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Tag: Lagos State Govt

  • Lagos State Govt Extends Okada Ban To Four More LGAs

    Lagos State Govt Extends Okada Ban To Four More LGAs

    The Lagos State Government has extended the ban on commercial motorcycles, better known as Okada, to four more Local Government Areas.

    Transportation Commissioner, Frederic Oladeinde, who disclosed this during a briefing in Lagos on Thursday, said the move followed a review of the impact of a similar ban in six local government areas.

    “Based on the apparent positive impact of the ban and the resolution of the Stakeholders’ forum, Mr. Governor has approved the ban of Okada in another four(4) LGs and their respective five (5) LCDAs for the 2nd Phase of the total ban, in addition to the on-going ban in the six (6) LGs and their respective LCDAs,” the commissioner explained.

    He listed the affected council areas and LCDAs as Kosofe Local Government,  Oshodi-Isolo Local Government; Shomolu Local Government, and Mushin Local Government.

    The commissioner assured Lagosians that the government has put measures in place to cushion the impact of the most recent ban on Okada in the commercial city, reiterating that the move is in the best interest of residents.

    “This decision is to further consolidate on the achievements made so far with particular reference to decline in accident and crime rate as well as to continue to bring sanity to our communities within the State,” he added.

    “While the ban is in force, the public is advised to resort to alternative and sustainable means of transportation provided in the State such as the First and Last Mile Transport Scheme, the BRT Scheme, the Lagos e-hailing taxi Scheme (Lagride), and other acceptable modes of transportation to go about their daily activities.”

    The commissioner also said, “the State Government has directed the Nigeria Police Force, and the Lagos Command with all relevant stakeholders (i.e Army, Navy, Air Force, other security and law enforcement formations within the State) to be complimented by the ‘Anti-Okada Squad’ that will be deployed to these new locations in a bid to stimulate seamless implementation and enforcement of the phase two ban in the State”.

  • Lagos State Govt. Releases Guidelines on Abortion

    Lagos State Govt. Releases Guidelines on Abortion

    The Lagos State Government has developed and launched guidelines for the development of safe and lawful abortion services within the ambit of the state’s criminal law.

    The Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Health, Dr. Olusegun Ogboye, presented a 40-page policy document tagged “Lagos State Guidelines on Safe Termination of Pregnancy for Legal Indications” at a stakeholders’ engagement on Tuesday.

    Dr. Ogboye said the need was borne out of the desire for evidence-based data and information for health workers in public and private sectors.

    Ogboye explained that while therapeutic termination of pregnancy is permissible under the law in Lagos State, the post-procedure absence of clear guidelines has stalled the effective implementation at appropriate levels of care resulting in preventable deaths.

    His words: “In 2011, the Lagos State House of Assembly updated the criminal code, providing for abortion to save the life and protect the physical health of the woman.

    “While physical health is covered under the Lagos legal framework, services conforming to the law have not been available in the procedure of the State health sector.

    “This document provides information on relevant laws applicable in Lagos State while providing standards and best practices with regards to legal indications, pre, and post-procedure care, methods, the and monitoring.

    “I must state here that this document has undergone wide consultation with relevant technical stakeholders within the legal and health service context in the State.”

    Ogboye said the follow-up development of the guidelines commenced in 2018 with the Safe Engage project led by the Lagos Ministry of Health and hosted by the Society for Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Nigeria (SOGON), with support from the Population Reference Bureau (PRB).

    He noted that stakeholders in the state’s health sector worked with key opinion leaders in Lagos and the southwest region to develop a tailored advocacy tool for terminations within the legal context.

    He also pointed out that the advocacy messages on the Safe Engage project focused on ensuring that safe abortion services were available within legal indications in Lagos, and domesticating the Violence Against Persons Prohibition, VAPP, Act supporting women to terminate a pregnancy caused by rape or incest.

    “To guide the implementation, one of the follow-up outcomes recommendations of the project was the adaptation of the National Standards and Guidelines for Safe Termination of Pregnancy within Legal Indications within the Lagos State context.

    “The Federal Ministry of Health had developed and disseminated the national guidelines on safe termination of pregnancy which highlights the compendium of conditions and circumstances under which termination of pregnancy could be instituted.

    “The guideline was intended to build the capacity of health professionals to identify pregnancies for which legal termination could be instituted.

    “Marie Stopes International in Nigeria in collaboration with the Population Reference Bureau proposed to support the State government to adapt the document.”

    Further, Ogboye said that the process for National guidelines adaptation included technical meetings to discuss sections of the law supporting safe abortion and conditions permitted within the legal framework to save the lives and the physical health of mothers; and validation meetings with the broader stakeholders to review the document.

    “All that hard work has culminated in today’s dissemination of the guidelines. We hope this dissemination today will help guide health providers to provide this service within the ambit of the law”, Ogboye stated.

    The Country Director, Marie Stopes International Organisation Nigeria, MSION, Mr. Emmanuel Ajah, stated that the development and dissemination of the policy document have once again proven that Lagos is leading the way for State-level intervention to stem the tide of unsafe abortion and give women and girls improved health outcomes.

    Noting that abortion in Nigeria is not illegal but restrictive, Ajah said significant numbers of health providers are unaware of the legal indications for safe termination of pregnancy.

    He stressed the importance of healthcare providers with the responsibility to determine when the life of the woman is in danger as prescribed in Nigeria’s laws need to have the right understanding and make those critical decisions based on sound medical judgment and not on religion, culture, or other biases.

    “The domestication of this policy provides that needed guidance to healthcare providers on medical conditions in pregnancy that pose a high risk to the woman’s life and health if the pregnancy progresses to term, and on the standard management of abortion within the extent of the law in Lagos state.

    “This policy is a demonstration of the commitment of the Lagos state government to improving maternal health, especially mitigating the impact of unsafe abortion practices in the State,” Ajah stated.

    The Vice-Chancellor, University of Medical Sciences, Otukpo, Prof. Innocent Ujah, who was one of the Consultants who developed the document, said the enunciation, deployment, providing, and use of the guidelines will preserve the lives of pregnant women and women whose physical or mental health would be compromised with the continuation of their pregnancies.

    On her part, a Professor of Law at the University of Lagos, Prof. Ayodele Atsenuwa explained that the Lagos State Criminal law of 2011 only prohibits unlawful abortion.

    Atsenua observed that the document clarifies and explains what lawful termination of pregnancy means in the context of the law adding that education of law enforcement officers is important with regards to providing and understanding the context of the law.

  • Lagos State Govt Shutdown Chrisland Schools Over Alleged Abuse

    Lagos State Govt Shutdown Chrisland Schools Over Alleged Abuse

    The Lagos State government has shut down all branches of Chrisland Schools in various parts of the state over an alleged sexual abuse of one of its pupils.

    A statement from the government amid controversy over the issue, involving some pupils of the school taken on a trip to Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE), said the matter was being investigated.

    “In the meantime, all Chrisland Schools within Lagos State are hereby closed, pending further investigations,” the government said.

    The full statement read, “The attention of the Lagos State Government has been drawn to the alleged sexual violence case involving students of Chrisland Schools which occurred in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

    “It is pertinent to note that all allegations are being investigated by the relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies, including Ministry of Education, Office of Education Quality Assurance, Ministry of Youth and Social Development, Ministry of Justice and the Lagos State Domestic & Sexual Violence Agency, whilst the criminal allegations have been escalated to the Commissioner of Police.

    “In view of the allegations, we are committed to ensuring that adequate medical and pscyho social support is provided.

    “This is to reassure members of the public of the State Government’s commitment to safety and child protection, especially in ensuring that all child-centered institutions within the state, formulate and implement policies and systems that are compliant with the Executive Order (NO.EO/AA08 of 2016), Lagos State Safeguarding and Child Protection Program.

    “We also use this medium to remind the general public that any person who engages in any visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct involving a child, commits an offence and is liable to custodial sentence of fourteen (14) years. This includes “producing, distributing, receiving, or possessing an image of child pornography”.

    “In the meantime, all Chrisland Schools within Lagos State are hereby closed, pending further investigations.”

    In reaction to the controversy, the Lagos State Police Command said it would ensure that justice is served.

    In a statement on Monday, the spokesman for the command, Benjamin Hundeyin, explained that the police have commenced an investigation to ascertain the identities of those involved and to gather other relevant information.

    “The attention of the Lagos State Police Command has been drawn to an alleged rape video purportedly depicting students of Chrisland School Lagos, going viral on social media,” said Hundeyin who is a Superintendent of Police.

    “The command has commenced investigations into the matter with a view to establishing the identities of the players in the video, the true incident in the video, the geographical location of the incident, the alleged threat to life against a student of the school, and circumstances surrounding the alleged repeated pregnancy tests conducted on a student without parental consent.

    “The command is equally taking cognisance of the cybercrime angle to the whole episode and would not hesitate to enlist the support of the Interpol should the need arise. For a holistic and unbiased investigation, the command shall be working with relevant ministries, departments, agencies, and non-governmental organisations.”

  • Lagos State Govt. To Prosecute Defaulters Of COVID-19 Guidelines

    Lagos State Govt. To Prosecute Defaulters Of COVID-19 Guidelines

    The Lagos State Government has commenced prosecution of inbound international passengers who fail to submit themselves for Day Two and Day Seven PCR tests as mandated by the Federal COVID-19 protocols and guidelines.

    According to a statement issued on Tuesday by the Director, Public Affairs, of the Health Ministry, Tunbosun Ogunbanwo, the move became necessary as a result of the dramatic rise in COVID-19 positive cases seen in the evolving fourth wave.

    “Lagos State Government is concerned with the dramatic rise in cases seen in the evolving fourth wave. Identifying that our previous waves are associated with non-compliance of inbound passengers with the testing guidelines, we have commenced prosecution of inbound international passengers who fail to submit themselves for Day Two and Day Seven PCR tests as mandated by the Federal COVID-19 protocols and guidelines,” Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi was quoted to have said.

    “In addition, unvaccinated inbound passengers and anyone testing positive for COVID-19 are mandated to self-isolate at home for seven days. We will be sanctioning anyone found to be disregarding these guidelines, which are designed to minimize the community transmission of COVID and its variants”.

    The Commissioner further disclosed that the State government has started contacting the defaulting passengers and patients for arraignment before a mobile court for special offenses.

    Abayomi explained that defaulting recalcitrant persons who flout the testing and isolation guidelines has been ongoing for a while and is responsible for previous waves of infection in Lagos.

    He added that the alarming trend of defaulters constitutes a State and National public health and security threat, and sabotages all efforts to mitigate and reduce the impact of the fourth wave on citizens and the economy of the State.

    According to him, inbound passengers are likely to be carrying new variants of COVID-19 whose clinical implications and impact are not yet clearly understood amongst the population.

    Abayomi noted that any citizen with symptoms of COVID or who test positive for the virus and refuse to isolate is inadvertently placing other innocent citizens at risk stressing that this can result in severe sickness and death particularly in vulnerable persons. He added that this also places an undue burden on State health resources.

    He said: “From our data analysis, we discovered that only about 20 per cent of inbound passengers who pay for the COVID-19 PCR tests prior to their arrival in Lagos actually submit themselves for the tests on the required day at our designated laboratories. Our data also shows that a significant number of inbound passengers who actually do the tests on the designated days are testing positive and if they don’t self-isolate they pose a serious threat to the states ability to manage the fourth wave.

    “To protect the rest of our citizens from this irresponsible behaviour, the Lagos State Government is taking some decisive actions. We have started contacting all those that have not done their Day two and Day seven tests by text messages. These messages are not a scam. We advise that if you receive such a message please respond and present yourselves before the mobile court to explain why you did not do the Day two or Day seven PCR tests as required. If we are unable to reach you by SMS, it implies that you have given us false information on your data forms, this in itself is also an offense.

    “If we cannot reach you or you fail to present to a mobile court, your passport details will be forwarded to the Presidential Steering Committee on COVID-19 and the Immigration Department who will in turn deactivate the passport of such persons for a year. And this basically means that they will not be able to travel out of the country for a period of one year”.

    The Commissioner noted that the State government will not fold its arms and watch the irresponsible actions of some citizens erode the success recorded in the war against COVID-19 stressing that the battle against the global pandemic is a shared responsibility and the State now has elaborate laws to protect its citizens from the impacts of contagious pandemics.

    Abayomi advised passengers coming into Lagos to obey and abide by the laid down protocols, noting that ignorance of the law will not be an acceptable excuse.

    “It is also important to note that if you are positive on day two of entry into Lagos it may be likely that you are in possession of a fake PCR test that you used to board the inbound flight. This will also be investigated through our international networks. Fake PCR tests certificates and vaccination cards from any part of the world can be verified and will attract severe sanctions. Please do not solicit or entertain any offers to provide fake results or certificates”, he said.

  • Lagos State Govt shuts down Ojodu Grammar school

    Lagos State Govt shuts down Ojodu Grammar school

    The Lagos State Government has shut down Bab Fafunwa Millennium School, Ojodu, formerly Ojodu Grammar School until January 2022.

    The state Commissioner for Education, Folashade Adefisayo made the announcement when she visited the school on Wednesday morning, December 8.

    A trailer had on Tuesday crushed some pupils of the school. Some of the students died on the spot, while some others were injured.

    The incident sparked outrage among the students and inhabitants of the area.

    Early this morning, students of the school protested the death of their colleagues.

    Also, some parents trooped to the school on Wednesday to protest the death of the students.

    They lamented that school was not immediately shut down after the incident.

    One of them said, “Why should the school reopen. The street is still smelling of the flesh of dead bodies. The exam should be postponed and students given automatic promotion is possible.”

    While weeping, a mother lamented that “It is embarrassing that the school reopened today. How will the government do such? What do they want other mothers to be thinking of. My daughter is not in school and I have come to tell them that she must not fail. If they are heartless, I am not.”

    Meanwhile, the General Manager of Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, Bolaji Oreagba, has disowned the allegation that officials of the agency were involved in the unfortunate truck accident.

    Oreagba said, “From the reports we received on the incidence, the driver is believed to have lost control of the vehicle, probably because of mechanical reasons. The police are investigating the matter; the public should await their report.

    “LASTMA does not have a traffic management duty post around the accident scene. And all patrol personnel had reported back to base for the daily parade as at the time the accident occurred leaving only those at their traffic management posts,” Oreagba noted.
    Adefisayo said the state government will release an “explicit” statement later in the day containing an official death count and more details about what led to the tragic accident.

  • Lagos State Govt Urges ‘Restraint’ Over #EndSARS Panel Report

    Lagos State Govt Urges ‘Restraint’ Over #EndSARS Panel Report

    The Lagos State Government has called for restraint over the report of the Judicial Panel of Inquiry on Restitution for Victims of SARS Related Abuses and Other Matters.

    On Monday, the Panel submitted its report to the Lagos State Government.

    However, a leaked version of the report indicting the state government and the Nigerian Army was released on the Internet.

    Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has set up a committee to review the panel’s report, which is yet to be released officially.

    In a statement issued on Thursday, the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso, said the state government has recognised the various reactions that have trailed the report.

    “The Lagos State Government has noted the various reactions that have followed the submission of the report of the Judicial Panel of Inquiry on Restitution for Victims of SARS Related Abuses and Other Matters,” he said.

    “There have been arguments in the public space over the report. There is a need for us to restrain ourselves from nullifying the good intentions of the government in setting up this Panel, which was well encouraged to do its job – a fact that was acknowledged by the Panel.

    “In accordance with the Tribunal of Inquiry Law 2015, a committee has been set up to bring up a White Paper on the report to determine the next line of action. At the appropriate time, the Government will make known its views on all the issues raised by the Panel through the release of a White Paper.”

  • Lagos State Govt orders release of 253 #EndSARS protesters

    Lagos State Govt orders release of 253 #EndSARS protesters

    Mr Moyosore Onigbanjo (SAN), Lagos State Attorney-General (A-G), has ordered the release of 253 persons arrested by police over their alleged roles in the unrest following the #EndSARS protests.

    The A-G said the in a statement that his office had determined that there was a nondisclosure of a prima-facie case against the 253 persons by the police.

    The statement, signed by Mr Kayode Oyekanmi, Director of Public Affairs, Lagos State Ministry of Justice and made available on Sunday, said 92 persons would, however, be prosecuted.

    The A-G said the police had, between Nov. 4 and Nov. 5, forwarded 40 case files to the Directorate of Public Prosecution (DPP) in respect of the 361 persons arrested in respect of crimes that occurred in connection with the protests.

    “Legal advice has been issued in respect of all the 40 case files received.

    “As at Nov. 6, the Directorate has been able to despatch legal advice in respect of 81 persons that are being charged to the various courts.
    The others will be despatched to court on Monday Nov. 9 .

    “Out of the 361 persons, the DPP shall be prosecuting 92 persons for different offences ranging from arson, stealing, breaking into buildings, armed robbery and murder.

    “The office has advised that 253 persons be released forthwith for non-disclosure of a prima facie case.

    “In the meantime, two case files in respect of 16 persons have been advised for further investigation by the police,” the statement said.

    The A-G in the statement assured members of the public that his office would ensure that those arrested by the police are treated in accordance with the due process of the law.

    Onigbanjo also noted that his office remained committed to maintaining the rule of law and ensuring peace and order in the state. 

  • BREAKING: Lagos State Govt. impose 24-hours curfew

    BREAKING: Lagos State Govt. impose 24-hours curfew

    Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu has imposed a 24-hour curfew on the state effective 4pm on Tuesday .

    He said, “I have watched with shock how what began as a peaceful #EndSARS protest has degenerated into a monster that is threatening the well-being of our society. Lives and limbs have been lost as criminals and miscreants are now hiding under the umbrella of these protests to unleash mayhem on our State.

    “As a government that is alive to its responsibility and has shown a commitment to the movement #ENDSARS, we will not watch and allow anarchy in our dear state.

    “I, therefore, hereby impose a 24-hour curfew on all parts of the State as from 4pm today, 20th October, 2020. Nobody, except essential service providers and first responders must be found on the streets.”

    Details later…

  • Lagos State Govt cancels Independence day parade

    Lagos State Govt cancels Independence day parade

    The Lagos State Government has opted for a low key celebration of the 60th Independence Anniversary due to the ravaging effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, which is still with us.

    Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has directed that the planned parade and other activities that involve the gathering of more than 50 people should be canceled.

    The governor according to a statement signed by the state commissioner for information and strategy, Gbenga Omotosho, congratulated Lagosians on the auspicious occasion and strongly advised that they should celebrate quietly at home and pray for the country.

    They should according to the governor also observe the COVID-19 protocols, including wearing of face masks to protect themselves and their loved ones.

    The Governor urged Lagosians not to relax their vigilance against COVID-19 so as not to reverse the gains that the state has made in fighting the disease.

    They are to keep embracing social distancing and washing of hands with soap and water.

    The governor called on anybody who feels unwell to stay indoors and contact health authorities.

    The police and other security agencies have been directed to ensure that nobody flouts these directives in the interest of all, especially now that the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) is warning that a second wave of the deadly disease could occur.