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Rejected Nominees: We Can’t Be Intimidated, Lagos Assembly Declares

Rejected Nominees: We Can’t Be Intimidated, Lagos Assembly Declares…there are plans to attack Speaker Obasa, lawmakers

– says no rift between Governor and Speaker

The Lagos State House of Assembly on Monday revealed that there are plans by some people to attack Speaker Mudashiru Obasa and other lawmakers over the recent screening and rejection of some cabinet nominees sent by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.

The Lagos Assembly, however, said its action concerning the nominees was in tandem with the constitution, which stipulates its responsibilities and, as such, would not succumb to threats and intimidations, including planned sponsored protests and analysis by some civil society groups and activists.

It also said it had refrained itself from revealing all that it discovered during the screening of the nominees while warning that “those who live in glass houses should be conscious not to throw stones.”

“Before today, I had been reliably informed of the plan to attack the Speaker based on the decision of the House concerning the nominees of the Governor, particularly the rejected ones,” Dr. Obasa said during plenary adding that he had been inundated with calls from people and members of the House.

The Speaker stressed that the House does not have any fight with Sanwo-Olu or the executive arm as projected by some people, who may not be aware of the actual reasons for the rejection of the nominees.

“There is this erroneous belief that we are waging war against the Governor. There is no basis for me and the House to fight the Governor. I will continue to say that the Governor is a brother and colleague in the Lagos project and service to the people of our State.

“The Governor and I have been around in the system for long. While he was SA to the former Deputy Governor, Femi Pedro, I was in this House as chairman, Committee on Rural Development. He was SA on Establishment and Pensions and I was chairman, House Committee on Public Accounts (Local Governments). While he was heading LSDPC, I was chairman, Committee on Economic Planning and Budget. Then, I became the Speaker and when he became the Governor, I remained the Speaker. So it’s been a long journey together.

“But I wonder why anytime the House says no to a particular request of the Governor, it is taken by some people to mean there is a fight with the Governor. This House has passed so many resolutions that the executive arm refused to carry out, but people don’t see that as something to talk about and the House does not raise eyebrows. So I don’t know what brings the erroneous belief that the House is fighting the Governor, who is our brother and who we will continue to work with.

“However, we have a constitutional responsibility. Just as the Governor has the responsibility to inform the House about his nominees, the House has the responsibility to say ‘yes’ or ‘no’ which we have exercised by confirming some and denying some and we have our reasons for saying ‘no’ to some of the nominees.

“The House, as a body, has refrained itself from exposing what it discovered during the screening exercise and we are not going to be forced to spill to the public,” Dr. Obasa said.

Concerning the rejection of Prof. Akin Ababyomi, former health commissioner, Obasa said considerations went beyond his efforts in the fight against COVID-19 which he described as an isolated issue in the challenged health sector of the State.

“Before Prof. Abayomi, there were Leke Pitan, Dr. Jide Idris and others. COVID-19 was an isolated case that was considered. Before COVID-19, we had Ebola which was also taken care of under Babatunde Fashola.

“Beyond all these, we are the representatives of the people, their mouthpieces, eyes and ears. The health sector of Lagos is not just about COVID-19. We have general hospitals and other health care centres around the State. What can be said about them?

“Before Engineer Aramide Adeyoye, we also had Engineer Ganiyu Johnson and Dr. Obafemi Hamzat as Commissioner for Works and under whom the Ikoyi-Victoria Island link bridge was built while Babatunde Fashola was Governor. Under Asiwaju Bola Tinubu as Governor, there was masaive infrastructural development too.

“So we must stop making allusions concerning somethings we do not understand. They mentioned the former c
Commissioner for Information, Gbenga Omotosho and his experience. But how about actions in office?” Obasa asked.

The Speaker added that as a politician whose party is in power, the priority of those in government should be the interest of the people.

He urged those planning to sponsor actions against the House to realise that protests and sponsored articles would not make the House rescind its decision.

“The civil society that is threatening to protest should do so because it is a constitutional right. But we are not going to be threatened or intimidated. We have said no, but if there is a convincing or germane reason for us to reverse our decision, we will, but not by threats.

“It is because we are successful as politicians that is why the technocrats are being appointed. And to our own estimation, if they have not done well, we have right to say no and we have said no.

“We don’t want instigations and conflicts, the executive and the House are working together; we are brothers and colleagues; we will continue to work together but we need to caution fourth columnists not to instigate crisis. And those that are living in glass houses need to be careful,” he warned.

Eromosele Ebhomele
Media Assistant to the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly.

How Way and Life Concepts Limited is Setting the Standard in the Real Estate Industry

Way and Life Concepts Limited is one of the real estate company that has been leaving indelible mark in the industry for its more than one decade of existence. Founded by Abraham Adebayo Shodiya an indigene of Ogun State, Abeokuta to be precise, though he was born and grew up in Agege, Lagos where he had his primary school at Bishop Oluwolel Memorial Primary School, after which he proceeded to Keke High School Ifako Ijaiye housing Estate and later Fstc Yaba where graduated studying Building Technology Programs.

He thereafter, ventured into Real Estate business with training from Realty Point Limited school of estate in 2008 from where he established his own real estate company, Way and Life Concepts Limited popularity known as “Money in Bush”.

Adebayo, registered the company as a business name “Way and Life Properties Concepts” in 2007 and it was later changed to Way And Life Concepts Limited when he upgraded it to a limited liability company.

The success of the company is attributed to their philosophy which set them apart from their competitors, according to the CEO, the philosophy of the Way and Life Concepts Limited is “the best way to live a real life is for us to pave way for investors to partner with us while we take care of their portfolio as a real estate manager, we also need to be open to customers and to tell them the nitty grity of the venture and how we are going to go about making their dream come through” he explained.

Reacting to stories making the rounds that many real estates Companies collect money but do not allocate land to their subscribers, Adebayo said it is quite unfortunate that business owners are not transparent. In his words “There is the need to be open in every business. There are challenges and if they have challenges allocating to subscribers they should call for a gathering to address them on what has transpired and the solution and plan to make sure the mess is taken care of, but their not allocating lands to the people and becoming silent or run away is not the solution. Doing that is bringing setbacks to the real estate business.

“Before parting with your money with any real estate agent or developer make sure you do your search to know if the company is registered and is a member of a government registered association. Verifications need to be done when it comes to real estate investment.”He stated.

Talking about the Omo Onile syndrome, Adebayo spoke about the solution to the albatross to the job of real estate. He explained that with his more than a decade experience in the real estate industry, he has been able to not only mastered how to manage the Omo Onile wahala but has also learnt how to relate with Governments simply by recognizing them as a player in the industry.

In his words, “In Nigeria real estate, Omo Oniles are also players in the industry but we have to come into understanding with them and so far this has been helping as they don’t come to disturb our customers”.

Adebayo also explained that they have been able to attract new customers and maintain old ones giving people the opportunity to live the real life and being transparent with their customers and their prospective buyers by exposing the nitty-gritty of the business to them to gain their confidence and thereby improving the real estate portfolio of the investors.

On how they handle issues with governments, he expressed his appreciation to the governments of Lagos, Ogun, Osun and Oyo State for their cooperation and the wonderful relationship they’ve been able to establish, he said their is synergy with these governments as they have good relationship with the Way and Life Concepts Limited from their ministry of Lands to the house committee that oversees land issue in the States.

Way and Life Concepts Limited is currently having housing estate projects available for subscriptions in Shimawa Ogun State, Imota-Ikorodu, Atan-Ota, Ifo and Ibeju Lekki, with a plan to spread the company tentacles to Oyo and Osun State, Adebayo Shodiya explained.

He explained further that one of the easiest ways to acquire land and houses in pocket friendly style is how the company fashioned its installment payment system while giving out heavy discounts to outright payers, he exposed that the company works closely with the clients to come up with a financial plan that will be suitable to both parties.

“We sit down with our customers and make payment plans that will not be difficult for them and us, we also help them build at affordable prices from the foundation level to D.P.C, from D.P.C level to roofing level, from roofing level to external finishings, internal finishings e.t.c. We do this to help our customers in becoming homeowners in the alternative to the cumbersome process of bank loans.

He also said in the case of any investor who dies in course of investment, before the proper handing over of the property to the family who is the next of kin, in his words
“All of our investors have a filled form with us. In the form there is a column for next of kin, this does not mean the property (s)/investment (s) will automatically be transferred to the next of kin but we will get some other details of the investor through the next of kin after which we shall request for an administrative letter from the concern people of the investor. This letter is supposed to be processed from the court of investment/investor’s jurisdiction. This will help us to do a proper investment handover.” He explained.

In dealing with fraudulent people parading themselves as realtors, Adebayo Shodiya calls for due diligence, according to him “You cannot loose totally in real estate investment especially if you have visited the said property site before or during the period of investment.
We presently have private regulatory body and Association who will not cover any fraudulent Estate Company. To avoid the repeat of such, investors need to do their due diligence before parting with their money.”

Responding to issues with allocation, he explained that the company allocates in batches, he stated that “For any of our new projects, we allocate in batches of minimum of 50 to 100 allottees while any of our developing projects produces immediate allocation to individual buyers.

“We have had some cases where we had allocated to so many subscribers while they were still paying in installment, some paid half of the property price, some paid 80% and were allocated. We still plan to repeat such as we kick off our new projects in Simawa, Mowe, Atan-Ota and Ifo areas.” Adebayo revealed.

Our role is to set up every possible mean that will make real estate investment convenient for our prospective customers while the role of our customers and prospects is to be up to date in their payment structure as no business will thrive without exchange of money and consistent activities, Shodiya concluded.

Just In: AIU Lift Nigerian Athletes Tobi Amusan’s Suspension after Tribunal Finds Her Not-Guilty

Just In: AIU Lift Nigerian Athlete Tobi Amusan’s Suspension after Tribunal Finds Her Not-Guilty

The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) has lifted the suspension on Nigerian athlete and 100 meters hurdle world record holder Tobi Amusan after a panel of the Disciplinary Tribunal, by majority decision, has today found that she has not committed an Anti-Doping Rule Violation (ADRV) of three Whereabouts Failures within a 12-month period.

This was made known in a press release obtained from the website of the AIU, though AIU Head Brett Clothier has indicated the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) is disappointed by this decision and will review the reasoning in detail before deciding whether to exercise its right of appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) within the applicable deadline.

The decision is currently confidential but will be published in due course, and the statement also reads that Amusan’s provisional suspension has now been lifted with immediate effect.

Amusan who has consistently maintained her innocence and stated that she is a clean athlete. Will now according to the Athletics Federation of Nigeria which has confirmed that Tobi Amusan, the world record holder in the 100m hurdles, has been cleared of the charges. Consequently, she will now proceed to Budapest to defend the significant gold medal she earned last year at the 18th edition of the Championships.

This clearance provides Amusan with the opportunity to defend the only title in her career that she has yet to defend, following her successful retention of her Nigeria, African Championships, African Games, Commonwealth Games, and Diamond League titles.

Amusan

FG Approves N5bn and 5 Trucks of Rice for Each States and FCT as Subsidy Removal Palliatives

The National Economic Council, NEC, on Thursday said that the Federal Government has approved N5 billion grant to be given to each of the 36 states of the federation for the procurement of grains as well as five trucks of rice to each state as palliatives to cushion the effect of fuel subsidy removal.

The NEC also approved the distribution of 40,000 bags of maize to be distributed to states.

It also directed the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, to distribute food items to states sharing border with Niger Republic over the recent political instability in the country.

These were some of the outcomes of the NEC meeting presided over by Vice President Kashim Shettima at the Council Chamber, Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Briefing State House correspondents at the end of the meeting, Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State said the approval of N5 billion and trucks of rice and grains were part of measures to bring temporary solutions to the high cost of living caused by the subsidy removal, as government continued to work with more enduring programmes.

He said the states are to purchase 100,000 bags of rice and beans among other items.

Zulum said that NEC mandated NEMA to distribute food items to state sharing borders with Niger Republic.

On his side, the Governor of Anambra state, Prof. Charles Soludo, said that the review of social register was in progress.

He said Nigeria was already having refugees from Niger Republic, which he said is affecting the distribution of palliatives.

However, the Governor of Kaduna State, Senator Uba Sani, said only N2 billion has so far been given to states instead of the N5 billion approved.

Calabar Varsity Female Law Students Protest Sexual Harrassment by Dean

The Law Faculty of the University of Calabar yesterday witnessed an uncommon protest where scores of female students thronged roads on the campus against the dean.

Platforms Africa reports that the female law students are accusing Professor Cyril Ndifon, their dean, of sexual assault.

They brandished all kinds of unprintable phrases and clauses on placards to make their point like;

““Prof Ndifon, let the girls with big breasts breathe, stop suffocating us!!!,”

“We are tired of sucking dicks,” was another boldly scribbled in black ink on a white placard which the students held to express their grievances against Ndifon, according to a video shared on X, formerly known as Twitter, on Monday.

“Law girls are not bonanza Prof Ndifon should stop grabbing us” reads another placard which a female student waved.

The disgruntled students, majority of whom were female and dressed in the signature white shirts on black skirts, had gathered in front of a storey building presumed to be the law faculty, chanting “go”.

Some staff of the university were seen looking at the students through their windows but it was unclear if the aggrieved students were later addressed.

Ndifon was not a stranger to sexual assault charges as he had previously been suspended by the school management in 2016 for allegedly raping a 20-year-old student in his office, according to a report by Peoples Gazette.

Accompanied by a few of their male counterparts, the female law students said they were not “bonanzas” and that the law faculty was not a “brothel” for Mr Ndifon to keep “grabbing” them.

They insisted that “professor Ndifon must go” for their “sanity.”

https://www.societygazetteng.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/petal_20230815_222240.mp4?_=1

LAGOS ASSEMBLY DRILLS 20 SANWO-OLU CABINET NOMINEES

Twenty out of the 39 nominees whose names were recently sent by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to the Lagos State House of Assembly have so far been screened by a committee of the House which began sitting on Sunday.

It is expected that all the cabinet nominees would have been screened by Wednesday when the exercise is expected to end.

On Monday, the committee grilled Mrs. Adetoke Benson- Awoyinka, immediate past Special Adviser to Governor Sanwo-Olu on Housing, and Mrs Bola Olumegbon Lawal, a former Executive Secretary of Yaba Local Council Development Area (LCDA).

Others screened are Yakoob Ekundayo Alebiosu, Idris Aregbe, Abdul-Kabir Opeyemi Ogungbo, Dr. Oreoluwa finnih- Awokoya, Eng. Abiola Okanlawon Moshood Olowu, Dr. Adekunle Olayinka, Mosopefolu George, and Eng. Aramide Adeyoye.

Earlier on Sunday, the committee led by Hon. Mojeed Fatai, Chief Whip of the House, screened Mobolaji Abubakre Ogunlende, Dr. Olamide Abiodun Babatunde, Lawal Pedro, and Afolabi Waheed Ayantayo, immediate past Special Adviser to the Governor on Parastatals Monitoring.

Others include Mr. Jamiu Tolani Adedeji Alli-Balogun, Olugbenga Olanrewaju Olaniyi, Ogunwuyi Rotimi Ekundayo, Hon. Ibrahim Olanrewaju Layode, immediate past lawmaker of the State from Badagry, Adetokunbo Wahab and
Olakunle O Rotimi-Akodu.

The Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa, had recently constituted the 12-man ad-hoc committee for the exercise.

The committee is to make a report to the House when it reconvenes.

At the commencement of the screening, Hon. Fatai had noted that the task before the lawmakers was in line with a provision of the 1999 Constitution.

“The House of Assembly has the mandate to screen and confirm the nominees for the position of commissioners and Special Advisers.

“Recall that on July 28, 2023, the Executive Governor of Lagos State submitted a total of 39 commissioners and Special Adviser nominees,” he said adding that the recommendation of the committee would be presented to the House.

Members of the committee include Hon. Adedamola Kasumu, Hon. Ajomale Oladipo, Hon. Saheed Babafemi, Hon. Nureni Akinsanya, and Hon. Ajani Owolabi.

The others are Hon. Sa’ad Olumo, Hon. Sanni Okanlawon, Hon. Adewale Temitope, Hon.Ajayi Oladele, Hon. Abdulkareem Jubril and Hon. Orekoya Abiodun.

Eromosele Ebhomele
Media Assistant to the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly

Niger Coup: Protesters Wanted to Attack the Embassy – Nigerian Ambassador to Niger

Nigerien protesters tried to attack the Nigerian embassy in Niamey but were repelled by the Nigerien military, an official has said.

The attempted attack happened on Sunday, 30 July, four days after presidential guards toppled the democratically elected government of President Mohamed Bazoum who has since remained in detention with his family.

Nigeria’s Ambassador to Niger, Mohamed Usman, stated this in a Friday statement signed by a staff of the embassy Liti Auwalu, following a video shared on social media of a building being set ablaze which many claimed is the Nigerian embassy.

“At the moment, the Embassy is well guarded by the Nigerien Military and other Security Authorities,” the statement said, reiterating that the videos are fake and should be disregarded.

Nigeria has continued to operate its embassy in Niger despite the coup there and the strong response of ECOWAS.

Presidential guards led by General Abdourahamane Tchiani on Wednesday, 26 July, arrested Mr Bazoum, dissolved the government and assumed leadership of the country.

In response, ECOWAS imposed sanctions on Niger in a bid to have them reinstate Mr Bazoum. It also gave a seven days ultimatum to the putschists which they ignored.

The bloc held another meeting last Thursday where it ordered the activation and deployment of its standby force to restore constitutional order in Niger.

Fake News: Blogger Who Published Lies Against Former Lagos Gov. Fashola begs Netizens for Help

Fake news is a disaster currently ravaging the Nigerian information space and the fact that many affected are not pressing charges seems to be emboldening the propagators. This is responsible for the current dilemma a blogger currently find himself when one of the victims of the lies in the person of Babatunde Raji Fashola, the immediate former Minister of Works and Housing refused to allow it fly by seeking the intervention of the security agencies.

The situation which started last week Saturday, when the Nigeria twitter space was awashed with unfounded stories of how armed Army personnel are allegedly guarding the estate where the former Minister resides in the FCT allegedly because the Senior Advocate is at that time writing the judgement that the justices currently overseeing the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal (PEPT) will be reading as their submission, whereas the former Minister was at that moment in Lagos, where he’s attending the wedding ceremony of the son of a former Senator.

Findings also shows that the allegations is a mischievous imagination of the carrier as there is no military or even police presence in the mentioned estate. The perpetrators who felt they will go scot-free really got it wrong as the minister who is a lawyer decided to take scapegoats on the issue of the rising proliferation of the fake news as he asked his lawyers to petition all security agencies about the matter.

One of those whose names or organizations was listed in the petition, one Ibezim Nnamdi, known as Iruefi on Twitter is currently soliciting for help and public sympathy on the X app, as the men of the Department of State Services (DSS) about two days ago visited his house and met his absence but met his brother who they invited to their office for questioning to aid their investigations into the matter.

Ibezim who runs a blog had been warned against fake news by many Netizens in the past, but will rather abuse them, though he claimed he was never invited before the visit but since the visit he has been in hiding, while his brother is fielding questions from the DSS.

Below are his tweets and explanations;

https://twitter.com/IruefiNG/status/1690331681595564034?t=jrP4VozUfWVPIwABcFZNwQ&s=19

FIRSTBANK ANNOUNCES CALL FOR APPLICATION IN THE SECOND EDITION OF ITS FIRSTBANK TECHNOLOGY ACADEMY

FirstBank of Nigeria Limited, Nigeria’s premier and leading financial inclusion services provider has announced the call for participation in the second edition of its FirstBank Technology Academy.

Interested participants are to visit the website https://hdbc.fa.em2.oraclecloud.com/hcmUI/CandidateExperience/en/sites/CX/job/877 and complete the online application form.

The application, which closes on Friday, 11 August 2023, is open to individuals in Nigeria and the Bank’s subsidiaries in Africa – FirstBank in The Gambia, FirstBank in Sierra-Leone, FirstBank in the Republic of Congo, FirstBank in Guinea, FBNBank in Ghana, FBNBank in Senegal.

Shortlisted candidates will be invited for interviews and assessments to gain entry into the Technology Academy in the coming weeks.

FirstBank Technology Academy targets young and recent graduates with a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) background. These tech enthusiasts will undergo a comprehensive and practical programme that will expose them to a wide array of cutting-edge technologies – including: IT Fundamentals, Application Support & Development, Cybersecurity & Infrastructure and Data Science – which will strengthen their hands-on experience in the field of digital technology.

According to Folake Ani-Mumuney, Group Head, Marketing & Corporate Communications, FirstBank “As a digitally led financial services institution in Africa, we recognise the impact of technology in shaping the world in all spheres of human endeavours, including the global financial services industry. Technology is indeed the gateway to unlocking endless possibilities in the banking industry.”

“We invite young graduates with a passion for innovation and a strong desire to create a positive impact on the banking landscape to join us on this transformative journey as we collectively contribute to leaving no stone unturned in plugging FirstBank to being the Bank of first choice in the continent,” she concluded.

95% of customer-induced transactions on FirstBank’s digital channels are enjoyed by 22 million of its digital product users. The Bank processes over 12% of the industry payment volume in Nigeria.

FirstBank Technology Academy is one of the many ways the Bank reinvents itself to leave no stone unturned in exposing its customers to state of the art and leading digital banking experience in the the continent.

ALAT by Wema Unveils Exciting Summer Internship Programme

ALAT by Wema, a trailblazing digital bank, has announced the launch of its eagerly anticipated Summer Internship Program which will not only serve as a remarkable learning opportunity for young talents but also highlights Wema Bank as an exceptional place to work.

The initiative, according to the Divisional Head, Brands, People and Culture, Ololade Ogungbenro, is designed with a commitment to nurturing future leaders, offering hands-on experience that bridges the gap between academia and the corporate world.

She says participants will gain invaluable insights into the dynamic banking industry while contributing to real-time projects that impact the country.

“The summer internship program isn’t just about professional development; it’s a testament to Wema Bank’s dedication to fostering a vibrant and collaborative work environment. Participants will have the chance to interact with seasoned professionals, immerse themselves in innovative projects, and truly experience the bank’s unique culture.” Ogungbenro adds.

The ALAT Summer Internship Program is open to undergraduates between the ages of 15 and 22. Selected participants will undergo a comprehensive orientation and mentorship, working side by side with seasoned professionals across various departments.

Wema Bank continues to be at the forefront of digital transformation in the banking industry, and the ALAT Summer Internship Program is a reflection of its commitment to fostering a culture of innovation, learning, and growth.