LAGOS STATE GOVERNMENT
OFFICE OF THE CHIEF PRESS SECRETARY TO THE GOVERNOR
PRESS RELEASE
- Governor Okays Bill To End ‘Cycle Of Gender-Based Violence’, Appoints Exec. Sec
Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on Monday, assented to the bill prohibiting Open Cattle Grazing and Trespass of Cattle on Land, signing the legislation into law 11 days after it was unanimously passed by the State House of Assembly and transmitted to the Executive arm for authorisation.
By implication, it is now criminal in Lagos for cattle rearers to occupy unapproved public areas and private land with their livestock for grazing. The law also prohibits the act of moving cattle round public places by herders.
The signing of the anti-open grazing law by the Governor followed the decision of Southern Governors’ Forum last August, setting the September deadline to pass the law across member States.
There have been crises witnessed in some States, resulting from alleged open grazing.
Although farmer-herder crisis is not pronounced in Lagos, the anti-open grazing law is expected to prevent the spillover of the menace into the State.
Sanwo-Olu, who assented to the bill during the State’s Executive Council meeting in Alausa, directed the security agencies to swing immediately into action and enforce provisions of the law.
He said: “By the powers vested in me as the Governor of Lagos State, I am signing the bill on Open Cattle Grazing and Trespass of Cattle on Land into law to prohibit issues associated with open grazing of livestock.”
The Governor also signed legislation transforming the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Response Team (DSVRT) into a full-blown agency.
The development coincided with the commemorative month dedicated to raising awareness on gender-based violence in the State. The Governor and members of the State’s cabinet wore attire with purple shades to support the campaign against sexual violence.
The DSVRT legislation provides for the establishment of Sexual Offenders’ Register that would help the State efficiently tackle violations in the communities.
After signing the law, Sanwo-Olu said: “Raising awareness about domestic and sexual violence is an important piece of working to end the cycle of violence. It is important to reiterate the State Government’s zero tolerance to all forms of sexual and gender-based violence. We will not rest on our oars until the menace is reduced to the barest minimum in Lagos.”
The Governor appointed Mrs. Titilola Vivour-Adeniyi as the Executive Secretary of the new agency.
Vivour-Adeniyi was the coordinator of the response team before the legislation was signed into law.
SIGNED
GBOYEGA AKOSILE
CHIEF PRESS SECRETARY
SEPTEMBER 20, 2021
LAGOS STATE GOVERNOR, SANWO-OLU APPLAUDS JULIUS BERGER-AFP FURNITURE QUALITY AS LEGENDRY
Julius Berger-AFP, the furniture production unit of Julius Berger Nigeria PLC has been applauded for regularly improving the standard of its diverse office and domestic furniture range for customers across Nigeria.
At the furniture and interior design exhibition held at Balmoral Event Centre inside the popular Federal Palace Hotel, Victoria Island Lagos last weekend, the State Governor, His Excellency, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, represented by his Special Adviser on Sustainable Development Goals, Mrs Solape Hammond, said: “…the expertise of this company has become legendary. The fact that the furniture designs are so creatively diverse and beautifully fit for purpose recommends Julius Berger-AFP for only substantively worthy, well-earned and most deserved commendation by every serious patrons of the furniture industry across Nigeria. Julius Berger-AFP has clearly positively impacted the furniture and interior design industry in Nigeria. I commend you.”
The Chief Executive Officer of NIREDOBA, a creative and aesthetics company, Mr Oluwaseun Aboderin in his remark at the Julius-Berger-AFP exhibition pavilion, said: “I have heard a lot about your organisation and now I have seen your clearly qualitatively matchless products and reliable after sales services first hand. As a critical watcher and stakeholder in the industry, and with your products and service quality that I see here today, this one thing I can and must say, the sky is the limit for Julius Berger-AFP. You are indeed Nigeria’s leading furniture production and most creative interior design company for the now and the future.”
In his remarks at a formal presentation mid-way into the event, AFP’s Sales Manager, Uche Uzoewulu, said the AFP provides “distinctive furnishings to accommodate unique specifications and taste…AFP’s collection of dining table sets, cabinets and sideboards come in a range of creative finishings and diverse styles that gives a customer a choice of marble, glass, wood or stone dining tables, and leather, wood or fabric chairs.”
Mr Uzoewulu added that the AFP derives its proud pedigree from the impeccably successful and highly acclaimed Julius Berger Nigeria Plc engineering standard and solution-oriented value chain. As an ambassador of the highly acclaimed Julius Berger brand, Uche said AFP continues to upgrade and upscale design and production standards progressively. Julius Berger-AFP, Uche promised, will only get qualitatively better to the satisfaction and happiness of every current and future customer. “We upgrade daily to better your experience when you use our products. AFP designs and produces premium quality furniture that balances function with aesthetics to create exotic spaces that invite and excite delightfully in many ways…. AFP designs consist of elegant pieces that radiate relaxation and tranquillity in the most personal and intimate way. The AFP’s bespoke furniture offerings represent a functional definition of a serene home experience, an oasis of personal style and innovation at its peak”, Uche further said.
The hundreds of VIP guests and customers who called at the Julius Berger-AFP’s pavilion included the representative of the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Mrs Kunle Makinde, Special Adviser to Lagos State Governor on Housing Mrs Toke Benson Awoyinka, Head of Service, Lagos State, Mr Hakeem Muri Okunola and Senior Special Assistant to the state Governor on Administration, Mrs. Titi Oshodi.
Other dignitaries who visited the Julius Berger-AFP exhibition pavilion were the CEO of Lagos State Aids Control Agency, Dr. Monsurat Adeleke, Managing Director of Lagos State Waterways Authority, Mr Oluwadamilola Emmanuel and a former Finance Commissioner in the State, Mr Olawale Edun.
LAGOS STATE GOVERNMENT
OFFICE OF THE CHIEF PRESS SECRETARY TO THE GOVERNOR
PRESS RELEASE
SECURITY OF LAGOS MUST REMAIN THE MILITARY’S PRIORITY – SANWO-OLU
- Governor Hosts Chief of Army Staff, Top Military Personnel
Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has called on service personnel in Lagos military commands to be fully committed to their constitutional responsibilities of keeping the peace and strengthening security in the State.
The Governor pledged the State Government would not waive its mandate to provide logistics support to all security agencies for continuous operations across the State, but urged the personnel to justify the confidence with improvement in security.
Sanwo-Olu spoke on Monday when he received the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Farouk Yahaya, in a courtesy visit at the State House, Marina.
The Army chief is in Lagos for traditional assessment of the military formations and warfare assets in the State.
The Governor said it was important to prioritise safety in the State, given its economic importance and geographic location as one of the country’s international borders. He said the State Government had shared a commendable relationship with the Army and other security agencies in Lagos, promising to strengthen the synergy.
He said: “Lagos has uniquely not only the land borders, it is also an international route in and out of the country through the air and waterways. The relationship we have been enjoying between the State Government and the entire security agencies, especially the Nigerian army, has been commendable. I acknowledge the leadership role being played by the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 81 Division with other security agencies in raising the bar of security surveillance, training, information sharing and collaboration in operations.
“From this robust engagement, we have developed a mechanism in which every agency works in synergy with others to improve the State’s security architecture. We have continued to experience improved security, calmness and safety. But there is much that needs to be done and this requires total commitment of our personnel. We will continue to give support to the security agencies to ensure not only their safety and that of the residents, but also the safety of visitors coming to do business in Lagos.”
Sanwo-Olu commended the Army for the progress recorded in improving security across the country, especially in the Northeast where terrorists and armed bandits are being degraded under the sophisticated firepower of the military.
The Governor said the Army chief’s sterling pedigree informed the choice of the President to appoint him in the position, pointing out that Yahaya started well, given the successes recorded by the military in the last four months.
Sanwo-Olu urged the Army chief to build on the collaboration with Lagos Government in the area of intelligence sharing and rapid response to curb kidnapping, vandalism and other peculiar security challenges.
“In the last four months you took over the leadership of the Nigerian army, we have seen all the strategic efforts you’ve started to bring in. We know that, at some point in time, it would get to our turn in Lagos to further raise the morale of your men serving here,” the Governor said.
Yahaya said he was excited after learning about the robust collaboration existing between the Army and other security agencies operating in Lagos, thanking the Governor for the support towards operations of the Army in the State.
The service chief, who disclosed that part of his mission in Lagos was to boost the morale of his men, promised to improve on the collaboration.
He said: “We will do our best to ensure security is enhanced across Lagos and other parts of the country.”
Army top officers in the entourage of the COAS include GOC 81 Division, Maj. Gen. L.A. Fejokwu, Commander of Training and Doctrine, Maj. Gen. S.O. Olabanji, Chief of Logistics, Maj. Gen. O.A. Akintade, and Chief of Army Operations, Maj. Gen. O.T. Akinjobi.
Others are Chief of Military Intelligence, Brig. Gen. D.I. Salihu, Commander of 9th Brigade, Brig. Gen. M.L. Saraso, Provost Marshall, Maj. Gen. O.R. Aiyenigba and Chief of Staff to the COAS, Brig. Gen. A.M. Umar.
SIGNED
GBOYEGA AKOSILE
CHIEF PRESS SECRETARY
SEPTEMBER 20, 2021
LAGOS STATE GOVERNMENT
OFFICE OF THE CHIEF PRESS SECRETARY TO THE GOVERNOR
PRESS RELEASE
COVID-19: SANWO-OLU CHARGES WORLD LEADERS ON VACCINE EQUITY, SAYS LAGOS TARGETS 30 PERCENT VACCINATION RATE FIRST YEAR
- Fela’s Afrika Shrine Agog as Governor Hosts Global Citizen Live Concert
Free access to Coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccines is one of the strategies designed by the United Nations (UN) to kickstart global recovery, especially in cities that are signatories to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) framework. How is Lagos State, the most populous mega city in Africa, faring in its recovery plan?
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on Saturday, gave detailed explanation on how the State Government had expanded access to vaccines since the vaccination programme began in March and the State’s projection to protect its residents and environment.
The Governor spoke at the 2021 Global Citizen Live Concert held at Fela’s Afrika Shrine in Ikeja. Audiences in 11 cities across the world, including Paris, Seoul, London, Sidney, New York and Los Angeles, witnessed the live event held in honour of frontline and essential workers in the battle against the global pandemic.
Global Citizen Live is a 24-hour global event initiated in six continents to unite the world in defending the planet against diseases and defeating poverty.
A-list Nigerian musical artistes that performed live during the international concert included Femi Kuti, Davido, Tiwa Savage and Made Kuti, among others.
As the epicentre of the pandemic outbreak, Sanwo-Olu said Lagos had pursued a radical vaccination programmes, which led to the administration of 16,000 jabs of vaccines daily. This, the Governor said, is a far cry from what was projected in achieving herd immunity.
Sanwo-Olu disclosed that 405,000 residents had received first doses of AstraZeneca, while 289,000 persons returned for their second doses. The State, he said, administered 230,000 first shots of Moderna to raise the vaccinated population to about 1.2 per cent within five months.
He said: “Our vaccination rate is far below the minimum target of 60 per cent recommended by the World Health Organisation (W.H.O) per city population. At the current rate, it would take about three years to achieve our herd immunity target. We cannot continue at this speed if we seriously want to beat this virus.
“To safely achieve herd immunity against COVID-19, a substantial proportion of our population would need to be vaccinated to lower the overall amount of virus able to spread in the whole population. One of the objectives of attaining herd immunity is to prevent mutations from emerging leading to more aggressive strains. It is important that Lagos achieves herd immunity at the same time with all countries together.”
Sanwo-Olu noted the situation of unequal distribution of vaccines in which richer nations secured more doses than the size of their populations and are preparing to roll out booster shots, while poorer countries struggled to administer first doses, threatening the global efforts to end the pandemic.
He said vaccine equity remained the only path to toe by world leaders to end the pandemic. To do this, the Governor said the world must ensure that vaccines were available to all, especially poorer countries that had struggled with supply.
On how Lagos is creating access and ramping up vaccination, Sanwo-Olu said the Government was leveraging the private sector funding, capacity and infrastructure to scale up availability and distribution.
He said: “Our proposal to the private sector is to reserve and administer 50 per cent of the vaccines procured in partnership with the private sector to be made available free of charge at Government health centres. We propose to deploy a proven system where those who can pay for vaccines subsidise the cost of vaccination for those who cannot.
“Given the fact that we expect COVID-19 vaccinations to be annual going forward, this is the only sustainable path towards achieving herd immunity and making Lagos free of the virus. With our approach, we expect to vaccinate 30 per cent of the population of Lagos within one year. This will put us on a better and more sustainable path towards herd immunity. We expect COVID-19 vaccinations to be an annual programme, going forward, as this is the only way to making Lagos free of the virus.”
The Governor urged Nigerians to continue to be law-abiding and comply with the travel guidelines stipulated by the Presidential Steering Committee to prevent the importation of new variants. He reiterated that observation of social distancing and personal hygiene would break the cycle of community transmission of the virus.
SIGNED
CHIEF PRESS SECRETARY
GBOYEGA AKOSILE
SEPTEMBER 19, 2021
PRESIDENT BUHARI DIRECTS INCORPORATION OF NNPC LTD, APPOINTS BOARD
President Muhammadu Buhari, in his capacity as Minister of Petroleum Resources, has directed the incorporation of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited.
This is in consonance with Section 53(1) of the Petroleum Industry Act 2021, which requires the Minister of Petroleum Resources to cause for the incorporation of the NNPC Limited within six months of commencement of the Act in consultation with the Minister of Finance on the nominal shares of the Company.
The Group Managing Director of the NNPC, Mr Mele Kolo Kyari, has, therefore, been directed to take necessary steps to ensure that the incorporation of the NNPC Limited is consistent with the provisions of the PIA 2021.
Also, by the power vested in him under Section 59(2) of the PIA 2021, President Buhari has approved the appointment of the Board and Management of the NNPC Limited, with effect from the date of incorporation of the Company.
Chairman of the Board is Senator Ifeanyi Ararume, while Mele Kolo Kyari and Umar I. Ajiya are Chief Executive Officer, and Chief Financial Officer, respectively.
Other Board Members are; Dr Tajudeen Umar (North East), Mrs Lami O. Ahmed (North Central), Mallam Mohammed Lawal (North West), Senator Margaret Chuba Okadigbo (South East), Barrister Constance Harry Marshal (South South), and Chief Pius Akinyelure (South West).
Femi Adesina
Special Adviser to the President
(Media and Publicity)
September 19, 2021