Tag: Gbenga Omotoso

  • Lagos Govt Suspends NURTW From Parks, Garages

    Lagos Govt Suspends NURTW From Parks, Garages

    The Lagos State government has suspended the activities of the National Union of Road Transport Workers Union (NURTW) across the state.

    In a statement on Friday by the Commissioner for Information and Strategy in Lagos, Gbenga Omotoso, the government directed officials of the union to stay away from all parks and garages.

    According to him, the government has been watching closely events in the union amid the claims and counter-claims over the control of NURTW.

    “The government has a duty to ensure the safety of lives and property of all Lagosians and visitors,” Omotoso said. “Therefore, there is an urgent need to douse the unnecessary tension generated by the leadership tussle in the NURTW and protect the citizenry from the likely fallout of the situation.

    “After considering the provisions of the law, the government hereby suspends the activities of NURTW, which must cease to operate in all parks and garages in Lagos State.

    “The government will set up a committee to immediately take control of the parks and garages. Members of the committee will be key stakeholders in the sector.”

    Omotoso explained that the government’s position was premised on its responsibility to ensure that there was no breakdown of law and order in all parks and garages in the state.

    The government’s action is the latest in the series of events trailing the indefinite suspension of the NURTW Chairman in Lagos, Musiliu Akinsanya, aka MC Oluomo.

    MC Oluomo’s suspension by the national body of the union was announced in a letter dated March 9, 2022, and signed by NURTW General Secretary, Kabiru Yau.

    He was accused of acts of insubordination and gross misconduct, as well as plotting to instigate crisis and unleash mayhem on branches of the union in Lagos that refuse to obey his alleged directive not to take orders from NURTW national headquarters.

    The suspension, Yau had explained, was in line with Article 42 section 5, subsection I, II, III, IV, V, and VIII of NURTW’s Constitution.

  • Crossover Service: Lagos State Govt. vows to enforce 12am to 4am curfew

    Crossover Service: Lagos State Govt. vows to enforce 12am to 4am curfew

    The Lagos State Government, on Wednesday, urged residents of the state to comply with all restriction measures imposed by the authorities to curb the spread of coronavirus amid the second wave of the pandemic.

    It said Lagosians who violate the 12am to 4am curfew imposed by the Federal Government and other protocols could be fined when caught.

    The government urged all churches in the state to respect the curfew in place and avoid physical crossover services and large gatherings on December 31, 2020.

    The State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr Gbenga Omotoso, stated this on Wednesday.

    He said, “If you flout any of these rules, you can be fined. You will be taken to court and the magistrate will decide on the sanction. It depends on the magistrate’s discretion.

    “But it is not just about punishing people. People are being advised to take responsibility. The regulations were rolled out as an advisory and people have been obeying while people who have disobeyed have faced the consequences.”

    The commissioner, however, expressed optimism that religious leaders in the state would comply with the directive of the government on the crossover services.

    Omotoso said, “With what we have been seeing, I don’t think churches will flout the protocols. CAN (Christian Association of Nigeria) is in agreement with the government. Covid cases are going up and everybody is worried. Some of the giant churches have also announced that they won’t be holding physical crossover services.

    “The Lagos State Government has also told them that there is a curfew by midnight to 4am imposed by the Federal Government. Many of the churches have been adjusting their programmes. Churches are well-organised and we believe they will comply.”

    Furthermore, the Director-General of the Lagos State Safety Commission, Lanre Mojola, said the commission would be working with men of the Lagos State Police Command to enforce all restrictions announced by the government, especially during the New Year period.

    Mojola, also revealed that the commission would not wait till the night of December 31, 2020 to swing to action.

  • BREAKING: Lagos relaxes curfew from 10pm to 6am

    BREAKING: Lagos relaxes curfew from 10pm to 6am

    The Lagos State Government has announced a further relaxation of the curfew imposed on the state.

    “The curfew will now be from 10pm till 6am,” a statement from the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso added.

    “Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu praises Lagosians for observing the curfew, which is expected to restore normalcy in our communities. He urges all Lagosians to go about their businesses in peace, even as they shun ‘actions that can threaten our unity’.

    “The Governor advises purveyors of fake news to stop causing disaffection among Lagosians, who are well known for being peace-loving and friendly,” the statement said..

  • Lagos Govt urges striking doctors to return to work

    Lagos Govt urges striking doctors to return to work

    The Lagos State Government has urged striking doctors under its employment to suspend their three days warning strike and return to work.
    The State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr Gbenga Omotoso, made the plea in a statement in Lagos released on Monday night.

    Omotoso said that the call became necessary after a joint meeting between the State Commissioners for Health; Establishments, Training and Pensions, and Head of Service with the Medical Guild, Association of Resident Doctors and relevant stakeholders on the warning strike.

    He noted that the state government was disappointed at the warning strike embarked upon by the Guild.

    The commissioner said that most issues raised by the Guild had been resolved, while unresolved issues were still being deliberated upon.

    On some issues raised by the Guild, Omotoso said that the state was currently rotating health workers engaged in providing care at its isolation facilities.

    He said that health workers were not being unceremoniously dismissed from the isolation centres, but returned to their primary posting to reduce fatigue and burn out among them.

    According to him, the healthcare workers were being rotated to build capacity for treatment of COVID-19 across the health workforce and to ensure that many health workers benefit from the additional allowances.

    “Mr Governor has been extremely supportive of health workers being mindful of the extreme sacrifices that healthcare professionals are demonstrating in the COVID-19 response,” he said.

    On the non-payment of COVID-19 allowances for May and June, Omotoso said that the state government started paying extra special COVID-19 allowances for frontline workers who were involved directly with the state COVID-19 response.

    “This was put in place before any other state in the country, with payments as high as N672,000 per month, in addition to their normal remuneration packages for each cadre.

    “This represents financial incentives over and above that paid by their federal counterparts,” he said.

    On the Skipping Policy that places federal healthcare workers a Grade Level above their state counterparts, Omotoso said the policy was responsible for the disparity in the salary of state and federal doctors.

    “It is important to note that this is not in conformity with the Scheme of Service agreed by the National Council of Establishment and is a subject of litigation in the Federal Court of Appeal.

    “Therefore, the State Government cannot implement such a policy until judgment is delivered,” he said.

    Omotoso maintained that a meeting had been scheduled with officials of the Lagos Internal Revenue Service (LIRS) to explore ways of reducing the tax burden on healthcare workers.

    He noted that the state government would fast track testing of health workers on a weekly basis, adding that emergency testing of health workers would also be arranged when necessary.

    “The Lagos State government recognizing that the state is the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic in the nation has gone over and beyond its duty of care to ensure that welfare of the medical workers in the state is placed as top priority,” he said.

    The commissioner said that the governor had given approval to the Health Service Commission to employ over 760 health workers of which at least 400 were doctors.

    Omotoso, however, said the pandemic had made the government to adjust the recruitment procedure, adding that it would conclude the first batch of recruitment within a month.

    He noted that all front line health workers in isolation centers had been insured by a consortium of insurance companies, adding all civil servants in the state, including all health workers, had also been insured by LASACO.

    Omotoso stated that the state government was committed to ensuring it won the COVID-19 battle.

    He advised the Guild to continue to explore dispute resolution processes provided by the state government to resolve all issues.

    The commissioner urged the Guild to bear in mind that this was an unusual time for the nation and the world.

    Omotoso assured citizens that services at all state-owned health facilities could still be accessed while the negotiation was ongoing with the Guild.

    It was recalled that the Medical Guild had on July 13 commenced three days warning strike over issues that affects their safety and welfare.