With Joy, Oshodi-Isolo Chairman, Otunba Kehinde Almoroof Oloyede Congratulate MC Oluomo on New Appointment
Following the news that, the leadership and members of National Union of Road Transport Workers(NURTW) have unanimously appointed Alhaji Musiliu Akinsanya as the Acting chairman of Zone 2 of the union, friends, family, political stalwarts and allies rejoice, commends his doggedness and tenacity.
Speaking after the announcement was the chairman Oshodi-Isolo local government Chairman, Otunba Kehinde Almoroof Oloyede, he described the talisman as an industrious goal getter with foresight.
In his words, he said “MC Oluomo can be described as a round peg in a right hole. He is a team player who understands the terrain like the back of his hand. I want to seize this opportunity to congratulate him and wish him well in his new position.”
He also note that he was so excited with the new development after the crisis the union experienced saying “I am super excited on his new appointment. This is an appointment well deserved. He should go on and make huge impact, I wish him wisdom, brilliant ideas, and all resources that he needed to succeed in the new responsibility.” He concluded
The union however during the conference held in Ikirun, Osogbo, Osun state where the leaders agreed that Musiliu Akinsanya fondly called MC Oluomo should take over the mantle of leadership of the zone in Acting capacity pending the time an election will be conducted pleaded with Governor Ademola Adeleke (Osun), Governor Rotimi Akeredolu (Ondo) and Governor Seyi Makinde (Oyo) to reinstate the activities of NURTW in their states which will afford them the opportunity to nominate candidates for the national president of the union zoned to southwest.
Adebola Akin-Bright: NMA, Private Medical Practitioners, Others Hail Lagos Assembly
– Health commissioner, others affirm ‘infraction’ in surgery done by private hospital
– More revelations unearthed
Stakeholders in the Nigerian health sector on Thursday hailed the Lagos State House of Assembly over its investigation into the case of ‘missing intestines’ involving late Adebola Akin-Bright.
The Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, officials of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), the Association of Nigerian Private Medical Practitioners (ANPNP), Lagos State Chapter and other medical practitioners spoke at a public hearing over the case which led to the death of Master Akin-Bright.
In attendance also were the parents of the late Master Akin-Bright and Dr. Abayomi Baiyewu of Obitoks Hospital where two initial surgeries were carried out on the boy before his referral to the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH).
While commending the House and its ad-hoc committee, chaired by Hon. Noheem Adams, for what they described as diligent investigation, they also agreed that there were infractions from the surgery as earlier reported by the House.
It would be recalled that ANPNP had issued a statement saying the committee carried out its investigation without having a medical doctor in the panel. The body had also accused the lawmakers of engaging in a witch-hunt by reducing the investigations to a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ session for Dr. Baiyewu.
However, a video documenting the investigation carried out by the committee which was watched by participants showed that Dr. Baiyewu was given enough time to defend himself.
In the video, he admitted to taking out three parts from Master Akin-Bright during surgery and agreed that the parts were ‘mistakenly discarded’ instead of taking them for histology.
It was also discovered from the video recording and evidence that Obitoks Hospital used only auxiliary nurses during the surgery.
Dr. Baiyewu also confirmed that the video played was a true reflection of what happened during the investigation.
Speaking after the video was played, Dr. Abayomi, who said the House carried out a thorough investigation, added that the Ministry of Health, through the Health Facilities Monitoring and Accreditation Agency (HEFAMAA) had temporarily suspended the operation of the theatre of Obitoks Hospital, which, he said, lacked standard medical procedures.
He said when Master Akin-Bright was brought to LASUTH, he was very unwell and needed to be stabilised before he would be operated upon.
He said that at the time of the surgery at LASUTH, the doctors found something unusual about the stomach, adding that a major part of the small intestine was discovered to be missing.
“They (LASUTH doctors) found a chaotic environment in the stomach. They found the upper part and the lower part of the digestive tracks open. It is very unusual to operate on a human being and find that he did not have small intestines. It is not logical.
“What we observed is that Dr. Baiyewu had two surgeries on the boy, the second one more detailed. He removed a certain part of Akin-Bright’s small intestine,” he added.
According to Prof. Abayomi, the most likely medical explanation could be that the private hospital “may have inadvertently injured the blood supply to the small intestine and when this happens, the organ would start to die and the body would start to absorb the organ.”
He said the findings by the State Ministry of Health had been forwarded to the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) for further investigation and sanction if needed.
“At LASUTH, we removed what was needed to be removed and sent it for histology. I admit that you carried out a detailed investigation,” he told the committee.
While commending the House, the NMA described the investigation as fantastic but urged that the MDCN be allowed investigate the case.
Dr. Kayode Akinlade, a former NMA chairman in Lagos, thanked the House for diligently probing the case adding that the private practitioners were only particular about public perceptions concerning their practice.
Another participant, Dr. Tunji Akintade, said the incident is a lesson for medical practitioners and the government.
“We need to have an adaptive referral system. What we have now is monologue. When we refer patients to a secondary facility, there should be feedback, a kind of communication,” he said.
In his remark, Hon. Adam, who serves as the Majority Leader of the House, thanked the participants and said the report of the public hearing would be presented to the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa, and the whole House for further action.
Eromosele Ebhomele
Media Assistant to the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly.
Sex Scandal: DSS Arrested UNICAL Suspended Dean of Law
The suspended Dean of the Faculty of Law, University of Calabar, UNICAL, Prof. Cyril Ndifon, has been arrested by the Department of State Services, DSS.
His arrest, it was gathered, was at the instance of the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission, ICPC, following his alleged refusal to turn himself in for questioning, despite several invitations.
It was gathered that the ICPC had sought the collaboration of the DSS on the UNICAL Sex Scandal matter involving the erstwhile Dean of Faculty of Law of the Institution.
The Commission had complained that Ndifon refused to honour its several invitations and thereafter sought the assistance of the DSS to get him to answer to the allegations of sex leveled against him.
The Spokesman for the DSS, Dr. Peter Afunanya, confirmed in a statement yesterday that Ndifon was eventually arrested in Calabar, Cross River State by its operatives on Wednesday based on a Court Order.
“However, the Service, following the ICPC’s request and in the spirit of interagency cooperation, supported it for a successful operation,” Afunanya explained.
“This is to guide public understanding of the latest developments on the matter,” the statement added.
Recall that following outcry by female UNICA law students over alleged Ndifon’s sex exploits against them, the University suspended him and raised a panel to probe the allegations against him.
The panel, which submitted its report earlier in the week, recommended that Ndifon be sanctioned for various offences, including extortion of funds.
Over-Bloated Payroll: Reps Task FG on Workers’ Forensic Audit
The House of Representatives has asked the Federal Government, through the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, to carry out forensic audit of its staff to address the problem of ghost workers, with a view to saving money and reducing increasing wage bill.
It also urged the government to embark on cost-cutting measures to reduce other non-debt recurrent expenditures and mandated the Committee on Legislative Compliance to ensure implementation.
This followed the adoption of a motion on ‘Need to Investigate the Nation’s Galloping Non-Debt Recurrent Expenditure’, moved by Ademorin Kuye from Lagos, at plenary, yesterday.
Moving the motion, Kuye noted that the federal government personnel expenses, pensions and other non-debt recurrent expenditures increased by 241 per cent in 13 years from N2.4trillion in 2011 to N8,27trillion in 2023.
He also noted that the total non-debt expenditure from 2011 to 2023 was N51.97trillion, while N42.24trillion expended from 2015 till date represented 81.8 per cent of the total expenditures of the period under review.
According to him, the country’s revenue within the period received massive hits from debt servicing obligations.
Consequently, he said the government had little or nothing left for the recurrent expenditures and had resorted to borrowing.
“The debt servicing obligations gulped 97 per cent of the total revenue of the N3.42 trillion generated in 2011, Nigeria expended N3.34 trillion on debt servicing, meaning all federal government’s salaries, overhead and capital expenditure was financed with loans and Central Bank of Nigerian’s support.
“The country’s revenues of N3.42trillion in 2020, N4.39trillion in 2021 and N7trillion in 2022 could hardly fund the wage bill of N5.7trillion, N5.76trillion and N7.1 trillion in 2020, 2021 and 2022 respectively,” the lawmaker argued.
He expressed worry the federal government’s wage bill, pension obligations and other non-debt recurrent expenditures continued to grow significantly, despite the marginal increases in revenues and apparent increases in debt servicing pressure;
Kuye lamented that the sharp difference in the wage bill from N2.4 trillion in 2011 to N8.7 trillion in 2023 in a country of 113 million people living in multidimensional poverty was alarming and unjustifiable.
Leave Me out of your Fight with Tinubu Peter Obi Replies Atiku
The presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, has in response to an appeal by his Peoples Democratic Party counterpart, Atiku Abubakar, to join in the legal battle challenging President Tinubu’s credentials said he was focused on reclaiming his stolen mandate at the Supreme Court.
This was made known by the leadership of the Labour Party who asked the Peoples Democratic Party presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, to leave out its candidate, Peter Obi, from his feud with President Bola Tinubu, saying the former Anambra governor is solely focused on reclaiming his ‘stolen mandate’ at the apex court.
The party however said it will welcome any interest that amplifies its quest for a nation where true justice shall reign.
The response was a reaction to the call by the PDP candidate for Obi and the presidential flag bearer of the New Nigeria People’s Party, Rabiu Kwankwaso, to join his crusade in exposing the alleged dirty secrets of the president.
In a statement released in Abuja on Thursday by the National Publicity Secretary of LP, Obiora Ifoh, the party appealed that they would appreciate if their candidate is allowed to concentrate on his case at the apex court.
He said the LP standard bearer is currently in the “Supreme Court seeking to reclaim his stolen mandate and he is focused on that.”
Ifoh further said, “He has been in the vanguard of ensuring a just nation where justice must be the watchword, and he will not stop until Nigeria achieves the leadership it truly deserves.
“Obi has pontificated severally on the need for leaders to be good role models and to live a life worthy of emulation. This he has done by publicly putting his credentials in the open for verification. Nigeria will get better when men of integrity and honour drive the affairs of the nation.
“We therefore welcome every other interest willing to join us in our pursuit of a nation where justice shall reign.“ the statement read.
N1Million Bounty: Mohbad Friend Primeboy Surrenders to Police
The Lagos State Police Command has confirmed that Owodunni Ibrahim Oluwatosin aka Primeboy, who was declared wanted on Wednesday over Mohbad death investigation, has turned himself in.
The command’s spokesperson, Benjamin Hundeyin, made this known in a post on his X handle.
It was reported that the command had declared Primeboy wanted following his failure to honour the police invitation successfully sent to him since the commencement of the investigation into the circumstances leading to the death of singer, Ilerioluwa Aloba, popularly known as Mohbad.
The state command also added that the state Commissioner of Police, CP Idowu Owohunwa, would give a sum of N1 million to anyone with useful information leading to his arrest.
Hundeyin stated, “Following his being declared wanted, Owodunni Ibrahim Oluwatosin aka Primeboy has turned himself in. He has, immediately, been taken into custody for interrogation and other necessary actions.”
The spokesman also assured the public that no stone will be left unturned in ensuring a diligent investigation.
“The Command equally assures that all persons found culpable in the death of Mr Ilerioluwa Aloba aka Mohbad will definitely be brought to justice,” he concluded.
The Federal Government has said it would convert 10 million Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) vehicles to Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) in the next 36 months.
In a statement on Wednesday, Spokesperson for the Minister of State Petroleum Resources (Gas), Louis Ibah, said the Minister of State Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo, stated this while on a panel tagged “Energy Talk” at the ongoing ADIPEC 2023 conference and exhibition in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
According to the Minister, the initiative was in partnership with the private sector.
“Our ministry is working with the organised private sector to roll out over two million CNG conversions kits for free within the next nine months to push the utilisation of CNG as main fuel for vehicles nationwide. This initiative is aimed at converting 10million vehicles from PMS to CNG in the next 36 months,” he said.
Ekpo said key benefits of the initiative include, creating over 100,000 jobs for Nigerians, increasing government savings from reduced subsidy payout for the importation of PMS, reducing carbon emission following the utilization of clean gas to drive internal combustion engines.
He reiterated the commitment of the Federal Government in creating an enabling operational and fiscal environment to support investments in the upstream, midstream and downstream gas sectors.
According to him, the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is poised to promote business around Nigeria’s abundant natural gas resources.
“This is evident in the actions of Mr. President when he split the Ministry of Petroleum Resources into Oil & Gas respectively. This singular action is a testament to President Tinubu’s resolve to promote gas commercialization in Nigeria for export and domestic utilisation,” Ekpo said.
The minister, who is the head of the Nigerian delegation to the event, listed several initiatives relating to government’s action to promote and support gas based industrialisation and decarbonisation agenda with the corporation and support of the organized private sector.
Top amongst these initiatives are: Decade of Gas (Upstream, Midstream and Downstream); getting cooking gas to every home and CNG for vehicles; gas flare commercialisation programme and gas to petrochemicals.
The minister informed the audience about specific policy changes targeted at gas pricing regime, non-associated gas acreage development, and review of the terms of the production sharing contracts.
“These are all aimed at attracting investments of more than $20 billion into the country for NAG offshore and deep water acreage development,” he said.
He added that the ministry is working closely with her respective parastatals to get these reforms across to the upper legislative chamber for approval and subsequently for President’s endorsement.
Nigeria’s Problem was Poor Leadership – President Tinubu
President Bola Tinubu has encouraged Nigerians in the U.S. to rise above failure by having a change of mindset for success in all their endeavours in life.
Tinubu who gave the advice at the Presidential Townhall Meeting with Nigerians in the diaspora on Wednesday in New York noted that Nigerians had no reason to be poor.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the Townhall Meeting was organised by the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission on the sidelines of the 78th session of the UN General Assembly.
Tinubu, who commended the efforts on out-of-school children, the healthcare programme and the need to eradicate poverty, said Nigeria was a blessed country.
“Sincerely, we don’t have any reason to be poor, we are just poor in some leadership areas.
“That is what I harped on during my campaign. It was a very gruesome campaign but I won the election but if I didn’t thrown myself into it with strong determination and result, I wouldn’t have won.
“There were so many hurdles on my way that would have stopped me. I refused to be stopped, you can do the same as many of you here that are contesting elections”, the President said.
Owolewa, who represents Washington DC, said they have been supporting people to take advantage ot such opportunities for their economic empowerment.
“Those are the opportunities to make investors biggest in New York.
“In my office, we do the talk, we teach our people how to get contract, we teach our people how to get grants.’’ he said.
Also speaking, a Nigerian-American, Olufunmilola Obe, an Inspector working in the New York Police Department, briefed the president on her efforts to make Africa, especially Nigeria proud in her office.
She told Tinubu that she was the coordinator of an African Law Enforcement Organisation, an association within the NYPD, as Vice President.
Obe is the first African ever to be promoted to the rank of an Inspector in the history of NYPD.
NAN reports that the Town Hall Meeting was attended by the Minister of Foreign of Affairs, Amb. Yusuf Tuggar; Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola and the Permanent Representative of Nigeria to the UN, Amb.Tijjani Muhammad-Bande
Nigeria’s Ambassador to the United States, Amb. Uzoma Emenike; Consul General of Nigeria in New York, Amb. Lot Egopija; and Consul General in Atlanta, Amb. Amina Samaila were also in attendance.
Others were: Gov. Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom; Gov. Uba Sani of Kaduna State and Gov. AbdulRahman AbdulRasaq of Kwara, among others.
Sir K Oluwo Dares Court and Police goes after Jiboro Family over Their Land
One thing that is synonymous with the ways of the popular Ikorodu based land grabber or speculator, Kamoru Lamina known widely as Sir K Oluwo is brutality, the very wicked and merciless land grabber is a known evil to realtors and land owners all around Lagos and especially in the Ikorodu area on the State.
The man whose attitude and way of dealing can best be described as cruel is a regular face in different police formations as well as correctional facilities around the state, his antecedents is the reason the Jiboro family of Ikorodu has been calling on the men of the Nigerian Police Force to quickly come to their aid to forestall evil befalling them over their family land that Sir K Oluwo has set his eyes on.
According to the members of the family, Sir K Oluwo, who is working in conjunction with one Josephine Momoh and one Mukaila a.k.a. Actor are hellbent on taking over the family land somewhere around Sabo area of Ikorodu even when they are not members of the family. Kamoru Lamina was said to have vowed to kill every members of the family except they leave their family land for him.
The family who had petitioned the AIG Zone 2 who ordered that Sir K and his cohort Princess Momoh and Mukaila should not near the land in question or transact any business on about or on the land are surprised that the serial trouble maker is acting in disobedience to both the Police and the the court which had also banned them from the land without being apprehended, knowing he’s a proven menace to the society. And the freedom he has now been using to threaten the lives of members of the family over their inheritance.
It was gathered that Sir K has been going around telling people that he owns part of the land that belongs to the family whereas he’s not in anyway related to them and has now turned to the crisis except he’s given a share of the said land.
The family are thereby using this medium to call on the Inspector-General of Police, the Governor of Lagos State, the AIG Zone 2, the Commissioner of Police Lagos and all well meaning Nigerians to come to their aid to stop the menace of Sir K Oluwo and his gang by begging the necessary agency to wade into the issue.
LASG and FG to Shut 3rd Mainland Bridge for Repairs
To end recurring accidents occasioned by potholes on the 3rd Mainland Bridge, the Federal Government in collaboration with the Lagos State Government will next week commence remedial repair works on bad portions of the bridge.
Specifically, the bridge will be closed on two consecutive Sundays, September 17 and 24, for the remedial works to be carried out by the state Government, through the Lagos Public Works Corporation, LPWC, in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Works.
Motorists have continued to lament the bad state of the 3rd bridge, which has potholes on many parts, which have been causing accidents.
While modalities by the state government for the construction of the proposed Fourth Mainland Bridge have reached advanced stage, residents are of the opinion that the Third Mainland Bridge has been overstretched.
Confirming the planned rehabilitation of the 3rd Mainland Bridge to be carried out in phases staring from next week, Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Transportation, Abdulhafiz Toriola, said it will allow for unhindered rehabilitation works as traffic would be diverted during construction to ensure early completion of the work.
Bridge to be shut for 2 consecutive Sundays. Toriola, who announced this, yesterday, added that the work would take place on Sunday 17 and Sunday 24, September, 2023 between the hours of 7.00 am and 7.00 pm each Sunday.
“The proposed works will be strictly executed in two phases with phase one focusing on only the most critical sections on the Iyana-Oworonsoki inward Adeniji Adele/Lagos Island,” he said.
Toriola explained that the palliative works were scheduled for Sundays to minimize inconveniences for motorists.
Consequently, the state government released travel advisory to ensure seamless movement of traffic.
Toriola, therefore, advised motorists to ply the following alternative routes during the rehabilitation works.
Route 1: The Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Alapere/Ogudu axis, inwards Lagos Island, will be diverted towards Gbagada-Oshodi Expressway to link Ikorodu Road/Funsho Williams Avenue to access Eko Bridge and Lagos Island.
Route 2: Motorists from Lagos Mainland going through Herbert Macaulay Road (Adekunle axis) inwards Lagos Island via 3rd Mainland Bridge will be diverted towards Murtala Muhammed Way to make use of Carter Bridge to link Lagos Island.
He, therefore, urged motorists to be patient and observe safety measures during the palliative works on the asphalt pavement of the bridge.
He added that Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, LASTMA, officers, Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC, Nigeria police, and other traffic personnel would be on ground to effectively control and manage traffic.
He said: “We assure that despite the traffic impact on the alternative routes, LASTMA will be deployed to minimize inconveniences and ease movement along the affected corridors.
“Various traffic agencies involved, in conjunction with other security and safety personnel to form good synergy, will ensure appropriate traffic management measures aimed at improving the safety and flow of traffic, reducing traffic emissions and utilising traffic artery capacity more effectively throughout the duration of the exercise.”
Meanwhile, motorists plying the ever-busy 11.8km Third Mainland Bridge, Lagos, second longest in Africa decried the poor state of some sections of the bridge.
The bridge starts from the Oworonsoki axis of the Mainland, ending at the Adeniji Adele Interchange axis on Lagos Island.
The potholes are visible on the Oworonsoki to Adekunle section and continue while approaching Adeniji-Adele junction to Sura area of the bridge.
On the flip side of the bridge, the potholes start from Adekunle to Oworonsoki end.
Some of the motorists narrated their daily ordeals on the bridge with a call to the governments for help.
Mr Ade Olabisi, an Uber driver, said: “I started this commercial transportation business two years ago after I lost my job in a private employment as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Most times I run through Ajah and Mainland. Due to the bad spots, I have lost over three tyres within the last six months when I bumped into potholes. But I thank God. It could have been fatal if I was on high speed.
“I beg the Federal and state governments to fix these potholes in the interest of the public and save people from deaths. le deaths.
Another motorist, Mrs Florence Nwosu, who works on the Island, said: “I was on my way to the office one wet morning when my car bumped into one of the potholes. I struggled to maintain balance afterward.
“As I was approaching the Adekunle end my steering gradually became stiff with a suspicious sound coming from the bonnet. Fortunately, I was close to where some Rapid Response Squad, RRS, of the Lagos State Police Command usually stationed.
“I opened the bonnet only to discover that my alternator belt had torn and pulled off from the roller making the steering to be stiff. This was apparently as a result of the car bumping into the pothole. I had to call my mechanic on the Island to come and fix it, while I sought protection with the RRS men as some miscreants appeared from nowhere looking for the owner of the vehicle.
Another motorist, Mr. Ifeanyi Alozie, who is a trader on the Island, said: “Motorists are always on high speed on the bridge despite many potholes. This often results in fatal accidents.
“There was a particular accident that happened right in my front few weeks ago. The owner of the Sport Utility Vehicle, SUV, on top speed ran into one of the potholes and lost control hitting the side railing of the bridge. He also had his air bag ruptured in the process. This is a weekly occurrence on the bridge.
“Governments should ensure provision and maintenance of basic infrastructure like roads and bridges, such as this. We are begging.”
Mr. Mohammed Seidu, a businessman, lamented the poor state of the bridge, expressing his fear and plight while driving on the axis.
His words: “Despite several rehabilitation works there are many bad portions on the bridge which have posed threat to lives. Most of these government officials do drive on this bridge. I wonder why they have decided to ignore it. A stitch in time saves nine, according to a wise saying.”
