Group wants states to domesticate child-rights

EXCEPT the Child Rights Act is domesticated in the states, its passage by the National Assembly would not adequately protect Nigerian children from abuses like child labour, defilement, and witchcraft accusations, among others, the non-governmental Child’s Rights Advancement and Protection Initiatives (CRAPI) said yesterday.
   To that end, it urged state governments to adopt it in order to protect children’s rights. Founder of the body, Mrs. Ozioma Onyenweaku, who made the call in Lagos during an event to mark the 2013 Child Rights Day, disclosed that the Act was enacted in Nigeria in 2003 to regulate and protect the rights of children.
   With the theme of this edition as, “Stop Violence Against Children,” Onyenweaku said: “We have to act collectively to see that the Child Rights Act is not only enacted in all the states, but that it is strictly enforced.”
   According to her, the present challenges followed the failure of the National Assembly to get inputs from the state assemblies before it became law.
   She noted: “If the Houses of Assembly had approved it by two-third majority, this law would have become applicable across the country. Only 24 of the country’s 36 states have domesticated the Act.”



By Adeniyi Idowu Adunola

Don’t ask for whom the bell tolls…

Death lurks on Oshodi-Apapa Expressway service lane

This is so near the offices of the new power distribution office between Five-Star Bus Stop and Iyana-Isolo, yet so far away no one has seen it.
It is on a busy service lane along a major artery-Oshodi-Apapa Expressway, yet neither the Lagos State  Infrastructure Maintenance and Regulatory Agency, Mushin Local Council, nor any other responsible agency, has cared to take simple, necessary action of removing the death-trap days after the twin electric poles fell, partly blocking the road.
 Several cars and trucks have crashed into it and more may still do so.
This is death on the prowl.
Don’t ask for whom the bell tolls…
It tolls for ….

Lagos to leverage on submarine cables for metro broadband network

THE Lagos State government has unfolded plans to leverage on the six submarine fibre cables that have berthed on the shores for improved Internet services.
  Indeed, submarine cables that have landed on the shores of the state include those of MainOne; Glo 1; WACS; SAT3 among others.
  Addressing journalists in Lagos at the weekend, Lagos State Commissioner for Science and Technology, Adebiyi Mabadeje said cables would not only accelerate Internet services, but also ensure that the state moves with global development.
  Mabadeje said the state also plans to provide its own private cloud through partnership with Dimension Data, stressing that when the project is completed, it will help Lagos to optimize its resources, eliminate idle capacity and save cost.
  The commissioner informed that the recent Memorandum of Understanding signed between the state government and Microsoft will apart from strengthening e-governance and facilitating serving the citizens better, also ensure that the company would be working with its local partners to give back to the people through capacity building and training of indigenous manpower.
  A commitment, he disclosed, was secured under the MOU to train 100 Microsoft certified applications support personnel, who will not only assist the Lagos State government, but other states in Nigeria.
  The e-governance platform, he said, will deliver services to Lagosians using smart phones and mobile devices while enabling government functionaries to monitor on-going projects and the performance of ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).
   The MOU, he went further, is centred around four cardinal programmes which are; implementation of a citizenship management platform, leveraging on the existing call centre infrastructure, provision of IT skill development and affordable mobile services, arising from a partnership under the Microsoft Africa Initiatives centred on entrepreneur support.
   Mabadeje also informed that the Lagos State Residents Registration Agency (LASRRA) has a different mandate from other identity registration exercise going on in Nigeria.
   According to him, unlike others which discriminate on the basis of age, nationality and other sundry issues, LASRRA registers only residents and ‘not even indigenes’ living outside Lagos’’.
   He said that since the state could not attest to the integrity of the process and the past controversies bedeviling the competing identity registration exercises, the LASRRA exercise, which is of ‘’FBI standard’’ became necessary in order to develop a reliable data that would assist in predicting trends and assisting the state government in planning for the populace.
   The Commissioner assured that the movement of the Ikeja Computer Village to a new 15-hectare site in Gotankowa, a Lagos surburb, was being addressed by a committee, which will take care of all the concerns of stakeholders who should look forward to a conducive environment for an Internet city.
   He dispelled the fears of those who alleged that the Federal and State governments were playing politics with the deployment of about 1,000 Close Circuit Television monitoring devices in Lagos.
   He said: “I have personally seen the CCTV cameras working and it is already up and running, adding it is a safety and security matter, it cannot be unveiled for public knowledge.’’
    Mabadeje also said that apart from the on-going computerisation in schools now stepped up with the imminent Computer-Based Testing, students in the state have continually been encouraged to adopt science at an early age with programmes like LASTECH and the Science Camp which hosted 300 students for one week in Epe in August 2013 as against 60 hosted for three days last year.



By Adeniyi Idowu Adunola

Ohakwe preaches unity as Imo indigenes mark day in Lagos

Ohakwe receiving kola nut from community woman

IMO State indigenes living in Lagos at the weekend marked Imo Day and Cultural Carnival, an event that brought together sons and daughters of the state.
   Speaking at the event, president of Imo State Towns Development Association (ISTDAL), Mazi Tony Ohakwe, explained the theme of the event, which was “Unity is Strength.”
   According to him, “unity refers to the condition or state of being one.” He likened unity to a bundle of broom, which is better than a single broomstick.
   “We cannot break a bundle of broom except they are separated, but you can easily break a stick of broom. Nothing can be achieved without unity. Unity is necessary for the survival of all. Unity not only leads to the prosperity of a person but also to the prosperity of a nation.”
   He urged all Imo indigenes to remain united, saying: “Let’s stay in unity. If we are united, none can destroy us. Unity can destroy terrorism.”
  Dignitaries at the event included the former Minister of Interior, Emmanuel Ihenacho, who was honoured as the Life Patron of FESTAC; A.E Anozie, who was awarded the Pillar of ISTDAL and many other top functionaries of Imo origin.
   There were cultural dances, masquerade dances, among others at the event. 


By Adeniyi Idowu Adunola

Indigenes to complete Ekiti cassava processing firm

INDIGENES of Ekiti State, under the auspice of Ekiti Parapo, have concluded arrangements to complete the cassava producing industry in the state.

  Speaking at the 2013 Ekiti Parapo Day in Lagos at the weekend, President of the group, Kola Akomolede, said members are ready to promote and facilitate economic and socio-cultural development of Ekiti State.

  Ekiti Parapo was formed shortly after the creation of the state in 1996 to create a forum for all Ekiti people in Lagos to come together and assist the new state.

  “As part of the efforts to realise the dream, the group is set to raise funds for the completion of the cassava processing industry so as to create job opportunities, especially for the people of Ikole-Ekiti where it is located.”

“The factory is a cassava producing company located in Ikole-Ekiti. The machine have been imported and work has started on the construction of the factory at Ikole  Local Government.

The representative of the Executive governor of Ekiti state, the Deputy Governor of Ekiti, Foluke Adelabu appreciates the effort of the group and their contribution to the development of the state.

“The state, Ekiti is moving and going on and it’s going to be one of the richest state in Nigeria.

She stressed the effort of the Ekiti government that “Essential improve and accountability of government to the people of Ekiti through systematic of adoption of the effective controls and policies can be recognize. Ekiti is known of promoting accountability and transparency in government.

“In Ekiti State we keep promises, we have completed habitation of about 18 roads, increase water supply, improve transport sectors and provide fire service, rehabilitation of stadium. Also social security agent for the state.

She added that Ekiti is growing in agriculture. We establishes commercial agriculture for the youths, purchase good tractors for them, we have distributed lots of fertilizers for them among others.

“Education development is our first agenda, it is only the industry we are good for.

She explained on gender equality. We are the first state to carry out gender between both the male and the female in the country. “it is a crime for a husband  to raise his hand up ageinst his wife.

By Adeniyi Idowu Adunola