The National Youth Council of Nigeria, Ikorodu West Local Branch in a statement personally signed by the Coordinator; Comr Asoro Abubakri Olatunji CSIWY has reeled out it score card for 2020.

The council appreciates Sen Tokunbo Abiru, Hon Babajimi Benson MHR, Hon S.O.B Agunbiade and Hon Ademehin Olajumoke Jimbo for their supports to the youths.

Read the full text below:

To whom much is given, much is expected. About six months ago, you gave my colleagues and I the mandate to pilot the affairs of the youths of Ikorodu West LCDA, it’s pertinent to intimate you on what we have done with the mandate since assuming office an half a year ago.

The National Youth Council of Nigeria was established by the National Youth Policy as the umbrella body of all youth organizations (political, religious, regional, ethnical etc), thereby establishing a government of the youths by the youths and for the Youths. The 4th administration of NYCN Ikorodu West Local branch was inaugurated on June 11th, 2020 and here is how far we have come:

1. Paid a courtesy visit to major stakeholders (Still on going)
2. Organised Walk Against Rape, Drug Abuse and Cultism on August 11th, 2020
3. Organised Youth Summit in commemoration of International Youth Day on Aug 12th, 2020
4. Hosted our maiden management meeting with over 20 youth organisation representatives in attendance
5. Creation & launch of Job portal for unemployed youths and youths with business ideas
6. Organised Sexual Awareness Program in partnership with FARCE to curb Sexual harassment, sexual asault, female genital mutilation etc
7. Facilitated over 15 INEC adhoc staff job
8. Facilitated 2 confirmed NDE job for youths
9. Facilitated #30,000 MSME grant to two youths through Hon Babajimi Benson
10. Provision of over 150 palliatives to youths courtesy Hon Babajimi Benson, Sen Tokunbo Abiru & Council Chairman; Hon Princess Ademehin Olajumoke Jimbo
11. Provision of palliative to widows courtesy Hon Babajimi Benson
12. Trained and provided Nylon machine and start up materials to youth courtesy department of Woman Affairs and Poverty Alliviation headed by Hon Enitan Jessica Oba
13. Embarked on mass awareness campaign to curb the destruction of public properties at the climax of the #endSARS Protest
14. Paid courtesy call on police authorities at the beginning of the #endSARS protest to call for end to police brutality within the LCDA.

Other programs attended include:

16. On October 30, the council participated in the Lagos House of Assembly Stakeholders Consultative meeting hosted by Hon S.O.B Agunbiade where calls for compensation to businesses and victims of the #endSARS protest including creation of enabling environment for new businesses and funding was made.
17. On October 8, the Council participated in the stakeholders meeting on Rehabilitation of Oba Sekumade Road by Gov Babajide Sanwoolu and called for engagement of youths within the LCDA for the reconstruction process.
18. On October 29, the council participated in the 2021 stakeholders consultative Forum meeting called by the LCDA and call for the rehabilitation of Ebute Empowerment Centre and provision of start up fund for youths with business idea.

This and many more we have done in 2020. Our appreciation to all stakeholders in Ikorodu West LCDA starting from Sen Tokunbo Abiru, Hon Babajimi Benson (MHR), Hon S.O.B Agunbiade (ML, LAHA), Hon Ademehin Olajumoke Jimbo; Chairman Ikorodu West, Hon Sesen Dada; Vice Chairman.

We appreciate members of the management team of Ikorodu West LCDA led by Mr Oladipo Otinwa (Council Manager) with special appreciation to Department of Youths and Social Development under the able leadership of &Mr Abubakar Ibrahim (H.O.D)_ his rightivist; Mrs Adewunmi Omolola (Hamirah) and many others too numerous to mention.

My fellow Executives have been wonderful, on their behalf we wish you all a PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR while looking forward to your continuous prayer, contribution and support towards fulfilling our mandate going forward to 2021.

Once again, may you and yours be blessed in 2021.

#2021ScoreCard
#YouthfulAndUseful
#betterTogether

…Says ‘2020 Was A Peculiar Year For Lagos’

Lagos State’s N1.163 trillion 2021 appropriation bill ratified, last Monday, by the House of Assembly has now become a law.

Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu signed the financial document into law on Thursday at a simple ceremony held at the State House in Marina, ushering Lagos residents into the New Year with reassuring hopes and heightened expectations.

The Governor assented to the bill, christened ”Budget of Rekindled Hope”, at the event attended by cabinet members, Assembly members and chairman of the House Committee on Finance, Hon. Rotimi Olowo, who also represented the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa.

After signing the bill, Sanwo-Olu remarked that the speedy consideration and passage of the budget reflected the dedication to the progress and prosperity of the State by both the executive and legislature.

Describing the past year as a peculiar era in the annals of the State, the Governor said the economic paralysis caused by the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and destruction wreaked in the wake of the hijacked EndSARS protests drew Lagos’ development back in no small measures.

With the signing of the budget, Sanwo-Olu said the State walked into 2021 with strong will and high determination to rebuild lost assets of the State, advance its economic growth, and expand opportunities for residents to flourish despite the economic challenges caused by the disastrous events.

He said: “With the passage of the 2021 Appropriation Bill, and the signing of the document into law today, our will to rebuild Lagos, advance the State’s economic growth, and expand opportunities for Lagosians to flourish despite the economic challenges caused by the coronavirus, has now been reinforced.

“As we already know, 2020 will go down in history as a peculiar year largely defined by the COVID-19 pandemic and the ENDSARS protests, which were recklessly hijacked by those who destroyed some of our public assets and private businesses. We are fortunate to be going into the New Year with an already passed budget, which will help to expedite our recovery process.”

Significant parts of the State’s 2021 spending, Sanwo-Olu said, are committed to human capital development, youth engagement, social intervention initiatives, while chunk of the spendings is reserved for the completion of ongoing projects critical to achieving the objectives of his administration’s T.H.E.M.E.S agenda.

The Governor reassured residents that the budget would rekindle their hopes and deliver substantial economic growth. He said tough choices would be made where necessary and leverage opportunities required to engender sustainable and inclusive growth.

Sanwo-Olu promised that the budget would be prudently implemented, with the focus on provision of the right economic environment for people to thrive.

He said: “With the enormous challenges of the outgoing year, we are conscious of the fact that in order to efficiently and successfully implement the 2021 Budget, we must be selfless and dedicated. We are up to the task; with our collective resilience, we will achieve our key goals in all sectors, and nothing will stop us from justifying the trust of the people in this Government.

“I assure you that the 2021 budget will be prudently implemented with the people as our focus, as we are determined to provide the right economic environment for Lagosians to thrive. As the world combats COVID-19, we will make the necessary sacrifices to further place our State on the path of abundance and economic recovery. We are going into 2021 with the unwavering determination to engender sustainable and inclusive growth.”

The Governor urged stakeholders, especially the private sector, artisans as well as small and medium-sized business owners not to relent in supporting the government by voluntarily discharging their civic responsibilities.

Commissioner for Economic Planning and Budget, Mr. Sam Egube, hailed the process of ratification of the appropriation bill, describing the procedure as “strenuous but thorough”.

He promised that the implementation of the budget would driven to greater performance, while also assuring the public of intimating them with the full details and breakdown of the budget in due course.

About N703 billion, representing 60 per cent of 2021 budget, is earmarked for capital expenditure, while N460.5 billion will go for recurrent expenditure.

Lagos State Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources, on Thursday, disclaimed a trending social media post by a Lagos lawyer, M.O. Ubani, accusing an unknown Task Force of the Ministry of the Environment, acting on directives of the Commissioner, Mr. Tunji Bello, of being responsible for forcibly taking over a disputed private parcel of land.

A statement issued today by the State Commissioner for The Environment and Water Resources described the online information as inaccurate and false, saying the Ministry never sent out its personnel to intervene in any land matter nor is aware of any Task Force involved in such issue.

Bello expressed displeasure and disappointment at being linked with a matter that falls outside his ministerial purview, stressing that the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources has no Task Force on land matters or vehicular issues.

In his words, “The Ministry did not send any Environmental Task Force to intervene in any land matter. The use of the name of the Honourable Commissioner, Tunji Bello, in a matter which he is not involved is totally self-serving, dishonourable and unacceptable”.

The Commissioner added that without conducting any form of investigation, the said M. O Ubani assumed that the so called ‘Task Force on Environment’ must be acting at the behest of his Office or the Ministry he oversees.

He advised the aggrieved lawyer Ubani to channel his complaints to appropriate agencies of the State handling land matters rather than calling him out on the social media unjustly.

Speculation about who the Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babajide Olusola Sanwo-olu would appoint as the next substantive vice-chancellor of the prestigious state-owned university, Lagos State University, Ojo to continue upholding the good tenets that the university had recorded in the current administration of Professor Lanre Adigun Fagbohun has began in earnest.

Professor Lanre Adigun Fagbohun who is the 8th substantive Vice-chancellor of Lagos State University was appointed on January 11, 2016 and his five-year single term tenure will lapse on January 11, 2021 and whosoever will succeed him would be someone of high vision that understands the students, members of staff, university in general and government policies.

Filling the vacant position of the number one seat in the university is not a matter of if, but who and how?, therefore what are the qualities Mr. Governor should consider as he makes his decision? The governor considerations should include competency, vibrancy, hardworking international scholar to sustain the university’s glory, capacity and capability to intensify the momentum LASU has gathered in the last half of a decade, among others.

The current moment, after the screening and shortlisting of the applications of all the candidates to the best top three by the University Joint Council and Senate Selection Committee, which was statutory chaired by the Chairman of the Governing Council, Professor Adebayo Ninalowo in which only one of them will finally be appointed to become the 9th substantive vice-chancellor of the university.

The three shortlisted candidates.

Professor Akinyemi Kabir is the only true product of LASU who is capable as the first LASU Almunus that started his academic career from undergraduate degree up to his current position as a professor. Another point that makes Professor Akinyemi Kabir fit as the next substantive Vice-chancellor of the university is his global research efforts and contributions. Professor Akinyemi Kabir has google scholar Citations of 1,921 and h-index of 18, while others including, Professor Sena Bakre has google scholar Citations of 391 and h-index 8 while Professor Olumuyiwa Odusanya has google scholar Citations of 1,811 and h-index of 21.

Professor Akinyemi Kabir is an erudite scholar with PhD in medical microbiology, as a former ASUU-LASU Chairman, Professor Akinyemi is well-liked by both academic staffs and non-academic staffs of the university and as a former Dean of student’s Affairs, he is well known as a good listener who worked to ensured all dots are connected. He is a fellow of many international organizations. He won the Bill and Melinda Gate Award and many other academic scholarships for the institution. Recently, he won different grants worth of millions of naira for acquiring equipment for LASU among other laudable achievements. It is a no doubt that all these criteria were used as prerequisite to score all the applicants up to the present stage of the selection process. This however gave Professor Akinyemi Kabir a better edge over others and further made him to be more qualified of becoming the substantive Vice-chancellor of the university.

Professor Akinyemi Kabir is the most experienced and eligible among the candidates being a renowned scholar in the field of medical microbiology as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Public Health (FRSPH), United Kingdom and a Fellow of the highly rated and competitive Alexander von Humboldt (FAvH). He is the current Director of Linkages, Partnerships and Collaborations of the university. He was a former member of the Lagos State University Governing Council. He is currently the chairman Lagos State Indigeneship Verification Committee (IVC), LASU. He is a true Indigene of Ikorodu Division of Lagos State.

Then there’s Professor Senapon Bakare (B.Sc. Hons), M.Sc, Ph.D, FBME) who is a Professor of Microbiology with specialisation on food and Industrial Microbiology. She was a former Deputy Vice Chancellor, former Director Centre for General Nigeria Studies (GNS); former Director Centre for Environment and Science Education (CESE); former Sub-dean faculty of Science and 1st Executive director, Lagos State University External System. She is the pioneer/current Director of Lagos State University Open and Distance Learning and Research Institute. She is an indigene of Badagry.

Professor Sena Bakre has attended many Management courses both local and international. However, she has neither graduated nor have any Ph.D student under her supervision, just like Professor Olumuyiwa Odusanya who has never and cannot supervise any Ph.D student, unlike Professor Akinyemi who has Co-supervised PhD students and he is currently has four other Ph.D students including a Doctoral student who was recently taken to Germany along with him courtesy of the German Government FAvH grant.

The third, Professor Olumuyiwa Odusanya is a professor of public and community health and the current Director of research, LASU. He is another favorite for the job and insiders say he also stands a good chance of getting the nod of the Governor. Professor Olumuyiwa Odusanya does not have a Ph.D making him unqualified for the job. However, he possesses a Fellowship certificate of the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria. He has worked seriously at ensuring successes recorded in the last two research fairs organized in 2019 and 2020 by the current administration of the outgoing VC.

For the first time in history, the three shortlisted candidates are renowned professors and scientists in their fields and are also favorites for the job having passed through the screening supervised by the Joint Council and Senate Selection Committee.

•Lagos Earmarks N500 Million In 2021 To Address PWDs’ Challenges

•Governor To Appoint SSA On Disability Affair

Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, and his wife, Dr. Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, on Wednesday, had a special moment with residents with special needs – People living With Disabilities (PWDs).

It was at an interactive session jointly organised by the Ministry of Youth and Social Development, Ministry of Information and Strategy and Office of Disabilities. The event, held at the State House in Marina, offered the PWDs a golden opportunity to personally intimate the Governor with various challenges facing their clusters.

Rendition of songs of praise by the choir of Pacelli School for the Blind and Partially Sighted Children relaxed atmosphere for a productive discussion, which the clusters of PWDs had with the Governor.

Representatives of each cluster spoke their minds on challenges limiting their members to cope with day-to-day activities, top among which are employment and inclusive education. The PWDs offered suggestions on how the Government could make life better for them.

An Assistant Director of Programmes at the Lagos State-owned Traffic Radio, Victor Oteri, who represented cluster of visually impaired persons, hailed Sanwo-Olu for creating time for the PWDs amid challenges facing the State, noting that the Governor had devoted time and resources to the weakest people in the society.

Oteri called for an increment in the employment ratio dedicated to PWDs in public and corporate organisations in the State from two to five per cent, while urging the State Government to equip Lagos State Office for Disability Affairs (LASODA) to fully enforce the Special People Law of 2011, which mandated all public and private business establishments in Lagos to absorb physically challenged persons.

This, Oteri said, would help to reduce poverty burden on people living with disabilities and create economic opportunities that’ll help them cater for their immediate needs and families.

Hon. Israel Akiode, who represented dwarf cluster and also representing the PWDs in Lagos chapter of All Progressives Congress (APC), made a case for an appointment of a Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on PWDs, which would serve as a link between the clusters and the Governor.

Akiode also clamoured for the increase in employment slots reserved for the physically challenged in public service five per cent.

Chairman of Association for the Blind, Mr. Babatunde Mohammed, praised Lagos Government for creating education access for the cluster, but said the current integrated education model had segregated the visually impaired persons.

Mohammed urged the Governor to allow enrollment of the blind for inclusive education to stop the segregation.

Women leader, Lagos State Association of the Deaf, Yemisi Alabi, drew the Governor’s attention to the discrimination against PWDs in healthcare sector, noting that LASODA certificates issued by the Government were not being honoured in the General Hospitals.

The situation, she said, is limiting access to healthcare for residents living with disabilities.

Also, Oyedele Wakil, who represented PWDs in Alimosho, said Local Government Areas had not respected the Special People Law of Lagos of 2011, urging the Governor to prevail on the council chairmen in the State on the issue.

Olajumoke Otitoloju of Iyaniwura Foundation for Children Living with Disabilities drew attention to the dearth of teachers and caregivers for children living with mental disabilities.

She also clamoured for Government intervention at centres for children with intellectual disabilities. This, she said, would help detect the disabilities early in children.

Responding to the issues raised, Sanwo-Olu instantly approved some of the demands of the PWDs and promised to implement others in the course of time. He reiterated his administration’s readiness to empower the PWDs and give them a sense of belonging in ’Greater Lagos’ project.

The Governor said the demands of the PWDs came at a better time when the State Government was about to access the N500 million Disability Fund appropriated in the 2021 Budget passed on Monday by the House of Assembly.

He said the Government would be meeting with each cluster of PWDs on how to maximise the funds for the benefit of their members.

He said: “This Christmas period presents a better time for us to host this special interactive session and felicitate with you. I deliberately asked for the event to be done at the State House, Marina, so that I can share good moments with you in the spirit of the season. We called for this engagement to hear from you all challenges you face.

“After listening to your representatives, we now have better understanding of which intervention we need to make and where we need to improve our relationship with you. We have taken all the points raised. The N500 million Disability Fund in the 2021 Budget will be accessed next year and we will agree with all clusters on better to utilise the funds.”

The Governor said the Government would be working to ensure free quality healthcare services for the physically challenged persons in primary and secondary health institutions in the State, while also giving directive for free Coronavirus (COVID-19) test for PWDs in registered clusters.

Granting the request of the PWDs, Sanwo-Olu approved the creation of the Office of Senior Special Assistant on PWD Affairs, which will be the link between his administration and people living with disabilities.

In January, the Governor said an appointment would be made into the office, which will be domiciled at the Ministry of Youth and Social Development.

In the spirit of Yuletide, Sanwo-Olu and the First Lady donated 50 wheel chairs, 170 walking sticks, 75 white canes and 69 crutches to the clusters to assist the PWDs in mobility. About 364 persons living with disabilities benefited from the gesture.

Groups at the event included Association for the Deaf, Association for the Blind, Association for the Dwarf, Albinism Association of Nigeria, Spinal Cord Injury Association of Nigeria (SCIAN), National Association of Physically Challenged, Intellectual Cluster Groups, comprising Down syndrome, autism and cerebral palsy.

Few weeks after he was declared winner of the Lagos by-election to fill the Kosofe Constituency 2, Hon. Saheed Wasiu Obafemi has become a member of the state House of Assembly.

Hon. Saheed was admitted into the hallowed chamber where he was administered an oath of office by the legal department and in the presence of members of the House, staff and few visitors during plenary.

Recall that Saheed was elected under the All Progressives Congress (APC) during a by-election held on Saturday 5th December, 2020.

The election followed the death of Hon. Tunde Braimoh, the lawmaker who represented the constituency, in July, 2020.

The Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa, congratulated the newly sworn-in lawmaker and urged him to collaborate and cooperate with other members of the House in the journey to sustain the greatness of Lagos.
He also urged him to ensure effective representation of his constituents.

The swearing-in ceremony was witnessed by Senator Tokunbo Abiru who recently became a member of the red chamber of the National Assembly.

The National Youth Council of Nigeria, Ikorodu Division Chapter which serve as the umbrella body for all the Voluntary Youth Organizations (VYOs) and Community Based Organizations (CBOs) in the division calls on the Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Olusola Sanwo-olu to consider the nomination of a true Lagosian in his appointment of the next substantive vice-chancellor of Lagos State University, Ojo.

The agitation for the next substantive Vice-chancellor of the prestigious state-owned institution which began following the expiration of the tenure of the current vice-chancellor of the university, Lanre Adigun Fagbohun, a Professor of Law and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, who assumed office as the 8th substantive vice-chancellor of the university on January 11, 2011 will complete his five-year single term of office on January 11, 2021.

The search for who to become the 9th substantive vice-chancellor of the great citadel of learning and take over the baton of leadership from Professor Fagbohun who will further raised the bar of the current status of the university as the second best state owned university in Nigeria while also ranking as the second best in the country to be the over all best university in Nigeria and Africa at large.

Following the screening and shortlisting of the application of all the applicants from Nine professors before the University Joint Council and Senate Selection Committee, which is statutory chaired by the Chairman of the Governing Council, Professor Adebayo Ninalowo to best top three from which only one person will eventually be appointed by the Governor, Mr. Babajide Olusola Sanwo-olu.

It was gathered that the race for the seat of vice-chancellor for the first time in history presented three shortlisted candidates who are renowned professors and medical scientists. To measure their global research efforts and contributions, Professor Akinyemi Kabir has a google scholar Citations of 1,920 and h-index of 18, Professor Ibiyemi Olatunji Bello has a google scholar Citations of 298 and h-index 11 while Professor Olumuyiwa Odusanya has a google scholar Citations of 1,811 and h-index of 21.

From careful assessments, it is glaring that Professor Akinyemi Kabir is the material person suitable to wear the cap which will be honourably handed over by Professor Lanre Adigun Fagbohun in the next couple of weeks. In assessing the profile of Professor Akinyemi Kabir, he is a true Indigene of Ikorodu Division of Lagos State without any controversy.

Professor Akinyemi Kabir is as an erudite scholar with a PhD, he has vast experience being the former Dean of Students Affairs and former ASUU-LASU Chairman in Lagos state university, he is a fellow of many international organizations, he won the Bill and Melinda Gate Award and many other academic scholarship for the institution. Recently, he won a grants of millions equipment to LASU among other laudable achievements. It is a no doubt that all these criteria were used as prerequisite to score all the applicants up to the present stage of the selection process. This however gave Professor Akinyemi Kabir a high advantage over others and further made him to boost up with more points and to be more qualified of becoming the substantive Vice-chancellor of the university.

Professor Akinyemi is a renowned scholar in the field of medical microbiology, he is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Public Health (FRSPH), United Kingdom and Fellow of the highly rated Alexander von Humboldt (FAvH). He is the current Director of Linkages, Partnerships and Collaboration, LASU, he is the first Alumnus of the university who started his academic career from undergraduate level till the level he attained his professorship. No doubt, Professor Akinyemi is a true product of the institution and a prominent member of the Alumni Association. He has served at the top management level of the university as a former member of the Governing Council of LASU.

Professor Akinyemi is currently the chairman Lagos State Indigene Verification Committee (IVC), LASU. Other two candidates who have also been tipped for the position includes Professor Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello who joined the services of LASU in 2007 as a Professor of Physiology in the citadel’s College of Medicine. She rose to become Deputy Vice Chancellor and was later appointed the VC in acting capacity by the then Visitor, Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola. A graduate of the University of Ibadan, Olatunji-Bello thereafter lost the bid to become the substantive VC following the appointment of Professor Dapo Obafunwa.

Professor Ibiyemi Olatunji Bello is a fellow of the Nigeria society of physiology, current Director of Lagos State University Directorate of Advancement (LASUDA). She is the wife of the current Commissioner of Environment and water resource, Lagos state, Tunji Bello. The third, Professor Olumuyiwa Odusanya is a professor of public and community health and the current Director of research LASU.

Professor Olumuyiwa Odusanya is another favorite for the job and insiders say he also stands a good chance of getting the nod of the Governor. Professor Olumuyiwa Odusanya possesses a Fellowship certificate of the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria. He has worked seriously at ensuring successes recorded in the last two research fairs organized in 2019 and 2020 by the current administration of the outgoing VC, professor Lanre Adigun Fagbohun, PhD, SAN, NPOM.

While these three are renowned professors in their fields and are also favorites for the job having passed through the screening supervised by the Joint Council and Senate Selection Committee, the National Youth Council of Nigeria in Ikorodu Division (Ikorodu West, Ikorodu Central, Imota, Ikorodu North, Igbogbo/Bayeku, and Ijede LCDA) as a group of development crusader and supporter of progressive change in our enviable institutions in Lagos State, Lagos State University, Ojo in particular strongly seek the indulgence to appeal to the Governor of Lagos State to approve the appointment of the true Lagosian amongst the trio in getting the job.

There is no gain saying that LASU needs a vibrant, hardworking international scholar to sustain it’s glory, capability and capacity to intensify the momentum LASU has gathered in the last half of a decade.

A white police officer who shot dead a Black man in Columbus, Ohio, last week was fired on Monday, city officials said.

The death of Andre Maurice Hill triggered outrage in a country that has been racked by protests against police brutality and systemic racism since the spring.

The 47-year-old African-American was in the garage of a house when he was shot several times by a police officer who had been called to the scene for a minor incident.

The officer, Adam Coy, was initially suspended after the shooting.

“The evidence provided solid rationale for termination,” said Columbus police chief Thomas Quinlan. “Mr Coy will now have to answer to the state investigators for the death of Andre Hill.”

Hill, who was not armed at the time of the shooting, was the second African-American killed by police in less than three weeks in Columbus.

“Andre Hill’s death is another tragic example of the tendency of police to view Black people as criminal or dangerous, and it points to the need for comprehensive, national police reform,” said Ben Crump, a lawyer who has represented the families of several of the victims of police killings, including that of George Floyd, whose death in May triggered the biggest wave of racial protests in decades.

•Operators In War Of Words Over Port Congestion

•Governor To Meet Amaechi, IGP Over Officials’ Misconduct At Seaports

An unplanned fact-finding visit to Apapa, on Monday, by Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to ascertain the causes of incessant gridlock on roads leading to the seaports has revealed several factors, which are responsible for the congestion.

It was the fourth time Governor Sanwo-Olu and members of the State cabinet would be visiting Apapa over traffic congestion, which has impacted negatively on businesses and lives in the environ.

As the Governor physically assessed the complexity of the situation that allowed heavy-duty trucks to clog up the access roads, a blame game ensued between stakeholders operating within and around the Apapa seaports.

While the Committee of Freight Forwarders and Maritime Truckers (COFFAMAT) blamed the Nigerian Port Authority (NPA) officials, Presidential Taskforce on Port Decongestion and the police for the corruption that allowed truck drivers to park indiscriminately on the road, the Council of Maritime Transport Union and Association (COMTUA) absolved the police and the Taskforce, accusing COFFAMAT, truck drivers and other stakeholders of not playing by the rules.

A customs licensed clearing and forwarding agent, Mr. Boniface Okoye, heaped the blame on the customs for giving undue access to the shippers’ council to leave empty containers to the port areas, while pointing accusing finger to the police for looking away after allegedly collecting kickbacks.

Following the accusation and counter-accusation, Sanwo-Olu intimated the stakeholders of the State Government’s move to checkmate activities of all operators that had led to the problems being experienced in the area.

The Governor wondered why container-laden trucks not yet called upon for loading in the ports were indiscriminately parked on newly rehabilitated Tincan Road, instead of moving into the approved terminal provided by the Government.

Sanwo-Olu disclosed that part of the steps being taken by the State Government to restore sanity back to the area was to take over the enforcement of the Presidential Taskforce on Port Decongestion and create a new operational template for the task force, which will be enforced by a combined team of officers of Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) and the police.

He said: “This is about the fourth time which my Government has been trying to address Apapa gridlock and bring sanity back to the area. On each occasion we had come here, we knew that there were road constructions. This time around, there has been a lot of improvement and we have seen that a lot of the roads within Apapa have been completed. But, there has been no respite for commuters in terms of free traffic flow.

“Our plan is to bring about cohesive system where all stakeholders would understand their roles and resolve challenges being encountered. Since last year, the Presidential Taskforce has been working on this issue. Now, there is a process that is starting in which the State Government is taking over the task force. This is one of the reasons for this trip to Apapa today; to ascertain what needs to be done. We will have a team of policemen and LASTMA dedicated to Apapa Ports for enforcement of task force’s mandates.”

The Governor said the visit to the ports would be followed up with stakeholders’ engagement with NPA, shipping companies’ owners and freight forwarders, stressing that a situation where truck drivers needed to wait for about 10 hours for handing over of operation from one NPA team to another was not acceptable.

Sanwo-Olu said the sharp practices and inadequacies observed in the handling of the container operations at the ports would be escalated to the Minister of Transport, adding that the misconducts of the policemen stationed closed to the ports would be reported to the Inspector General of Police (IGP).

The Governor said it was time the arm of the law caught up with those who had created the situation that led to the chaotic movements of container-laden trucks in and out of the ports.

He said: “Lagos State Government is not the owner of the ports whose operations is causing pain to residents, but we owe a duty to our citizens whose lives and businesses have been badly impacted because of the gridlocks created in this part of the State. I believe this trip would give us another opportunity where all of us, as stakeholders, will be able to identify impediments and resolve the issues once and for all.”

Sanwo-Olu also part of the issues to be resolved with the Federal Government over Apapa congestion was the uniformity in the operational licence being issued to barge owners. This, he said, is to stop creation of illegal terminals for barge operators and make adequate plan for licencees operating in traffic-prone areas.

He said: “We have arrested people we felt were operating illegal barge terminals before, but we were surprised some of these people had licences issued by the Federal Government. This is part of the issues we want to resolve. We are working collaboratively with the Federal Government on this. If someone gets an approval for barge operation, let Lagos Government be aware, so that roads are probably planned to those terminals.”