LAGOS STATE GOVERNMENT PRESS STATEMENT ON BANANA ISLAND BUILDING COLLAPSE
The Lagos State Government has launched a probe into the collapse of a seven-storey building under construction on Banana Island, Ikoyi, following a directive by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
Nobody died in the incident, which occurred on Wednesday – as of the time of this report. Twenty-five people were rescued from the site, which Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) scanned with a high-precision 3-D Laser Imagery System for life, and found no evidence of anyone trapped in the rubble. A roll call has also been done by the site supervisors, with everyone accounted for.
Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) has continued with the excavation of the site, using the architectural designs. The site has been divided into quadrants for a painstaking search and rescue operation.
Presently, quadrants 2 and 3 have been levelled to ground zero, with the search operation completed. Quadrants 1 and 4 are ongoing.
Physical Planning and Urban Development Commissioner Bamgbose-Martins, an engineer and Special Duties Special Adviser Mobolaji Ogunlende are
co-ordinating the operations. LASEMA Permanent Secretary Dr Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu is leading the search-and-rescue efforts.
Commissioner for Health Prof. Akin Abayomi has visited the site and hospitals where victims of the incident were admitted.
Of the 25 persons rescued by LASEMA, 16 with moderate injuries were admitted at General Hospital, Odan, Lagos Island and Police Hospital Falomo for treatment and care. Nine others with minor injuries, such as bruises, were treated and discharged at the site by Lagos State Ambulance Services (LASAMBUS).
Of the 16 persons on admission, 11 were taken to Police Hospital Falomo. Eight of the 11 persons have been treated and discharged. Some are required to come for daily follow-up and management. Three with various injuries, including blunt traumatic chest injury, knee injuries, deep lacerations and others, are on admission.
At the General Hospital Odan, Lagos Island, there are five patients with more serious injuries.
The State Government, as a matter of policy, will be responsible for the emergency treatment and care, including the medical bills of the patients on admission, It will also provide a post-trauma counselling support and care for all victims through the Lagos MiND programme (Mental Health in Development) – a free mental health counselling and support service provided by the Ministry of Health.
Preliminary investigations have shown that the incident occurred during concrete casting. Eyewitnesses said one of the concrete mixer trucks rammed into some load-bearing columns of the building, causing a loud bang and leading to the collapse.
The building was hitherto sealed by the Lagos State Government for not having the approval to commence construction, but the developers continued to build, hiding under the security of their estate/gated community.
Mr Governor has directed that all developments on Banana Island be placed on hold, subject to a comprehensive audit by the officials of the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA). This is to determine:
- how many buildings are being constructed without approval from the Lagos State Government; and
- if all approved buildings are being built in line with the approval limits provided.
This exercise will be extended to other estates and gated communities.
Gbenga Omotoso
HC, Information & Strategy
13th April 2023
President-elect Tinubu sues for peaceful, non-violent Supplementary Election
As the Independent National Electoral Commission holds Supplementary Elections across the country tomorrow, I call on Nigerians in the areas slated for the polls to conduct themselves peacefully and eschew violence and any act prejudicial to orderly electoral processes.
INEC will conduct supplementary Governorship Elections in Adamawa and Kebbi states, five Senatorial Districts, and 31 Federal and 58 State Assembly constituencies across the federation tomorrow.
This supplementary election is as important as the first set of elections, the Presidential and National Assembly poll held on February 25 and the Governorship and State Houses of Assembly election organised on March 18.
As the last leg of the 2023 general election, we must ensure that the electoral processes are brought to a final, peaceful conclusion.
I urge all Nigerians in areas where the additional polls will take place to eschew violence and conduct themselves in an orderly and peaceful manner.
We should desist from acts prejudicial to the conduct of orderly polls or that will threaten the very existence of the country. It’s only when there is a country that aspirants to political offices can have seats to contest for and the electorate have people seeking their votes.
Like the INEC officers, the candidates and the electorate, therefore, have a solemn responsibility in this election. They must ensure that the additional polls are conducted not only freely and fairly, but also devoid of tension, acrimony and violence that will threaten the very fabric that hold the country together.
I must also use this opportunity to enjoin my All Progressives Congress members and the teeming supporters in the areas listed for the polls to come out in their large numbers to cast their votes for the party’s candidates.
Our party members and supporters should vote overwhelmingly for APC to complement and solidify the victory we recorded in the earlier polls. This will no doubt help in the effective functioning of government at the federal and state levels for the benefit of our people.
On this note, I wish INEC, all voters in the various polling units in these elections, the candidates and parties involved a very successful supplementary poll.
SIGNED
President-elect,
Asíwájú Bola Tinubu
April 14, 2023
PRESS RELEASE
LASG LAUNCHES CITIZENS GATE 2.0, AN UPGRADE ON CITIZEN’S ENGAGEMENT PLATFORM FOR TRANSPARENCY
The Lagos State Government on Thursday launched its upgraded citizen and government communication and multichannel platform named “Citizens Gate 2.0 App,” a citizen engagement platform, aimed at bringing governance closer to the people.
The Citizens Gate 2.0 is an improvement on the 1.0 version designed to accommodate interactions between the government and the citizens. The platform is expected to deliver economic and social benefits to investors and the entire citizens of Lagos State as a drive toward the Smart City status.
The pillars of the Citizens Gate application center on Citizen participation, Open Communication, and Transparency on the part of the government. It will also offer Social benefits such as Feedback Mechanism, Population Profiling, Capturing Accurate Public Opinion, Tracking and Enforcing Government Performances, Security/Community Policing, LASRRA registration and verification, and Access to day-to-day activities across MDAs.
Speaking during a press conference held on Thursday at the Bagauda Kaltho Press Centre, Alausa, Ikeja to unveil the Soft Launch of the Upgraded Lagos Citizens Gate platform, Special Adviser to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Civic Engagement, Princess Aderemi Adebowale, said the platform was conceived to have an all-inclusive government in the State where citizens can participate pragmatically in the process of governance.
“The Citizens Gate 2.0 Platform is an application that interfaces with the citizens of Lagos State and is expected to take governance to the doorstep of Lagosians irrespective of their social class for all-inclusive governance while bringing governance closer to the governed,” she said.
Adebowale also disclosed that the platform is a web and App-based e-governance channel that enables “access to and delivery of public goods i.e government information, public assets and service through a well-defined customer relationship management infrastructure that capitalizes on both physical ICT hardware and soft human skills.”
She said: “The Citizens Gate 2.0 platform will enable citizens to navigate all existing MDAs websites and build a road map for a greater citizen’s engagement as a One-Stop-Shop for everything about Lagos State, addressing several issues, inquiries, complaints, suggestions, commendations, and giving the citizens and visitors.
“We expect that the One Stop–Shop aspect of the Citizens Gate will allow end users to sit comfortably at home or on their handheld mobile device, navigate and connect with all MDAs at a go without any difficulties.”
She appreciated Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu for what she described as “his unflinching support” on the completion of the project by graciously approving funds while acknowledging other stakeholders.
Adebowale also commended the Lagos State Government for blazing the trail in bringing governance to the people via mobile phones and the internet through the deployment of the more robust platform, a web and app-based e-governance channel that enables access to and delivery of public goods.
In his remark, the Commissioner for Science and Technology, Lagos, Mr. Hakeem Fahm, said the platform is a mechanism to leverage technology for most government activities.
He said the State through the platform would continue to leverage technology to bring governance closer to the people, enhance feedback mechanism, transparency as well as the real-time interface while thanking the office for getting the citizens involved.
Fahm while appreciating the Office of Civic Engagement for the custody of the platform, assured his Ministry’s support to do due diligence for its expansion and management.
Also speaking, the Special Adviser to Governor Sanwo-Olu on Works and Infrastructure, Engr (Mrs) Aramide Adeyoye, described the platform as a mechanism of bringing “participatory governance to the doorstep of citizens.”
Lagos State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Gbenga Omotoso said the platform would do good to bridge gaps identified between the government and the people.
He said the platform is a useful tool and would ensure participatory governance while keeping Lagosians involved scientifically, adding that it is a very worthy process in bridging the communication gap.