyed Adamu’s kiosk and set it on fire.

    While some engaged in a riot, others rushed Adeleke to the hospital.

    He was said to have died at about 12pm on Monday.

    Confirming the incident, the state Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, SP Dolapo Badmos, said investigations were ongoing.

    According to her, “It was a case of murder. One Adamu used a plank to hit a bus driver, Adeleke, in the head which led to his death.

    “The police team took Adeleke’s corpse to a mortuary, paid N15, 000 for the corpse to be deposited in the Mainland General Hospital morgue for autopsy.

    “We have intensified patrol in the area as normalcy has been restored,” the PPRO added.

  • Customs arrests 3 over seized 661 rifles in Lagos [More photos]

    The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has explained how it intercepted a massive weapons haul of 661 brand new pump-action rifles in Lagos state.

    The Customs also confirmed the arrest of three people in connection with the importation of the large arms. They suspects’ names were given as: Oscan Okafor (Importer) age 51, Mahmud Hassan (Clearing Agent) age 56 and Sadique Mustapha (who accompanied the consignment to its destination) age 28.

    In a press statement delivered by the Comptroller-General of NCS Hameed Ali at a briefing in Lagos on Monday, January 30, the outfit said the guns were intercepted on Sunday, January 22.

    The statement read: “On Sunday 22nd January 2017, the Roving Team of the NCS Federal Operations Unit while on information patrol intercepted a Mack truck with registration number BDG 265 XG conveying a 1x40ft Container with Number: PONU/825914/3along Mile 2 Apapa road.

    The brand new pump-action rifles in cartons in which they were seized

    “The truck was immediately taken to the premises of FOU Zone A,Ikeja where Physical examination revealed49 boxes containing a total number of 661 pieces of pump action rifles concealed with steal doors and other merchandize goods.”

    The Customs clarified that the actions of the importer contravened the provisions of the Nigerian laws and it is even more so given the fragile level of security in the country at the moment.

    It added: “These Rifles are under absolute prohibition; therefore its importation is illegal. Such deadly contravention of the law is even more unacceptable considering the fragile security situation in some parts of the country.”

     

  • [Photos included]: Customs intercepts 661 AK 47 rifles in Lagos

    The Federal Operations Unit (FOU) of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) intercepted 661 pieces of pump action rifles from China, concealed with steel doors and other merchandise goods, which came in through Lagos port.

    The Comptroller-General of Customs, Retired Col. Hameed Alli, made the disclosure while briefing newsmen on Monday in Lagos.

    The Intercepted Weapons

    Alli said that the Federal Operations Unit, while on patrol, intercepted a Mark truck with registration number BUG 265 XG conveying a 40ft container with number; PONU/825914/3 along Mile 2 Apapa Road, Lagos.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the consignment was cleared from Lagos port.

    The comptroller-general said the truck was immediately taken to F.O.U. premises for physical examination and 49 boxes containing 661 pieces of pump action rifles concealed with steel doors were revealed.

    Alli said the rifles were under absolute prohibition, adding that its importation was illegal.

    “Such deadly contravention of the law is even more unacceptable considering the fragile security situation in some parts of the country.

    In-Photos: Customs Intercepts 49 boxes of 661 AK 47 rifles in Lagos“Already three suspects have been arrested in connection with this illegal importation,’’ NAN quotes the comptroller-general as saying.

    The suspects are: Mr Oscan Okafor (an importer), Mr Mahmud Haruna (a clearing agent), Mr Sadique Mustapha (accompanying the consignment to its destination).

    Alli said initially the consignment was said to have originated from Turkey, adding that there was mixed-up in the document which finally revealed that the consignment originated from China.

    “Investigation has already commenced and I have directed that the drag net should be wide enough to fish out all persons involved in the importation and clearing of the consignment, ‘’ NAN quotes Alli as saying.

    He said Customs officers who were involved in the clearance of the containers were in the custody of Comptroller Mahmud Haruna of FOU Zone “A’’

    Alli said that the seizure underscored the determination of the service to enforce all laws relating to importation and exportation of goods into and out the country thereby contributing to the economy, security and well-being of the country.

    The comptroller-general said that the seizure was commendable and represented the new normal rule in the service “where most officers and men are on a daily basis ensuring that illegalities are not allowed unchecked’’.

    He commended the Comptroller in charge of F.O.U. and officers and men who were involved in the seizure.

    Alli, however, urged the media as well as meaningful Nigerians to help the service with information that would assist the service perform its statutory responsibilities in the interest of Nigeria.

    He said the seizure would be handed over to the appropriate authority.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Details shortly…