Author: oduduwanews

The Commissioner for Environment in Ogun State, Abiodun Abudu-Balogun, has just being suspended by the State Government from office for allegedly sexually harassing a young girl who is also a minor.

The government has noted that the suspension will last pending the conclusion of a thorough and all-round investigation into the allegations levelled against the Commissioner.

The Commissioner who was alleged of sexually harassing a 16-year-old Barakat Melojuekun has though released a statement denying the allegations levelled against his person.

In a statement issued in Abeokuta on Sunday by the Secretary to the State Government, Mr. Tokunbo Talabi, said the suspension of the Commissioner is to enable him to cooperate fully with the independent investigation being carried out by the Police.

“whilst taking cognizance of the principle of a suspect being presumed innocent until proven guilty and the public statement issued by Hon. Abudu-Balogun denying the allegation, as a government with zero tolerance for gender-based violence and indeed any criminality, the suspension is a further demonstration of the commitment of Prince Dapo Abiodun Administration to fairness, equity, justice and the rule of law, no matter who is involved.
The government assures the public that it will do everything possible to ensure that justice is served in this case.

Meanwhile, the suspended Commissioner has been directed to hand over to the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Environment.”
He said in his statement.

SANWO-OLU EXTENDS STAY-AT-HOME ORDER FOR PUBLIC SERVANTS FROM GL14 DOWNWARDS

The Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu has extended the stay-at- home order for all State Public Servants on Grade Levels 14 and below to Monday, 18th January, 2021 to stem the tide of the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.

A statement signed by the Head of Service, Mr. Hakeem Muri-Okunola noted that the directive excludes staff on essential duty as well as First Responders, urging all public servants to stay safe and ensure continued adherence to all COVID-19 protocols in order to rid the State of the pandemic.

Muri-Okunola also urged all staff to join the virtual Y2021 First Work Day Prayer for all Public Servants in the State via Zoom platform with Meeting ID: 857 4418 2571; Password: 100200 from 7.45a.m on Monday, 4th January, 2021.

While maintaining that the service will hold online due to COVID-19, the HoS wished all staff a prosperous and fulfilling new year.

The administration of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu is set to take another step in actualizing its vision for a Greater Lagos by replacing all streetlights in the State with smart LED lighting. The Streetlight Retrofit Project was unanimously approved by the Lagos State Executive Council in furtherance of the T.H.E.M.E.S Agenda of the administration.

Making Lagos State a 21st Century Economy by leveraging private sector partnerships to accelerate infrastructure interventions is one of the key initiatives promoted in the agenda.

The Lagos State Government (represented by the Honorable Commissioner for Energy & Mineral Resources – Engr. Olalere Odusote) on the 31st of December 2020, executed a Streetlight Infrastructure Agreement with LEDCO Limited for the retrofit of existing conventional High-Pressure Sodium (HPS) streetlight installations across the State to Smart Light Emitting Diode (“Smart LED”) lights (the “Streetlight Retrofit Project”).

One of the features of the LED lighting system is the use of significantly lower energy to produce the same amount of luminosity. In the pilot phase of the project, it was determined that LED lighting resulted in a reduction of up to 60% of the operations and maintenance costs of streetlight infrastructure.

A smart LED streetlight system is one of the enabling technologies for a Smart City; the intelligent nature of this street lighting system enables remote management of streetlight assets ensuring enhanced performance management (fewer breakdown complaints and shorter repair times).

As Lagos State evolves to a Smart City, the utilization of smart and energy efficient streetlights is vital in ensuring improved Government service delivery in areas of security of lives and property of Lagosians and environmental sustainability (reduction in Co2 emissions from reduced energy consumption of energy efficient luminaires) whilst also improving socio-economic activities in the State by enabling a functional 24-hour economy.

This Streetlight Retrofit Project underpins the Lagos State Government’s commitment to ensure full public lighting coverage across the State. The expected cost savings from the proposed retrofit in the medium to long term will be further utilized for the expansion of streetlight network across Lagos towards achieving full lighting coverage for all Class A and B roads as well as designated public spaces.

LEDCo Limited is a Private Limited Liability Company duly incorporated under the Laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, formed by Low Energy Designs, UK, a leading Smart LED lights manufacturing and installation company with over 12 years of experience as a pioneer manufacturer of LED lighting in Europe and extensive LED engineering experience in the delivery of LED lighting across the world.

Full implementation of the Streetlight Retrofit Project is expected to span six (6) months with estimated project completion timeline of June 2021. The project will be implemented under the close supervision and management of the Ministry of Energy & Mineral Resources, through the Lagos State Electricity Board.

Present at the signing event were the Honourable Commissioner, Lagos State Ministry of Energy & Mineral Resources, Mr. Olalere Odusote; Permanent Secretary of the Ministry; Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Justice; General Manager, Lagos State Electricity Board; Chief Executive Officer, LEDCO Limited; Africa Business Development Manager, LEDUK as well as other representatives from the Lagos State Ministry of Energy & Mineral Resources and Lagos State Electricity Board.

A group of concerned citizens within the All Progressives Congress in Oyo state, The Pacesetters Initiative (TPI), has cried out over alleged collapse of security in the State since Governor Seyi Makinde took over the baton of governance from late Senator Abiola Ajimobi in May, 2019.

Unofficial sources have it that Oyo state has, in recent times, emerged the most troubled state in the Southern part of the country in relation to the astronomical rise in the cases of armed banditry, kidnapping, hoodlum attacks, murder, extra judicial killings, gang wars among others as reported on daily basis across the zones of Ibadan, Ibarapa, Oke-Ogun, Ogbomoso and Oyo.

In a statement issued at the weekend and made available to journalists in Ibadan by Hon. Afeez Bolaji Repete and Olawale Sadare, the Group’s Coordinator and acting Director of Organization respectively, TPI blamed the spate of insecurity in Oyo state on “Gov. Makinde’s alleged incompetence, inexperience and grandstanding.
“We have watched with dismay how the current PDP administration has failed in the all-important task of securing the lives and property of the people. Things took a frightening dimension from the first day when Gov. Makinde did not mince words to indicate his desire to set aside all the fantastic programmes of his predecessor, as it included proper handling of security, for no just reasons other than politics.
“In actual fact, insecurity did not creep into Oyo state naturally as it took its roots from Gov. Makinde’s failure to study the system he inherited with a view to improving on it. He neither deemed it necessary to mobilize support from relevant stakeholders nor read a riot act to criminal elements not to heave a sigh of relief as Sen. Ajimobi had left the saddle. The new governor did not only wait until criminal elements were able to regroup and regain confidence to continue their nefarious activities, he overtly and covertly encouraged hoodlums who he treats as friends of his administration.
“As a result of this; residents of Ibadan are now under the palpable fear of hoodlum attacks, armed robbery, extra judicial killings, brigandage and other organized crimes even as people in Oke-Ogun, Ibarapa and Ogbomoso battle banditry and killings in the hands of rampaging herdsmen and insurgents. People of Oyo town can no longer sleep with their two eyes closed due to regular gang or cult clashes. As if this was not enough, disorderliness has taken over the public space such that street trading, suffocating road traffic and public indiscipline are now the order of the day particularly in Ibadan, the state capital.
“However, as much as some uninformed persons might want to blame the Federal Government for the spate of insecurity in Oyo state, we would challenge them to ask Gov. Makinde whether he has ever been denied his own share of the monthly stupendous security votes being paid to each of the Governors in all the 36 states of the Federation. Another pertinent question here is whether President Muhammadu Buhari had ever stopped him from working together with the Police, Army, NSCDC and other security agencies in the state to sustain or improve upon the achievement of his predecessor especially in the area of security.
“To this end, it is imperative for the Governor to mend fences with all security agencies who might have been disappointed by his actions and inactions which encouraged hoodlums to hijack the last ‘EndSARS’ protests in the State as lives of some law enforcement agents, equipment and facilities were avoidably lost. In conclusion, the state government should be advised not to see its Amotekun outfit, populated by PDP members, as an alternative to the regular law enforcement agencies otherwise, the danger ahead would be unimaginable.” TPI stated.