14 news Lagos Attack On Gov Fayemi Unfair – Lagos Assembly The Lagos State House of Assembly has condemned the attack on members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the governor of Ekiti State, Dr Kayode Fayemi in Ado Ekiti during the party’s campaign rally on Sunday, describing it as unfair. Chairman, House Committee on Information, Strategy, Security and Publicity, representing Epe Constituency II, Hon Segun Olulade dropped the hint in a release issued yesterday. The assembly also condemned Commander Michael Serenkele who led a team of mobile policemen to tear-gas and assault Governor Kayode Fayemi, for acting PDP script, noting that the police force has degenerated under the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan as the force has allowed itself to be used continuously by the federal government. While accusing the police of insensitivity to their role as defenders of public values, the lawmakers opined that there was no basis for commotion since the APC rally was not held the same day the PDP held its declaration rally, and APC rallies in the state have been peaceful except where its members were attacked by PDP or Labour Party. “I think it is high time the government of Goodluck Jonathan realised that the era of indiscriminate use of force to achieve political interests is gone. This is a democratic era and the continued use of force on all strata of the society that have divergent interests and opinions to those of the federal government should stop”, Olulade said.
Tuesday, June 10, 2014
2015: Protest Rocks Lagos APC Over Imposition Of Candidates By George Okojie, Lagos with Agency report
Aggrieved members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) yesterday took to the streets of Lagos to protest what they called imposition of candidates ahead of the 2015 general elections. The members operating under the aegis of New Lagos Movement, a pressure group within the party, who stormed Lagos House, Ikeja vowed to ensure that the majority have their way in the party. Mr Niyi Akinsinju, who led about 500 party supporters to the
office of the Lagos State governor in Alausa, accused the national leader of the party, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu of trying to impose candidates on the party. The protesters carried placards that read, ‘We are tired of one man’s decisions’; ‘No to autocracy’; ‘No more Oga-sope’; ‘No to Consensus Candidates’; ‘Leaders are not Rulers’ among others. They said the voice of the silent majority will be resurrected if the former governor of the state goes ahead to impose Mr Akinwunmi Ambode on the people of Lagos State as their next governor.
In a swift reaction, the chairman of the party in Lagos State, Otunba Henry Ajomale said he was surprised that some people were protesting over who should be the gubernatorial candidate of the party when the party has not made any such arrangement. APC Candidates Will Emerge Through Primaries – Fashola Meanwhile, Lagos State governor, Babatunde Fashola, yesterday assured that the APC in the state would conduct primaries to choose its flag bearers for various electoral positions. He gave the assurance when
“The New Lagos Movement”, a group within the party, staged a protest at Government House, Ikeja, against what they called imposition of candidates in APC. According to him, party members should not entertain fears of undemocratic emergence of candidates, stressing that no candidate would be imposed on them. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Mr Tunji Bello, the state commissioner for environment, addressed the protesters on behalf of the governor.
short news 2015 Guber: I Have God’s Approval – Lagos Speaker
By Taiwo Ogunmola Omilani, Lagos
N100b Suit: Court Orders Police, Others To Maintain Status Quo A Lagos High Court sitting in Badagry yesterday granted an interlocutory injunction, restraining the police, its privies/agents, and all defendants involved in a land dispute, from further engaging in any activities on the Atinporomeh Community land in Badagry, Lagos. Justice Yetunde Adesanya gave the order after listening to an application brought by one Sunday Onuya, on behalf of some members of the community, urging her to order parties to maintain status quo, until the substantive suit is determined. The court also fixed July 10 for ruling on a preliminary objection filed by the police, challenging the jurisdiction of the court to hear the suit. Twenty-two plaintiffs had commenced the suit under the Fundamental Rights Enforcement Procedure Rules, on behalf of other residents of the community. They include Charles Adu, Joshua Medepo, Godwin Ogungbe, Oluseyi Adeleye, Alao Alapanla, Johnson Adebiyi, Justice Ovemurai, Afolabi Olukoya, Ibrahim Adedeji, Kolawole Adewumi, Edun Talabi, Joseph Onwueka and others. By Olugbenga Soyele, Lagos
Members of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Lagos State Chapter, protest over alleged imposition of candidates by their leaders among other issues in Lagos, yesterday. PHOTO BY NAN
Lagos Goes Strict With Admission Into Secondary Schools By Taiwo Ogunmola Omilani, Lagos,
Lagos State government has said that admission of pupils into its public secondary schools will now be through a placement examination to be conducted throughout the state. Commissioner for education, Mrs Olayinka Oladunjoye who disclosed this in an interactive session with parents, teachers and other stakeholders in the education sector noted that the essence of the placement test is to
know the ability of the pupils to cope with the rigours of academics at the secondary school level, train and prepare them on how to sit and write examinations as well as prepare them psychologically for secondary school education. She pointed out that Saturday, July 5 is the date set aside for the placement test for admission into public secondary schools in the state for the 2014/15 academic session, adding that the examination would be conducted in 300 centres across the state. She explained that pupils are
expected to obtain 50% average scores in English and Mathematics in addition to 50% cumulative scores in the examinations before they can be considered for admission into public secondary schools. She said the introduction of the personalised Optical Mark Reader (OMR) system will go a long way in eliminating the incidence of examination malpractices as each answer sheet has been personalised for each candidate with his or her passport photograph boldly printed on the answer sheet.
The speaker of Lagos State House of Assembly, Mr Adeyemi Ikuforiji, yesterday indicated his intention to contest the governorship election in 2015. “I have called on God concerning my ambition and He has given me the approval to go ahead. “I have not come here to formally declare my ambition to be governor of Lagos State; what I am doing is to inform you of my intention. “When the time comes, I will do so and the whole of Lagos State will know,” he said at an interactive session with staff of the House. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Ikuforiji, who is from Epe in Lagos East Senatorial District, emerged speaker for the second run in 2011. By NAN
Bamanga’s Son Wants Court To Strike Out N1.8b Subsidy Fraud Charge By Olugbenga Soyele, Lagos
Mahmud Tukur, son of the immediate past chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Bamanga Tukur, yesterday urged a Lagos High Court in Ikeja to strike out the N1.8billion fuel subsidy fraud charge brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). Tukur and one of his associ-
ates, Alex Ochonogor, in the application challenging the jurisdiction of the court to hear the case, insisted that the proof of evidence did not support the offences alleged against them, adding that they should be discharged by the court. The two men were arraigned before Justice Lateef Lawal-Akapo by the EFCC on a nine-count charge of conspiracy, obtaining
money by false pretences, forgery and use of false documents. The accused persons, who were arraigned alongside their company, Eterna Plc and Abdullahi Alao, were alleged to have obtained N1.8billion from the federal government for the importation of 80.3 million litres of petroleum. At the resumed hearing of the case yesterday, their counsel, Tayo Oyetibo (SAN), while arguing the
application, submitted that the criminal charge preferred against his clients was an abuse of court process which should be struck out in the interest of justice. The lawyer said the subject matter of the case arose from a joint venture agreement between Eterna Plc, Axenergy Ltd., Sahara Energy Resources and Ontario Oil for the importation of fuel into the country.