naptu2: [size=14pt]Fashola commissions the sixteenth skills acquisition center; condemns FG import policy.[/size]

The number of skills acquisition centers in Lagos is now 16 as the Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN) has commissioned the latest addition to the centers located in the Mushin area of the state.

Speaking at the commissioning, the governor said that the state has equipped a total of 13,422 residents of the state with poverty alleviating skills in a period of four years.

A breakdown of the figure shows that 9,566, representing 71.3 per cent were women while the remaining 3,856, representing 28.7 percent were men. The governor pointed out that more youths, between the ages of 20 and 30 years, have been the greatest beneficiary, constituting about 11,509 or 85.7 per cent of the total graduates produced from the centre.

“These are the ordinary people I speak of to whom government owes the greatest responsibility and in whose eyes our government remains a model of what a caring government should be,” he said.

Governor Fashola added that the curriculum covers a wide range of courses including barbing, fashion design/dress-making, hairdressing/ cosmetology, photography, shoe/bag making, tile laying and interlocking, screen printing/Lithography technology, wielding, refrigeration and air-conditioning installation and maintenance and computer studies among others.

While berating the federal government for its import policy, the governor said allowing the importation of household items would destroy the country’s economy.

He said: "I am worried by the recent announcement of the Federal Government to allow importation of furniture, toothpick, textile and vehicles that are 15 years old.

"This policy decision is not the answer to the problem of smuggling. The answer lies in a methodical and multi-dimensional response. It includes strengthening of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) through technology such as scanners, improving local productive capacity and reducing dependence on importation."

The governor said importation has killed the local economy and led to a high rate of unemployment, advising that smuggling could be tamed by well structured security mechanisms.

The governor urged the Federal Government to reverse its policy on importation and concentrate on stimulating the growth of local industries through constant electricity supply.

He said: "Our freight forwarders, customs and ports will become busier from a positive reversal of fortunes that is driven by an export oriented economy, rather than an import driven economy."

The governor informed that the costumes used at last year’s Lagos carnival were made locally, saying the state has embraced a people oriented policy of patronizing local manufacturers.

http://www.lagosindicatoronline.com/Fashola_commissions.htm

naptu2: It appears that the Lagos State Government needs to do a better job of informing the public about its programs because it seems many here are not aware of the plans, programs and alternatives that are available.


1) Skills acquisition centres: There are at least 16 skills acquisition centres that have been set up by the Lagos State Government. @ these centres, the youths and unempployed learn skills such as tailoring and carpentry and are giving loans, upon graduation, with which they are expected to start a business.

http://www.lagosindicatoronline.com/Fashola_commissions.html

2) The Lagos State Government, working with private banks, has worked out mortgages for traders with which they can own their own market stalls and pay monthly or yearly until they own the stalls outright.

3) Okada riders have not been banned from all Lagos roads. Rather, they've been banned from operating on the highways and certain bridges and districts. I know this because I went past the okada park @ Obalende yesterday. Lastma officials and policemen were there, but nobody was harassing the okada riders. However, the okada riders refused to take passengers to Victoria Island. Overzealous policemen and lastma officials will try to take advantage of the law to unlawfully harass okada riders, but that's why the office of the public defender exists.

4) The Lagos State Government has held several workshops, meetings and public enlightenment campaigns with the Motorcycle Operators Association of Lagos State (MOALS). The state house of assembly also had a public hearing while considering the law.


5) The government has also pprovided alternative means of transportation, including the BRT and LRT (although, personally, I would have preferred if the government had waited for the LRT to start operations before restricting okada operations).

jigawatts: If you come to Obalende area ... u will see that there a high influx of Niger citizens posing as hausas have become so much in Lagos, they are even more that the real hausas living there. They come to lagos and start doing menial jobs like fetching water for sale, selling biscuit and sweets, etc ........... their ultimate point is to be an Okada Rider, their population in Lagos right now is ALARMING.

Important warning to Okada Lovers: These Niger/Hausa citizens av sumtin they rub on deir body (probably a charm), no mata the level of accident their Okada has, they will only have scratches or little bruises, its you that they carried that will suffer the major damage. Please this is for real, an Okadaman confessed to me and my friend that is a LASTMA official in Obalende, Pls be careful.

Pls spread if u can (I'm not being tribalistic)

berem: When you seize okadas and expect the riders whom most of them have wives and children to cater for to become jobless,isn't that pure wickedness? How could fashola be so mean? Why didn't he give them warning first or make a deadline? Seems he doesn't know the consequences of what he did. Armed robbery,ritual killing etc will surely be on the rise! He has no idea of how many people he has rendered jobless.smh

oluface: Damaging bus will even make govt decision worst on them. Haba.

sucess001:



The "some major' roads u r refering to actually number 475....aint u even surprised we have up to dt number of roads in Lagos? in other words...they ve been banned from 99% of roads in Lagos Dum Dum!

kawkab: Damaging this buses makes their case worse off. The should have just gone a peaceful protest.

Furthermore, the Okada business has led to to the influx of a lot of unwanted persons in Lagos. People that should doing other skilled based jobs in states and in other parts of the country. A lot of hausa chaps from parts of the country are now in Lagos doing Okada business when they should be engaged in other issue.

Please note that i am not denying the fact that the ban would cause a lot of hardship for commuters; but that is not enough reason for those affected to start vandalizing government properties.

ddim22:
Okada riders are not the first people whose business was affected by govt. policies.Many sectors of our economy like banking etc,have been hit by govt. policies before and people lost their jobs in their thousands.Why didnt they become armed robbers.Losing ur job is not a justification for you to go into crime.It is not today that unemployment started in the country or any where in the world.The okada riders can look for another business to engage themselves in,and they are lucky they have been working before so source of capital for a petty business will not be a problem because they have a little money they have saved.I am saying this as an advice to this okada riders because the govt. of a land is an authority ordained by God.If their policies disturb your business,look for a way out that will not break the law.

Gbyte:
I am not in support of the act of the people protesting but one thing I want you to know is that what works in every other state cant work in Lagos, Lagos is OVER CONGESTED.

Gbyte: . That is d more reason they av 2 vacate lagos. They shuld go learn som skills 2 add 2 d economy rada than 45percent of nigerian youths being okada riders
I am not in support of the act of the people protesting but one thing I want you to know is that what works in every other state cant work in Lagos, Lagos is OVER CONGESTED.

kawkab: Damaging this buses makes their case worse off. The should have just gone a peaceful protest.

Furthermore, the Okada business has led to to the influx of a lot of unwanted persons in Lagos. People that should doing other skilled based jobs in states and in other parts of the country. A lot of hausa chaps from parts of the country are now in Lagos doing Okada business when they should be engaged in other issue.

Please note that i am not denying the fact that the ban would cause a lot of hardship for commuters; but that is not enough reason for those affected to start vandalizing government properties.

sucess001:

osiris...this is for ur education...u dnt just assume that Lagos has 1000 roads...just cos u 'feel' so...in d absence of u knowing how many roads lagos has...its more inteeligent for u to keep quiet...honestly...stop just assumin and talk som sense...if u read my poost and read urs....u ll realsie who d dull person is...mumu

tayoTFC: @GARRI U PAPA FOR VILLAGE IS DANCING NAKED ON NAIRALAND...ODE NO WONDER GARRI FULL UR BRAIN...