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Tag: Lagos

  • Why PDP keeps losing elections in Lagos

    Why PDP keeps losing elections in Lagos

    Otunba Segun Adewale, a former Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Lagos State,  has blamed the repeated electoral defeats of PDP in the state on lack of unity in the party.

    Adewale, popularly known as Aeroland, expressed the view while speaking with newsmen on Thursday in Lagos.

    The former PDP chairman also attributed the serial electoral misfortunes of the party in the state to the mismanagement of election funds by party leaders as well as their anti-party activities.

    Adewale, who was the Lagos West Senatorial District PDP Candidate in 2023, said unless these leaders changed their ways, it would be difficult for PDP to defeat the ruling APC in the state.

    “How Lagos PDP leadership mismanage election funds each election year will not allow the party to win elections in the state. This happens every election year.

    “It happens every four years. The one of 2023 general elections was higher.

    “Out of all the money released to Lagos PDP to prosecute the 2023 election, less than 50 per cent got to the state and to the party foot soldiers.

    “It was the one that I brought in to the state to fund election that party’s foot soldiers got, others collected the money and pocketed it,” the PDP chieftain said.

    According to him, many top party leaders engaged in anti-party activities, alleging that some members of the  PDP Presidential Campaign Council also compromised in the 2023 general elections.

    Adewale said that he had video evidence to prove that some PDP leaders, including some of members of the Alhaji Atiku Abubakar Presidential Campaign Council, worked for the ruling APC in the last election.

    Adewale added: “I saw for the first time how few Lagos PDP leaders spent election mobilisation funds in the last 2023 general elections.

    “I was involved last year and it was horrible the way the money got taken away by few Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) leaders,”

    Adewale, who noted that he was involved in the sharing of the funds to prosecute the election, said a particular top PCC leader personalised the funds rather than use it for the purpose of elections.

    He said “For PDP’s story to change in Lagos, national leaders should make those entrusted with election funds to account for the money.

    “One of the reasons why we lose election in Lagos is that there has been no accountability for election funds by leaders since 1999.

    “How much was given to prosecute elections each year? No one cares. What we see is that three or five or six people will just sit on the money and take the money away.”

    Adewale said there was the need to put a structure in place to promote accountability in Lagos PDP in order to check the mismanagement of election  funds in 2027 and beyond

  • Timaya reveals how he struggled to stop drug addiction

    Timaya reveals how he struggled to stop drug addiction

    Popular Nigerian singer, Inetimi Alfred Timaya Odon, fondly called Timaya, has revealed on how he struggled to give up drug addiction.

    Timaya in a recent interview with The Beat 99.9 FM, Lagos, admitted to engaging in drugs during the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020.

    According to him, he got introduced to drugs during the COVID-19 pandemic by some young boys who get extraordinarily excited after consuming molly.

    Timaya described his experience of breaking off from drugs as a “tough fight.”

    “I am not a saint. I have done drugs. Breaking off from drugs was a hell, it was a tough fight.

    “I got introduced to drugs during the COVID-19 lockdown, 2020. Everybody was home and there are those young guys in my house who are always so happy. And I was like, ‘Bro, how are you guys happier than me, I am the boss I got money? What are you guys on?’ And they told me that they got molly.

    “When I took it, I did not understand myself. I was so happy that I dashed all the money in my pocket. So I wanted to just keep feeling like that. That was how I lost a lot of weight. I was not eating, I was just happy? How you go just want dey happy? You are supposed to first of all, be happy naturally. But when you need substance to make you happy, it replaces natural happiness. So you have to be buying happiness.

    “When I said I was taking molly, I was taking like three pills everyday and it felt like medication [laughs].”

  • Real reason for relocating CBN departments to Lagos – Cardoso

    Real reason for relocating CBN departments to Lagos – Cardoso

    The Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Olayemi Cardoso has said the apex bank’s decision to relocate departments and personnel to other branches, was a response to the current “overpopulation” at its headquarters.

    He disclosed this during an interview with Arise Television on Monday, aiming to provide clarity amidst public concerns over the planned relocation of 1,500 personnel from the headquarters to Lagos.

    He highlighted the need to redistribute skills to ensure a more even geographical spread of talent across various branches.

    “I think there’s been an attempt to sensationalize what is a normal process for any vibrant entity like a central bank,” Cardoso stated.

    “A situation where a large number of technical skills are in one particular location to the detriment of others does not speak well.”

    “So this has been an attempt to realign that and to ensure that skills are moved from where there’s an overabundance to where there’s a great shortage of those skills. So that’s basically what that is about.

    “And with respect to Lagos which you mentioned, from our perspective, it makes a lot of sense that the entities which we are attempting to regulate and need to be on top of that are based in Lagos and they hould have the right skills from the central bank right next to them so they can adequately and effectively do their jobs.”

    Cardoso further stated, “It is overpopulated. And with what we are doing right now, we are hoping that will also help in easing the issue of overpopulation, which it is.

    “And quite frankly, anybody that comes to the bank and interacts on that level will see that it is. It is overpopulated. And we’ve got to ensure that we can manage potential issues that could fall out from an overpopulated environment.”

     

  • Police confirm death of suspected lovers in Lagos apartment

    Police confirm death of suspected lovers in Lagos apartment

    The Police Command in Lagos State has confirmed the deaths of a man and a woman, suspected to be lovers, in an apartment at Ojodu area of the state.

    The command’s Public Relations Officer, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, confirmed the incident to NAN on Monday.

    Hundeyin said that the sudden and unnatural death was reported to the Ojodu Police Division on Sunday at about 9.10 a.m.

    He said that the lifeless bodies of the lovers – one Adebayo Adeseko, 30, and his partner, Sarah Adesanya, 36,  were found at their apartment at No. 8B, Gbete Street, off Shoyemi Bamaco Estate, Ojodu Berger, Lagos.

    The spokesperson said that on the strength of the information, a team of operatives from the station immediately went to the scene.

    Hundeyin said that the operatives photographed the scene and evacuated the corpses to the mourtuary for autopsy, while investigation into their death continued.

    It was learnt that the man was a filmmaker, who had a misunderstanding on Saturday with his lover, which degenerated to heated argument and to a fight, resulting to the woman’s death.

    The man allegedly stabbed himself and died after he discovered that the woman had given up the ghost.

    A picture from the scene of incident, presented to NAN by the police spokesperson, revealed the man lying in the pool of his blood.

  • Lagos by-election: I’m waiting to be congratulated – APC candidate

    Lagos by-election: I’m waiting to be congratulated – APC candidate

    Mr Fuad Laguda, APC Candidate in the ongoing Surulere Federal Constituency I by-election in Lagos State, says he is waiting to be congratulated as the winner.

    Laguda expressed this confidence while addressing newsmen shortly after casting his vote at Randle Primary School on Saturday.

    The candidate, who cast his ballot at Polling Unit 009, Wars G at 8:46 a.m. in company of his wife and some followers, described the exercise as seamless.

    According to him, the election processing has been peaceful and smooth from the point of accreditation and voting.

    “APC as a party campaigned seriously, and we approached people to come out and vote.

    “As a party that is the best we were able to do. we are hoping that they will still come out and vote,” Laguda said.

    The candidate urged registered voters with Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) to come out on time and cast their votes.

    A Septuagenarian, Mrs Tokunbo Bakari, after casting her vote at Ward G, polling unit 054, described the election as peaceful.

    Bakari said the INEC officials on ground gave them orientation about the voting procedure.

    Also Speaking, Mrs Antonia Abiodun, a voter at Polling Unit 015, Ward 7 in Shitta/Ogunlana Drive, commended INEC for the peaceful election process.

    Mr Oluwole Oyedokun, the Social Democratic Party (SDP) Agent at PU 004, Akinhanmi Cole said, “Everything is going on smoothly only that people are not turning up as at now.

    “The process has been seamless and there is no violence.”

    On his party’s expectations, Oyedokun said the party was awaiting how the election would turn out.

    Also, Mrs Omowunmi Akinwalere, the APC agent at the same unit said: “The election here is very peaceful, people are coming out and we are going outside to tell them to come out.

    “The BVAS (Bimodal Voter Accreditation System) has been working perfectly and we checked before the election started that the BVAS was reading zero. Nothing was loaded illegally on it.”

    Twelve candidates of different political parties are scrambling for 121,111 votes of registered voters with Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) in the election.

    The political parties and candidates include, Accord Party – Mr Akinyemi Da-Silva Elias, Action Alliance – Kayode Jelili, African Democratic Congress – Mr Collins Aigbokhaode, and All Progressives Congress – Hon. Fuad Kayode Laguda.

    Others are, All Progressives Grand Alliance – Mr Jonathan Ololade, Allied People’s Movement – Mr Samuel Uchechi Ekwuruke, Action People’s Party – Mr Yinusa Musa Adisa, and Labour Party – Mr Adeola Adebanjo Damilola.

    Also in participating are, Peoples Democratic Party – Mr Afemighie Jerry, Social Democratic Party – Mr Muyiwa Adedeji, Young Progressives Party – Mr Oluwole Austine Brito, and Zenith Labour Party – Mr Emereole Anthony.

    The seat became vacant due to the resignation of the former occupant, Rep. Femi Gbajabiamila, who after winning, was appointed by President Bola Tinubu as his Chief of Staff.

  • We insist bail must be free – NBA

    We insist bail must be free – NBA

    The Chairman of Lagos Branch of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Mr Olabisi Makanjuola, has called on lawyers to report any demands for money for bail at police stations.

    Makanjuola told NAN on Tuesday in Lagos that bail remained  free by the provisions of the 1999 Constituion.

    He said that  the branch would do everything lawful to ensure that bail remained free in Lagos State.

    He spoke on ways to maintain ethical and professional standards in the legal profession.

    He said that the Lagos Branch of NBA would ensure that demands for money for bail at police stations in Lagos State would stop.

    “Our colleagues that go to the police formations always come back to lament that, often times, money is paid to secure bail of suspects.

    “The point we are making is that it must stop; even if that is one thing we begin to get right.

    “A clarion call to everybody out there is that where any officer demands money for bail, please reach out to us, and we will draw the attention of the commissioner of police.

    “He must live up to his promise; bail is free and bail must continue to be free,” the chairman said.

    Makanjuola also said that the branch was determined to clamp down on fake lawyers.

    “In the next couple of weeks and months, the Lagos branch intends to begin to clamp down on persons who parade themselves as lawyers.

    “If any lawyer conducts himself in any manner that is improper, we ask members of the public to bring such a person to our attention; we have an ethics committee,” he said.

    Makanjuola added that the branch was committed to providing trainings for lawyers to expose them to other aspects of legal practice apart from litigation.

    He expressed confidence that the trainings would equip lawyers more and reduce ‘ambulance chasing’ and unethical conducts by some lawyers.

  • Presidency speaks on Tinubu’s plan to relocate Nigeria’s capital

    Presidency speaks on Tinubu’s plan to relocate Nigeria’s capital

    The Presidency has reacted to reports on the proposed plan by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to relocate Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to Lagos.

    Bayo Onanuga, the Special Adviser on Information and Strategy to President Bola Tinubu, stated this in a statement via his official X handle on Wednesday.

    He claimed that those pushing the campaign of falsehood know they are playing politics, albeit dangerous politics to pitch the North against the South.

    His statement followed the recent relocation of FAAN, a department of the Aviation Ministry, to Lagos.

    The statement reads, “President Tinubu has no plan whatsoever to move the Federal Capital to Lagos. The rumour first surfaced during the campaign last year by opponents looking for all manners of weapons to stop him. We trashed it.

    “Those peddling it anew are dishonest, ethnic and regional champions, trying to draw attention to themselves. Abuja has come to stay. It is backed by law.

    “The movement of FAAN, a department of the Aviation Ministry to Lagos, where it was based before former minister Hadi Sirika moved it to Abuja during the last administration, does not amount to moving the FCT to Lagos.

    “The administrative move should have attracted scant attention, as Lagos is the commercial capital and the hub of aviation business in Nigeria. FAAN should be nowhere else but near the industry it regulates. FAAN will still maintain some presence in Abuja, as it is not a wholesale movement.

    “Similarly, the movement of some departments of the CBN to Lagos should not trigger any hoopla. The departments concerned, including the bank supervision department, are those dealing with commercial banks, all with headquarters in Lagos. A regulator ought to be close to the businesses it regulates.

    “All those pushing this campaign of falsehood know they are playing politics, albeit a dangerous politics to pit the North against the South.

    “There are many parastatals that are not based in Abuja depending on their mandate. NIMASA is in Lagos. So is NPA. The National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) is in Lokoja, not Abuja. Will the people opposing the movement of FAAN and some CBN departments want those agencies to be in Abuja, where there is no single port and no maritime activity?

    “Administrative decisions should not be politicized. Let it not look like whenever we are temporarily not at the helm of affairs, we create all manners of dangerous rumours to distract from the bigger picture and emasculate an administration led by a Southerner.

    “Let’s stop the dirty politics. We can’t be playing politics with everything.”

  • Don’t start doing things as if Nigeria is Lagos – Ndume warns Tinubu

    Don’t start doing things as if Nigeria is Lagos – Ndume warns Tinubu

    The Chairman, Senate Committee on the Army, Senator Ali Ndume, has warned President Bola Ahmed Tinubu that there will be consequences if he insists on relocating some departments of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) headquarters to Lagos.

    He also noted that only those who don’t know Nigeria, and only know Lagos, will run Nigeria as if is Lagos.

    While speaking on Channels TV on Tuesday, January 23, Ndume maintained that the president was being misled by a cartel he termed “Lagos Boys”.

    Recall that the CBN in an internal memo had recently said it was moving some offices of the apex bank to Lagos due to congestion of some departments. Also, the government announced that it was relocating the headquarters of FAAN to ensure seamless operations and save costs.

    “Some of them think that they know better than everybody. But they don’t know anything. When you don’t know Nigeria, you only know Lagos, then you start doing things as if Nigeria is Lagos. Lagos is in Nigeria. That’s a wrong decision. We will not accept it. Besides, you know, they are not doing any favour to Mr. President, because this will have political consequence. Yes. I’m telling you this.

    And these guys who are just sitting down there, trying to hang on to Mr. President will not be there to amend the political mistakes or even to correct it because they don’t know anybody. They only know their offices. And they only know that they have brains,” he said.

    He emphasised that it was not the votes from Lagos only that brought Tinubu to office, advising him to jettison any plans to implement the relocation decision.

    “All these Lagos boys that are thinking that Lagos is Nigeria are just misinforming or advising the president wrongly. The regulators or the financial institutions are supposed to be in Abuja. Now, you want them to move because you say Lagos is the commercial capital. This is one of the mistakes. And I’m sure the president will reverse it, because it doesn’t work. You can’t have two capitals or is the CBN governor going to be operating from Lagos and headquarters of the CBN is in Lagos?

    Do you say that because majority of our oil is extracted from South-south, you take the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) to the South-south or because Nigeria’s agricultural produce are more in the north, you take the Ministry of Agriculture to anywhere in the north.

    It doesn’t work that way. And that is one of the problems that is cropping up, but I’m very sure, I’m very confident that Mr. president will look at this because he’s a nationalist, not just a Lagos man,” the federal lawmaker said.

    He insisted that Lagos does not represent the whole of Nigeria, explaining that there will not only be increase in cost of operations but “risk to the lives” of workers who will constantly be flying by air or on the road, if it eventually happens.

    “This is a decision that is not well thought out. And I think the president will reverse it. I’m confident that. And if that does not happen, of course, this is democracy and we know what to do. CBN has offices that they can rent or build on their own to increase efficiency, but moving some departments to Lagos is not the best of ideas at all or moving any agency at all” he added.

  • Police arrest 3 suspected cultists in Lagos

    Police arrest 3 suspected cultists in Lagos

    The Police Command in Lagos State says its operatives have arrested three suspected cultists in Ishashi area of the state.

    The command’s spokesperson, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, told NAN on Sunday.

    The Commissioner of Police in Lagos, Mr Adegoke Fayoade, had promised to rid the state of criminals.

    Hundeyin said that the three suspects were arrested on Saturday at about 6.30 a.m. by the police.

    “The police got information that some boys were seen in military uniform disturbing the peace of Oke-Odan community in Ishashi,” he said.

    He explained that operatives from the Ishashi division were “quickly drafted” to the community and arrested the suspects who are between the ages of 24 and 39.

    Hundeyin said that investigation has begun and the suspects would soon be charged to court.

  • Baby, man die in Lagos accidents

    Baby, man die in Lagos accidents

    The Police Command in Lagos State has confirmed the death of a two-year-old baby girl and a 60-year-old man in two separate motor accidents in the Isolo area of the state.

    The Command’s spokesperson, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, confirmed the incidents in a statement on Friday.

    Hundeyin said that the incident involving the baby happened on Thursday at about 5.30 p.m.

    He said that the Isolo Police Division received a report on the accident, which happened along Ibe Road, Isolo.

    The spokesperson said the accident involved a Toyota TACOMA Van, being driven outward Apata-Ago-Junction.

    Hundeyin said a baby girl, named Glory, who suddenly ran out of her mother’s shop into the main road, was hit by the vehicle.

    “The driver of the car, without due caution, allegedly knocked the little girl down and she was immediately rushed to Isolo General Hospital, where the doctor later confirmed her dead.

    “The scene was visited by the police, photographs were taken and corpse deposited at the hospital’s mortuary for autopsy.

    “The car has been evacuated to the station and the driver detained for investigation,” he said.

    Similarly, he said that a 60-year-old man also lost his life on Wednesday at about 10.00 p.m. in the same Isolo area.

    Hundeyin said that the same police station got information from Plantain Market, Oke-Afa, Isolo, on how a Volvo truck, driven by one Mustapha, killed same driver.

    He said the truck brought goods to the Plantain Market and the driver parked, waiting for the goods to be off-loaded.

    The image maker said that the said driver noticed his parked truck rolling back, then attempted to stop it by putting a wedge on the tyre.

    He said that the man, however, was hit suddenly by the truck, and the victim was immediately rescued and rushed to the Isolo General Hospital, where was later confirmed dead by a medical doctor.

    “Police officers of Isolo division visited the scene, took photographs, and corpse deposited at the hospital mortuary.

    “The vehicle has been evacuated to the station, while investigation is ongoing,” he said.