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Youths storm Lagos Assembly, demand probe of Ambode
Some youths, under the umbrella of Lagos Youth Vanguard (LYV) on Tuesday stormed the Lagos State House of Assembly, demanding the probe of former governor Akinwunmi Ambode over alleged corrupt activities.
The protesters were led by the Patron of LYV, Mr. Rasak Olokooba and the President of the Group, Mr. Ibrahim Ekundina.
Some of the placards of the protesters read: “Ambode, submit yourself for probe,” “Ambode must be probed,” “EFCC do your job,” “Ambode is a thief,” “Ambode awarded fake contracts,” and “Ambode, return Lagos money.”
The Lagos Youth Vanguard stated in their leaflet that was distributed to journalists that Ambode “deliberately laid landmine through the obvious improper, inappropriate and insufficient content in his handover note that should serve as a guide to the incoming administration in the tradition of every civilised public officer.”
They accused Ambode of flouting so many government procedures, saying that he refused to abide by the procurement laws.
He was accused of wrong priority in policies and programmes and abandoning the track that can bring about development in the state.
“We call for his probe and investigation with a view to apportioning penalty and dishing out appropriate penalties.
“We want to assure the good people of Lagos State, including all the people that care about Lagos and the people of Lagos that we will continue to pursue every legitimate means until justice is done,” they said.
Speaking to journalists in an interview, Mr Rasak Olokooba, said that it was good to be fair to every administration.
Olokooba added that they had watched events for 90 days and that there were clear indications that the former governor had been going about to disrupt the activities of the current administration.
“For every government that is going out, you leave a template for the coming government to succeed.
The activist insisted that anybody could be investigated anytime, but that they were shocked by what happened at the residence of former governor Ambode in Epe, when the operatives of the EFCC wanted to search his residence.
He described what happened there as very ungentlemanly, adding that this was not how statesmen behave as they were expected to respect institutions and apparatuses of the government.
“Also, the parliament has promised us that they were going to look into the activities of the last administration, but we have not heard anything from them.
“I am a taxpayer, I pay education tax, I pay the salaries of the Governor from my tax and I must be concerned about how the money is being spent, likewise other Nigerians.
“The former governor must be accountable for how he ran the affairs of the state in the last four years. We want him to clear his name. Gone are the days when people just hear of probe and you don’t take it up,” he said
Olokooba maintained that they were taking the matter up because the EFCC and the parliament had spoken about it.
He stressed that the rest of the world was watching Nigeria, which he said must work as it represents 2.5 % of the population of the world.
“We are the most populous black nation in the world and after Cairo it is Lagos among the most cosmopolitan cities in Africa.
“We don’t want anybody to mismanage Lagos. We want this to be a deterrent to others such as local governments chairmen, senators and others in public offices who might want to do what the last administration did.
“Look at the state of Lagos, people were complaining bitterly over the litters of refuse in the state though they are disappearing now. Look at Badagry Road, you would agree with me that you are also part of what we are doing today as journalists,” he said.
Addressing the protesters, the representative of the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon. Mudashiru Obasa, Hon. Rotimi Olowo stated that the protesters were right as their action was constitutional.
Olowo emphasized that the House had commenced investigations into the government of Ambode and that they would look into the petition as a House and do their jobs as expected.
The lawmaker added that they were having a committee meeting shortly before the protesters arrived to look into the finances of the state and ensure that the road in the state was motorable.
Daily Post
The Enugu State government has inaugurated a steering committee to eliminate Gender-Based Violence, GBV, in the state, declaring zero tolerance for the social malaise.
The inauguration took place at the Government House Enugu.
The panel, which is chaired by the Commissioner for Children, Gender Affairs and Social Development, Mrs. Ngozi Enih, draws its membership from the Nigeria Police Force, Ministry of Agriculture and Agro Industrialisation, Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Chieftaincy Affairs, Ministry of Human Development and Poverty Reduction, Ministry of Trade, Investment and Industry, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education as well as the Civil Society.
Inaugurating the panel known as the Steering Committee for Strengthening Institutional and Community Responses to End Gender-Based Violence/Domestication of Enugu State Gender Policy using the Oputa Panel approach, Governor Peter Mbah restated his administration’s commitment to not bringing perpetrators of GBV to book, but also putting in place proactive measures – activities, infrastructure, and systems in place to prevent them.
Mbah, who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, said, “We take gender-based violence seriously. We have zero tolerance for it, and in Enugu State, we are ready to go the extra mile to deal with it.
“If you notice, the government has selected people that are very committed to this goal. This is not an activity where we just want to check-off the list. We will track this. We will monitor this, and we will have quarterly engagements on the successes that this particular committee has achieved in terms of reference that we are going to send.
“We will tighten those terms of reference indicators, so that we monitor what we are doing both in terms of cost input and the value added. It’s very important to us. Many people will be involved – civil society, the police and various ministries.”
He however, said that the effort was to protect everyone, men and women alike, as GBV was not restricted to any gender.
“The whole idea is to hold people responsible that are involved in matters relating to gender violence and deter people that by culture or by association get involved in that, protect women, protect our children, and in the case of violence against men, protect our men because most times we misconstrue gender violence to mean women, but it can also be men too.
“We encourage our men to speak out and to make sure they understand that the policy that Enugu State is soon going to domesticate is for everyone, and not only for the female gender,” he stated.
In her remark, Mrs. Enih, explained that the Oputa Panel approach was inspired by the need to cover all local peculiarities in domesticating the policy on GBV, restarting government’s confidence in the members of the panel.
“The approach we are going to use is the Oputa Panel approach, and in the Oputa Panel approach, we are going to tour the 17 Local Government Areas to get firsthand information about what our people are going through because policy is meant for the people, and a policy should suit the people.
“Again, every community has its peculiar problems, so that’s why the government decided that if we have to domesticate the gender policy, we have to hear from the people who own the policy and know the changes that they desire to see. That is the reason we are using this approach.
“The committee members are to also serve as judges. As we gather this information from our people, we will come back to tailor it in a way to suit the people of Enugu State, and then our policy is ready.
“We want the people to know that there is a gender policy for them. I can assure you that when the people are aware that there is such a policy, they will seek for the enforcement of that policy. So, this is not going to be one of those policies that will just lie on the shelf,” she said.
Digital solutions provider, Globacom, has congratulated Christians in Nigeria on this year’s Easter celebration, and urged them to emulate the noble qualities of Jesus Christ.
The company, in a goodwill message to the Christian faithful in the country, lauded their perseverance through the Lenten period which preceded Easter. It enjoined them to always promote the ideals of selflessness, love and peace among all as a way of demonstrating the virtues of the exemplary life of Jesus Christ.
“Peace, love and sacrifice are the central message of Easter. Christ offered himself in atonement for the sins of the world and he lived a life which made Him an eternal symbol of peace and goodwill for mankind”, Globacom added.
The company enjoined all Nigerians to share in the lessons of promoting selflessness, a necessary ingredient in the growth and development of every society. It also enjoined all Nigerians to join hands to make Nigeria a better place for all.
Easter is celebrated yearly at the end of the Lenten season of fasting and prayer considered as a ritual of purification for the Christian faithful. It also precedes the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ on Good Friday and His eventual resurrection on Easter Sunday.
The company assured its customers of seamless voice, data and Short Messaging Service (SMS) during and after the Easter celebrations, while urging them to avail themselves of the various data and voice offerings on the network.
The Guild of Private Broadcast Managers has extended its heartfelt congratulations to the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) as it celebrates its 70th Anniversary.
In a congratulatory message signed by the Guild’s National President, Ambassador Patrick Uzoyi-Peters, JP MNGRM, the guild described the milestone as a testament to the NUJ’s unwavering commitment to upholding press freedom, journalistic integrity, and the advancement of democracy in Nigeria.
“For seven decades, the NUJ has played a pivotal role in shaping the media landscape, advocating for the rights and welfare of journalists, and ensuring that the voice of the people remains strong and unyielding. Your resilience, professionalism, and dedication to ethical journalism have been instrumental in fostering transparency, accountability, and national development”.
Celebrating this historic achievement, the Guild’s President, Uzoyi-Peters recognized the sacrifices and contributions of journalists across the nation who work tirelessly to inform, educate, and empower society.
The Guild reiterated it commitment towards collaborating with the NUJ in promoting responsible journalism and strengthening the media industry for the greater good.
While wishing the NUJ continued success, growth, and greater impact in the years ahead, President Uzoyi-Peters prayed that the anniversary serve as a renewed call to uphold the principles of truth, fairness, and press freedom in our collective pursuit of a more informed and just society.
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