By Chris Paul Otaigbe
This past one week has been particularly quiet, reminiscent of the usual
Lagos long holidays when many Lagos Residents would have travelled to their various States and countries of origin to celebrate Christmas and the New Year with their kinsmen.
This week, which effectively, begins the new year, is traditionally the
period, these residents begin to conclude their holidays in their various villages to prepare to return to Lagos, to resume their traditional year-long hustle and bustle.
It is, usually, the last week of respite from vexing traffic gridlock and the
stress of moving from one place to the other for their daily bread in the commercial city of the country.
But this year may somewhat be different. Different because, it is not just a
new year, nor is it an entrance into another decade. It is different because this is 2020! The entry year into a decade that had been set out, by politicians in power as a decade to make a difference in the lives of the citizenry.
Yes. We have various promising decades as designated by past
governments but none has come to pass, nor move the needle on the compass of the progress of the State or the country. From ‘Year 2000…everything good for all (the millennium year)’, ‘Vision 2010’ to ‘Vision 2020’, it has been all empty air by various administrations especially at the federal level.
Here, my brief is Lagos.
As I walk around the shopping mall close to the Lagos State Secretariat, I found myself reminiscing on the state of the State. Thinking of what would
become of the many promises and efforts made by the government of
Babajide Sanwo-Olu for the development of the State as full activities resume in Lagos from next week. Top on my mind, as well as virtually all Lagosians- both those returning and those who remained for the holidays, is the traffic gridlock that we are all going to return to when work starts from Monday 6 th January, 2020.
I recall that the last focus of the administration as we went for the yuletide
holidays was the intention to work on the major junctions and intersections in the State to ease traffic.
The road repairs had started before the Christmas break though. But the
hope is that when full economic activities begin from Monday, most of these roads would have been put into proper shape.
It is important that both the residents and the State government recognize
that this year should be seen like no other because by the expectation placed on the year itself, one expects that the approach to the year should be more visionary.
These thoughts made me revisit the inaugural address of the Governor for
its profound profile of the progress, Lagos would need as it steps into this decade of dreams.
The opening paragraphs of his historic speech had set the tone for what
the people of Lagos are to expect from this year onwards. “This day marks the beginning of a new chapter in our journey to greatness. Today, I ask you to join me on this journey to awaken a Greater Lagos. When we speak of a Greater Lagos, we speak not empty words. It is a deep and profound assertion we mean.
We intend to make history by making for ourselves and our children a
better future. Therefore, on this day, on this precious land we call our home, let us stand together in the very face of history. Let us vow to ourselves, and to posterity that we shall not just dream of a Greater Lagos. Let us agree this day that we shall collectively rise up to build the Lagos of our dreams.” He said. Indeed, this year 2020 marks a new chapter in the life of the journey of the State into a decade that is pregnant with so much. The expectation of Lagosians is that the deep and profoundly assertive promises he made on that day do not end up being empty words from a sweet-talking Governor. By all means, administering a complex and complicated State as Lagos is no mean feat. To appreciate this fact, one would need to look at this commercial nerve center of the Federal Republic of Nigeria holistically from its history, its potentials to the many parts that make it the unique State and economic megacity it has become. With its adjoining conurbation, Lagos is the most populous in Nigeria and sub-Saharan Africa. It is one of the fastest growing cities in the world and one of the most populous urban areas. A major financial center in Africa, the megacity has the fourth-highest GDP in Africa and houses one of the largest and busiest seaports on the continent. Lagos initially emerged as a port city that originated on a collection of islands, which are contained in the present day Local Government Areas (LGAs) of Lagos Island, Eti-Osa , Amuwo-Odofin and Apapa . The islands are separated by creeks, fringing the southwest mouth of Lagos Lagoon, while being protected from the Atlantic Ocean by barrier islands and long sand spits such as Bar Beach, which stretch up to 100 km (62 miles) east and west of the mouth. Due to rapid urbanization, the city expanded to the west of the lagoon to include areas in the present day Lagos Mainland, Ajeromi-Ifelodun and Surulere .
This led to the classification of Lagos into two main areas: the Island, which
was the initial city of Lagos, before it expanded into the area known as the Mainland. This city area was governed directly by the Federal Government through the Lagos City Council, until the creation of Lagos State in 1967, which led to the splitting of Lagos city into the present day seven Local Government Areas (LGAs), and an addition of other towns (which now make up 13 LGAs) from the then Western Region, to form the state. As the capital of Nigeria since its amalgamation in 1914, it went on to become the capital of Lagos State after its creation. However, the state capital was later moved to Ikeja in 1976, and the federal capital moved to Abuja in 1991. Even though Lagos is still widely referred to as a city, the present day Lagos, also known as "Metropolitan Lagos", and officially as "Lagos Metropolitan Area" is an urban agglomeration or conurbation, consisting of 20 LGAs, 37 LCDAs including Ikeja , the state capital of Lagos State. This conurbation makes up 37% of Lagos State’s total land area, but houses about 85% of the state’s total population. The exact population of Metropolitan Lagos is disputed. In the 2006 federal census data, the conurbation had a population of about eight million people. However, the figure was disputed by the Lagos State Government, which later released its own population data, putting the population of Lagos Metropolitan Area at approximately 16 million.
As of 2015, unofficial figures put the population of "Greater Metropolitan Lagos", which includes Lagos and its surrounding metro area, extending as far as into Ogun State , at approximately 21 million. Historically, Lagos was originally inhabited by the Awori subgroup of the Yoruba people in the 15th century. Under the leadership of the Oloye Olofin, the Awori moved to an island now called Iddo and then to the larger Lagos Island. In the 16th century, the Awori settlement was conquered by the Benin Empire and the island became a Benin war-camp called "Eko" under Oba Orhogbua, the Oba of Benin at the time. Eko is still the native name for Lagos. Lagos, which means "lakes", was a name given to the settlement by the Portuguese. Throughout history, it was home to a number of warring ethnic groups who had settled in the area. Following its early settlement by the Awori nobility, and its conquest by the Bini warlords of Benin, the state first came to the attention of the Portuguese in the 15th century.
Portuguese explorer Rui de Sequeira visited the area in 1472, naming the
area around the city Lago de Curamo. Another explanation is that Lagos is a Portuguese named after a major port in Portugal —a maritime town that, at the time, was the main center of Portuguese expeditions down the African coast. In Britain’s early 19th century fight against the trans-atlantic slave trade, its West Africa Squadron or Preventative Squadron as it was also known, continued to pursue Portuguese, American, French and Cuban slave ships and to impose anti-slavery treaties with West African coastal chiefs with so much doggedness that they created a strong presence along the West African coast from Sierra Leone all the way to the Niger Delta (today’s Nigeria) and as far south as Congo. In 1849, Britain appointed John Beecroft Consul of the Bights of Benin and Biafra, a position he held (along with his governorship of Fernando Po) until his death in 1854.
John Duncan was appointed Vice Consul and was located at Wydah. At the time of Beecroft’s appointment, the Kingdom of Lagos (under Oba Kosoko) was in the western part of the Consulate of the Bights of Benin and Biafra and was a key slave trading port. In 1851 and with pressure from liberated slaves who now wielded political and business influence, Britain intervened in Lagos in what is now known as the Bombardment of Lagos or Capture of Lagos resulting in the installation of Oba Akitoye and the ouster of Oba Kosoko . Oba Akitoye then signed the Treaty between Great Britain and Lagos abolishing slavery. The signing of the 1852 treaty ushered in the consular period in Lagos’ history wherein Britain provided military protection to Lagos. Following threats from Kosoko and the French who were positioned at Wydah, a decision was made by Lord Palmerston (British Prime Minister) who noted in 1861, "the expediency of losing no time in assuming the formal Protectorate of Lagos”. William McCoskry, the Acting Consul in Lagos with Commander Bedingfield convened a meeting with Oba Dosunmu on 30 July 1861 aboard HMS Prometheus where Britain’s intent was explained and a response to the terms were required by August 1861.
Dosunmu resisted the terms of the treaty but under the threat to unleash violence on Lagos by Commander Bedingfield, Dosunmu relented and signed the Lagos Treaty of Cession on 6 th August, 1861. Lagos was declared a colony on March 5, 1862. The remainder of modern- day Nigeria was seized in 1887, and when the Colony and Protectorate of Nigeria was established in 1914, Lagos became its capital, continuing as such after the country’s independence from Britain in 1960.
Along with migrants from all over Nigeria and other West African nations were the returnee ex-slaves known as Creoles, who came from Freetown, Sierra Leone, Brazil and the West Indies to Lagos. The Creoles contributed to Lagos’ modernization and their knowledge of Portuguese architecture can still be seen from the architecture on Lagos Island. Since the 19th century, Lagos gradually transformed to a melting pot of Africans and Europeans. Railway links and telephone cables connecting Lagos to London had been established by 1886. Electric street lighting was introduced in the city in 1898. Lagos experienced rapid growth throughout the 1960s and 1970s as a result of Nigeria’s economic boom.
Before the creation of Lagos State on May 27, 1967, Lagos, which was the country’s capital had been administered directly by the Federal Government as a Federal Territory through the Federal Ministry of Lagos Affairs, while the Lagos City Council (LCC) governed the city. Lagos, along with the towns from the then Western region ( Ikeja , Agege , Mushin, Ikorodu , Epe and Badagry ), were eventually captured to create Lagos State. Lagos city was split into the present day seven Local Government Areas (LGAs), while the other towns now make up 13 LGAs in the state. Lagos played the dual role of being the State and Federal Capital until 1976 when the state capital was moved to Ikeja. Lagos was adversely affected during Nigeria’s military rule. Also, on 12 th December, 1991, the seat of the Federal Government was also formally relocated to Abuja. However, Lagos remains the financial center of the country, and also grew to become the most populous conurbation in the country. Geographically, Lagos is loosely classified into two main geographical areas—the "Island" and the "Mainland".
The Island is a loose geographical term that is used to define the area of Lagos that is separated from the "mainland" by the main channel draining the lagoon into the Atlantic Ocean, which forms Lagos Harbor. The Island is mainly a collection of islands that are separated from each other by creeks of varying sizes and are connected together by bridges. The smaller sections of some creeks have been dredged and built over. This part of Lagos is the area where most business activities and entertainment events in Lagos take place. It also houses most of the upscale residential areas in Lagos. The Local Government Areas (LGAs) that are considered to be in the Island include Lagos Island, Amuwo-Odofin , Apapa (sometimes also regarded as being on the mainland),
and Eti-Osa .
The major upscale island neighborhoods within these LGAs include Ikoyi and Victoria Island. Three major bridges join the island to the mainland. They are the Carter Bridge, which starts from Iddo; the Eko Bridge (formerly called the Second Mainland Bridge); and the Third Mainland Bridge, which passes through densely populated mainland suburbs to the Lagos Lagoon. Lagos Island contains a central business district. This district is characterized by high-rise buildings. The island also contains many of the city’s largest wholesale marketplaces (such as the popular Idumota and Balogun markets ). It also has the National Museum of Nigeria, the Central Mosque, the Glover Memorial Hall, Christ’s Church Cathedral (CMS) and the Oba’s Palace ( Iga Idunganran ). Another major part of Lagos Island is Marina. It borders around the Idumota and Balogun markets and houses major banking institutions. Though formerly in a derelict condition, Lagos Island’s Tinubu Square is a site of historical importance; it was here that the Amalgamation Ceremony that unified the North and South protectorates to form Nigeria took place in 1914.
Ikoyi is situated on the eastern half of Lagos Island and joined to it by
a land fill. Ikoyi is also connected to Victoria Island by Falomo bridge, which carries the main road over Five Cowrie creek. Ikoyi housed the headquarters of the federal government of Nigeria and other buildings owned by the government, including the old federal secretariat complex. The complex today is on re-establishment. In Ikoyi, there are military and police barracks, a top-security prison and a federal high court of Nigeria. Ikoyi also has a number of hotels, night clubs, a recreational park and one of Africa’s largest golf courses. Originally a middle class neighborhood, in recent years, it has become a fashionable residential enclave for the upper middle class to the upper class. There are also commercial activities in Ikoyi, which is spotted in an increasing number of offices, banks, and shopping complexes. The commercial section is concentrated in the South-West. Victoria Island with its annex is situated to the south of Lagos Island. It has expensive real estate properties and for that reason, many new luxury condos and apartments are blooming up everywhere. Along with Ikoyi, Victoria Island occupies a major area in Lagos that boasts of several
sizeable shopping districts. On its sea shore along the Atlantic front, there
is environmentally reconstructed Bar Beach. One of the most important streets in Victoria Island Lagos is Saka Tinubu Street because it is where telecommunication business is done majorly, there is a plaza called GSM PLAZA where buying and selling of mobile phones and its accessories and other related businesses are carried out. It was founded in 2001, a group of young men came together to form a small business outlets with each one having landline phone on the table and people made calls on pay as you use basis, but there was a new tune between 2002-2003 when GSM business commenced in a bigger picture in Nigeria, today, it is a well-known place. Across the main channel of the lagoon from Lagos Island, there is a smaller settlement called Iddo . Iddo is also a railroad terminus and it is now situated in the Lagos Mainland local government area after it was connected to the mainland like a peninsula. A huge population of Lagosians also live on the Lagos mainland, and most industries are located there. The mainland is known for its music and nightlife, which used to be located in areas around Yaba and Surulere . However, in recent years, more night clubs have sprung up on the Island, making the Island (particularly Victoria Island and Lekki Phase 1) the main nightlife attractions. Mainland LGAs include Surulere , Ajeromi- Ifelodun and Lagos Mainland. Metropolitan Lagos suburban LGAs include: Agege , Apapa , Mushin, Oshodi-Isolo and Ikeja (site of Murtala Muhammed International Airport and the capital of Lagos State). Major areas on the mainland include Ebute Metta , Yaba and Ejigbo . Some rivers, like Badagry Creek, flow parallel to the coast for some distance before exiting through the sand bars to the sea. From the point of view of architecture, Lagos has the tallest skyline in Nigeria. The architectural styles in Lagos are diverse and ranges from tropical, vernacular to colonial European and ultramodern buildings or a mixture. Brazilian style architecture brought by the Creoles is evident in buildings such as Water House and Shitta Bey Mosque. Skyscrapers and most high-rise buildings are centered on the islands while the mainland has some high-rise buildings. In recent years, the Lagos State government has renovated existing parks and green areas, with a long-term goal of expansion. Many good quality buildings are interspersed across the city.
In terms of administration, Lagos is not a single municipality and therefore
has no overall city administration. The geographical city limits of Metropolitan Lagos comprise 16 of the 20 Local Government Areas, which together comprise Lagos State. The latter entity provides overall government for the metropolitan region. The Municipality of Lagos, which covered Lagos Island, Ikoyi, and Victoria Island as well as some mainland territory, was managed by the Lagos City Council (LCC), but it was disbanded in 1976 and divided into several Local Government Areas (most notably Lagos Island LGA, Lagos Mainland LGA and Eti-Osa LGA ). The mainland beyond the Municipality of Lagos, on the other hand, comprised several separate towns and settlements such as Mushin, Ikeja and Agege. In the wake of the 1970s Nigerian oil boom, Lagos experienced a population explosion, untamed economic growth, and unmitigated rural migration. This caused the outlying towns and settlements to develop rapidly, thus forming the present day "Lagos Metropolitan Area", also known as "Metropolitan Lagos". The history of Lagos is still evidenced in the layout of the LGAs that display the unique identities of the cultures that created them. By 2006, the metro area around Lagos had extended beyond Lagos State’s boundaries and attained a megacity status. This much larger area is referred to as "Greater Metropolitan Lagos" or "Lagos Megacity Region", which is a continuous built up land area of additional 1,535.4 square kilometers (592.8 square miles), comprising sprawls in LGAs situated next to Lagos’ eastern and western city limits in Lagos State, and beyond northern limits, spilling into the LGAs in adjoining Ogun State . Ogun State LGAs within Greater Metropolitan Lagos majorly include: Obafemi Owode , Sagamu , Ifo , Ado-Odo/Ota and part of Ewekoro . Among the places of worship, there are Christian churches and temples : Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), Presbyterian Church of Nigeria (World Communion of Reformed Churches), Nigerian Baptist Convention (Baptist World Alliance), The Apostolic Church Nigeria (TACN), Living Faith Church Worldwide, Redeemed Christian Church of God, Assemblies of God, Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Lagos (Catholic Church) and Muslim mosques. This face of the State has been in contention for most of last year as the noise pollution generated
from most of the places of worship rose to the level where the government
decided to do something about it. Today, the word Lagos most often refers to the urban area, called "Metropolitan Lagos" in Nigeria, which includes both the islands of the former municipality of Lagos and the mainland suburbs. Lagos State government is responsible for some of the utilities including roads and transportation, power, water, health and education. Metropolitan Lagos extends over 16 of the 20 LGAs of Lagos State, containing about 85% of the population of the State including semi-rural areas. Lagos City has a considerable number of high-rise buildings that dominate its skyline. Most of the tall buildings are located in the downtown Central Business District. Lagos was the former capital city of Nigeria but it has since been replaced by Abuja. Abuja officially gained its status as the capital of Nigeria on December 12, 1991, although the decision to move the federal capital had been made in now Act no. 6 of 1976. Lagos is also home to the High Court of the Lagos State Judiciary, housed in an old colonial building on Lagos Island.
Although the 2006 National Population Census of Nigeria credited the
metropolitan area with a population figure of 7,937,932, the figure is at variance with some projections by the UN and other population agencies and groups worldwide. The population figure of Lagos State given by the Lagos State Government is 17,553,924. It was based on claimed conducted enumeration for social planning by the Lagos State Government "parallel census" and it believes that since the inhabitants of the metropolitan area of Lagos constitute 88% of the Lagos State population, the population of metropolitan Lagos is about 15.5 million. A rejoinder to Lagos State Government views concluded that Lagos State concealed the fact that the population projection, for Lagos Urban Agglomeration by the UN agencies had been revised downwards substantially as early as 2003. It failed to interpret the two most important and fairly representative and reliable secondary data sets already in public
domain, the National Identity Card Scheme and the 2003 Voters
Registration figures from INEC. The figures for 2007 Voters Registration by INEC were an act subsequent to the release of the provisional census results and comprehensively corroborate, vindicate and validate the population figures in no uncertain terms. According to the official results of the 2006 census, there were 8,048,430 inhabitants in Metropolitan Lagos. This figure was lower than anticipated, and has created controversy in Nigeria. Lagos Island, the central Local Government Area and historic center of Metropolitan Lagos, had a population of 212,700 at the 2006 Census. Authorities of Lagos State have attacked the results of the 2006 census, accusing the Nigerian National Population Commission of having undercounted the population of the state. This accusation is denied by the National Population Commission. A study found that research carried out by Africapolis (the African subsidiary of e-Geopolis backed by the Agence française de développement ), in addition to the cross-referencing of official figures with more scientific independent research concluded that the 2006 census figures for Lagos State of about nine million were valid and that the state’s own assessments are inflated. Lagos is, by most estimates, one of the fastest-growing cities in the world. Lagos is currently experiencing a population increase of about 275,000 persons per annum. In 1999, the United Nations predicted that the city’s metropolitan area, which had only about 290,000 inhabitants in 1950, would exceed 20 million by 2010 and thus become one of the ten most populated cities in the world. There is a huge spectrum of wealth distribution among the people that reside in Lagos. It ranges from the very wealthy to the very poor. Lagos has attracted many young people and families seeking a better life from all other parts of Nigeria and beyond and this has also contributed to its cosmopolitan status. This is in a nutshell is Lagos. It is the State whose history and story Sanwo- Olu promised to redesign towards making a Greater Lagos. He said we need not be discouraged by the challenges that may be apparent because today is an opportunity for the State to forge ahead in the quest for a Greater Lagos.
To achieve that Greater Lagos, he has formulated a concise framework
that encapsulates Lagosians’ collective vision for the state and ensures that “our undertaking remains focused and our communication remains clear as we endeavor to build a Greater Lagos, we can all be proud to call home.” He said. His framework for delivering the dream Lagos revolves around a six-pillar development agenda abbreviated into T.H.E.M.E T – Traffic Management and Transportation is a transport masterplan that will fully integrate road, rail and water transportation into a multi-modal transport system that makes commuting easy for Lagosians. H – Health and Environment aims to provide basic health care for Lagosians, especially those who cannot afford it. Under this comprehensive health program, special emphasis would be placed on maternal healthcare, malaria and water borne diseases. He will also focus on sanitation and waste management, by ensuring that the drainage systems are functional and kept clean. E – Education and Technology would involve increasing budgetary allocation to education. He said his government will empower teachers in every local government and strengthen their capacity to deliver quality education to children in the State. New educational infrastructure, he said, will be built to cultivate a learning environment that prepares Lagos children for a new world that demands creativity, intuition and critical thinking. He promised to ensure technology is integrated into the State’s school curriculum, while empowering the youths with the much-needed skills for the jobs of tomorrow. M – Making Lagos a 21st century economy would be done by investing in critical infrastructure, to accelerate the growth of the State’s economy and empower the private sector who are the real engines of growth.
Thankfully, he recognizes the need to break the deadlock that shackles
power distribution, provide sustainable urban settlements that address the current deficit; while at the same time building a smart city that achieves urban harmony and sets a new bar in the country. E – Entertainment and Tourism would be nurtured to showcase Lagos cultural heritage and unique hospitality, while his government would support the State’s entertainment, visual arts and sports sectors, and inspire the kind of creativity from most talented individuals that will enhance the reputation of the State at home – and abroad. S – Security and Governance are the last of the pillars of development is Security and Governance. “It is important to ensure that we set the right tone for good governance and accountability at the top. To this end, my administration will ensure that we walk the talk as far as transparency, the rule of law and fiscal discipline are concerned. We will make sure that we create the right environment in which security and safety of lives and property are guaranteed. Our ultimate goal would be to ensure that Lagos state remains one of the top destinations on the African continent to live, work and invest in.” From all indications, all these Sanwo-Olu promised on his first address to the people of Lagos are a huge task to accomplish by one administration and in one or two terms. But the young Governor said ‘it is possible!’ The possibility of this quest the State would be setting forth into from this year would depend on a number of factors, most of which are anchored on the Governor’s ability, capability and capacity to convert his flowery speech into a reality that may make Lagos the eighth wonder of this new decade. By the end of his first term, the State would be in the third year of the new decade and perhaps, by the time he stays the full course of two terms as
Governor of the State, Lagos would be three years to the end of the
decade. Lagosians are all looking forward to the fulfillment of these promises as they look to him to deliver them from the biting and lifespan-reducing stress of living in Lagos. If they are to look at the future of a Sanwo-Olu Lagos in the next three years, from the shaky glass of last year, they may not have enough to hope for. But then, this is Nigeria and we are talking about Lagos where anything is possible. History is now in Sanwo-Olu court to re-create Lagos, regenerate its energy and reinvent the soul of the State to prime it for the Greater Lagos he sold to the people. Can he accomplish this onerous assignment? Only time would tell.
In brief…
LASU landfill to be decommissioned
The LASU landfills and refuse dumpsites located along LASU-Isheri Road, Igando is set to be decommissioned by the Lagos State Government as part of efforts targeted at preventing potential exposure to an epidemic among residents of the area. The State Commissioner for Health, as well as the Commissioner for The Environment and Water Resources, Prof. Akin Abayomi and Mr. Tunji Bello, made this known through a joint statement, saying their respective Ministries are aware of the dumpsites and the resultant menace to the environment. While noting the inexpediency of locating the dumpsites close to Alimosho General Hospital, Abayomi said “Situating a waste yard right beside a general hospital or in the proximity of residential community is totally unacceptable, and we acknowledge the health and environmental dangers this dumpsite constitutes to the neighborhood and, particularly, the Alimosho General Hospital”. He explained that the dumpsites which were on the outskirts of the metropolis, until the population expansion and commercial and residential buildings caught up had earlier been shut down about five years ago before it was reopened by those engaged to manage waste before the advent of the present administration. “We are aware that these dumpsites have caused residents of the area so much discomfort and agony over the years.
These, coupled with the attendant exposure to environmental hazards, which is inimical to attainment of good health, are the reasons why we are taking the bull by the horn to provide a lasting solution to this ugly menace by decommissioning these sites and restoring serenity in the environment”, Abayomi said. In his contribution, the Commissioner for the Environment, Mr. Tunji Bello outlined plans put in place to find a lasting solution to the nuisance created by the dumpsites and landfills, disclosing that the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources has mandated the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) to begin the process of decommissioning of Solous 3 dumpsite, starting with rehabilitation and improved management of the dumpsite as a critical first step towards eventual decommissioning in two to three years.
Club Quilox reopened on LASEPA’s terms
Club Quilox has been reopened by the Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency, LASEPA. The agency reopened Club Quilox after securing the management’s commitment to comply with the State’s Environmental Laws, Regulations, Guidelines and Standards.
The Club was reopened after its management undertook to carry out activities without obstructing the flow of traffic on Ozumba Mbadiwe and other adjoining streets, just as it committed to ensuring that sound emanating from its facility does not exceed the recommended limits set by the State. After a meeting with the management of the Club, the General Manager of LASEPA, Dr. Dolapo Fasawe, said “we are reopening the club for operation as it has fulfilled our conditions and complied with the extant law guiding its operations.
The club was sanctioned and fined for environmental nuisance and we ensured total compliance before reopening.” Speaking further, the General Manager maintained that the closure would serve as a warning to other entertainment and event centers to ensure their operations are within the ambits of the law. Fasawe advised entertainment and event centers to work with relevant government agencies to put effective traffic management systems in place when hosting events. She emphasized that the government would not allow any business concern constitute a nuisance to other members of the public by ensuring strict compliance with the State’s environmental laws and regulations
Stop rejecting gunshot victims- LASG
The Lagos State Government has appealed to all health care providers including public and private health facilities operating in the State to discontinue the habit of rejecting gunshot victims and other trauma patients on the excuse of requiring a police report or the need to provide evidence of funds before commencing treatment.
The State Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi made the plea
recently while reacting to investigations by the Ministry of Health which revealed that some health facilities in the State are in the practice of declining or delaying care to trauma victims which has in some cases resulted in avoidable loss of lives. He urged hospitals, health centers and clinics to offer immediate comprehensive care to gunshot victims and other trauma patients in line with the Federal Government’s Compulsory Treatment and Care for Victims of Gunshot Act, 2017. “These deaths would have been avoided if health care providers were conversant with the Compulsory Treatment and Care for Victims of Gunshot Act, 2017 which stipulates that victims of gunshot and traumatic accidents should be given immediate treatment at any healthcare facility”, the Commissioner stated.
He noted that health care providers are duty bound according to their professional oaths to first save lives by offering immediate attention to any patient requiring urgent, critical and lifesaving supportive care before any other considerations. “Such critical care should include where necessary all measures to stabilize the patient before onward referral to more equipped facilities. Simple procedures such as attempts to arrest bleeding or intravenous fluids could make all the difference to saving life,”Abayomi said. The Commissioner explained that the Compulsory Treatment and Care for Victims of Gunshot Act makes provisions for obligatory treatment and care for victims of gunshots, stressing that the law stipulates that a person with a gunshot wound shall be received for immediate and adequate treatment by any hospital in Nigeria.
“With this Act, it has become legally wrong for healthcare providers to delay
attending to victims of gunshots and any other trauma under any circumstances. It is in this wise that I want to make it clear that the Lagos State Government will not hesitate to explore this law and to apply suitable sanctions against facilities that contravene the provisions of the act”, Abayomi stated.
While noting that the primary concern of the Act borders on access to prompt medical care, the Commissioner averred that the sanctity of human life should be the first consideration for any healthcare provider irrespective of circumstances leading to incident involving the trauma victim. He noted that plans are also in top gear to review and revise the Lagos State Emergency policies and procedures in order to ensure prompt care for accident and trauma victims as well as service officials injured in the course of their duties, adding that this is a strong mandate captured in the THEMES agenda of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu. Abayomi added that the review of emergency policy will focus on emergency infrastructure, coordination, human resource capacity, response time, and obligations of citizens and health care providers.
