₦airaland Forum

[size=14pt]Lagos Arrest Agberos On Highways[/size]

by lekanolas: 12:36pm On Jun 10

The Lagos State Government yesterday promised to intensify mass arrest of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) members who are extorting motorists on highways, even as the 46 hoodlums earlier arrested will continue their 50-hour community service sentence today.

It was learnt that those arrested may wash toilets and sweep public places for several hours as punishment for constituting nuisance to the public peace.

Speaking with National Mirror yesterday, Chairman of Lagos State Task Force on Environmental and Special Offences Unit, Mr. Bayo Sulaimon, said the taskforce would begin the enforcement on the ban of activities of the union members on highways.

He said: “We have declared war against Agbero again; we will not allow them to take over the state. We have flushed them out and they are coming back and we will flush them out again. In the next few hours now, more of them will be arrested. We are moving to different places to arrest more of them. Soon, we will move to other areas in the state. With this arrest, we are passing a message to others. Their leaders should call them to order.”

On the 46 hoodlums (Agbero) arrested and sentenced to 50- hour community service, Sulaimon said they would remain in the police custody until they reach the 50-hour term.

He said: “There is growing cases of Agbero terrorising people during traffic hours and causing traffic jam on most axis. The 46 of them arrested have begun serving community service sentence. They will serve the sentence by washing public toilets and sweeping of public places. We will now be taking them to their areas to wash toilets or sweep the market and parks where they have been doing area father. With this, we are simply telling them to repent.

“The serving of the punishment is at the discretion of the court and the Ministry of Justice. If we say they should serve 50- hour service at once, some of them may slump in the process. So, they will spend few hours and continue again the next day.”

Sulaimon, however, said that taskforce officials used under-cover vehicles while going after the hoodlums.

Stressing that the government embarked on the move to rid the state of hoodlums who collect dues outside motor parks, he added that a knife was recovered from one of those arrested.

Sulaimon said: “Collection of dues outside motor parks must stop.”

Plshavmercyamen: MY broda he can publish it if the letter is about RE-UNION and not RELOCATION and it will not serve as any exhibit against him for being a tribalist, elitist ets as it is common practice in recent times between Abia/Imo, Anambra/Ebonyi, Akwa Ibom/lagos, Lagos/oyo/Kano etc

juman: This is that of NRC advert.

Winner oh oh oh winner

Winner oh oh oh winner

NRC you don win oh winner

Kpata kpata you go win forever winner

ujchief: The level of raw hatred, angst and venom being propagated in this section is terrible; and, in most recent times, reached an alarming peak. If internet is the only means of getting informed, then Nairaland will end up getting millions deformed. I'm totally unaware of any 'real' ruffle between igbos and yorubas in real life until I started partaking in discussions inside this section.

Something needs to be done, and urgently too. Those of us that can't really find any reason to indulge in tribal bashing are beginning to resent this forum. I'm aware that our leaders may have erred in one way or the other, but the level of hatred we fume against each other isn't something to smile about. Worst still, each comment we make here will remain in data base of search engines and will be reproduce verbatim even in decades to come.

Tell me how someone can remain unscathed after going thru the threads I listed below.

www.nairaland.com/1380784/lagos-state-government-orders-army

www.nairaland.com/1381053/fashola-replies-peter-obi-over

www.nairaland.com/1381415/fact-check-anambra-enugu-abia-government

www.nairaland.com/1381262/apga-sue-fashola-demands-n20b

www.nairaland.com/1381602/anambra-orders-arrest-deportation-child

www.nairaland.com/1380995/why-did-ibos-support-deportation

www.nairaland.com/1381894/ibo-govenors-tribalising-fasholas-moves

www.nairaland.com/1381738/deportation-igbos-lagos-senator-ngige

Its possible that recent events acted as catalyst to bring out the worst in us, but; mehn! There's heavy venom going on in the hearts of many here. It affects some of us negatively in the real life.

Something needs to be done.

Obiagelli: Yeah everyone that speaks the truth is now an enemy, first it was Rochas and now its ngige then naptu2?
SMH

PointB: Like I said, stick to posting pictures.

Any policy/scheme that encourages dumping of human beings by 3.00am at some head bridge is barbaric, ill-thought, and inhuman. IF the Anambra State Governmnent indeed agreed to receive them, logic dictates it can NEVER be by 3.00 am in the dead of the night. If that was the agreed time, common sense dictates that they wait or try to contact the Anambra official, it's a matter of phone call. Dumping there there like waste is barbaric, and no policy of a self respecting government will support that. And no self respecting individual will support this barbarism; I doubt Akwa Ibom Government dumped Lagos State indigene at Ore by 3.00am in the name of repatriation. So much for your knowledge of the dumping policy!

ilugunboy: Only Ibos that want to make political gains and the utterly deluded ones are stoking the fire.....

Reasonable and everyday Ibos here in Lagos are in perfect agreement

naptu2: [size=14pt]Background and context [/size]

Unfortunately, the Lagos State Ministry of Justice website has not been the same since it was attacked by hackers early this year. I was going to repost the environmental sanitation act.


Environmental sanitation law has always been controversial in Lagos. People always complain about the state of the environment, but they complain even more when government takes steps to remedy the situation.

Back in the 1980s people often quoted the report that stated that Lagos was the dirtiest city in the world. Foreign news stations often showed pictures of Oshodi, kids hawking in traffic (dodging cars, etc), heaps of refuse on road median, etc. The people often complain about the presence of lunatics who wander the streets aimlessly.

Government response to these problems have included:

1) Colonial governments deploying health inspectors (the infamous "Wole Wole" ) to ensure that houses, markets, etc were kept clean. The people hated these health inspectors and accused them of bribery (I remember comedy sketches which depicted health inspectors stealing meat from people's pots in the guise of ensuring that the food was suitable for consumption).

2) Military governments deploying soldiers, policemen and other officials (environmental offences task force) to chase away beggars, street traders and other offenders. It was seen as a futile effort, because the traders and beggars would return to the same spot hours later. The law was amended to include the forfeiture of goods seized during such raids and imprisonment of offenders. The task force would seize the goods and burn them. Fela Anikulapo-Kuti sang

The time around 1975 and '77, police go seize expensive goods dem go start to burn burn them. Army go go market, anything cost money go burn burn dem (2x).

Why dem like to burn the things wey dey costee money? Government fit sell to people cheape cheape. Government fit dash people wey no get money.
And the burn burn na im dey sweet dem pass (burn and bribe). Na im dey sweet them pass. Oya oh, burn burn.

(Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, "Confusion Break Bone", c1980)

The people were sympathetic towards the traders and beggars and believed that the task force was cruel and inhuman. The public felt that these people were only trying to earn a living and their presence on the streets was a result of the economic decline caused by the government. It was also felt that sentencing these people to jail would mean sending them to a training centre where they would learn how to become hardened criminals (besides, the prisons were already over crowded. How many prisons would be built to accomodate the vast army of beggars and street traders?).

3) The return to civilian rule in 1999 ushered in a wave of ammendments to the law. The year 2000 amendment created the Kick Against Indiscipline Corps (basically, the environment police) and made the public-private system the only legal means of disposing waste in Lagos. It became illegal to patronise cart pushers and residents were given bin bags for free. Several markets were also closed because the market men and women engaged in street trading and improper means of disposing refuse.

The 2003 amendment presented offenders with 3 choices, rehabilitation, repatriation or jail.

This amendment was made because the government realised that the prison system was over crowded and thus it would not make sense to keep sending people who break the environmental sanitation laws to jail.

Sending them to jail also created bad publicity for the government. Offenders would often be more hardened and a greater danger to the society when they were released than when they were sent to jail. It was therefore decided that jail term would be a last resort.

Offenders would be given a second chance at life via the rehabilitation process. They could also choose to return to their home state via the repatriation process (some realised that it's better to farm in their home state, than to sleep on the streets of Lagos). Their home state government or relatives would be informed ahead of time, so that they can take steps to rehabilitate the returnees. For example, in the documentary I watched, the Kano State Government gave returnees some money to ease the process of resettlement.

Indeed, it was discovered that gangs of criminals act as agents, ferrying people from their home states to Lagos for a fee, promising them jobs when they get to Lagos and subsequently dumping them on the streets of Lagos. These gangs are particularly active in Kano State and Niger Republic. The City of Kano used to be the great economic centre of the sahel region of Africa. People came from far and wide to work in the factories in Kano City. However, chronic electricity cuts have led to the closure of many factories. Criminal gangs promise to help these people get jobs as security guards, okada riders, etc in Lagos in exchange for a fee and dump the people on the streets of Lagos.

In contrast, the rehabilitation and repatriation process would change the lives of offenders and enable them to become respectable and independent citizens.

Further amendments to the law since 2007 (Fashola administration) have made it illegal to give alms to beggars. Citizens are expected to channel such donations to registered charities, orphanages, destitute's homes, churches, mosques and other such institutions. It also provided the option of community service for people who break the law.

It should be noted that, under the law as it was before the 2003 amendment, the people who are currently being returned, would have been sent to jail.


Finally, it's a pity that the author of the article that the OP republished did such a shoddy job. He should have interviewed the returnees and then interviewed Lagos State Government officials. This would enable the public to know whether the scheme is still being implemented the way it was conceived, or whether it has derailed (the rehabilitation process suffered a setback when the Ita-Oko centre was burnt by inmates. Please ignore the bigotry in the link https://www.nairaland.com/400138/area-boys-lagos-ibadan-action ). Rather than doing this, the author wrote a sensational piece (probably to maximise sales/views) that made it seem like the returnees were forcibly deported and that they were returned simply because of their state of origin.

naptu2: Skills Acquisition Centers. The Lagos State Skills Acquisition Centers are set up for people who do not have jobs, to enable them to learn skills that will enable them earn a living. Any unemployed person can attend the skills acquisition centres, but there is also a special set of people who are sent to the centres by the government after being screened. These set of people are the area boys, homeless, street traders, beggars, etc.

Below is the process for the special class of attendees:

[size=14pt]The Process[/size]

1)The environmental laws of Lagos State (laws against street trading, begging, etc) have been in place at least since the 1970s (probably earlier). They've been reviewed quite a number of times (Akhigbe, Rasaki, Tinubu).

2) The process was fully established by the Tinubu Administration.

3) Beggars, street traders, destitutes, area boys, psychotics, etc are arrested by the Task Force on Environmental Offences.

4) They are given a choice: (a) go to prison (b) go to rehabilitation centre (c) return to your state of origin.

A) The law stipulates punishment for those who commit these offences. They include prison term, fine, forfeiture of goods.

B) Rehabilitation centres were set up (the most famous/infamous was at Ita-Oko Island). At the centres the inmates are sorted. They are tested for drugs. Those who are drug addicts are detoxified. Those who have mental illnesses are sent to the asylum. The inmates (apart from the lunatics) are then taught skills (skills acquisition centre) so that they'll be able to earn a living. When they complete the course, they are given a loan with which they will start a business and made to sign an undertaking that they will not return to the streets.

C) Return: Those who choose to return are transported to their state of origin. The state government is usually informed ahead of time (although I know of 3 instances in which their state governments claimed that they were not informed) so that they can make arrangements to cater for the people. Most of the people who have chosen to return are from the northern part of the country (note: they chose to return).

Ngwakwe: Stop defending the indefensible. Were you there when Peter Obi agreed to the venue of the handover?

[size=14pt]Don't Incite Igbos Against Lagos, Fashola Warns Obi.[/size]

Published on August 1, 2013 by

Kazeem Ugbodaga

Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Fashola has warned his counterpart in Anambra State, Peter Obi not to incite the Igbos against the Lagos state government, following the recent bussing of some Igbo destitute to Onitsha. Fashola, spoke with newsmen on Thursday after inspecting the on-going light rail project and Jetties in Mile 2 area of Lagos, Southwest Nigeria.


The governor accused Obi of playing politics with the matter and using the media to blow the issue out of proportion, saying that the governor has not deemed it fit to call him on the issue, only for him to make it a media issue.


“There is too much at stake for anyone to begin to incite the Igbo community against their host state. There is too much at stake here. It is a very dangerous and unwarranted precedent. “And I hope that common sense will prevail here.

Also those who are baying for blood should know that there is too much at risk here. When I get a formal complaint from the government of Anambra State or notification from the Presidency, I will lay the facts bare.

“It is unfortunate that my colleague governor has made this a media issue. As I speak, I haven’t received any telephone call or letter from him to complain and I don’t think that is the way government works. On less important matters like this, he had called me before,” he stated.

According to Fashola “this is a political season and Anambra will be up for contest and in a political season, unusual things happen and perhaps we are living in an interesting times. And some of the evidence was when one see two adults kissing on television, it tells you that some things are afoot.” He added that it was regrettable
issues of governance being trivialized or tried on the pages of newspaper, with all sorts of columnists writing on it.

On Obi reporting him to the presidency on the issue, the governor said he was not aware if there was any place in the constitution that gave the president the power to adjudicate in disputes between states. “Yes, I know that the president has a moral authority because he is the head of the sovereign state of the country. But I am not aware that the constitution states that the dispute between states should be settled by the Presidency.

“If Anambra State has an issue on this matter, and they feel aggrieved, they should call or write to us. I feel that the final arbiter should be the court. And it is really important to say that our hospitality in Lagos state is legendary. And it is a global legend that the people of Lagos State are hospitable people and so is the present government of the state and previous administrations,” he said.

Fashola stated that there is a large Igbo population in the state and that their presence was evident in Alaba with the Alaba International Market and the ASPAMDA market, saying that they are doing their business peacefully while the state government is working tirelessly to provide the required transport system, that would help improve the travel time and their businesses.

PointB: So you are telling us here that your family lives at Onitsha bridge head? That it is safe, great, and fair to dump you or any of your relative at some bridge head by 3.00 am in the morning? You are also telling us it is proper to keep people against their will for up to 6 months against their will prior to such deportation?

I think you rather face your history photo journalism, this is a tad too complicated for you!

Duru1: Even you also towed the line of childish innuendos and falsehood perpetrated by hacks. There was no constitutional crisis in January of 1965 in Nigeria. The issue was the conduct of 1964 census which led to political crisis during the polls towards the end of the year.

Dis Guy: THANKS naptu,

I've seen those before, i'm assuming there'll be more stations apart from the mile 2 station- like the next stations on opposite side; Alaba-Mile2-Festac

Obiagelli: @ naptu2 interesting and educative as always,

The pictures of awolowo and zik in their cars just shows how we lost it in the beginning, the flamboyance and master - slave relationship of our leaders. For God sake they ain't mornachs

donroxy: Asha, I just feel like bringing to note that 1966 crises,Selected mayhem and the progrom that followed was what
Balkanised[b] our nation till today !!!


I blame the young soldiers spareheaded by Kaduna Nzeogwu for our woes !!!


Just Imagined we have been practising Democracy throug-out our History since 1960-2013 with the Military only performing their primary role of [b]Protecting the nation against Internal and external agression while also Given utmost allegiance and respect to the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria we will never be where we are today !!!


Cuz, through Trial and Error in our Democracy,we woulda surpassed this stage of Economic and Moral development !!!



Also, No thanks to Aguiyi Ironsi as the first Nigerian Military Administrator for Centralising Nigerian System of Government He laid the foundation for Subsequent Total Unfavourable Federal Government Domination in all spheres of our Economic and Political Life and till today we are still battling with Devolution of Power !!!


Therefore, Asha, National Revolution is the only true Revolution we can never have at this dispensation simply cuz Nigerians has been furthered Balkanised by the Politicians of today who has been playing Ethnic ,Tribal and Religion card since 1999 !!!



Asha,it is only Good Governance and Responsible Government that can solve our present woes any slight uncontained revolution will further balkanised our nation!!


I believe Effective and constructive competition from APC and PDP will solve our present predicament !!!


Thats my Opinion !!!

fr3do: I heard he knew how to speak yoruba and hausa.

donroxy: Obiagheli has done justice to this thread to clear the air on some heinous insinuations .......!!!


Not everybody can be chasing shadow now......... Atleast some people are well educated and exposed to believe in oneness of our nation ,speak for it and work towards it !!!


Kudos babyGirl!!!

LADY OF RAGE: its been 3 weeks i passed that road.will be there by tomorrow and post pictures of the latest development from abule ado to agboju.

naptu2: [size=14pt]LRT[/size]

https://photos-b.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/558091_10151497326857790_521813538_n.jpg
Marina before the rail project

https://photos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/156461_10151497327142790_1355870416_n.jpg
Artist impression of Marina after the rail project is completed (BRT, LRT, ferry and regular bus services).

The Lagos Rail Transit (LRT) system will be similar to the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system in the sense that the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA) will build and maintain the tracks, while the concessionaire will procure and maintain the trains.

Already, the concessionaire on the blue line has procured H5 and H6 subway cars from the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC), a public transit operator based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, (as their transit operator is acquring its new articulated six-car fixed Toronto Rocket subway cars to replace the older cars). The cars have been refurbshed and converted to surface rail cars. Lagos State Government will build a dedicated independent power plant to provide electricity to the system.

https://photos-g.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/45326_10151497325762790_1907729765_n.jpg
Badagry Expressway before the rail project

https://photos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/525505_10151497326447790_1764849567_n.jpg
Artist impression of Badagry Expressway after the rail project is completed (10 lanes +BRT & LRT)


The Blue Line.

The Lagos-Badagry Expressway is part of the abandoned Trans-African Highway project. However, it is prone to massive traffic jams. This has stunted development along that corridor since people don't want to live and work in that area because of the traffic problems.

Therefore, the Lagos State Government is expanding the road. It will be a 10 lane expressway with BRT and LRT routes. Julius Berger is expanding the road (so far they've expanded the road between Orile and Mile 2 and expanded the Mile 2 Bridge), while Chinese Civil Engineering and Construction Company (CCECC) is laying the tracks. It's largely going to be an elevated rail system (CCECC has built part oof the bridge along the Orile axis and they are also building elevated stations from Orile too Mile 2).

Blue line stations will include:

1) Marina

2) Ebutte Ero

3) Iddo

4) National Theatre

5) Iganmu

6) Alaba

7) Mile 2

8 ) Festac

9) Alakija (Satellite Town)

10) Trade Fair Complex

11) Volkswagen

12) Lasu Gate

13) Okokomaiko.

https://photos-e.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/72972_10151497327437790_918420117_n.jpg
Blue Line station map


Red Line stations include:

1) Marina

2) Ebutte Ero

3) Iddo

4) Ebutte Metta

5) Yaba

6) Jibowu

7) Mushin

8 ) Oshodi

9) Shogunle

10) Murtala Mohammed Airport (an arm of the line will branch off to the airport)

11) Ikeja

12) Agege

13) Iju

14) Agbado

https://photos-g.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/559814_10151497327827790_1421951956_n.jpg
Red Line station map


Lamata has proposed 7 lines. They are:

1) Blue line: Okokomaiko-Marina
2) Red Line: Agbado-MMIA-Marina
3) Green Line: Lekki Airport-Marina
4) Yellow Line: Otta-Iddo
5) Purple Line: Redeemed Camp-Ojo
6) Brown Line: Mile 12 - Marina
7) Orange Line: Redeemed Camp-Marina

https://photos-b.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/65543_10151497328192790_1289977432_n.jpg
LRT overall map

https://photos-b.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/72954_10151497400322790_1296843133_n.jpg


Construction

https://photos-h.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/551349_10151497328632790_1468739391_n.jpg
Construction of railway bridge


https://photos-g.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/574564_10151497329287790_1279293319_n.jpg
Mile 2 LRT station (under construction)


https://photos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/66952_10151497329857790_1714708474_n.jpg



https://photos-h.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/8705_10151497330477790_806757066_n.jpg
Rail bridge under construction.


https://photos-c.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/s720x720/551305_10151497331162790_794360828_n.jpg
Mile 2 Station (under construction)


https://photos-d.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/184262_10151497332947790_2059402097_n.jpg



https://photos-f.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/64415_10151497333092790_75364930_n.jpg



https://photos-b.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/538332_10151497333387790_2115880799_n.jpg

https://photos-c.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/s720x720/21714_10151497333817790_416338988_n.jpg

https://photos-g.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/17121_10151497334807790_1712509704_n.jpg


Trains and carriages

https://photos-g.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/65936_10151497331507790_915581026_n.jpg

https://photos-g.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/71765_10151497331892790_815451853_n.jpg

https://photos-c.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/598340_10151497332097790_1288371129_n.jpg

https://photos-h.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/557965_10151497332472790_253225981_n.jpg


Track and dummy trains

https://photos-f.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/60714_10151497334222790_1672881377_n.jpg

https://photos-f.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/525052_10151497334542790_1511183785_n.jpg

https://photos-e.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/179658_10151497335217790_1121297957_n.jpg

http://naijachronicles./2013/02/09/transportation-in-lagos-lrteko-rail/

Dis Guy: Are nigerian journalists barred from taking pictures? there should be some stations already

Is there a website where the progress of this project can be followed?

still no timelines--just soon soon