#EndSARS: Cardoso leads 8-man team for Lagos recovery

…As Sanwo-Olu signs Executive Order for Rebuild Lagos Trust Fund

AYO ESAN

DAYS of reflection over the carnage sparked by the hijack of the #EndSARS protests seem to have ended in Lagos with Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu leading the battle to rebuild razed infrastructure.

The Governor on Wednesday signed an Executive Order for the formation of an eight-man Board to coordinate efforts to restore lost assets.

Citibank Nigeria Chairman, Yemi Cardoso, will head the Board of the Lagos Rebuild Trust Fund.

The Board members were unveiled at a Press Conference at the Governor’s Office, Alausa, Ikeja.

Sanwo-Olu said the Government decided to put the criminal destruction behind it and face the huge and necessary task of rebuilding the State. The Government, he said, would be embracing new standards of governance and building stronger partnerships, which would enable the State to bequeath stronger institutions and cohesion among residents.

He spoke of how many friends and admirers of the State had been calling to lend a hand in rebuilding the razed assets.

He said, “In the last few weeks, we have been inundated with local and global offers of assistance to rebuild our State and recover all we lost to arson and violence in October. It is obvious that we can no longer wait to begin the onerous task of reconstructing Lagos. In the next few days, our Government will be sending a bill to the House of Assembly for the establishment of a Trust Fund to Rebuild Lagos.

“Today, I am signing an Executive Order to set up an eight-man Lagos Rebuild Trust Fund Committee, which will begin to oversee our recovery process. To ensure the highest standards of probity, transparency and accountability, FBN Trustees, headed by Mr. Kunle Awojobi, will oversee the Lagos Rebuild Trust Fund Committee. The Committee will comprise five members from the private sector, two members from the public sector and one member from the International Donor Aid Community.

“We will embrace new standards of governance and build stronger partnerships, stronger people, stronger institutions, and stronger Lagos. Our strength lies in our uncanny ability to overcome the most complicated challenges because we have people who genuinely love Lagos State and will assiduously do all they can to preserve its peace and unity.”

Sanwo-Olu said the Trust Fund would be responsible for getting detailed cost of restructuring and rebuilding of destroyed assets.

The Funds, he added, would also advise the State Government on the most critical assets to prioritise and identify emergency response service critically needed.

The rebuilding plan, the Governor said, would be all-inclusive, stressing that the government would welcome support and contributions from well-meaning individuals and corporate organisations who believe in the Lagos Dream.

He said, “I believe this is the starting point of a new socio-economic process. I am hopeful that this initiative will help us to seamlessly make the transition to a rebuilt Lagos with upgraded public structures, facilities and amenities. I know that the ashes that presently dot our landscape will birth modern and globally acceptable infrastructure.

“At the centre of this decisive action to rebuild Lagos is the need to closely work with the people and organisations who call Lagos home; those who believe in the Lagos Dream, and those who share our collective vision of a mega-city that thrives on peace and unity among all ethnic groups. Those who know that the future of Lagos is tied to our ability to keep nurturing our State and those who are ready to commit their resources to the glory of our State, because their future is the future of Lagos.”

Other members of the Trust Fund’s Board are the Managing Partner, Olaniwun Ajayi LP, Konyinsola Ajayi, SAN; Chief Executive Officer of Sterling Bank, Abubakar Suleiman; Co-Founder and CEO, Flutterwave; Gbenga Agboola; Vice Chairman, Standard Chartered Bank, Bola Adesola – all representing the private sector – and a representative of an International Donor Agency.

The Commissioner for Economic Planning and Budget, Sam Egube; and Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Works and Infrastructure, Jimi Hotonou, are members of the Board representing the public sector.

As part of Government’s objectives to fully heal the wounds of the crisis, the Governor also announced six other Committees. They are: Business Continuity Committee; Assessment Committee; Execution, Measurement and Evaluation Committee; Communication and Engagement Committee; Trust Fund Implementation Committee and Security and Enforcement Committee.

With the move, Sanwo-Olu expressed optimism that the State would attain new heights of development for a more resilient system and become more united in achieving its development goals.

 

 

Owolewa becomes first Nigerian-American US congressman

 

FOLASHADE KEHINDE

A native of Kwara State, in Nigeria, Oye Owolewa, has become the first Nigerian-American to be elected to the United States Congress.

The 30-year-old, whose father is from Kwara and his mother from Oyo, will represent the District of Columbia (DC) as a shadow congressman in the US Senate under the Democratic Party.

Owolewa polled a whopping 164,026 votes, representing 82.84 per cent of the total votes cast.

Voters in DC elect two shadow senators, who are not officially sworn or seated by the US Senate.

These non-voting delegates cannot vote at plenary but can vote in committees, speak on the floor of the chamber, and sponsor legislation.

“Looks like WE DID IT!!! I want to thank everyone, from family and close friends to DC residents,” Omolewa said on Instagram.

He added, “Because of your contributions and sacrifices, I stand before you as America’s first Nigerian-American congressman.

“In this role, I’m going to fight for DC statehood and bring our values to the lawmaking process.

“While today is a day for some celebration, the hard work also follows. Again, thanks so much for everything. I wouldn’t be here without you all.”

 

 

DPR bans ‘cylinder to cylinder’ gas refill

VICTORIA ONU, ABUJA

THE Department of Petroleum Resources has warned Liquefied Petroleum Gas retail outlets against cylinder to cylinder gas refilling, saying that it is highly hazardous and a threat to lives and property of the people.

The Operations Controller, Yola DPR Office, Sadeq Ibrahim, speaking at a one-day sensitisation meeting with gas retailers in the state, said that the warning had become necessary to prevent fire disasters as well as protect lives and property of the people.

He said that the department would no longer tolerate the dangerous cylinder to cylinder gas refilling business for the safety of the people and also for those handling the business.

He said, “LPG cylinder to cylinder re-bottling, refilling and decanting is prohibited by Department of Petroleum Resources.

“The transfilling of the resources are not allowed and is against the DPR regulations and requirements because the business is highly hazardous and a threat to lives and property of the people.’’

According to Ibrahim, the department has recorded many fire outbreak accidents across the country as a result of poor handling and unsafe cylinder to cylinder gas refilling process.

He advised the retailers to go and address how to improve their businesses as the department had no intent to push them out of the business.

He said that among the roles of the gas retailers as stated in the DPR regulations was to sell a full gas cylinder, either through cylinder exchange or a new one, stressing on the need for the gas retailers to put safety measures in their shops and also register with the DPR.

“All gas retailers in the state are advised to provide protection safety facilities to their workers and the shop. Also, the retailers’ outlets are advised to register with the DPR to obtain an approved licence,” Ibrahim said.

 

 

How Lagos Task Force killed my nephew, Uncle of slain journalist recounts ordeal

 

 

AN uncle of Pelumi Onifade, a journalist working with GBOAH TV, who was allegedly killed by men of the Lagos State Task Force, said the deceased was discovered dead in the hands of the police after several days of fruitless search.

The family is currently seeking justice over the death of the 20-year-old journalist, asking the Lagos police to fish out his killers and bring them to book.

According to reports, Onifade was arrested by policemen at Abattoir, Oko Oba area of Agege, on October 24, 2020, while on official duty, with the uniform of his workplace, and was allegedly shot dead days later.

Explaining how the deceased was allegedly found dead in the hands of the police, another uncle of the deceased, Onifade Tunde, said, “On 24th of October 2020, there was a crowd in a compound at Oko-Oba, Agege.

“Pelumi and his colleague were sent as media personnel to know what exactly was going on in that area. While in an interview with the residents, task force officers came with cutlasses, throwing bottles and shooting live bullets as they attacked the crowd.

“Out of fear, the crowd, including Onifade Pelumi, ran for their lives. In a short while, his colleague saw that Pelumi had already been injured and was being carried by four task force officers into their van (Black Maria). His colleague tried to defend him, showing his ID card, and making them understand that he was putting on a GBOAH TV jacket. They threatened him with a cutlass and cocked their gun at him.”

He said a thorough search was conducted from police stations to prisons all over Lagos State for four days (Saturday 24th to Tuesday 27th) after which a ‘missing person’ “graphic was shared across all social media platforms to aid the search of Onifade Pelumi which went viral.”

The older Onifade said, “That same evening of Tuesday 27th of October, the Head of Task Force, Lagos State, called, saying he saw the post, and they agreed to meet us on Wednesday 28th of October at the State Headquarters, Ikeja.

“After the meeting with the task force, the officer that led the squad said they arrested five people at the Ministry of Agriculture, Abattoir, Oko-Oba, Agege, but one person died and they had dumped his corpse at Ikorodu mortuary.

“They scheduled a meeting for Thursday to confirm if his name was in the list of those arrested, if not, they said they would go to the mortuary at Ikorodu to confirm. Due to the public holiday on Thursday, the appointment was rescheduled for Friday.

“On Friday morning, we got to Ikorodu and behold it was Pelumi Onifade’s corpse. At age 20, he was the breadwinner of the family that consisted of his father, mother and two younger sisters.

“We are asking that whoever pulled the trigger must be identified and prosecuted accordingly. In the absence of the culprit, the person who led the squad must be held responsible and prosecuted.

“The family should be compensated and we demand a public apology from the Lagos State Government and Lagos State Police Command.”

2019 election: We’re battling 1,700 court cases – INEC Chairman

 

 

LINUS CHIBUIKE

THE Independent National Electoral Commission has over 1,700 cases in various courts across Nigeria, filed against it after the 2019 general elections.

The Chairman of the Commission, Mahmood Yakubu, said INEC’s legal department had about 860 pre-election cases it was attending to, including 807 post-election cases.

Yakubu disclosed this while defending the Commission’s 2021 budget before the Senate Committee on INEC, saying the cases were many and rising because each time any candidate or party went to court, INEC was usually joined in the suit.

“We are almost getting close to 1,700 pre-election and post-election cases in 2019 alone, and every day you hear people going to court and joining INEC,” he noted.

The chairman said, owing to this, INEC had to hire lawyers to defend it, and that this made the Commission to spend between N3 million and N4.5 million on each pending case.

“We are not paying fantastic fee; we apply the Federal Ministry of Justice scale of fees. For instance, if you have a case for governorship election before the Supreme Court, it is a maximum of N4.5 million, while others could be as low as N3 million,” he said.

He, however, said the Commission would continue to do its best in line with available resources.

 

Kidnap: Doctors begin indefinite strike in Cross River

 

 

THE Nigerian Medical Association, Cross River State chapter, on Wednesday, embarked on an indefinite strike over the kidnapping of its member, Dr Godwin Udo, of the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital.

The state Chairman of NMA, Dr Innocent Abang, disclosed this in a telephone interview with the News Agency of Nigeria on Wednesday in Calabar.

Abang told NAN that Udo was kidnapped in his residence at Bateba Street on November 1.

He said the association had decided that anytime a medical doctor or his/her dependent was kidnapped, they would embark on an indefinite strike until the release of the victim.

“It is true that Udo has been kidnapped, in fact, we got to know about it on Tuesday, November 2 and we are taking it up from there.

“His car was left at the point where he was taken away at Bateba Street in Calabar,” Abang said.

The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, DSP Irene Ugbo, also confirmed the kidnap.

“The police are aware that Udo has been kidnapped; The Police Anti-kidnapping and Cultism unit is doing its best to rescue him.

“As of today, we were briefed that they have called for ransom but we will track the kidnappers,” she said.

– NAN

 

Ekiti govt names, shames 51-yr-old rapist

 

ADELEKE ADESANYA

A 51-year-old man, Ajayi Peter, who was found guilty of a rape offence, has been named in ‘shame publication’ by the Ekiti State Judiciary.

The name and shame publication is in line with the state’s zero tolerance for sexual violence, according to the state Judiciary.

Peter who is said to be a native of Itapa Ekiti in the Oye Council Area and a resident of Ijero Ekiti in the Ijero Local Government Area of the state, was sentenced to life imprisonment by the High Court of Ado Ekiti for raping a 12-year-old girl.

Ekiti State Attorney General, Olawale Fapohunda, in a statement, said the name and shame publication was in furtherance of the state government’s zero-tolerance for sexual violence in the state.

Fapohunda also said that pictures of convicted sex offenders would now be pasted in their last known addresses, as well as the most prominent place in the offender’s community.

“Under the initiative, names and photographs of convicted rapists are pasted on billboards in prominent public spaces in their communities and their council headquarters and as well uploaded on the website of the ministry of justice and other state government platforms, in addition to being recorded in the sex offenders’ register,” he said.

“The offender will also be disqualified from benefitting from the governor’s power of prerogative of mercy,” he noted.