It is a general saying that “Until you realize how easy it is for your mind to be manipulated, you remain the puppet of someone else’s game”, and nothing can be truer than that quote in the light of Nigeria’s situation at the moment. The 2023 general election was meant to usher in a new era of renewed hope in a nation that is reputed to be the giant of Africa, but has successfully awaken an evil gnome of manipulation and bigotry in our youths like never before despite our alleged collective exposure. On March 11, Lagosians will be polling to either re-elect the sitting governor or replace him with another aspirant from one of the other political parties gunning for the Alausa seat at the centre of excellence. Lagos is a state with the highest number of voters in the South Western Nigeria. It boasts of vibrant and comparatively more educated electorates, representing a wide array of the nation’s ethnic groups. Statistics from the recently concluded presidential election shows that approximately 1/4 of the total number of registered voters were accredited to vote on February 25, 2023. There was an upset in the usual results trend, where the ruling party, the All Progressive Congress, APC, was overtaken with a slight majority votes by the Labour Party that polled a total of 582,454 votes against APC’s 572,606. The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, the historic second -fiddle horse in Lagos elections was edged to a record low of 75,750 votes. I may not be interested in the analysis of what went down in the election as there is an urgent task at hand; the requisite re-election of the incumbent governor of Lagos State, Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu. For those whose sense of judgement have not been coloured by mischief makers, it is an easy affirmation that Lagos State is working by every standard. Looking around you, there is always a testament to that fact. A litmus test of the fact that Lagos State is working is the reality of a working integrated public services system: Lagos remains the ONLY state in Nigeria (roll in the FG) with a working toll-free emergency line, with chronicles of how it has saved the day in incidences of fire, security, disaster and many more across the state. Babajide Sanwo-Olu is a new convex curve in Lagos’ trajectory to regional dominance and global relevance. From the very first day, BOS has shown what he is made of as a member of a set of first-class governors that Lagos has been blessed with since 1999. He swiftly moved in to salvage the lot of Lagosians with respect to the perilous time his administration advent into. From leading the entire nation to successfully manage the COVID-19 pandemic, to rolling out his brilliant T.H.E.E.M.E.S. agenda, Sanwoolu came ready for the job from day one! Aside from working out the long-standing vision of previous administrations, anchored on the objective of making Lagos a mega city of the 21st century-kind, five months ago, Sanwo-olu’s government launched a 30 year development plan for Nigeria’s commercial capital, which is to be implemented between 2022 and 2052. It is imperative to note that the plan is necessary to achieve the goals of becoming Africa’s model mega city, while also positioning Lagos as a global, economic and financial hub that is safe, secure, functional and productive. Sanwo-Olu’s personality is cut from character traits uncommon with most Nigerian politicians, and ever since his assumption of office as the governor, he has rolled up his sleeves and got down into the trenches by ensuring that the state continues to move forward positively. I’m a serial entrepreneur, and having traveled across the nation and outside its shores, I can declare without equivocation that Lagos State, under the APC, provides the best business environment for my business concerns to flourish. You can then understand my situation when I, Adesola Fajobi, say that I refuse to be used to derail such brighter prospects for my business and that of many other hardworking Lagosians like me. Returning Sanwo-Olu as governor should be the most important task of every single Lagosian in this coking election. I refuse to be brainwashed to go against all the years of great works put into developing Lagos to make it the 5th largest economy in Africa. The Ehingbeti Lagos Economic Summit has provided a platform for the articulation of Lagos economic and developmental agenda and progress, which Sanwo-Olu continually showcases with incontrovertible developmental strides. He has commenced the construction of a new airport on the Lekki axis of the state after his government obtained approval from the federal government for the construction of the new airport in Lagos, and also completed the Lagos Blue Line rail project designed to move millions of Lagosians across the state. Other laudable projects include the completion of the Pen Cinema flyover in Agege, the Opebi-Ojota link bridge, which is nearing completion, the largest rice mill in Africa, the Lekki Deep Sea port, upgrading of four higher institutions to universities and so many more. Why change a winning and working formula? Why allow a newbie to turn a functioning society into a leadership testing ground? Sanwo-Olu is sellable, tested and trusted. Why would I allow myself to be used as an agent of destruction to give greedy politicians tickets to return Lagos to ground zero? Mr. Governor always provides robust responses, demonstrating a deep understanding of the economy, governance, the people’s expectations and desires. This is something I wouldn’t want to stop benefiting from. If his administration would be evaluated only by the COVID-19 pandemic, there is no gainsaying that Sanwo-Olu performed excellently. Instead of throwing up his hands in defeat, Mr. Governor became the incident commander, and immediately went to work as he locked down the state, activated all the state apparatus – media, security, public health, emergency management, etc., thereby saving millions of Nigerians lives. He duly earned the country the fourth position in the list of the countries in the world that handled the pandemic well. This is a verifiable fact. With his years of experience in the private sector, he quickly worked with major players to set up isolation centres, infectious diseases centres, amongst other steps. It goes without saying that if Sanwo-Olu had failed as a leader during this dark period in our life, we may not be here now talking about 2023 election at all. Today under Sanwo-Olu, the Lagos Health Insurance Scheme costs only N40,000 a year for a family to enjoy from primary to tertiary health care. I refuse to be cowered by a mob that sees nothing good in Lagos, and are hell bent on fostering other candidates with no track records of performance. Governance is not a matter for experimentation I’m a father, a businessman, an entrepreneur, a brother and so much more like you; living in Lagos and flourishing under the present APC-led government. Come March 11, 2023, I have chosen to cast my vote for Babajide Sanwo-Olu to continue leading and serving Lagos with great achievements. You should do the same too. Follow person wey know road
Acknowledging that the scourge of brazen extortion by miscreants on Lagos streets was on the increase, the Lagos State House of Assembly has called on the Commissioner of Police, CP Olohunda Moshood Jimoh, and heads of other security agencies to intensify intelligence gathering with the latest security apparatuses, increase surveillance on black spots across the metropolis, and, where necessary, arrest such miscreants, and have the state rehabilitate them.
Hon. Sanni Okanlawon (representing Kosofe Constituency 1) raised the alarm at plenary Tuesday, May 6, under ‘Matter of Urgent Public Importance’ stating; “The unlawful extortion of stranded and innocent motorists by miscreants remains a growing concern that demands urgent attention. Nobody on the streets of Lagos is immune to their activities. If left unchecked, they could render the state unsafe.” He painted different unsavoury scenarios of how the street urchins operate brazenly, which he described as unacceptable, and called for urgent intervention to protect road users.
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Supporting the motion, Hon. Kehinde Joseph (Alimosho Constituency II) noted that this particular trend threatens the safety and sanity of road transportation in the state. Hon. Desmond Elliot (Surulere Constituency 1) corroborated this and emphasised the need for active surveillance by security agencies. He also suggested the involvement of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), noting that many of the offenders act under the influence of illegal substances.
Similarly, Hon. Aro Moshood (Ikorodu Constituency II) urged the Commissioner of Police to set up a tactical team dedicated mainly to road monitoring because “It is high time the government took the bull by the horns.” Commending Hon. Okanlawon for moving the motion, Hon. Adebola Shabi (Lagos Mainland Constituency 2) said local government chairmen have a huge role in combating this menace. Effective strategies, she added, have to be devised while recommending the installation of CCTV cameras at identified black spots.
However, Hon. Obafemi Saheed (Kosofe Constituency 2) disclosed that the government has invested heavily in security through the Lagos State Security Trust Fund, LSSTF, and, therefore, should not sit back and watch miscreants take over the city.
Speaker of the Assembly, Rt. Hon. (Dr.) Mudashiru Obasa commended Hon. Okanlawon and the lawmakers who contributed robustly to the debate. He said that the police and other security agencies, including the Lagos Neighbourhood Safety Corps (LNSC), must collaborate to ensure that Lagos remains safe for residents, commuters, and visitors alike.
The EFCC has apprehended Olawole Sunday, suspected of buying bank account details for online fraud, following a £2 million forex scam
Operatives of Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) have apprehended one Olawole Sunday, a suspected internet fraudster accused of orchestrating a scheme involving the purchase of bank account details from individuals for the purpose of perpetrating financial crimes.
In a statement released on Monday by the EFCC’s head of Media and Publicity, Dele Oyewale, it was revealed that Sunday’s alleged fraudulent operation involved the recruitment of young individuals to open multiple bank accounts.
Oyewale stated that Sunday purportedly paid these individuals sums ranging between N25,000 and N50,000 for each bank account they opened, subsequently collecting their complete banking details, including their Automated Teller Machine (ATM) cards.
The EFCC detailed how the investigation began when Sunday allegedly utilised the account details of one Uyi Eghosa to defraud an unsuspecting victim of N2 million under the false pretence of engaging in lucrative forex trading.
Following the fraudulent transaction, Eghosa was arrested by EFCC operatives. During the course of interrogation, Eghosa claimed complete ignorance of the illicit use of his bank account.
He informed investigators that he had handed over his account details and ATM card to Sunday in exchange for a payment of N25,000.
Oyewale elaborated on the operation leading to Sunday’s arrest, stating, “Operatives of the Benin Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, have arrested one Olawole Sunday, a suspected fraudster who specialised in buying bank accounts’ details from individuals with which he defrauds unsuspecting members of the public.
Sunday’s modus operandi involved encouraging young people to open multiple bank accounts, pay them either N25,000 or N50,000 for each account and collect their bank details, including Automated Teller Machine cards.”
The EFCC spokesperson further explained, “Sunday allegedly employed the account details of one Uyi Eghosa to defraud a petitioner of the sum of N2 million under the guise of trading in forex.
The account owner, Eghosa, was arrested, and his disclosure that he was unaware that his account was used in defrauding members of the public led to Sunday’s arrest.”
Oyewale confirmed that upon his arrest, Sunday confessed to the alleged crime. He added that the suspect would be formally charged in court as soon as the ongoing investigations are concluded.
Epe LG chairman, Hon. Surah Animashaun, celebrates Aare Emmanuel-King at 50
Tributes pour in for Adron Group CEO, Aare Adetola Olaniyi Emmanuel-King, on his 50th birthday, celebrating his dedication to affordable housing and community development.
Tributes pour in for Adron Group CEO, Aare Adetola Olaniyi Emmanuel-King, on his 50th birthday, celebrating his dedication to affordable housing and community development.
Epe Local Government Executive Chairman, Hon. (Princess) Surah O. Animashaun FHTI, has extended warm congratulations to Aare Adetola Olaniyi Emmanuel-King, Chairman and CEO of Adron Group, on his 50th birthday, praising his significant contributions to affordable housing in Nigeria.
The milestone birthday celebrates Emmanuel-King’s remarkable journey as an entrepreneur and philanthropist, whose dedication has positively impacted numerous Nigerian families.
“Your steadfastness in pursuing your vision, despite challenges, is a shining example of your perseverance and passion.”
Animashaun highlighted his “innovative approach” and “steadfastness in pursuing his vision,” despite facing challenges.
Emmanuel-King’s commitment to making affordable housing accessible has earned him widespread recognition, with his work inspiring others to strive for excellence and community development.
Animashaun concluded her tribute by wishing him “continued good health, wisdom, and success,” as he embarks on a new chapter of life.