Nigeria: Lagos State's N49 Billion Medical Park Ready Soon

Lagos State Government has said the proposed medical park that will cost a consortium of investors from the United States of America, about N49 billion will be completed within the next 20 months in Ikoyi area of the state.

The Special Adviser to the Lagos State governor on Overseas Affairs and Investment, Dr Ademola Abass, who disclosed this to journalists, said a total of 139 investment proposals had been received since the creation of the Office of Overseas Affairs and Investment, last year.

He added that the investment proposals totaling $34 billion currently receiving the consideration of Lagos State Government cut across sectors of the economy, including infrastructure, environment, health, manufacturing, real estate and transportation.

Abass said a proposal to manufacture pencils has been approved by the state executive council and land already allocated for the factory in Epe.

"Since inception of this administration, investors have shown considerable interest in tapping into the investment opportunities in Lagos, and so far, we have received investment propositions approximately worth $43 billion.

"The state government has approved a good number of investment proposals out of the 139 that are at various stages of consideration at the Office of Overseas Affairs and Investment," said Abass.

He said critical sectors with huge potential had been identified and scanned which investors can take advantage of. These include transportation, tourism, health, power, agriculture and housing.

Abass explained that within transportation sector, investors were expected take up construction and maintenance of jetties and roads as well as the operation of mass transit buses and rail system.

In the power sector, he said opportunity existed for the generation least 9,000 MW of electricity, while in tourism, investors stand to reap from protection and preservation of beaches, convention centers, hotels and motels, casinos, holiday resorts, amusement and parks.

He also pointed to opportunities in modern abattoirs, agro processing for export, storage facilities, dairy farming, livestock feeds production and development of settlements in the agricultural.

I escaped narrowly from Boko Haram – Emir of Askiria

 

The Emir of Askiria, Alhaji Abdullahi Muhammadu, said on Friday that he escaped narrowly from the members of the dreaded Boko Haram. 

The emir, who is a member of the ongoing national conference, said this in a text message to the Deputy Chairman of the conference, Prof. Bolaji Akinyemi.

Some hoodlums, suspected to be members of the dreaded Boko Haram sect, had invaded the convoy of dignitaries on their way to attend the funeral of the late Emir of Gombe, Alhaji Shehu Abubakar and made attempt to violently abduct some Emirs.

Muhammadu, who was among the emirs in the entourage, made a narrow escape as the hoodlums descended on him and other emirs.

The Assistant Secretary in charge of media and publicity of the conference, Mr. Akpandem James, who stated this in a statement in Abuja on Friday, said the conference was happy that the emir was able to escape.  

James said, “In response to a text message sent to him by the Deputy Chairman of the Conference, Professor Akinyemi, the Emir who was taking a deep breathe after the miraculous escape, said, ‘My deputy Chairman, I’m most grateful, it was a narrow escape.’

“Akinyemi in a solidarity message to the Emir said, ‘Your Royal Majesty, on behalf of the National Conference, please accept our heartfelt relief at the failure of the attack on your convoy. We thank Allah for your safety.’”

He added that Akinyemi who has been standing-in for the Kutigi since the demise of the latter’s wife on Wednesday, expressed the joy of the delegates over the escape of the Emir and whole heartedly condemned what he described as “cowardly and dastardly attack.”

It was gathered that two other Emirs, the Emir of Uba, Ismaila Mamza and Emir of Gwoza, Idrisa Tinta, all in Borno State were abducted during the incident carried out by gun-wielding insurgents.

The whereabouts of the respected traditional rulers were still unknown at the time of this statement on Thursday although security agents were said to have been on the heels of the abductors.

 

NDLEA nabs Malian with 4kg cannabis

 

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency on Friday said it had apprehended a 22-year-old Malian for being in possession of compressed cannabis weighing 4kg.
A statement issued in Lagos on Friday by the agency’s Head of Public Affairs, Mr Mitchell Ofoyeju, said that the suspect was a businessman and also a student at Guangdong University of Technology, China.
According to the statement, the suspect holds dual citizenship of Nigeria and Mali.
It said that the suspect was arrested at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos, while attempting to board a Kenyan Airways flight to China.
The statement said that the cannabis was hidden inside foodstuff like melon, dried bitter leaf and assorted local spices.
It said that the suspect, studying Chinese language, was travelling with a Malian international passport No. B0563273.
“Preliminary investigation revealed that his Ibo name is Ebuka Onyedigbo and he hails from Okija, Anambra State.
“Kone Ali has lived in Guangzhou, China, since March 2013.
“He was found with a student identification card of Guangdong University of Technology, China,” the statement said.
It quoted the NDLEA commander at the Lagos airport, Mr Hamza Umar, as saying that the suspect was nabbed while trying to check in his luggage.
The statement quoted Umar as saying that the arrest of Kone Ali by NDLEA officers took place at the departure hall of the Lagos Airport.
“This was when he brought two bags for check. The first bag was searched and no drug was found.
“While searching the second bag, it was discovered that five compressed parcels of dried weeds of cannabis were packed together with foodstuff.”
The statement quoted the suspect as taking responsibility for his action.
“I am a victim of carelessness. My friend in China called me that I should bring a bag containing foodstuff from Nigeria.
“I had every opportunity to have turned down his request, so I take full responsibility for my actions.
“A man who identified himself as a Ghanaian brought the bag to me in Lagos.
“He said that he was instructed by my friend in China to bring the bag.
“At the screening, the drug was found by NDLEA officers.
“Now, I cannot go back to my school and my parents are angry with me,” the suspect was quoted as saying.
The statement quoted the agency’s chairman, Mr Ahmadu Giade, as saying that the suspect violated the provisions of the NDLEA Act.
“It is pertinent to stress the position of the law on unlawful possession and attempt to export illicit drugs.
“The fact is that drug was found in his bag. Investigation is ongoing and I urge members of the public not to collect bags or items from people when travelling.
“If they must collect bags, they should insist that the owners must witness the search at the airport,” the statement quoted Giade as cautioning the public.
It said that the suspect would soon be charged to court.

 

JAMB: Kaduna cancels environmental sanitation

 

The Kaduna State Government on Friday cancelled the May 2014 edition of the state’s monthly environmental sanitation.
Alhaji Kasimu Abubakar, the state’s Commissioner for Environment and Natural Resources, disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria in Kaduna.
He said the cancellation was to ensure the free movement of students taking part in the online JAMB examination.
Abubakar urged residents to ensure a clean environment as defaulters would be sanctioned.
He said some residents of the state were prosecuted while some stray animals were locked up in order to ensure best environmental practices in the state.
“Residents must learn to keep their environment clean,” the commissioner said.
He said the state’s Environmental Task Force would monitor some areas to ensure compliance.

 

Ex-SSG emerges Osun LP gov candidate

 

A former Secretary to Osun Government, Alhaji Fatai Akinbade, emerged the governorship candidate of the Labour Party at the party’s congress in Osogbo on Friday.
The party’s National Vice Chairman, Mr Callistus Okafor, who conducted the primaries, said of the five aspirants that obtained forms for the primaries, only Akinbade returned his own.
Okafor called for affirmation of the lone candidate and the congress responded with a deafening voice vote.
The News Agency of Nigeria recalls that Akinbade, who was hitherto a chief of the Peoples Democratic Party, defected to the LP in efforts to realise his governorship ambition.
Akinbade urged other governorship candidates to avoid bitterness and use of uncouth language, as well as eschew violence in their campaigns.
He listed the party’s programmes to include mechanised agriculture, industrialisation, integrated rural development, improved infrastructure and restoration of the middle class.
Other programmes are human capital development, water supply and sanitation as well as building of egalitarian society through welfare programmes.
The occasion, which was attended by representatives of the Independent National Electoral Commission, was hitch-free.
Scores of party members and supporters from the state’s 30 local government areas attended the event

 

Supreme Court sacks Benue Reps member

 

The Supreme Court on Friday voided the election of Mr. Orker Jev into the National Assembly to represent Buruku Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives.
The apex court panel led by Justice Walter Nkanu ordered that fresh election be held within 90 days to fill the vacant seat.
Jev was elected into the House of Representatives on the platform of the Action Congress of Nigeria (now the All Progressives Congress).
The Supreme Court affirmed the judgment of the Court of Appeal in Makurdi which earlier ruled that Jev was not the valid candidate of the ACN in the 2011 election,
The court therefore ordered that Jev’s name be removed from the ballot papers and substituted with the name of the valid candidate, Serkar Iortyom, who was the first respondent in the suit.
Apart from Iortyom, other respondents in the appeal were the ACN (now APC) and the Independent National Electoral Commission.
“This appeal is devoid of merit; it is hereby accordingly dismissed. There must be a fresh election to elect a new member for the Buruku Federal Constituency in the National Assembly,” the apex court ruled.
It pointed out that it could not order Iyortom to be sworn in without an election as doing so would violate the provisions Section 141 of the Electoral Act which prohibits courts from declaring a winner of an election in its judgment.
But the apex court ordered Jev to pay N500,000 to each of the respondents except INEC.
Jev had appealed against the judgment of the Court of Appeal, which affirmed an order directing INEC to withdraw the certificate of return issued to him.
Iyortom had instituted his suit against the ACN, INEC and Jev at the Federal High Court alleging that his name was wrongfully substituted by his party with the name of Jev shortly before the 2011 general elections.
The Federal High Court in Makurdi had in its judgment ruled in favour of Iyortom on the grounds that the ACN was wrong substituted Sekav’s namw with that of Jev.

 

This letter would inspire you

 

Dear Temilolu,

Many thanks for your article on delaying gratification. I sincerely hope a lot of girls would learn from it. My name is Jumoke though my in-laws call me Jumai and I’ll be 30 in July. I grew up in affluence and enjoyed every bit of what the children of the upper-class were exposed to. I went to elitist schools but for reasons best known to my late dad, I had my university education here at the University of Lagos even when he had more than enough money to send me abroad. I kept hoping he’d change his mind but he never did. He bought me a beautiful car which blew my mind for my 18th birthday and that shut me up. I was easily the toast of the campus as I was never short of the latest designer clothes I bought on every vacation abroad. And the hottest babes milled around me. He died in my 3rd year and his younger brother took over everything that belonged to him in one fell swoop. It was a horrible nightmare. It happened too fast and we had to re-locate from our mansion to the family house at Isale-Eko. Luckily, my mother had a piece of land at Magodo Isheri which she built within a few months after selling all her gold jewellery and my car which was the only one we were left with. In fact, we almost sold ourselves to survive (laughs). Now, the envy of the campus had to l-e-a-r-n to use the public transport (enter bus). It was bad as I was not used to it and was always falling ill and landing in the hospital. My friends (whose school fees I’d gotten my late dad to pay) deserted me. My father’s friends and other men who ought to help wanted to sleep with me. Though I wasn’t a virgin, I could never do that even if I didn’t have food to eat. I saw the other side of life and it turned me to a recluse as I became suspicious of everyone and couldn’t stand anymore pain or disappointment. We suffered so much demotion and setback but let me fast-forward to my service year.

I was posted to a Northern state and I almost died crying. Well, I had no choice. I ended up in the office of the wife of the governor. I was very reserved and usually kept to myself. Honestly, there were days I wished I never woke up. I was so aggrieved at the situation of things and was dying of loneliness, yet I didn’t want any friends. Unlike other female corpers who roamed the Governor’s office for obvious reasons, I remained on my seat. The First Lady noticed and took special interest in me. Also, I was very respectful to everyone and was quick to go down on my knees to greet the older ones around me. She found this strange and was fond of saying she wished to meet the woman who brought me up, my mother. In the seventh month of my service year, she asked me to accompany her to Lagos on a weekend for a party and invited my mum. My mum joined us at the hotel later that day and I tell you there was no party. She told my mum that she had come to Lagos to ask for my hand in marriage for her friend’s brother who was based in Paris. I didn’t find that funny but I kept my cool. Sis, I swooned when I saw the picture of the guy who would later become my husband. He’s half- Moroccan, half –Nigerian and into upstream oil and gas and eight years older than I. When we met, it was like a match made in heaven.

Fast forward…that girl who would ply “danfo” (Ketu-Ojota-Mile 12) has been flying all over the world with her husband in his Gulf Stream jet. We live in Monaco where I am chauffeured by a French man in a Bentley and spend a lot of time in Paris where I get invited for private viewing whenever the designers girls go crazy about their latest collection. I have too many designer items and have since lost interest. You’d find me in ankara or voile lace made into a boubou or something (laughs). I have two lovely boys and hope to have a girl soon. Just like you mentioned in your last article, I am master over all I could ever wish for and much more is running after me. Please, keep up the good work. Up GIRLS CLUB!

Wow! How nice! Whatever your situation is right now, please hold on and be strong so that you can be rewarded with the best things in life. I pray our Chibok sisters in captivity come out alive and enjoy the wonders life has in store for them.