Author: Taiwo Ismael

A Bus Rapid Transit driver, Sunday Bukola, has reportedly crushed a five-year-old simply identified as Malik to death at Palmgroove in the Onipanu area of Lagos State.

We gathered that the incident occurred at about 1:30 pm on Saturday.

According to an eye witness, the driver crushed the victim, his brother, and his mother as they attempted to cross the BRT lane.

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has strongly criticized President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his recent comments, accusing him of being disconnected from the daily realities faced by Nigerians.

In response to Tinubu’s remarks during the commissioning of the Lagos railway red line project, where he questioned the moral ground of the organized labour to challenge his administration’s policies, the NLC urged the president to prioritize addressing the ongoing hardships faced by citizens.

The NLC, through its president, Joe Ajaero, expressed deep concern over Tinubu’s focus on partisan issues and future elections rather than the pressing needs of the populace.

Ajaero emphasized that the NLC’s primary objective is advocating for effective governance that prioritizes the welfare and security of all Nigerians rather than seeking political positions.

Ajaero urged Tinubu to redirect his efforts toward fulfilling the fundamental duty of public office, addressing substantive issues under discussion since June 2023, including wage increases, social welfare programs, infrastructure development, and the revitalization of critical sectors like education and healthcare.

Ajaero said: “It is regrettable that the president seems oblivious of the profound hardship endured by millions of Nigerians. The pervasive hunger, unemployment, housing insecurity and escalating cost of basic necessities, such as food and health care, demand immediate attention and decisive action.

“Yet, instead of addressing these pressing concerns, President Tinubu appears preoccupied with political calculations and future electoral prospects.

“The NLC wishes to emphasize that our primary objective is not to vie for political positions, including that of the president; rather, our sole focus is on advocating effective governance that prioritises the welfare and security of all Nigerians.

“We urge President Tinubu to redirect his efforts towards fulfilling this fundamental duty of public office rather than engaging in political rhetoric.

“It is imperative that we refocus our collective energy on addressing the substantive issues that have been the subject of engagement between Labour and the government since June 2023.

“These include critical matters such as wage increases, social welfare programmes, infrastructure development and the revitalisation of key sectors, such as education and health care.

“In any case, to avoid the dissipation of energy, it is important that we focus on the real issues because we have engaged the government since June 2023 after the ‘subsidy is gone’ statement.

An Ejigbo magistrate court in Lagos has remanded four residents of the state who were attacked by police officers for “gambling”.

On Thursday, some police officers on mufti from the Area P command in Lagos state had stormed a shop in the area to arrest some youths who were playing ludo.

The officers, who were armed with Ak-47 rifles, invaded the area with a yellow commercial bus to arrest the youths, but some residents resisted the arrest, saying the officers were not identifiable and playing ludo was not a criminal offence.

The police officers, however, phoned their colleagues at the Area P command around the Gate bus stop in Ipaja, alleging they were under attack.

A few minutes later, about 15 police officers stormed the area in three yellow commercial buses and attacked the residents with machetes and bottles.

A police officer had broken an empty bottle on a car mechanic’s head. The mechanic, who was repairing a vehicle in his workshop, was carted away with some other residents.

A police officer also hit a lady with a machete on her buttocks.

Four of the residents were, however, released before others were taken to court. A resident who spoke with this reporter said they were released after they parted with N80,000 at the police station.

On Friday, the court remanded the remaining four residents in prison till March 25.

The Nigeria Customs Service, Oyo/Osun Area Command, has intercepted sacks of counterfeit pharmaceutical drugs valued at over N1.8 billion.

This was made known by the Customs Area Controller Comptroller Ben Oramalugo during a press briefing at the Command headquarters on Thursday, February 29.

The Nigerian Customs issued a statement on its X handle on Friday, March 1, to make this known.

Part of the statement reads:” The Nigeria Customs Service, Oyo/Osun Area Command, has intercepted sacks of fake Pharmaceutical drugs worth over N1.8billion.

“Customs Area Controller Comptroller Ben Oramalugo disclosed this to reporters during a press briefing at the Command headquarters on Thursday, February 29, 2024.

“Comptroller Ben stated that the Commands anti-smuggling activities have been strategically positioned to ensure the Federal Government’s policy on border closure is totally enforced by preventing the importation of prohibited items harmful to the great citizens of Nigeria. He also expressed the effort to prevent the exportation of essential food resources for individual economic gains by some economic saboteurs.”

The Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, has revoked the licenses of 4,173 Bureaux De Change Operators.

According to the apex bank, the affected institutions failed to observe regulatory provisions.

These, according to the bank, include payment of all necessary fees, including licence renewal, within the stipulated period in line with Guidelines, rendition of returns in line with the Guidelines, and compliance with guidelines, directives and circulars of the CBN, particularly Anti-Money Laundering (AML), Countering the Financing of Terrorism (CFT) and Counter-Proliferation Financing (CPF) regulations.

This was made known in a statement by Sidi Ali, Hakama, the Acting Director, Corporate Communications.

CBN said the action is in exercise of the powers conferred on it under the Bank and Other Financial Institutions Act (BOFIA) 2020, Act No. 5, and the Revised Operational Guidelines for Bureaux De Change 2015 (the Guidelines).

President Bola Tinubu will, today, inaugurate the Lagos red line train project.

A statement by the Lagos State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Gbenga Omotoso, said the train is the first phase of the project, which will run from Agbado, in Ogun State, to Oyingbo, in the heart of Lagos.

Omotoso said: “The train, when fully operational, will run 37 trips and convey about 500,000 passengers daily.
“The commissioning will signal the take-off of another major game changer in the state’s transportation infrastructure.

“It brings to two the rail lines owned and operated by the Lagos State Government. The first, The Blue Line, runs from Marina to Mile 2.

“The first phase of the Red Line has eight stations, namely Agbado, Iju, Agege, Ikeja, Oshodi, Mushin, Yaba and Oyingbo.

“The train will reduce drastically travel time on the corridor, abate stress-induced health challenges and increase the productive capacity of the economy. It will also reduce traffic gridlock and road accidents, and ensure the safety of commuters.

“As part of the inter-modal connectivity of our public transportation infrastructure, the Red Line is integrated with Bus Terminals at Ikeja, Oshodi, Oyingbo, Yaba and Iju.

“To guarantee the safety of commuters and Lagosians, the rail corridor has 10 vehicular overpasses and pedestrian bridges to separate the train from vehicular and pedestrian traffic.”

President Bola Tinubu visited Owo on Wednesday to condole with the family of the late Governor of Ondo State, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, SAN, CON.

The President, accompanied by Baba Bisi Akande and Chief Pius Akinyelure, was received by the widow of the late Governor, Chief Betty Anyanwu-Akeredolu.

During the visit, the President, who had a closed-door meeting with Mrs. Akeredolu, also visited where the late Governor was laid to rest.

Ondo State Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, and his deputy, Chief Olayide Adelami, were also at the Akeredolu’s residence.

In his tribute to Akeredolu after the news of his demise in December 2023, the President described him as a fighter and fearless defender of truth and the masses—brother, confidant, and political soulmate.

At the Akeredolu’s residence on Wednesday, the President condoled with the widow of the late Governor, his children, as well as his siblings.

Family members who received the President alongside the former First Lady are Late Akeredolu’s First son, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu Jnr; Dr. Teni Micheal and her husband, Olatunde Micheal; Mrs. Yejide Rusewe, Esq, and her husband, Engr. Lakunle Rusewe; and Babajide Akeredolu.

Also present were Akeredolu’s siblings, Prof. Wole Akeredolu and Toyin Akeredolu. The Chairman of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in the state, Engr. Ade Adetimehin, also joined the family during the meeting.

Speaking after the visit, Mrs. Akeredolu appreciated the President for the condolence visit.

She said, “As you are aware, the President, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, paid his condolence visit to my family. Present at the visit are my children and extended family members.

“On behalf of my family, I appreciate Mr. President. We understood he couldn’t attend the burial ceremony due to the dictate of Yoruba culture. He couldn’t have attended the burial of his younger brother.

“Coming today is a big deal because we are in a better atmosphere. I also express my profound gratitude to the Southern Governors for their immense financial contributions to the burial. Most especially, Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-olu, who singlehandedly brought Aketi’s remains back to Nigeria. We appreciate this huge show of love and we are grateful and forever indebted to him.

“I requested that Mr. President see where Aketi has been laid to rest and he followed me. We are deeply grateful to Mr. President for coming. He’s indeed, Aketi’s brother and friend.

“I told Mr. President, yes, Aketi has left but he lives because he left behind legacies. It is our wish that those legacies continue and are built upon where necessary.”

Tragedy struck in Ile-Ife, Osun State when an Assistant Priest Lekan Ogundipe killed the Presiding Priest of Celestial Church of Christ at Omitoto area, Evangelist Moris Fadehan inside church and burnt his corpse on the altar. The Nation gathered that the incident occurred on Monday evening after the presiding priest resumed for prayer.

Ogundipe was said to ambushed him with bell, knives and nails, stabbing him repeatedly.

It was learnt that unresolved case of physical assault by the Assistant Priest on a prophetess simply identified as Mummy Ewa last Wednesday caused a rift between the duo.

The owner of the church, Pa Olafare in a video obtained on Tuesday explained: “The deceased had reported to me that he was to disengage Lekan (suspect) as his assistant over many unlawful acts.

“Most recent of it include the assault on a prophetess in the church last week Wednesday and I agreed with him, but he added that he will take the decision after consulting with the elders.

“But while I was about to eat on Monday evening, the said Lekan came to the house and told me fire was burning on the deceased body and that he was lifeless on the floor. ” I drove back with him and my wife to the church where we found the deceased body burnt inside the church.

“We discovered blood stained on different parts of his body and cuts. While asking him how he got the stains, he attempted to run. We grabbed him and lock him in my car before calling in the police.

“We unwrapped the deceased body and discovered that there was nail in his ear and several cut on the head and neck before we took the body to the morgue of Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital, Ile-Ife.

“Meanwhile Lekan later confessed to the police that he perpetrated the crime because of dispute with the deceased.”

The Prophetess explained: “the suspect attacked me last week Wednesday when I told him to stop telling members that we were in a relationship, Pastor Fadehan met the unfortunate inident and warned Lekan against assault on the Church.”

Osun Police spokesman Yemisi Opalola confirmed Ogundipe, who is the suspect, had been arrested and the corpse of Pastor Fadehan deposited in the morgue for autopsy.

Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mr Femi Falana, says the implementation of the report of the Stephen Oronsaye Presidential Committee on Restructuring and Rationalization of Federal Government Parastatals, Commissions, and Agencies by President Bola Tinubu will push about 100,000 civil servants out of their jobs

Falana who joined workers under the aegis of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), seized the moment to fault the presidency’s move.

The senior lawyer said “not less than 100,000 workers will lose their jobs”, maintaining that implementing the report was not a solution to the hardship bedeviling Nigerians.

“The Federal Government announced its intention to implement the Oransaye Report. Great Nigerian people, in case you are not aware of the implication of that report; it is a 12-year-old report. The government has decided to pick it up from the dustbin; a report that was signed by the Jonathan administration.

“We are therefore telling the government: if you want to reduce the cost of governance in Nigeria, it is not by implementing the Oransaye report. Let me tell you, Oransaye studied 262 agencies of government, today Nigeria has 1,360 ministries and parastatal. Where are you going to start from?” he asked.

Falana commended the NLC for coming out to protest the high cost of living, describing the development as a major victory in the annals of Nigeria’s history.

To further simplify the processing of building plans and enhance the ease of doing business, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s administration has deployed tools, comprising ICT devices, to the Physical Planning and Automation Department and Lagos State Planning Information Centre (LASPIC), in the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development for automation of all physical planning activities in Lagos State, marking a new era of innovation and efficiency.

Speaking during the presentation of the tools at the Lagos State Secretariat, Alausa on Monday, Governor Sanwo-Olu, who was represented by the Special Adviser to the Governor on e-GIS and Urban Development, Dr. Olajide Babatunde, said the tools will simplify the process of building plan and enhance the ease of doing business in Lagos.

According to the SA, “Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu in his bid to deliver quality service to the people of Lagos State decided that from the comfort of their homes, they should be able to visit LASPIC online and get Certified True Copy of approvals that are missing and apply for a building permit online. In Lagos, we have so many buildings without approvals. Lagos State Planning Information Centre (LASPIC) and the Physical Planning and Automation Department have been able to document all those within Lagos State who have approvals.

“We have up to five million properties in Lagos but we have less than 500,000 properties in the land registry. So, we have less than 10 percent in the land registry. It is only when you have land documentation that you can apply for building approval. That showed that the total number of people who don’t have building approval in Lagos is about 90 percent.

“The Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development has said that we are going to give amnesty. So, with amnesty, then comes documentation. So, if we say we are going to give you amnesty because you don’t have building approvals, then the best thing is to take advantage of the amnesty that has been announced.”

In his address, the Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Dr. Oluyinka Olumide, said the automation system is to make things easier and therefore urged the personnel in charge not to compromise for the system to be a huge success.

He said: “We want to encourage people from the comfort of their homes to interface with the ministry electronically. They don’t necessarily have to be physically here before they get things done. In the comfort of their homes, they can apply and get approval.

“The innovation will be very effective because a lot of resources are committed to the venture and most importantly it is to eliminate compromise because now people will be interfacing with machines for necessary information, which will enable and simplify the process of building plans.”

Also speaking, the Director of the Physical Planning and Automation Department, TPL Musa Okuniyi, said Lagos residents should look forward to a future where technology and planning go hand-in-hand for the betterment of Lagos State.

He said: “As we embark on the transition towards becoming a Smart City, we understand that change is inevitable. I encourage everyone to welcome this change and imbibe the innovations that promise to make Physical Planning activities seamless and efficient.

“These advancements are not just about technology; they are about improving the lives of the people of Lagos State. They are about making our cities more livable, more sustainable, and more resilient. They are about making Lagos a model for other cities to emulate.”