Fashola Mounts Anti-Crime Patrol On Waterways
Lagos Okays Maritime Anti-Terrorist Guards
By Gboyega Akinsanmi, 11.02.2009

Lagos State government has said it has set up a 15-man maritime anti-terrorist guard to patrol all navigational routes, waterways and territorial waters across the state against the activities of sea robbers and terrorist groups.

The state Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN, had provided two patrol boats, one fire boat, one search and rescue boats, and employment of maritime security operatives to monitor safety on all Lagos jetties.

The state Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Comrade Opeyemi Bamidele made this known weekend, after a meeting with the management of the Lagos State Waterway Authority (LASWA) at the State Secretariat, Ikeja.

He also pointed out that the state government “is prepared to license more big ferry operators in order to give people better choice on the 21 navigational routes in the state and to technically phase out local boats”.

Bamidele added that the Fashola administration has been providing required infrastructure and security to promote more investment opportunities in the waterways to complement road transportation in the state.

The Commissioner said safety “is a dominant factor in water transportation. LASWA has met with stakeholders in water transportation in the state with a view to ensuring safety. The agency has made the wearing life jackets compulsory for passengers of ferries and local boats.

http://www.thisdayonline.com/nview.php?id=158685

Eko o ni baje o,

MEND thugs and other Terrorist clowns.

Be warned,

babapupa:

MEND thugs and other Terrorist clowns.

Be warned, 

While this is not a bad move, I would be happier if Fashola focused his effort on the safety of the people of Lagos.
He should find a way to establish anti-armed robbery squad for Lagos State without flouting any federal law; mind you, not necessarily
his own police which I think is a bad idea from the get go.
Nevertheless,  kudos to him.

vangogh:


While this is not a bad move, I would be happier if Fashola focused his effort on the safety of the people of Lagos.
He should find a way to establish anti-armed robbery squad for Lagos State without flouting any federal law; mind you, not necessarily
his own police which I think is a bad idea from the get go.
Nevertheless,  kudos to him.

I see what you're saying, this safety effort is to protect lagosians and the state's waterways.

Tho', more is needed, I strongly believe he's trying his best with what's at his disposal. He's basically paying and equipping the Nigerian police in his state. Even, crime is down in Lagos state.

http://happylagosian..com/2009/10/fashola-hands-over-114-new-patrol.html


http://happylagosian..com/2009/06/albert-akpor-5-june-2009-lagos-state.html


Fashola Launches Platform For Ordinary Nigerians To Donate To Security Trust Fund



http://www.tundefashola.com/archives/news/2009/10/15/20091015N01.html

babapupa:

Lagos State government has said it has set up a 15-man maritime anti-terrorist guard to patrol all navigational routes, waterways and territorial waters across the state against the activities of sea robbers and terrorist groups.

15 man anti-terrorist squad?

Last time MEND attacked Lagos, there were 400 of them.

Fashola better do better than this.

Anyway, I cant blame him. The Federal Govt security forces have failed him so he has to sort out his own security worries.

babapupa:

MEND thugs and other Terrorist clowns.

Be warned,

While you fool yourself that you are forming your new Odua country

What Fashola should do is take 72 federal police 2 commisoner, 4  Supretendent, and 6 Inspectors. The rest 60 officers will be ranks pivate to sergeant. He should divide Lagos into 6 operational zones.  Each operational area will be led by an inspector, and 9 men armed to the teecth, with laser targeting rifles, snipers rifle to the top of the range sub-machine guns.

Funding

Since they are drawn from d federal Police there Salaries will still be paid by the Feds. What will happen will be assuming a Supretendent gets 30,000 a month Fashola will be paying them 90,000.00 plus a decent accomodation. The same salary structure will be replicated through out the ranks from commisioner to private.

Funtions

There main task will be to confront armed robbers fire for fire just like the swat in the USA and the SO19 in the Uk.
These are crack units, when they are not fitghting crime they busy homing up their targeting skills in their base.

This suggestion will auger well for both d federal authorities and d state. A case or argument for independent STate Police will be unfounded especially with the reservation expressed by political opponents.

Beaf:

While you fool yourself that you are forming your new Odua country

This na test run and prelude to Odua Naval Forces (ONF). Some people are slow sha, lmao

babapupa:


This na test run and prelude to Odua Naval Forces (ONF). Some people are slow sha, lmao

. . .It is very very hard to understand fools sha
www.nairaland.com/attachments/180447_ROTFLMAO_gif3d0c775232c7f27cf80592785b9635b6 www.nairaland.com/attachments/180447_ROTFLMAO_gif3d0c775232c7f27cf80592785b9635b6 www.nairaland.com/attachments/180447_ROTFLMAO_gif3d0c775232c7f27cf80592785b9635b6

KnowAll:

What Fashola should do is take 72 federal police 2 commisoner, 4  Supretendent, and 6 Inspectors. The rest 60 officers will be ranks pivate to sergeant. He should divide Lagos into 6 operational zones.  Each operational area will be led by an inspector, and 9 men armed to the teecth, with laser targeting rifles, snipers rifle to the top of the range sub-machine guns.

Funding

Since they are drawn from d federal Police there Salaries will still be paid by the Feds. What will happen will be assuming a Supretendent gets 30,000 a month Fashola will be paying them 90,000.00 plus a decent accomodation. The same salary structure will be replicated through out the ranks from commisioner to private.

Funtions

There main task will be to confront armed robbers fire for fire just like the swat in the USA and the SO19 in the Uk.
These are crack units, when they are not fitghting crime they busy homing up their targeting skills in their base.

This suggestion will auger well for both d federal authorities and d state. A case or argument for independent STate Police will be unfounded especially with the reservation expressed by political opponents.

I could not have agreed with you more. However, SWAT and likes are used for more of counter-terrorism engagements than intelligence, -reactive enforcement.

Lagos needs a team that can gather its own intelligence and execute its own offensive actions in combating
this menace (armed-robbery) that has plagued Lagos and other metropolis for far too long.  A  proactive enforcement unit sort of.

BTW, how can  Fashola go about procuring a police unit from the Fed. without tripping the constitution?

vangogh:


I could not have agreed with you more. However, SWAT and likes are used for more of counter-terrorism engagements than intelligence, -reactive enforcement.

Lagos needs a team that can gather its own intelligence and execute its own offensive actions in combating
this menace (armed-robbery) that has plagued Lagos and other metropolis for far too long.  A  proactive enforcement unit sort of.

BTW, how can  Fashola go about procuring a police unit from the Fed. without tripping the constitution?

You and the poster you quoted made great points. Unfortunately, it's next to impossible for lagos/any state to have a viable and independent law enforcement units because the state police command answers to his/her IG of police in abuja (politically appointed IG by a different and antagonistic political party), not the state government.

Beyond helping with equipments, funds and quality of life upgrade, he really can not do much.

they should carry guns too. and all coastal state should do the same.

may be call them the lagos marine. i think he should call them the lagos marine.

all USA state have army, they call them state national guard.

even other state like oyo state and others can have inland anti-terrorist guards. to protect their state.

becomrich,:

they should carry guns too. and all coastal state should do the same.

may be call them the lagos marine. i think he should call them the lagos marine.

all USA state have army, they call them state national guard.

even other state like oyo state and others can have inland anti-terrorist guards. to protect their state.

Another fool like babapupa.
Becomrich, your oga has told you that those guys in canoes are the new "Odua navy" (until responsible people slap him out of his silly dreams).
Abeg, draw a new map for your oga.

babapupa:


This na test run and prelude to Odua Naval Forces (ONF). Some people are slow sha, lmao

Which one is Odua republic and what is being done in order to materialise it?

becomrich,:

they should carry guns too. and all coastal state should do the same.

may be call them the lagos marine. i think he should call them the lagos marine.

all USA state have army, they call them state national guard.

even other state like oyo state and others can have inland anti-terrorist guards. to protect their state.

For now, they're operating under LASWA with assistance from the Nigerian police. The state is providing patrol boats, fire boats and sustained funding.


Beef-

I feel your pain. Must be sad that your looting and stealing elected and appointed brothers in the delta don't know anything about patrolling and protecting your messed up waterways and the good people of the delta.  Showing face and throwing tantrums every time you hear Lagos obviously magnifying your sorryness and and the depth of your sufferings at the hands of your clueless no job duties understanding, lazy, and crooked kinsmen.

Ndo my brother,

knowall you are wrong, fashola should form a lagos paramilitary group. train them like military, it is allowed under nigeria law. we have paramilitary already like "man o war" and others, but there are not under the state.

Nigeria laws allow fashola to set up para military group. nigeria law also allow him to give them guns as long as he get a licence for them. Fashola should stop spend lagos money on the nigeria police. Chief tinubu did the same with the IPP and where is it today. It never help.

If he makes a paramilitary under lagos, he can use them to police the state. people are allowed to carry guns in Nigeria, if you have licence. The state can secure licence for them. The law state you can not have a police, but the law allows for paramilitary group. So go for paramilitary and let lagos control it. He should not use it against the PDP.

I suggest Fashola should employ members of the OPC and agbaro boys as members of the paramilitary group to give them jobs. I know high top officer in the toronto police , i can give you thier contact to help him train them.  if fashola motive is pure.

babapupa:

For now, they're operating under LASWA with assistance from the Nigerian police. The state is providing patrol boats, fire boats and sustained funding.

Beef-

I feel your pain. Must be sad that your looting and stealing elected and appointed brothers in the delta don't know anything about patrolling and protecting your messed up waterways and the good people of the delta. Showing face and throwing tantrums every time you hear Lagos obviously magnifying your sorryness and and the depth of your sufferings at the hands of your clueless no job duties understanding, lazy, and crooked kinsmen.

Ndo my brother,

Lagos ke! I thought you said you were forming your imaginary Odua navy. Abi fear don catch you? Fool, becomerich will soon draw your maps for you. Two of a kind.

Beef-

Lagos/Odua, what different does it make? Why is it so hard for you to shower the same attention on your own helpless people in the delta?

How come na only Lagos dey charge your mojo? No wonder you and Asiwaju are inseparable. lmao.

I understand this is your imaginary army fighting the police (drugs are bad for your health).

All this posting posters and bill boards all over the place is worn out, tired and played out. It's time for a new routing. Yawnz,



Your people need you in the delta and Asiwaju need you inside bedroom, lmao

Just keep away from drugs. . . "Odua Naval Forces (ONF)"

www.nairaland.com/attachments/180447_ROTFLMAO_gif3d0c775232c7f27cf80592785b9635b6

Igbo must be too cheap these days. Responsible people need to slap sense into your skull.

Lagos approves 21 water routes to relieve traffic

By Olasunkanmi Akoni
Governor Babtunde Fashola of Lagos State has approved the operation of 21 routes on its waterways as part of efforts at reducing traffic congestion on the roads.

Similarly, the government is providing infrastructure and security apparatus to promote more investment opportunities in the waterways to complement road transportation.

The state Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr Opeyemi Bamidele, who disclosed this, weekend, said the measure was in consonance with Fashola’s pledge of keeping his campaign promise to effectively utilise the aquatic nature of the state to boost transportation.

According to him, Fashola has directed the Lagos State Waterways Authority (LASWA) to license more big ferry operators to give people better choice on the 21 navigational routes in the state and to technically phase out local boats.

The governor, Bamidele said, also directed LASWA to recruit water guards to enforce the use of life jackets by ferry and boat operators and that the agency in turn had placed sufficient personnel in every jetty in Lagos to disallow people without life jackets from using the state waterways.

He said water transportation was the safest if the phobia associated with water is removed. He said more good ferries are coming into the state to enhance water transportation, adding that the focus of the state government is to bring in big investors particularly in the manufacturing and running of big ferries.

Bamidele noted that the governor had directed that a standard be maintained by the LASWA on the construction of jetties in the state, adding that the state government had provided two patrol boats, a fire boat, a search-and-rescue boat, 15 anti-terrorists guards and employment of men to monitor safety compliance on Lagos jetties.

Bamidele who noted that safety was a dominant factor in water transportation, said LASWA had met with the relevant stakeholders in water transportation in the state with a view to ensure safety.

He said the agency had made the wearing life jackets compulsory for passengers of ferries and local boats.

The commissioner said LASWA had equally extended its advocacy visits to riverine areas in the state to enlist the support of local boat operators, fishermen and traders on the need to maintain safety on Lagos waterways.

Bamidele noted that the governor had directed that a standard be maintained by the LASWA on the construction of jetties in the state, adding that the state government had provided two patrol boats, a fire boat, a search-and-rescue boat, 15 anti-terrorists guards and employment of men to monitor safety compliance on Lagos jetties.

. . ."Odua Naval Forces (ONF)"

www.nairaland.com/attachments/180447_ROTFLMAO_gif3d0c775232c7f27cf80592785b9635b6

Wacko dreamers and bleeped up tribalists sha. We're still waiting to see the "judiciary" and "border controls" you talked about on the other thread.

Unu go kill person wit laugh for NL o!

NIWA, LASWA clash over enforcement of safety regulations on waterways
By Bankole Adeshina

AN attempt to enforce safety regulations along the Lagos waterways has brought to the fore the conflict between the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) and the Lagos State Waterways Authority (LASWA) over which of the two is to enforce compliance.

Officials from the two agencies engaged in a supremacy battle recently, as each claimed to have the sole authority to enforce safety on the waterways.

Representatives of NIWA management in Lagos had visited the Marina jetty to monitor compliance level among ferry operators, especially the compulsory use of life jackets by passengers aboard boats or canoes.

The two organisations had made it mandatory at different times for ferry operators to provide their passengers with life jacket in response to a boat mishap that claimed over 24 lives within the Lagos Waterways last month.

At Marina jetty, NIWA officials had impounded about five commercial boats for what they described as "non compliance with the safety standards."

Thereafter, the attempt by the officials to effect the arrest of the erring operators was resisted by the safety Corp Marshals engaged by LASWA.

They queried the authority of NIWA officials when they claimed to be the only group of persons with the right to effect arrest for non-compliance with safety standards on the waterways within Lagos State.

LASWA officials also argued that it was rather a breach of security protocol for NIWA officials to invade the jetty for whatever operation without ensuring that partnership agreement was reached between the two agencies itching to enforce safety regulations in the area.

Besides, they insisted that compliance level with safety standards at the jetty was encouraging, adding that there was need to give the implementation process a human face.

LASWA officials also insisted that they have started monitoring safety compliance on the waterways since April and long before NIWA started its safety education among ferry operators.

"Through the monitoring processes, we have so far destroyed about 50 fake life jackets. We are also telling the waterways dwellers that it is even preferable to have personal life jackets, the campaign has been yielding positive response so far."

The Managing Director, Lagos State Waterways Authority (LASWA), Babajide Cole, had told The Guardian that there was no justification for such conflict, since the two agencies were only trying to ensure safety on the waterways.

"At the national level, we have Federal Inland Revenue Service and at the state level, we have Lagos State Inland Revenue Service and there have been no conflicts over the time. The essence is for the job to be done for the populace. It is NIWA's responsibility to clean the waterways, but till date, nothing has been done and Lagos can't wait for that to be realised. Therefore, it was in response of this that Governor Babatunde Fashola came up with LASWA.

"Our presence has not diminished NIWA's revenue rather, it will boost it and give it new drive to do it statutory obligation," said Cole.

But NIWA insisted that the action of LASWA officials would further encourage the use of substandard safety life jackets on the waterways. It added that the safety of passengers, boat operators and even the LASWA officials remained it legitimate responsibility, adding that it was yet to see a country in the world where a state authority was allowed to override the jurisdiction of the federal authority.

According to the leader of the (NIWA's) team, who preferred anonymity, the activities of LASWA official at all the jetties in the Lagos waterways incited boast operators and owners against NIWA, making them to see our activities as illegitimate.

"Our purpose of visiting the jetties around is to monitor the level of compliance with safety standards on the waterways but unfortunately, the men of LASWA are here to portray us in bad light. And we can't just fold our arms why these operators and boat owners are assisted to compromise the acceptable standards. When we storm the Marina/CMS jetty, I saw two brown kaki officers and approached them to ask what they are doing here only for me to be told that they were sent by their boss, Jide Cole to enforce safety an the waterways. Swiftly, they launched back at us saying we (NIWA) do not have the right to embark on the exercise. It was his demonstration that made the boat owners and operators around to supported him and started shouting at us. Unfortunately, I have never seen it anywhere in the world for state authority to be challenging federal authority when both agencies are working for the common good of the citizenry."

However, NIWA said most of the boat mishaps on the waterways were actually caused by the local operators who are suing substandard life jacket. He said they have been using jacket made of foam material that would not be able to sustain floating during emergency.

Reiterating its determination to ensure safety of lives and properties on the waterways, NIWA, however, lamented that it was not happy that it operations are been frequently disrupted due to clash of interest.

While Lagos State government, through it House of Assembly enacted a law to legalise the establishment of the State Inland Waterways Authority, with the claim that such law was a repeal to NIWA's enabling Act of 1978. But the Federal Government through NIWA has been contesting the Lagos State Act, saying it was impossible for a state law to override a federal law.

The supremacy imbroglio has been reported in a law court for legal clarification and subsequently, declaration of the authentic ownership of the waterways.

As the supremacy tussle continued between the two agencies, The Guardian observed at the jetty that compliance level with the safety regulations was actually very low. It was also observed that fake life jackets were in use at the jetties.

Boat operators who spoke with The Guardian explained that they were actually expecting certain direction on the policy. This, he said, include introduction of sample of a standardised life jacket to be used on the waterways to all fishermen and watercraft users on the waterways.

According to one of them, who was too afraid to disclose his name, the government would need to practically show commitment to the implementation of the policy, it must ensure that certain ingredients that would made it work are provided for.

He said that the policy, if not implemented with human face, could be interpreted to an attempt to get the commercial boat operators out of business.

He also emphasised the need for NIWA and LASWA to swallow their egos and partner to provide a service that would promote safety of lives and properties on the waterways.

"To me, the issue of safety of lives on the high sea is very important but I think the authorities involved in it should approach it maturely. It is not enough for government to just wake up one day and declared that all the safety equipments we have been using are substandard. If they are substandard then, they should introduce the sample they want us to use. Or better still, produce the type of life jackets they want and make it available to us at affordable price.

"Originally, I am a fisherman and came from the Republic of Benin. Fishing was my means of livelihood before until when the level of the sea came up because of the raining season. Usually, when the level of sea is up, all the fishes would disappear into the bottom of the sea and catching them would be very difficult. So, for man to survive I decided to go into boat transportation business and I have been doing it for the past five years now. So, I observe that what happened here today (then) was not good enough for business development around the sea."

It would be recalled that Lagos State Government and NIWA have been at loggerhead over the control of waterways in the state.

Fashola is the only performing governor in 9ja for now.

@beaf,
you have never ceased to show how little you know. keep it up

Its the poor fishermen on those waters i feel sorry for,
A few armed uniformed men?Remember what LASTMA officials became after a while.
Im sure very soon, these new folks will start extorting fishermen for 'parking' their dugouts in the wrong portion of the lagoons.

eko, ko ni baje. Raji Fashola jeunsoke joo