Nigeria deserves a seat on UN Security Council - Osinbajo

Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, has advocated a permanent membership status for Nigeria in the Security Council of the United Nations, stating that the country deserves it because of its contributions to international peace keeping, the size of its population and economy.

Delivering a keynote address today at the Africa launch of the Global Commission Report, Confronting the Crisis of Global Governance at the International Conference Centre in Abuja, Prof. Osinbajo said  ''Nigeria fully shares the views expressed in the Report, that the United Nation’ Security Council should be expanded including the call in the Report for restraint on the use of veto by the five permanent members of the Council.''

He continued ''in addition, we take the position based on our peacekeeping role in the United Nations, the size of our economy, and the fact that we have the largest population in the continent to say that Nigeria deserves a permanent status in the Security Council''.

The Vice President is of the view that since Africa is the only continent without a permanent seat in the UN Security Council, Nigeria has the strongest profile to represent Africa and therefore balance the membership composition of the Council.

Speaking on the issue of good governance, the Vice President　 affirmed that '' it is clear that the crisis of global governance has deeply contributed to and continues to engender insecurity, corruption, injustice, insurgency, violent extremism, terrorism, piracy, cyber-crime, underdevelopment, climate change fears among many vices.''

Concerned that Africa is at the centre of this crisis, Prof. Osinbajo stated that ''for instance, the Report highlighted the issue of intersection between justice and insecurity. It opens up the question of the place of social justice in ensuring security''. He added that '' there are those who believe that the absence of social justice in parts of our continent is partially responsible for the insecurity experienced in many of the countries in this continent''.

According to the Vice President, the way out of crisis in Africa is for the leaders to treat their people not as mere statistics but with the respect and human dignity they deserve, explaining that '' this can only be reflected by government in the provision of social services and giving opportunities to their peoples.''

Said he ''injustices in one state leads to instability or insecurity in neighboring states even if only on account of economic consequences or movement of refugees. Ultimately, no nation is free of the consequences of injustice anywhere'', he submitted.

Regarding trans-border problems, Prof. Osinbajo said ''Nigeria fully shares the view that no one state or states can effectively deal with such challenges. For us as a nation and government, the issue of security, justice and human rights, climate change and sustainable good governance constitute the cornerstone of responsibility we owe our people.''

He therefore disclosed that such a realization '' explains why the Federal Government of Nigeria is meticulously re-assessing the entire governance question with the hope of putting in place structures and institutions that can sustain Nigeria in confronting multitudes of challenges identified in the report.''

Good governance, the Vice President, averred is the panacea to the challenges confronting our world and can only be realized by a determined and visionary leader, with the active cooperation of all segments of the society.

The Vice President who was the event’s Special Guest of Honour launched the Report at the impressive gathering chaired by Ambassador Babagana Kingibe, one time Secretary to the Government to the Federation.

Prof. Osinbajo used the occasion to laud the commitment and vision of Madeleine K. Albright, former United States Secretary of State and particularly Nigeria’s former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari, both Co-Chairs of the Commission that produced the Report for their pursuit of global security, justice and governance.

In his presentation of the Report, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari underscored the significance of global alliance for security, justice and good governance especially for Africa as a continent. He also supported the Vice President’s call for a permanent Security Council membership status for Nigeria.

Laolu Akande

Senior Special Assistant to the Vice President (Media & Publicity)

　

Dr. Toyin Falola Promotes African Studies

By Heidi Frontani, PHD - Professor of Geography from North Carolina USA

Toyin Omoyeni Falola was born 1953 in Ibadan, Nigeria. In the 1960s, he dropped out of high school to join a peasant rebellion that protested high taxation and the ill treatment of farmers. During and after the rebellion, young Toyin kept wondering why it was that some, including his own grandfather, had to lose their lives. Although he initially planned to enter the sciences and medicine, Mr. Falola’s loss of his grandfather made him determined to enter the humanities.

Mr. Falola began his career in education in 1970, teaching at the UAMC Primary School, Pahayi, Ilaro Nigeria. After earning a Bachelor’s degree in History at the University of Ife, he obtained his Ph.D. in 1981 from the same institution, which is now known as Obafemi Awolowo University. Dr. Falola served on the history faculty at the University of Ife for around a decade before moving to the USA in 1991 to take a position teaching history and African Studies at the University of Texas, at Austin.

Dr. Falola is an astoundingly prolific author. He has more than 100 single-authored, co-authored, and edited books to his name. Although he is best known for his work on the political economy of southwestern Nigeria, his intellectual interests are wide ranging, such that he has published on teen life in Africa, Black business leaders, the global oil industry, and African landscapes and environments. He also has a volume of poetry. His acclaimed memoir, A Mouth Sweeter than Salt (University of Michigan Press, 2004), was a finalist for the prestigious Herskovits Prize, granted through the largest professional society in North America for the study of Africa, the African Studies Association (ASA), for which Dr. Falola has served as President since 2015.

In addition to his own scholarship, Dr. Falola has been a champion of African Studies. He has supported research through his mentorship of students, long-term editorship of the African Economic History Review, service on many academic journals’ editorial boards, and his creation and editorship of several academic book series including: the University of Rochester series, Studies in Africa and the Diaspora and the Carolina Academic Press African World Series. Dr. Falola is also a founding member of the Ife Humanities Society, the President of the Nigerian Studies Association, and the General Secretary of the Historical Society of Nigeria.

In addition, Dr. Falola has hosted his own Annual Africa Conference at the University of Texas-Austin (UT-Austin) for more than a decade. The conference draws students and scholars from across North America, Europe, and Africa. Hosting the conference requires considerable effort that goes well beyond Dr. Falola’s duties as the Jacob and Frances Sanger Mossiker Chair in the Humanities at UT-Austin. Dr. Falola indicates that he has given over $10,000 of his own money to support African Studies in a variety of ways. He also engages in fundraising to make his Texas-based Africa conference affordable and he graciously invites conference goers to his home for a banquet. His daughter, Bisola, a geographer, assists with the organization of the annual event, including the program and peer-reviewed books based on select conference papers.

Dr. Falola is a pioneer in digital communication among Africanists. He has worked tirelessly to build linkages between African and US-based institutions of higher education. He has helped make UT-Austin a destination for members of the highly competitive Young African Leadership Initiative (Mandela Washington Fellows Program). The Mandela Washington Fellows Program was initiated by President Obama in 2014. It enables 500 outstanding young Africans (out of over 50,000 applicants) to network, exchange ideas, and learn about businesses and academics in the USA for six weeks. The impressive 2015 group is currently touring the USA.

Dr. Falola has received many honors and awards (click here to see the full list). To name just a few of these recognitions, Dr. Falola is: the recipient of the University of Texas System Chancellor’s Teaching Award (2003), the Cheikh Anta Diop Award for Excellence in African Studies (2006), the Ibn Khaldun Distinguished Award for Research Excellence, and the ASA’s Distinguished Africanist Award (2011). Since 2013, an annual conference has been held in Dr. Falola’s name. It is known as the Toyin Falola Annual International Conference on Africa and the African Diaspora or TOFAC. To date, the meeting has been held in Nigeria and South Africa. Dr. Falola holds three honorary chieftaincies, including two from 2014 from Nigeria.

Based on the literature on international development and personal success, why has Dr. Toyin Falola and his promotion of African Studies been so successful?

Some key characteristics come to mind:

Dr. Falola has wide ranging interests and expertise and has NETWORKED effectively through conferences and numerous short-term teaching appointments including at: the University of Cambridge in England, York University in Canada, Smith College in Massachusetts in the United States, The Australian National University in Canberra, Australia and the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs in Lagos, Nigeria.

Real life events from his FAMILY’S PAST sparked a PASSION in Dr. Falola to learn more and to SHARE that KNOWLEDGE with others. He is a CHAMPION of AFRICA who helps debunk myths and misconceptions about the continent. He also assists people in the USA and elsewhere to understand AFRICA’S CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE AMERICAS, from scholars and businesspeople, to products such as oil and coffee. These positive contributions go well beyond topics such as slavery that might get covered in history books.

Dr. Falola WORKS TIRELESSLY and PROVIDES OPPORTUNITIES for others through the conferences he organizes and leads and the journals and book series he has founded and edits.


Acknowledgement
1. First sighting of Article on Konnect Africa ( Associate of The Unknown Nigeria)
2. African Development Successes by Heidi Frontani blogs at https://africandevelopmentsuccesses.wordpress.com/

                                 

Of National Spirit, Constitutionalism And National Direction...

What does it mean to be a Nigerian? What comes to the mind of people especially non-Nigerians whenever they see a Nigerian or hear the word 'Nigeria'? What does it take to be a Nigerian? What lies within you that gives you a subliminal feeling of intricate compassion, cohesive group logrolling, deep empathy and an intimate sense of belonging that you are an essential part of a formidable group and an impregnable fortress forthrightly forging ahead on the sure-footed path of national progress and advancement, rather than as an involuntary immigrant from the empyreans regrettably sandwiched amongst a cluster of annoying, neurotic, frustrated jerks in an unpalatable contraption, nay, a mere sociopolitical assemblage immersed in a geographical expression?
 
This is the national spirit paradigm and the nationhood question-the love for the nation, the spirit of patriotism, the sense of togetherness and the passion to be counted as a closely knitted part of a group, a nation and a going concern heading somewhere. 

Let me be more epexegetic. 

When you see an American, you see a person birthed in a land of promise, of free enterprise, of the pursuit of Happiness, the motivation for greatness, a land of dreams, a home of wonderful opportunities, a place where leaders are not masters and followers are not slaves, a place where those who work are Kings and those who don't, get fat as contented slaves and puffy beggars, a nation where the rich is not idolized and the poor is not ostracized. Same standards and equal opportunities for all. 

An emblem of true democracy where a black man, nay, a mixed caste emerged its President. A nation where Professors aren't better in finances than hardworking porn stars and Senior Executives don't earn more respect than club Strippers. A nation of poisoning liberalism and free knell for adventure epitomized by its legislative imprimatur on same sex marriage and the recent public nudity legal approval. There is both compensation and comeuppance in the cosy kitty of the nation, America. An average American towers in thought and remains conscious of his heritage as a citizen of the world's most powerful nation. It is country first! 'God bless America' is as important as America- God's own country. You don't need a flag to be American, you need a fledging mentality. 

A Briton too knows what it takes to be British. When you think of Britain, you think of a land of civilization, a hub of western education and a society of awe-inspiring conservatism. The Great Britain, for instance is a nation of orderliness, consistency, palace of monarchs and a carefully and thoroughly planned society. With arguably the best transport system in the world, a politically stable clime, many world class varsities and the commonwealth nucleus, the United Kingdom which strangely was the colonial master of great and powerful countries like the United States of America, China and our very own Nigeria, Africa's giant and the world's most populous black nation ranks as a pace setter among-st nations and her citizens act this everywhere they are found.

This is the British national spirit, taught unconsciously in schools and at home, such that an eight year old pupil already knows what it takes to be British. 

This same national spirit resonates through the United Arab Emirates, Dubai- the hub of business tourism, France- the hub of romantic tourism, Italy- the home of sophisticated designs, Rome- the Roman catholic citadel, Jamaica- the janjaweed of Rastafarians, Egypt- the beautiful pyramid, Saudi Arabia- the oil-rich Islamic Island and many other nations. 

Can this be said of Nigeria? What exactly is the emblem of our national spirit? Is it the land of the rich Politicians? The oil rich den of militants? The haven of political corruption? The place where the rich rise and the poor dies? Oh, I get it- the home of yam-eating goats. 

Until we have a national spirit, our constitution counts for nothing and could be deemed lacking national direction... 

The constitution of a country is thus not just the supreme legislative document of a nation hurriedly churned out by the leader(s) via their legislative hegemony to govern the led, it is the abiding spirit of legislated set of conducts emanating from the people- the volkgeist- the German loanword meaning "spirit of the people" or "National character" for a unique "spirit" possessed collectively by each people or the nation. It doesn't have to be written or documented, but ingrained in the people as their unique set of rules as decipherable from their indicials of acceptable behaviour. This is why a nation like the United Kingdom with no single document that can be referred to as her constitution, save a few scattered specialized bills, known in legal parlance as an 'unwritten constitution' can have a functional system, a high patriotic national spirit. 

Thus, the constitution is more of a spirit, than a document, If the spirit is not there, what you have is a sham piece of paper! It is instructive to note that what we call the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is a successively amended hasty document foisted on the people by the artificially engineered legislature to make rules of governance and administrative governance for it. You can not keep on amending a defective, sham piece of paper and desire that it works. That's like attempting to beat sense into a Barbie doll! The opening statement in the constitution, popularly called the preamble which states: "We the people of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Having firmly and solemnly resolve, to live in unity and harmony as one indivisible and indissoluble sovereign nation under God, dedicated to the promotion of inter-African solidarity, world peace, international co-operation and understanding, And to provide for a Constitution for the purpose of promoting the good government and welfare of all persons in our country, on the principles of freedom, equality and justice, and for the purpose of consolidating the unity of our people... Do hereby make, enact and give to ourselves the following Constitution:- " is a sham. The constitution is fraudulent, its manifestation can't be any better. This constitution didn't emanate from the people- It cannot effectively guide the people. A total refurbishment won't cure the inherent defect, an absolute re-enactment of a constitution that reflects the spirit of the Nigerian people as imprinted in their hearts and as documented in the constitution is therefore desirable. 

It can be argued that our problem in Nigeria is that of execution of the constitution to the latter, a leadership challenge and lack of sufficient political will to enforce the constitutional stipulations, rather than the inadequacy of the constitution or a dearth of the laws, but this reinforces the fact that Nigeria lacks a functional national spirit- which is the basis of forming a workable constitution and effective national institutions. 

Equally, without a worthwhile national spirit, a great leader cannot emerge- It is from the pool of unpatriotic followership that the cup of ineffective leadership is fetched. There are so many things that reinforce the flourishing of the national spirit- they include: national success, achievement, growth, trust and confidence in the national leadership, better standard of living, welfarism and national care. We are more likely to have the back of a nation that cares about us. When the people are treated like social orphans, they don't give a hoot about their nationist parents. Let the welfare of the people be the final law. 

When we are proud of a nation, we would be proud to identify with it. What most people tag as being proud of their nation is actually empathy for the nation of their birth they can't be genuinely proud of. The topical questions remain- Are you indeed proud to be black? Does it give you great joy that you are a Nigerian? Are you only identifying with Nigeria because you have no other place to call your own or you are not ceased of a better choice as we all live where predestination bestows on us or you are only defending the Nigerian enterprise simply because you are fighting for your identity rather than because your identity is worth your trouble? 

Are you excited to be a Nigerian or you are just following the flock as a choiceless dreg of the earth, an involuntary creature of the Creator regrettably tossed from Heaven by the Supreme Deity and foisted on a people with neither focus nor direction? Is there really anything to be proud of as a Nigerian or as an African? If you had a choice or an attempt at reincarnation, would you have chosen or choose to be a Nigerian? Did you wail on peeping at your birth and discovered you were arriving in Mushin rather than Miami? Did you attempt to beat a retreat? Did you come with your head at childbirth rather than step out with your legs because you wanted to ascertain your earthly destination and either crawl out If you like it or beat a retreat into your mother's womb If it's a scary land of many shades? This is a time for deep thinking and sincere reflection. 

Do you make genuflection to Nigerian leaders, Nigerian symbols and flag out of loyalty, patriotism and respect or out of fear, favour, pity or opportunity? 

Nigeria needs a national direction, a collective goal, a central national policy aim that every Nigerian will pursue together. If we don't know where we are going, how do we get there, go there, know where and how to get there and know when we get there? How do we experience a change of national circumstance when we are not conscious of our national focus? 

Nigeria through her agencies of government must conscientiously embed the duo of national spirit from where the national brand can be obtained and the national direction- our national anchor, mission statement, creed of the nation, national objective, our socio-political and democratic orientation for national growth and rebirth in the citizenry. The National Orientation Agency, the Department of Civic Rights and Education and the Federal Ministry of Education have pivotal conjoined responsibilities in this regard in the areas of awareness creation, development of citizenship education curriculum for primary school pupils and secondary school students before they fully form their character without a piece of national spirit in it in a bid to catch them young. It is easier and better to train a child than to repair an adult. 

Nigeria will rise again! 

God bless Nigeria!

By Tosin Ayo - A Nigerian Legal Practisioner

LASRRA REITERATES NEED FOR RESIDENTS REGISTRATION

The Lagos State Residents Registration Agency (LASRRA) has reiterated the need for residents of the State to participate in the on-going Residents Registration Exercise in order to build an accurate data base for the State.

Addressing members of the public recently at Isolo Road, in Isolo Local Council Development Area (LCDA) at an enlightenment programme organised by the Agency, the Head of the Public Relations Department, Mr. Babatunde Adele, charged the residents to register at any LASRRA office in their respective Local Government and LCDAS.

He stated that the requirements for registration include proof of residency as well as proof of identity, stressing that registration is open to all residents irrespective of their age, nationality or state of origin.

Responding to a question by a resident of the area, Mr. Kabiru Ekunsunmi on whether a resident who had registered before can re-register, Adele urged residents who had already participated in the exercise not to re-register.

It would be recalled that LASRRA was officially launched 11th of September, 2013 and commenced the distribution of the permanent residency cards on the 9th of December, 2014.

AMBODE PLEDGES TO FAST TRACK DEVELOPMENT OF LEKKI FREE ZONE

Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode on Wednesday, gave an assurance that his administration will fast track the development of the Lekki Free Trade Zone (LFTZ), an emerging hub for foreign and local investors in the state.

The Governor who made the pledge while inspecting the LFTZ at Ibeju Lekki area of the state, said his administration will provide the necessary incentives required to hasten the development of the Zone expected to accommodate series of investments.

Governor Ambode spent about four hours inspecting the Free Trade Zone which seats on a 16, 000 hectares of land expected to harbour the $11 billion Dangote Refinery and other multi billion dollars investments driven by consortium of Chinese companies.

He expressed optimism that when the Zone commences optimal operations, it would go a long way to boost economic prosperity of not only Lagos state, but also Nigeria as a whole.
"I came here to see the level of development that is going on here. The Free Trade Zone is a major catalyst for the development of Lagos State. It was started during the administration of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and continued by my predecessor, Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola. Whatever it is that we need to do together alongside with the community, we have gotten their commitment that we would join hands together to move this project forward."

The governor said his administration will also look at the Lekki Seaport which has been idle for about nine years, promising that work will commence in earnest.

Ambode said, "There is no way we would have this Free Trade Zone if the port is not activated. It needs to be reviewed. My administration will look at it and make sure the port is activated and construction starts immediately.

Governor Ambode who had earlier listened to the complaints of community leaders and residents in the area on the power outage they have endured for about five years, assured that his administration will intervene.

"I also want to assure the people here that the issue of electricity will be looked at. It’s surprising that some communities here do not have electricity in the last five years. In the next four weeks something must happen. It is totally unacceptable and we would make sure that we bring succor to our people.

"That is why we are in government and that is what they have told us that we should do and that is what we will do everyday in this administration."

He lauded the community and the consortium of Chinese Companies for supporting the state in the project.

He also commended the residents of Ibeju Lekki community for their peaceful way of accommodating the project, appealing for more perseverance for the completion of the project as it would be a last long investment for the state and the country at large.

"I am happy for the peaceful way the residents conducted themselves, especially with the release of their land. I assure you all that all of us will benefit greatly when completed", he said.

He also assured the residents that qualified youths will be considered for employment into agencies of the government.



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Tint Permit Is Free, Don’t Pay For It – Police

The Nigerian Police Force has urged Nigerians to stop paying for tint permits for their vehicles and to report any officer who demands money from them for the permit.This was disclosed in Abuja on Tuesday, September 8, 2015, by the Police Force Public Relations Officer, Olabisi Kolawole.

''We are saying that if people were paying before, they should not do that any longer. The police will not relent in their effort to carry out their duty. I just want to let you know that this current police administration will not condone any act of public disorder''

PRO Olabisi Kolawole also mentioned that the list of authorized vehicles eligible to use sirens has been released and henceforth, arrest would be made on all unauthorized persons using vehicle sirens in the country.

100 DAYS OF GOVERNOR NASIR EL RUFAI

Keynote Address by Malam Nasir El-Rufai, Governor of Kaduna State, at the 3rd Town Hall meeting of the APC Kaduna State Government; Kafanchan, 05 September 2015

PROTOCOLS

I welcome you all to this Town Hall meeting with the good people of Kaduna South senatorial district. We give all gratitude to God for bringing us today to Zone 3 for the third Town Hall meeting your government will be hosting since we were sworn-in. We have had similar meetings with the residents of Zones 1 and 2, as we discharge our democratic duty to report to, and to listen to, the people who elected us. We value engagement with our people, and we shall continue to hold these town-hall meetings monthly, rotating the meetings around the three senatorial zones in the state.

We once again thank the people of Southern Kaduna for their role in electing this government. Since the elections, we have been back in Zone 3 in happy times as well in moments less so. We had the privilege to launch our fertilizer sales in Kachia. We enjoyed the reception organised in Kafanchan to honour our deputy governor. And we visited and mourned with the people of Atakar Kingdom over the sad loss of lives from a brutal attack. The heart-rending story we heard in Atakar further strengthened the priority we accord to security.

We are back today to present a report of our service thus far. You elected us to undertake fundamental reform, to change the way government works, to solve problems and to invest the resources of the state in the public goods of security, education, healthcare, and jobs for our teeming youth.

Permit me to outline where we are on the road to doing the things you elected us to accomplish:

Security:
Security operations: We convened our very first meeting with the state security council on 30th May 2015. We were eager to start addressing the problem of insecurity in parts of Southern Kaduna and the Birnin-Gwari /Giwa axis. Based on the security assessments, we moved towards agreeing a comprehensive plan with the governors of Kaduna, Sokoto, Zamfara, Katsina, Kebbi and Niger States to address the serious security challenges in the forest ranges of Kamuku and Kuyambana that stride our respective States. With the full cooperation of the Federal Government, security operations have since commenced. Criminal gangs of cattle rustlers are being smashed. Livestock, including about 6000 heads of cattle have been recovered.

Agwai Peace Committee: We are happy to report that the committee on the causes of insecurity and conflict in Southern Kaduna has submitted its report. The report of the committee that was chaired by General Martin Luther Agwai is being studied, and a white paper will be published to guide the implementation of the recommendations.

Traditional Rulers’ Network: A high-powered committee chaired by the Amir of Birnin Gwari has just submitted its report on this issue. We are studying the report as part of our quest to enlist the intelligence and security networks of our traditional institutions in the service of security for our communities.

Governance
We held our first Executive Council meeting on Monday, 17 August 2015. Our 13 commissioners have since taken charge of the 13 ministries, down from the 19 ministries we inherited.

Treasury Single Account: we are the first state government to implement this system which ensures that public funds are traceable, easier to audit and available as a whole instead of atomised bits lying in isolated accounts. We asked all banks holding KDSG accounts to close them and remit the balances to the CBN by 21 August, preparatory to the TSA becoming operational by 1 September.

We have slashed overheads by 60% across board as we seek to do more with less.

Our deputy governor and I have tried to set an example by taking a 50% cut in our salaries and allowances.

Your government has also decided to save the monies hitherto spent on feeding, gifts and pilgrimage. Our state simply cannot afford this expense any longer.

Biometric verification:
Our government is conducting the second phase of the biometric verification of its employees. The first phase helped us save nearly N120million in just one month. We will not relent until there is a perfect match between the real number of public servants and those who get paid.

Apart from verifying persons, we are also checking the actual status of schools. We are collating reports on the phenomenon of ghost schools.

Tax Reforms: We are studying the options to improve our internally generated revenue and reduce our dependence on federal allocations. Our deputy governor and I are committed to not drawing our full pay until our IGR exceeds federation account allocations for at least three consecutive months.

Transparency: Your government has decided to domesticate the Freedom of Information Act in Kaduna State. We have forwarded the bill to the House of Assembly for passage. We have also signed up to Open Budget, a web-based tool that enables you to track what we are doing with your money.

Health:
One of the first actions of this government was to convene a healthcare partners summit to pool funds and ideas for improving healthcare outcomes for our people. We secured the support of the donor community and businesses active in that sector. We are working on the following health projects:

Hospital Modernisation: Kaduna State has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with General Electric Healthcare to modernise our primary health centres and public hospitals. Both parties have committed to identifying the specific needs of the centres and hospitals, so that modern equipment can be installed to improve the diagnosis and management of patients.

Primary Healthcare: We will be implementing the Primary Healthcare Under One Roof (PHCUOR) concept. We have therefore sent this framework as our first Executive Bill to the State House of Assembly. We will fully equip at least one primary health care centre in each of the 255 wards in the state, and at least one general hospital in each of the three senatorial districts. In addition to providing better facilities, we would be recruiting more doctors, nurses, midwives and technologists for our improved hospitals.

We have signed the 2015 Kaduna State-UNICEF 2015 work-plan. The state government is ready with its counterpart funding for the agreed initiatives in healthcare, nutrition, HIV/AIDS, water, sanitation and child protection.

We have installed two dialysis machines and have repaired three dialysis equipment at Barau Dikko Hospital. We hope to take delivery of four other dialysis machines to be installed at our general hospitals in Kafanchan and Zaria.

Job creation
We realise that try as it may, the government can employ only a limited number of persons. Mass job creation thus relies on attracting investments. We are doing this vigorously.

Shopping Mall: Modern retail enterprises help to improve the shopping experience for consumers and create jobs for suppliers, farmers and workers. The malls retail giants occupy thus become centres of tangible and intangible economic activity. We believe that our people also deserve this experience. We have signed an agreement with UAC Property Development Company (UPDC) to build a shopping mall in Kaduna. The mall is scheduled for commissioning by December 2016.

Hospitality Industry: We want Kaduna to be a centre for domestic tourism, and an outstanding venue for national and international conferences and other events. We have therefore advertised for investors interested in developing five-star hotels.

Kaduna Cabs: We have initiated a scheme to revive taxi services in our major urban centres, starting with 200 branded, air-conditioned cabs in Kaduna. Prospective owner-drivers are expected to deposit about 10% of the discounted price of the vehicles and pay the balance in installments over a period of four years. About 120 of our youths have now been short-listed for training with a view to empowering them as owner-drivers in due course.

Local Government Reforms
We have appointed interim management committees for all the 23 local government councils in our state. As we pledged during the campaign, we have announced that the state government will not touch a kobo of local government money.

Land Recovery
Public institutions: Your government has demonstrated its resolve to protect the integrity of the land on which public institutions such as schools and hospitals are sited. We are reversing the impunity that led important personalities to conclude that they could take school or hospital land for private purposes.

Government is therefore recovering such lands to preserve the security of such institutions, and safeguard their ability to expand, which are the reasons they were allotted such size of the land in the first place. Appropriate notices have been issued to people who have built on such plots. We thank the public for the widespread support they are giving to these recovery moves.

Education:We have commenced the process of recruiting teachers by advertising for teachers in the core subjects of Mathematics, English, the Sciences and information technology. We shall also be training our teachers to remedy the skills gaps revealed by the teacher audit. Comprehensive school repairs and the provision of furniture, water, toilets are about to commence across the state.

Clean Kaduna: We have launched the Keep Kaduna Clean Campaign. This entails public enlightenment as well as enforcement measures and an improved system of public waste management.

Infrastructure
Zaria Water Project: We have briefed and secured the support of our lenders and development partners for accelerated completion of this project by early 2018. We are negotiating a sustainable payment plan to clear the contractor arrears. We are also working on plans for a Kaduna Water Expansion Project, as well as the rehabilitation of other small town water schemes across the state.

Rural and community development: Under the leadership of our Deputy Governor, we shall be mainstreaming the Pampaida Millennium Village as a viable model across our rural communities. It will have components to improve education, healthcare, rural roads and the farming activities that engage most of our rural residents.

Enterprise Zones: We have advertised to invite developers for Enterprise Zones around Buruku, Marraraban Jos and Tafa. These zones will comprise trailer parks, restaurants, workshops, hotels and other economic activities. The goal is to transform areas of traffic nuisance into places of economic vitality based on the needs of the road transport industry.

Textile Revival: We are collaborating with the Federal Government, current and potential textile investors, and the states of Zamfara, Katsina and Kano on a package that stimulates the value-chain from cotton farming to textiles production and garmenting.

What we intend to do
Based on our manifesto and campaign pledges, your government will be implementing the following measures to improve the welfare of our people:

Land Reform: Your government will assist land owners to have security and be able to unlock the wealth in their land by formalising and registering their titles. We will computerize all the land records and implement the Kaduna Geographic Information System starting with Kaduna, Zaria and Kafanchan metropolitan areas. This is to ensure that our people get Certificates of Occupancy for all their plots of land and improve the security of their landholdings.

Urban Development: At the moment, the three major cities in Kaduna State – Kaduna, Zaria and Kafanchan are no more than glorified local government headquarters. This administration is developing a master-plan to transform these cities into modern urban centres with every conceivable facility like improved transportation, traffic management, leisure and shopping facilities, recreational and neighborhood centres. This process will involve the creation of thousands of jobs in several sectors.

School Feeding: We have taken a firm decision to vastly improve the feeding of students in our boarding schools, starting from this September. We will start with boarding secondary schools.

Pensioners: It is unacceptable that retired people should face pension headaches after a lifetime of work. We shall take steps to resolve this matter, ensure that pensions are properly-funded and pass an updated law to make pensions a sustainable undertaking by committing the state to an improved contributory pension scheme consistent with Pensions Reform Act 2014.

Physically-challenged persons and the destitute: We have a responsibility to every section of our society, including the physically-challenged. Our duty is to train every willing person to acquire the skills that can help them be productively engaged. We neither believe that destitution is a profession nor will we condemn anyone to the misery of begging. Rather all our rehabilitation centres will be retooled to impart viable skills and we shall have a microcredit scheme to assist people to start-up their small businesses after undergoing training. We have had to effect some emergency measures to take beggars and hawkers off the streets in response to the recent security issues, but we shall abide by the commitments we made during the campaign. We appointed a Special Assistant on Persons with Disability to drive this component of our agenda.

Township Roads and Street Lights: neighborhood and township roads in our major urban centres are being earmarked for upgrading to the extent we can within this rainy season. More extensive work will begin as soon as the rains are over in all the local government headquarters in the state. We shall provide street lights, brighten up our cities and thereby help deter crime.

Transport: our multi-layer transport architecture will be executed over the next four years by God's Grace. That includes preparations, studies and projects to put in place:

-The new Cabs scheme and expanding the project to Zaria and Kafanchan,

- A BRT system for mass transit starting with Kaduna metropolitan area,

- A major project to establish Kaduna-Zaria rapid transit system between Shika, Samaru and Zaria through and within the Kaduna Metropolis and up to the Refinery, and

- A new bus and truck terminals in Kaduna, Tafa, Mararaban Jos, Kafanchan and Zaria.

Direct Youth Employment: Our drive to recruit 50 youths per ward in the next four years to work in some government agencies – as traffic, environmental and sanitary inspectors will commence this year with about 10 persons per ward. We have reconstituted the board and leadership of KASTELEA to enable this process to start soon. These job openings have been advertised. Applications are now being sorted this week, and shortlisted candidates will be invited for interviews.

Conclusion
We have have been elected to bring change. Not merely to change the names and the faces of those who lead. The mass of our people recognize that the old way has failed them. It is our duty to shine the light, to show that our state can be better than what it has been and to chart a path towards a better destiny. We cannot do that if we continue to do the things that have failed our people.

We do not regard poverty as an excuse for doing nothing or letting things remain in a bad way. The duty of leaders is to fight poverty,rescue people from it and improve the standards of their lives. Our people, no matter how poor they may be, deserve to live in a secure society, where law and order thrive, where they are free from disease and squalor, where their lands have secure titles and their children can go to good schools and decent hospitals.

In three months, we have been unrelenting in sending signals and doing things to show that we shall serve our people by doing the things that are necessary. We were not elected to do nothing, or to perpetuate the dismal circumstances that made our people to reject the old order. We have taken fertilizer out of the hands of the cabals; we are rescuing state accounts from the multiplicity and opacity that aid corruption. We are executing the Treasury Single Account. Our public service is bracing up for more realistic budgeting in the shape of zero-based budgeting.

We ask for your unflinching support as we take and implement difficult decisions. We may make mistakes, but we shall make amends when we err. Let us march together to make change real in the lives of our people.

Nigerian Ruth Agbakoba wins 1st Prize at World Congress on Medical IT

 
Nigerian PhD Candidate, Ruth Agbakoba won the 1st prize award at The World Congress on Medical IT. 

Find out more about Ruth in her interview with Rising Africa :


Current Job

MRC-funded PhD student in e-health and digital health at the University of Glasgow

Key Quote

“I’ve learnt to believe in myself. It’s something I’ve worked to develop during my PhD ― to recognise that I’m here through hard work and not good fortune.”

Length of Career

Five years

Career in Brief

I did A levels in biology, chemistry, French and IT so it’s probably not surprising that I ended up in digital health. I was part of a cohort of students on the UK’s first clinically led undergraduate biomedical informatics course at St George’s Medical School, University of London. I graduated in 2009 with a first class honours and then I was offered an informatics scholarshipopens in new window at City University London where I completed an MSc in health informatics.

I then worked in the NHS for a year as an information analyst. I wanted to work outside academia to get a holistic view of careers in this area, but I’d always planned on coming back to academia and in 2012 I was one of six students to get an MRC studentship at the University of Glasgow.

I spend my days

I do a lot of catching up with emails and organising meetings. I also hold regular coding clinics where my supervisory team validate my data analysis. I’ve taken advice to get involved in lots of different aspects of research: I’m on the organising committee of a student conference, and review journal papers as well as doing my research. My research evaluates a national project in Scotland called Living it Upopens in new window, which is part of a larger UK-wide study looking at how digital technologies such as television, smartphones, games consoles and computers can be used to empower people to improve their own health and wellbeing. My research evaluates the project in real-time to see how successfully it is being incorporated into people’s everyday lives.

Career highlights

There are two that really stand out. One was being voted as doing the best presentation at our Institute of Health and Wellbeing conference in 2014. Accolades like that mean a lot when they come from your peers. The second was presenting at a major conference in my field in New York, also in 2014. It was great to present my research on an international platform.

Skills I need to do my job

A lot of it is time and project management. I’ve also learnt many transferable skills from being on the MRC doctoral training programme such as interviewing techniques and qualitative data analysis which I’ve put into practice in my research. I’ve also trained as a Graduate Teaching Assistant and I have monitored and assessed master’s degree students.



http://www.risingafrica.org/success-stories/health_medicine/nigerian-ruth-agbakoba-wins-1st-prize-at-world-congress-on-medical-it/

First Bank Changes Top Management - Ibunkun Awosika Becomes First Female Chairman

According to a statement issued on Monday 7th September 2015 by FBN Head of Marketing & Corporate Communications, Folake Ani-Mumuney, major changes in the top hierarchy of the bank has occurred.

“Following a rigorous selection process driven by the Board and supported by Heidrick & Struggle, the internationally renowned executive search firm, Dr. Adesola Adeduntan, the current Executive Director/CFO emerged Managing Director-designate, First Bank of Nigeria Ltd, while Mr. Gbenga Shobo, the current Executive Director, Lagos & West, emerged Deputy Managing Director-designate. This comes on the heels of the Group’s earlier notice of Mr. Bisi Onasanya’s retirement as GMD/CEO of the Bank. These decisions have been ratified by the Board of Directors, subject to all necessary regulatory approvals and all take effect from January 1, 2016”

Folake Mumuney also stated that Mr. Bello Maccido, pioneer Group CEO, FBN Holdings, is changing positions to become pioneer Chairman of the newly-licenced FBN Merchant Bank Ltd, while Mr. UK Eke (MFR), currently Executive Director, South, First Bank of Nigeria Ltd replaces him as Group Managing Director-designate, FBN Holdings.

“As pioneer Group CEO of the FBN Holdings Group in very critical times, Bello birthed the process to establish the multi-faceted group to comply with diverse regulatory requirements, navigating through uncharted territory. He will undoubtedly bring his wealth of experience, spanning over 30 years post call to Bar experience as an accomplished Retail, Corporate and Investment banker, to bear in his new role chairing the Board of the emergent FBN Merchant Bank Ltd''

Furthermore, the present Chairman, Prince Ajibola Afonja, is to retire while Mrs. Ibukun Awosika becomes the Chairman, First Bank Nigeria Ltd.

Mrs. Ibukun Awosika holds a B.sc in Chemistry from University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University), an MBA from IESE Business School, Barcelona, Spain and is she is also an alumnae of the Lagos Business School Chief Executive Programme. 

She is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of the Chair Centre, Sokoa Chair Centre Limited and TCC Security Systems which are manufacturers and marketers of office furniture, office seating and Banking Security Systems in Nigeria and the West African market.

Mrs. Awosika is a fellow of the Aspen Global Leadership Network and a multiple award-winning entrepreneur; the Promoter and Investor of Furniture Manufacturers Mart that provides furniture processing service for various categories of furniture manufacturers.

Ibunkun Awosika currently sits on a number of other boards including Cadbury Nigeria Plc.

She would go record on as the First Female Chairman of Fist Bank Nigeria Plc

Abuja World Trade Centre Nears Completion

Situated within a space spanning over six-million square feet, the Abuja World Trade Centre is conspicuously located in the Central Business District of Nigeria's Capital, Abuja. It is easily accessible with closeness to the airport, city centre and the new rail system under construction.

Phase one of the building project is expected to be declared open early 2016 and it has been funded by private organizations as well as local and international financial institutions. The project has enjoyed an investment of over 200 billion Naira.
 

A World Trade Center is an apolitical organization that can be located in any country. It supplies businesses with access to international trade services and facilities and seeks to simplify and stimulate trade by bringing together the offices of government and industry that serve and carry on trade.

Although World Trade Center’s vary from country to country, they are all connected as a part of the World Trade Center Association (WTCA). The Association’s motto is “Peace and Stability Through Trade” and its primary mission is to support the international trade and business objectives of the region it serves.

The Abuja World Trade Centre will join a network of about 330 members in over 100 countries representing 750,000+ businesses.

LORD LUGARDS MAGIC AND FLORA SHAWS SPELL

 By Olufemi Olukayode 

In 1916, Lord Frederick John Dealtry Lugard, the 1st Baron Lugard, the fourteenth Governor of Hong Kong and the first Governor-General of Nigeria, said the following:

“Lagos has for 20 years opposed every Governor and has fomented strife and bloodshed in the hinterland. I have spent the best part of my life in Africa; my aim has been the betterment of the natives for whom I have been ready to give my life. But after some 29 years, and after nearly 12 years as Governor here, I am free to say that the people of Lagos and indeed the westerners are the lowest, the most seditious and disloyal, the most purely prompted by self-seeking money motives of any people I have met.”

As if that were not bad enough, two years later, on September 25th 1918, in a letter to his colleague Walter H. Lang, Lugard wrote the following: "The Hausa-Fulani has no ideals, no ambitions save such as sensual in character. He is a fatalist, spendthrift and a gambler. He is gravely immoral and is seriously diseased that he is a menace to any community to which he seeks to attach himself."

Lugard's words are utterly reprehensible. They represent the most appalling examples of racial stereotyping that I have ever seen. Yet he didn't stop there. In his book titled 'The Dual Mandate' (pg. 70) 1926 he wrote the following:

"In character and temperament, the typical African of this race-type is a happy, thriftless, excitable person. LACKING IN SELF-CONTROL, DISCIPLINE, AND FORESIGHT. Naturally courageous, and naturally courteous and polite, full of personal vanity, with little sense of veracity, fond of music and loving weapons as an oriental loves jewelry. HIS THOUGHTS ARE CONCENTRATED ON THE EVENTS AND FEELINGS OF THE MOMENT, and he suffers little from the apprehension for the future, or grief for the past. His mind is far nearer to the animal world than that of the European or Asiatic, and exhibits something of the animals' placidity and want of desire to rise beyond the State he has reached. Through the ages THE AFRICAN APPEARS TO HAVE EVOLVED NO ORGANIZED RELIGIOUS CREED, and though some tribes appear to believe in a deity, the religious sense seldom rises above pantheistic animalism and seems more often to take the form of a vague dread of the supernatural . HE LACKS THE POWER OF ORGANIZATION, and is conspicuously deficient in the management and control alike of men or business. HE LOVES THE DISPLAY OF POWER, but fails to realize its responsibility... he will work hard with a less incentive than most races. He has the courage of the fighting animal, an instinct rather than a moral virtue... In brief, the virtues and defects of this race-type are those of attractive children, whose confidence when it is won is given ungrudgingly as to an older and wiser superior and without envy...Perhaps the two traits which have impressed me as those most characteristic of the African native are HIS LACK OF APPREHENSION AND HIS LACK OF ABILITY TO VISUALIZE THE FUTURE."

There can be little doubt that this arrogant englishman was a rabid racialist who had nothing but the deepest contempt for our people. He was also one of the most uncouth and vulgar souls that ever polluted our shores with his unwholesome and malevolent presence.

It is one of the greatest ironies of modern history that this ignorant seafarer was the individual that recommended to the British Colonial Office that the Northern and Southern Protectorates of Nigeria and the Lagos colony, should all be merged into one large country. That recommendation was accepted and consequently Lord Lugard can legitimately be described as the chief architect of modern-day Nigeria.

It was actually Lord Lugard's wife, Miss Flora Shaw, that proposed the name Nigeria for our country. This was done in an article that she wrote for the London Times on January 8th 1897. She and Lugard got married five years later in June 1902 after which she became known as Lady Flora Lugard. Shaw was well connected.

Her mother was a French lady of Mauritian stock by the name of Marie Adrienne Josephine and her father was Major-General George Shaw, a respected British army officer. She was colonial editor of the Times of London where she wrote an influential weekly column titled ''The Colony''.

She was not only stunningly beautiful but she also had vision and substance. Given that, one finds it difficult to comprehend what an enterprising and extraordinary woman like this found attractive in an abominable scalywag like Lord Lugard. I daresay that this was a classic case of the beauty and the beast.

Despite his pretensions of love Lugard despised the numerous ethnic nationalities of Nigeria and he continuously expressed his contempt for us with his insulting and condescending commentaries.

Perhaps his best known intervention was made in 1914 in a letter that he wrote to the British government just a few weeks prior to the amalgamation. He wrote as follows:

"What we often call the Northern Protectorate of Nigeria today can be better described as the poor husband whilst it's southern counterpart can be fairly described as the rich wife or the woman of substance and means. A forced union of marriage between the two will undoubtedly result in peace, prosperity and marital bliss for both husband and wife for many years to come. It is my prayer that that union will last forever".

From this contribution it is clear that ours was a ''forced'' union. It is also clear that Lugard saw northern Nigeria as a ''poor husband'' that needed constant attention and support whilst he saw southern Nigeria as nothing more than a ''rich wife'' or a ''woman of substance and means'' whose plight was to be constantly pillaged and ravished.

This was his vision: a northern Nigeria that was essentially the ''head of the household'' and that would remain in control of all the power and resources of the state and a southern Nigeria that would play the role of a passive and subservient wife whose destiny it was to remain in perpetual subjugation and bondage.

Sadly this was the crooked foundation upon which our union was built. What made it even worse was the fact that the so-called ''southern wife'' and ''northern husband'' were never asked if they wanted the marriage in the first place.

The truth is that the British colonialists were masters of divide and rule. The amalgamation of the southern and northern protectorates was a Greek gift which was designed to fail and to crumble at the appropriate time. Nigerians have done well to have held it together for so long and the fact that we have only experienced one civil war is miraculous.

Despite all pretensions, the only thing that has kept us together is the oil of the Niger-Delta and the extraordinary resilience, patience, faith, fortitude, zeal and strength of the Nigerian people themselves.Mr. Sola Adebowale, a writer, understood the mindset of Lord Lugard. He captured it rather well on Facebook in 2014 when he wrote the following:

''Lugard was a stark illiterate and it was quite unfortunate that that was the best that imperial Britain could send to Africa. Hence he was noted to have vehemently opposed native education for Africans. And he was said to have loathed the educated and sophisticated Africans of the southern coastal regions who had been educated by the Christian Missionaries before him and instead wined and dined and positioned the uneducated feudal hordes of Africa to the forefront of leadership of Africa. Is that not the albatross against many African nations till date? Hence the moral right of Devil Lugard to pontificate about Africans is questionable''.

Mr. Adebowale has hit the nail on the head. I concur with his submissions.

Permit me to end this contribution with an interesting aside. It is generally agreed though not commonly admitted that both Lugard and Flora Shaw were Luciferians who practiced the black arts and all manner of satanic rituals. He was a "High Priest of the Freemasons" whilst they were both avid folllowers of Aleister Crowley, the leading satanist of his day and the self-styled "worlds most wicked man".

This explains a lot. It also explains why Shaw gave us the name "Nigeria"- a name which has questionable roots. Anyone that doubts this should consider the literal translation of Nigeria from latin: it means "the area of darkness" and there is a deep spiritual and mystical reason that she gave us that name. It comes with a lot of baggage because not much good can come out of an area of darkness.

Most of the former British colonies changed their names after independence for similar reasons but because most of our leaders in Nigeria were not aware of these matters they refused to do so. Lugard and Shàw were an unlikely couple who had no children. What held them together was more spiritual and mystical than anything else and Nigeria and the Sudan are their joint legacy to the world.

Sadly both countries are having major challenges today. Sudan has broken into two after a protracted and bitter civil war whilst Nigeria is experiencing serious regional, ethnic and religious tensions. It is clear that our nation needs a good deal of prayer. May God deliver us from Lord Lugard's magic and his beautiful wife's spell.

Olufemi Olukayode formerly known as Femi Fani Kayode is a Nigerian Politician, Poet, Essayist and Lawyer.

I’LL NAME MY CABINET THIS MONTH –PRESIDENT BUHARI ASSURES

President Buhari of Nigeria (left) and President Mahama of Ghana (right)

 President Muhammadu Buhari Monday in Aburi, Ghana reassured Nigerians and the international community that he will name his cabinet before the end of the month.

President Buhari gave the assurance at a joint press conference with President John Dramani Mahama of Ghana.

“After I was sworn-in, I said I will have my cabinet in September. I expect that Nigerians should ask me questions after the 30th of September if I do not do so,” President Buhari said while responding to a question on the appointment of ministers.

President Buhari also told reporters that the Nigerian military, in close collaboration with the Multi-National Joint Task Force, has recorded remarkable progress in the fight against Boko Haram since he assumed office as President.

“The first thing I did after I came into office was to reorganize the military and clear orders were given to them in terms of retraining, re-equipping and redeployment of troops.

“In the northeast, the military is gaining ground and Boko Haram has been limited to the Sambisa forest.

“Internally Displaced Persons are gradually moving back home and they are being reintegrated into their respective communities,” President Buhari said.

On the declaration of assets, the President affirmed that it was a constitutional requirement that all public office holders in Nigeria should declare their assets before and after their term in office.

“I recall that in 1975 when late Murtala Mohammed became the Head of State, we were lined up - governors, ministers, members of the Supreme Military Council. Officials of Ministry of Justice were brought and every individual was made to declare his assets.

“All Heads of States and Government, governors, ministers, permanent secretaries have to declare their assets because it is a constitutional requirement.

“I have declared my assets four times. When I was governor in 1975, I declared. After being Minister of Petroleum and as a member of Supreme Military Council, I declared. When I was Head of State and now as a President, I have also declared.

Earlier, President Mahama said both leaders had fruitful discussions on how to enhance bilateral relations and improve regional security.

President Mahama said that Nigeria and Ghana will soon begin the process of reviving their joint commission for cooperation.

The Ghanaian President added that both leaders also agreed to encourage closer cooperation between the intelligence and anti-graft agencies of both countries.

He thanked President Buhari for his visit and assured him of Ghana’s support and cooperation with Nigeria in the fight against terrorism.



Femi Adesina
Special Adviser to the President
(Media & Publicity)
September 7, 2015

Photos:
  

TALKING POINTS ON GOVERNOR AMBODE’S STRIDES SO FAR

Restructuring the Civil Service for Better Performance:
Barely 24 hours after he was sworn in, Governor Akinwunmi Ambode met with the Body of Permanent Secretaries in the State, where he intimated them of his vision to reposition the state civil service to be more efficient and service driven.

This, the Governor said will involve the streamlining of some ministries, departments and agencies to cut cost of governance, as well as create new offices to cater for the emerging needs of the people.
He did not end the meeting without tasking the Permanent Secretaries to rise up to the challenge as they would be front runners in driving the wheel of progress in the state in the next four years.

The Governor has since matched words with action. Three weeks after his assumption in office, he announced his decision to realign the Ministry of Rural Development, Parastatals Monitoring Office as well as Political and Legislative Powers Bureau.

He also scrapped the Office of the Special Adviser on Taxation and Revenue, Debt Management Office while he merged the office of Works and Office of Infrastructure; Office of Drainage Services and Office of Environmental Service, with optimism that it would improve the process and procedure of service delivery and create opportunities for global competitiveness.
On August 5, Governor Ambode also appointed 19 new Permanent Secretaries, an appointment he said was based on merit, competence and track record.
In the last three months, while the appointments of the commissioners and special advisers of the Governor is still being awaited, the Permanent Secretaries have adequately held forth, keeping the wheel of governance moving at a steady pace.
The wealth of experience of Governor Ambode having spent 27 years in the State Civil Service before voluntarily retired has also helped in creating a synergy between his office and the various ministries and will be prove useful in the next four years as far as governance in the state is concerned.

Government with Human Face (Responsiveness): Responding to Tanker Fire Explosions:
Despite not being in the state when the first incident occurred, when the information got to him, he immediately took the next flight back to Lagos and straight to the scene of the blast. This was the case in the fire incidents at Iyana Ipaja and Idimu petrol tanker explosion. Not only did he commiserate with the residents on their losses, he promised to give them succor and help them get back to their normal lives.
Worried about the occurrence of two petrol tanker accidents and three others averted in a space of one week, Governor Ambode immediately summoned a meeting with petrol marketers, while he also set up a fact finding committee to investigate and ascertain the causes of the incidents.
Not many will forget Governor’s Ambode’s milk of kindness to Mrs. Ruth Uche, the mother of three set of twins whose husband absconded from their home in Agege, Lagos.
On reading her plight on the pages of newspaper, Governor Ambode immediately directed his deputy, Mrs. Oluranti Adebule to provide welfare support for the embattle mother of six.
Today, Mrs Uche, her children and her run-away husband who is back home are living comfortably.
Before Mrs. Uche’s plight, Governor Ambode had on his second working day in office intervened to save the life of the 2015 baby of the year in the state, Miss. Oluwajomiloju Goodness Ogundimu who was diagnosed with a heart defect that required surgery.
Today, baby Ogundimu is hale and hearty after a successfully surgery in India.

Joy for Lagos Retirees:
It was also joy for retirees from the various parastatals and agencies of the state across board as Governor Ambode early in August approved N11billion to offset arrears owed since 2010, not only for Lagos State Government mainstream retirees but also retirees in Local Governments and Parastatal organizations.
The development, Governor Ambode said was part of efforts put in place by his administration to find a holistic solution to the issue of payment of pension entitlements to retirees under the PAY AS YOU GO pension Scheme which was discontinued in April, 2007 as well as outstanding accrued pension rights due to retirees under the Contributory Pension Scheme.

Checks and Balance for Revenue Inflow:
In an effort to efficiently improve on the processes of revenue generation and collection in the state and ensure proper accountability and transparency in all Government accrued revenues, the state will from September 1, commence operation of a single account.
Governor Ambode said the move will help the government address the challenges previously faced with the operation of the multiple account system.
For him, the operation of a Treasury Single Account (TSA) aside providing transparency and accountability will also encourage tax payers to request for a single account before making their payments.
The adoption of the TSA by the Governor Ambode’s administration is in line with the objective of the move by the All Progressives Congress (APC) led federal government under President Muhammadu Buhari to ensure that all government revenue accrues to one consolidated account.

Wooing Investors:
For Governor Ambode, attracting investors into the state is in line with his vision to make the state an investment hub in Africa. From his inaugural speech, he had already given an insight of his mission. His decision to set up an Office of Overseas Affairs and Investment (Lagos Global), domiciled in his office clearly spelt out where his administration is headed.
When he received the Namibia President Dr. Hage Geingoband on May 30, where he sold the investments opportunities that abound in the state.
Since then, the Governor has met several groups of local and foreign investors including President of Dangote Group of Companies, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, investors from Dubai, United States of America, as well as envoys from several European and Middle East countries. During such meetings, Governor Ambode promised an enabling environment for willing investors, stressing that his ambition is to improve on the ease of doing business in the state.

Law and Order:
Ambode is not leaving any stone unturned to ensure that the people of Lagos go about their daily activities without fear of being molested or accosted by men of the underworld.
Worried about series of complaints concerning the upsurge of robbery in traffic, the Governor has consistently asked the security agencies to step up their surveillance. This has led to the arrest of hundreds of hoodlums and suspected armed robbers, while some have been prosecuted and convicted. The Ikorodu Bank robbery was one incident that occurred in the early days of the present administration. Governor Ambode, disturbed by the incident charged the Police to go all out and fish out the culprits. While some of the robbers have been arrested, the police is also acting on intelligence gathering to close in on the rest of the gang.
Governor Ambode is also worried about the spate of cultism and land grabbing. He is not leaving any stone unturned to arrest these trends.
At a dinner organised by the Lagos State Security Trust Fund (LSSTF), Governor Ambode unveiled plans to strengthen the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) as well as establish an integrated security and emergency control platform.
The event attracted members of the corporate world and respected members of the society, which saw donations to the tune of over N1billion made by corporate organisations and individuals in cash and kind to support Governor Ambode’s drive to strengthen the security apparatus in the state.
Notwithstanding, the last three months has seen the government acquire 100 brand new power bikes, 10 armoured tanks and a helicopter to take the battle of policing Lagos to the air.
The acquisition of 100 brand new squad cars for a soon-to-be introduced Special Operation Service (SOS), expected to coordinate community policing in RRS and other outfits is also a firm statement from Governor Ambode on his desire to ensure a crime-free state.

Evolving a Traffic Free Lagos:
This sector is dear to his heart. If for nothing else, the need for people to move from one part of the state to another with less traffic impediment is dear to him. Little wonder he mobilised his team on the second working week on assumption of office to visit some traffic prone areas.

Tackling Apapa Traffic Headlong:
The dreaded traffic in Apapa was also a focal point for Governor Ambode. He had received several calls and text messages from residents complaining of the perennial traffic in the area caused by the activities of petrol tankers queuing to load the products from the 57 tank farms in Apapa.
On June 25, the Governor was yet again on the road; this time to Apapa to get a firsthand experience of the gridlock which has defied solutions in recent times.
Governor Ambode and his team were not spared the traffic as his entourage had to look for alternative routes to navigate the area. When he eventually spoke, he did not mince words. He made an appeal to the Federal Government to mobilise the contractor awarded the construction of Apapa road networks to immediately return to site. Alluding to the fact that the network of roads in Apapa belong to the Federal Government, he lamented that the Tincan Bridge, which has been under construction for about six years was abandoned, which has given rise to tankers parking indiscriminately on the road.
As a palliative measure towards ensuring free flow of traffic, Governor Ambode set up a task force to ensure 24 hours surveillance of traffic flow while stressing that the Lagos Road Traffic Law will be enforced to the letter.
Though the Task Force has had its hand full contending with the menace of the petrol tanker drivers, the traffic in the area has eased up to an extent, while the intervention from the federal Government is still anticipated.
Governor Ambode followed up his visit to Apapa with a meeting with Tanker Drivers and Stakeholders to fashion out ways to end the Apapa Traffic Gridlock once and for all.

Road Infrastructure:
Without doubt, this is one area, Governor Ambode has shown his desire to improve upon. In the last 100 days, the Governor has made several policy statements in line with his vision to improve on the road infrastructure in the state.
The first few weeks of his administration saw the Governor embark on inspections to several areas of the state. Some of the areas he toured include Ipaja, Mosan-Okunola, Oshodi- Isolo, Ikotun-Ejigbo and Somolu areas.
The Governor did not hesitate to make pronouncement on the plans to rehabilitate the roads which were in deplorable state.
The Ejigbo-Ikotun road which had hitherto been a nightmare for motorists is currently under rehabilitation as the Governor during his visit on July 14 announced that work will commence on the road in seven days. True to his word, the Lagos State Public Works Corporation moved in to commence work as directed. The rehabilitation work is expected to stretch from Ikotun to Isolo road.
Brown Road in Oshodi is also the latest road to be visited by Governor Ambode. Walking the over 1km road on foot with his entourage, he later announced that work will commence in a week’s time on the road, which serves as a link road to other roads in the area.
The Governor also directed some officials of the state government to inspect the Ladipo and Mushin road with both roads expected to get a facelift soon.

War Against Sexual, Domestic Violence:
The need to stem the tide of domestic violence and other gender related crimes is also dear to the heart of Governor Ambode. At every given opportunity, the Governor does not mince words to express his concern about the rampant cases of sexual and domestic violence in the state. He did not waste time to convey a meeting with the Domestic and Sexual Violence Response Team (DSVRT) with a charge on them to intensify sensitization against the dastardly act, all in a bid to give a voice to the victims and also bring perpetrators to justice.
Recently, 190 officials of the State Emergency Command And Control Centre on how to receive reports of Sexual and Gender Based Violence incidents in the State, just as the Governor approved the use of the 112 toll free line report cases of rape, defilement, domestic violence, child abuse, neglect maltreatment and other sexual assaults.
The DSVRT has since increased its awareness campaign and recently took the message to the palaces of traditional rulers.

All Inclusive/Participatory Governance:
His desire to run a transparent and all inclusive government has featured prominently in the way and manner Governor Ambode carries his team along. At every opportunity, he gives room for members of his team to answer questions and have a say about issues as it relates to their field of specialisation.
This has been evident during inspection visits, where the Governor gives room to each stakeholder to brief the press
This, he believes will instill confidence in every member of the team and make them responsible for their various jurisdiction. For him, his administration is not a one-man-show, but would require collective effort to drive Lagos to prosperity.

Reviving Primary Education:
The saying, “catch them young” is one Governor Ambode firmly believes in. Thus it was not surprising when he approved that 1300 qualified teachers be recruited to teach in the public primary schools across the state.

That Lagosians May Be Healthy:
The Health sector is already getting serious attention from the present administration. On Monday, August 31, Governor Ambode commissioned 20 Mobile Care Units Ambulances and 26 Transport Ambulances expected to be deployed across the various General Hospitals and 24 hour primary healthcare centres in the state.
He however didn’t stop there. He approved the purchase of generators and x-ray machines to all general hospitals in the state to ensure that 24 hour power supply is not compromised, while cost incurred by patients in carrying out x-ray is reduced, all in an effort to upgrade the General Hospitals.
The Governor has also given approval for the recruitment of more paramedic staff and special medical coordinators to ensure 24 hours service to the citizens as well as embark on the construction of a Medical Park.