Amaopusenibo Siminalayi "Sim" Fubara, was the former accountant general (from December 23, 2020 to May 2022) of Rivers State, Nigeria. Sim Fubara was pronounced the elected Governor of Rivers State on the 20th day of March 2023 by Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC. He was born in Opobo Town in Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Area of Rivers State.
Early life and education
He was born in Opobo Town in Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Area of Rivers State. He studied Accountancy at the Rivers State University of Science and Technology. He got his MBA and MSc in 2013 and 2016 respectively from the University of Port Harcourt.
Career
Sim started his career in 2003 as a principal accountant with the Rivers State Senior Secondary Schools Board. He rose to the position of director of finance and accounts at the State's government house in 2015 and rose to the position of permanent secretary in March 2020. He was appointed the accountant general of Rivers State on December 23, 2020, up till May 2022, when he won the People's Democratic Party governorship primaries for the 2023 general elections. He is a Fellow of the Nigerian Institute of Management, Fellow of Association of National Accountants of Nigeria.
Controversy
In May 2022, Fubara and 58 other government officials were declared wanted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission for a NGN 435 billion fraud. He was also wanted for a NGN 117 billion fraud alongside four other Rivers State government officials. Additional charges by the EFCC included alleged criminal conspiracy, money laundering, misappropriation of public funds, and abuse of office.
Personal life
Fubara is a knight of St. Christopher (KSC) Order of Church of Nigeria Anglican Communion. He holds the traditional chieftaincy title of Amaopu-Senibo of Opobo Kingdom. He is married and has three children.
Abba Kabir Yusuf (born 5 January 1963) is a Nigerian politician who is the governor-elect of Kano State. He served as a commissioner in the executive council of Kano State from 2011 to 2015. In 2023, he was elected governor of Kano State.
Background
Abba ibn Muhammadu Kabir is from the Sullubawa part of Genawa Clan of the Fulani, on the maternal side he is related to Walin Zazzau Sheikh Umarul Wali ibn Galadiman Zazzau Malam Ahmadu, his paternal grandmother Zainab ibna Malam Saidu Limamin Huggalawa is from the family of Limamin Huggalawa in Bichi, his maternal grandmother Khadijat Naja'atu is related to Gwani Mukhtar who was the leader of the Fulani Jihad in the Kanem-Bornu Empire.
Education
Abba was born in Gaya local government area of Kano State, Nigeria. He went to Sumaila primary school and later to Government Secondary school Lautai, Gumel Local Government Area (now Jigawa State), where he graduated with First School Leaving Certificate in 1980. Later on, he got admitted into Federal Polytechnic, Mubi, where he obtained his national diploma in civil engineering in 1985.
He later obtained a higher national diploma in civil engineering, and certificate and specialization on water resources/environmental engineering in 1989 from Kaduna Polytechnic, he did his National Youth Service Corps at Kaduna Environmental Protection Agency from 1989 to 1990. He is also a holder of postgraduate diploma in management, and obtained master's degree in business administration from Bayero University Kano.
Political career
Abba was the formal Commissioner of Ministry of Works, Housing and Transport (Kano State), Abba contested in 2019 gubernatorial election held in 2019, and he was defeated by the current governor of Kano State Abdullahi Umar Ganduje. Abba took the case to court to claim himself as the rightful elected governor, after all, the court dismissed the case.
PROFILE: Yusuf Abba, Kwankwaso’s PA and son-in-law who will be governor of Kano
Yusuf Kabir Abba was declared the winner of the 2023 governorship election in Kano state on Monday. The flagbearer of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) beat his arc-rival, Yusuf Gawuna of the All Progressives Congress (APC), to claim victory in the state.
From personal assistant to governor-elect — who is Yusuf Abba, the man who will become Kano governor?
Abba was born in the year Nigeria became a republic, in 1963. He was born on January 5, 1963 in Gaya LGA of Kano state. He would later attend Sumaila primary school and government secondary school Lautai in the old Kano state.
His secondary education was in Gumel LGA, which is now in Jigawa State. Upon graduation from government secondary school in 1980, he went on to the federal polytechnic, Mubi, where he obtained his national diploma in civil engineering in 1985.
He went on to specialise in water resources/environmental engineering in 1989 at Kaduna Polytechnic. Upon graduation, he served in the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) at Kaduna Environmental Protection Agency from 1989 to 1990.
QUICK FACT: On May 29, 2023, he will become the second Water Engineer to be governor of Kano state in the fourth republic.
The Central Bank of Nigeria has finally concluded plans to release all N1,000, N500 and N200 notes in its custody to Deposit Money Banks, The PUNCH can report authoritatively.
This decision is expected to end months of hardships and pains Nigerians have been going through following a controversial CBN naira redesign policy that has caused a severe shortage of old and new naira notes across the country.
The CBN’s latest decision came several weeks after the Supreme Court ordered that old N1,000, N500 and N200 notes should remain legal tender until December 31, 2023.
On Wednesday night, top officials of the CBN and commercial banks confirmed to The PUNCH that the CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele, had directed the DMBs to begin the disbursement of old N1,000, N500 and N200 notes to members of the public effective Thursday (today).
According to him, the CBN will also start releasing old notes to commercial banks from Thursday.
The PUNCH learnt Emefiele met with the chief executive officers of the DMBs on Wednesday evening where he told them that the central bank would start releasing all old notes in its custody to commercial banks effective Thursday (today).
Sources at the meeting said the CBN would also be cancelling all the controversial cash withdrawal limits it put in place in recent months.
Also, it was learnt the CBN would start by releasing crisp old notes to DMBS after which the ones deposited by commercial banks will also be released.
Furthermore, the CBN stated at the meeting that bank customers would no longer be required to generate any code before depositing their old notes.
One of the bank CEOs at the meeting, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said, “The CBN governor met with bank CEOs this evening virtually. It was a short meeting that lasted for just about 15 minutes. The governor said all old N1,000, N500 and N200 notes will be released to commercial banks beginning from Thursday. The CBN will start with crisp old notes after which the ones deposited by DMBs will be returned. The plan is to flood the economy with cash and ameliorate the challenges Nigerians have been passing through.“
The top bank chief added, “Also, the CBN will be cancelling cash withdrawal limits it put in place recently. This means that individuals can now withdraw up to N500,000 across the counter while corporate bodies can do N5m. The CBN is expected to release a circular to this effect later tonight or tomorrow morning (today). But effectively, things should be back to normal as far the cashless policy is concerned.”
Further findings by The PUNCH confirmed the CBN would begin to release the old notes into circulation by Thursday. It was also gathered that banks would begin to pay their customers the old notes immediately to ensure the cash circulate across the country.
According to reliable sources in the CBN, banks have been also been directed to report to the old offices to collect the old naira notes they deposited with the apex bank.
They noted that before the end of the week, the country would be awash with naira notes.
Meanwhile, a top source close to the CBN said the apex bank took the decision to avert the planned picketing of the CBN offices nationwide by supporters and leaders of the Nigeria Labour Congress.
NLC protests
Earlier, The PUNCH had gathered that the NLC would on Wednesday picket the CBN headquarters and state offices in protest against the lingering naira crisis and fuel scarcity in the country.
The NLC President, Joe Ajaero, who disclosed this at a press conference on Wednesday, lamented that people’s hardships over the naira crisis had worsened.
The union had penultimate Monday issued a seven-day ultimatum to the Federal Government to address the scarcity of naira notes and fuel which had compounded the hardships being faced by Nigerians.
Though the CBN said then that it had complied with the Supreme Court judgment which directed that the old N200, N500 and N1000 notes should remain legal tender till December 31, banks have continued to ration the amount of cash issued to customers, indicating that they have not received cash supplies from the apex bank.
The three states of Kaduna, Kogi and Zamfara which sued the Federal Government over the naira redesign policy had threatened to file contempt charges against the Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, SAN and the CBN governor, Emefiele for not fully complying with the Supreme Court judgment.
Speaking at a press briefing in Abuja on Wednesday, Ajaero said the planned picketing of CBN offices became imperative following the apex bank’s failure to comply with the one-week ultimatum given to it to make cash available for Nigerians.
Ajaero explained that the union took the decision when it noticed that the situation appeared to be getting worse despite the Supreme Court order allowing the old N500 and N1000 notes to circulate with the new notes till December 31.
He directed all NLC’s affiliate unions and their state councils to begin mobilisation on Friday for the nationwide mass action, saying the Federal Government and the CBN have not shown any commitment to address the situation.
Giving an update about the ultimatum at the briefing which was held at Labour House, Ajaero said workers could no longer access cash to pay fares to their respective workplaces or buy food for their families.
He said, “Last week at the end of our CWC (Central Working Committee) meeting, we gave a one-week ultimatum for the Federal Government to address immediately, among other issues, the issue of cash crunch that was caused by the policy. As of this morning when the CWC met again to review the situation, we discovered that not much improvement has been made.
“The situation is still almost the same. People are still buying our currency with our currencies. People no longer have access to the currency and the government seems to be very adamant about this. No moves have been made to reduce the suffering of Nigerians.
One-week notice
“Consequently, the CWC-in-session resolved to go into the process of actualising the one-week notice. From Friday, there will be a mobilisation of all state councils through a NEC meeting. All unions have already been directed to mobilise all their organs and their branches.
“By Wednesday, next week, all Central Bank of Nigeria offices nationwide will be picketed. All central banks from the CBN headquarters will be shut till further notice. Workers are directed to stay at home and join in the picketing exercise.
“We call on Nigerians to understand the circumstances we are operating in. People will be telling you about the political situation. The political situation is self-inflicted and the economic situation is worse than the political situation because people cannot eat.”
The labour leader described the proposed demonstration as “total”, saying the workers have been pushed to the wall.
He added, “Workers can no longer go to the office and nothing is happening. So, we have been pushed to the wall having given one week (ultimatum) and we thought they could address the situation which is not addressed.
“We have decided to take our destiny into our hands. So, comrades, the mobilisation commences immediately and when we talk of action from Wednesday, it’s total; until further notice.’’
Alex Otti (born 18 February 1965) is a Nigerian economist, banker, investor, philanthropist and politician. Otti is currently the Governor-elect of Abia State in Nigeria, the former Group Managing Director of Diamond Bank Plc, a retail financial institution in Nigeria.
Otti was a gubernatorial candidate of Abia State on the platform of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA). On 31 December 2015, The Court of Appeal which sat in Owerri removed Okezie Ikpeazu of the Peoples Democratic Party as governor of Abia State and declared Otti the winner of the April 11 and April 25 Governorship elections in the state.
On February 3, 2016, the Supreme Court of Nigeria reversed the verdict of the Court of Appeal and affirmed the election of Ikpeazu as Governor. Otti is a member of the editorial board of Thisday, and writes a fortnightly column, every other Monday, titled "Outside The Box".
Alex Otti is from Isiala-ngwa. He is also the Abia state governor elect following the April 18 elections.
Early life and education
Otti was born to the family of the late Pastor and Mrs. Lazarus Weze Otti at Umuru, Umuehim village in Ehi Na Uguru Ancient Kingdom, Isiala Ngwa South LGA of Abia State. He had his secondary school education at Ngwa High School, Aba and Secondary Technical School, Okpuala Ngwa in Abia State, where he finished as the best student in his set during the school certificate examinations. He thereafter proceeded to the University of Port Harcourt for his university education, where he graduated with a First Class honors degree in economics in 1988.
Otti earned an MBA degree from the University of Lagos in 1994. He has attended various international courses including the Executive Development Programmes of the Columbia Business and Stanford Business School and Wharton Business School (University of Pennsylvania). He also did an executive programme at INSEAD, Fontainebleau, France.
In 2009 he was conferred with an honorary doctorate degree by Babcock University and in 2012, an honorary Doctor of Science (D.Sc.) Degree by the University of Port Harcourt. In 2013, he received another honorary doctorate degree from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka.
Career
Otti began his banking career in 1989 with the Nigerian International Bank, a subsidiary of Citibank New York, where he worked in the operations department. Thereafter he moved to the then Nigerian Intercontinental Merchant Bank Ltd. While at Intercontinental Bank, he worked both in the treasury and financial services unit as well as the corporate banking division. In 1992, he joined Societe Bancaire Nigeria Limited (Merchant Bankers), a subsidiary of Banque SBA Paris where he rose to the position of a senior manager. He moved on to the United Bank for Africa (UBA) as the principal manager overseeing the bank’s corporate banking sector for the entire South Division with the responsibility of growing the oil and gas business for the bank. In May 2001, he joined First Bank of Nigeria, PLC as assistant general manager in May 2001 with the sole responsibility of growing the Energy Sector for the bank. In April 2004, he was promoted to the position of deputy general manager, and a year later was appointed executive director, commercial banking. This was followed by a re-designation as the executive director south directorate, where he was responsible for over 140 branches in both the South-South and South Eastern geopolitical zones of the country. In March 2011, he moved from First Bank Nigeria PLC to Diamond Bank as group managing director/ chief executive officer and has led the bank through a major transformation. Upon expiration of his first tenure, Diamond Bank renewed his tenure in March 2014 to an additional three years.
On October 24, 2014, Otti took voluntary retirement and Uzoma Dozie became the new GMD and Bank CEO.
HOW OBA AFEEZ ALLEGEDLY HIRED MASQUERADES, ATTACKED EZENDIGBO & HAD HIM DETAINED DURING ELECTION
A monarch, the Oba of Ibasa riverline community in Satellite town, Lagos, Oba Oriyomi Shittu Afeez, was said to have allegedly hired masquerades, brutally attacked Ezendigbo in Ibasa, Eze Chinedu Mozie and had him detained at SCID, Yaba, during the Governorship and State Assembly elections.
P.M.EXPRESS reports that presently Eze Mozie is lying critically ill at the SCID Clinic in Yaba without adequate treatment as ordered by Oba Afeez as efforts to get him released have proved abortive.
This was disclosed by the Supreme Council of Igbo traditional rulers (Ezes) led by their Chairman, Eze Lawrence Eze, who raised alarm and is seeking for Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s intervention to save his life.
The Council, which comprises Ezes – Dr.Vincent Iwobi, Eze Ndi Igbo Shasha and Obi Anioma of Lagos, Eze Dr Vincent Iwobi, Eze Oriade, Eze Chukwuakalikamadu Emmanuel, Eze Ndigbo Okota/Isolo, Eze Jude Nnaemeka Arinze, Eze Ndigbo and Asiwaju Ndigbo Mushin, Eze (Dr) John Nwosu and Eze Chukwuemeka Sylvanus Onuaha, Eze Ndigbo Iba, held a press conference on Monday in Lagos.
They stated that their detained colleague, Eze Mozie, had earlier hinted them about threat to life by some people of Yoruba extraction in his community on the need to stay off the streets on the election day because any Igbo speaking person who comes out for the purpose of casting his vote on the day would be severely dealt with.
Speaking on behalf of the Supreme Council of Ndi Eze, their Deputy Chairman and Ezendigbo in Shasha, Eze Iwobi, demanded his immediate release and urged the Executive Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, to treat the matter with the urgency it demands in order to avoid further breakdown of law and order in the State.
Narrating what happened, Eze Iwobi stated that on Saturday 18th March, 2023, when Eze Mozie went out to vote, he was accosted by the Oba of Ibasa Riverline, Oba Afeez, who bluntly told him that Igbo people are no longer allowed to participate in the electoral process in Lagos State and that it was an order from above.
However, Eze Mozie, who went to cast his vote with other members of Igbo community in the area, told him that he has constitutional rights to cast his vote as a tax paying citizen in the State.
Unknown to the them, Oba Afeez, who had already arranged youths and masquerades in the community, manhandled the Igbos, attacked them with dangerous weapons alongside the youths and masquerades. While Eze Mozie was trying to defend himself to avoid being lynched, he ran to the palace of Oba Afeez and the monarch contacted the Police to effect the arrest of Eze Mozie by the SCID Yaba even in the pool of his blood.
“For the past three days, Eze Mozie was detained in the SCID Yaba Clinic bleeding profusely from all parts of his body, unable to talk and walk and not receiving adequate treatment” Eze Iwobi stated.
It stated that prior to the election, Eze Mozie and the Igbo residents in the area had been living peacefully and therefore, called for the release of Eze Mozie from the Police custody in order to enable him visit the hospital to receive adequate medical attention. Eze Iwobi also stated that Eze Mozie did not commit any crime and it is the inalienable rights of any Nigerian to live in any place of his choice and that the security agencies should investigate and arrest those behind the dastardly act in order to serve as deterrent to others who might try such in the future.
Governorship candidate of the Labour Party in Abia State, Dr. Alex Otti LP has swept polling unit 023 at St. Stephen’s Primary School with 61 votes in Umuahia.
His closest rival, Enyinnaya Nwafor of the Young Peoples Party, YPP, came a distant second with six votes.
Professor Greg Ibe of the All Progressive Grand Alliance, APGA, came third with five votes.
Okey Ahiwe of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP got only two votes while Chief Ikechi Emenike of the All Progressive Congress, APC; and Bishop Sunday Onuoha of the African Democratic Congress, ADC,scored one vote respectively.
In the same vein, LP swept polling unit 022 at the same centre with 69 votes.
YPP and PDP got 6 votes each; ADC 2; APC and APGA got 1 vote each.
In polling unit 024, LP also won with 114 votes while ADC trailed behind with 7 votes.
YPP got 5 votes; APGA 4; while PDP and ADC scored 2 votes each.
Labour Party candidates also won in all the polling units at the centre so far declared.
Meanwhile, counting is still going on in other polling units at the centre as at the time of filing this report.
Look at the blood flowing mostly from Igbos in Lagos all because they want to exercise their franchise albeit no Igbo on the ballot
Look at the blood flowing mostly from Igbos in Lagos all because they want to exercise their franchise albeit no Igbo on the ballot pic.twitter.com/JJONIXAVum
In line with its consumer-centric approach to telecom regulation the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has directed mobile network operators (MNOs) to commence implementation of approved harmonised short codes (HSC) for providing certain services to telecom consumers in Nigeria.
The Commission has already set a deadline of May 17, 2023, for all mobile networks to fully migrate from hitherto diverse short codes to the harmonised codes.
The use of harmonised short codes is aimed at achieving uniformity in common short codes across networks. This means that the code for checking airtime balance is the same across all mobile networks for the same function, irrespective of the network a consumer uses.
With the new codes, the telecom consumers using the over 226 million active mobile lines in the country, can now use the same codes to access services across the networks.
Consequently, under the new harmonised short codes regime, 13 common short codes have been approved by the Commission. They include the following codes: 300 to be used as the harmonised code for Call Centre/Help Desk on all mobile networks; 301 for voice Mail Deposit; 302 for Voice Mail Retrieval; 303 for Borrow Services; 305 for STOP Service; 310 for Check Balance, and 311 for Credit Recharge.
Also, the common code for Data Plan across networks is now 312. In line with the new direction, 321 is for Share Services, while 323 is for Data Plan Balance. The code, 996, is now for Verification of Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) Registration/NIN-SIM Linkage. The code, 2442, is retained for Do-Not-Disturb (DND) unsolicited messaging complaint management, while the common code, 3232, is also reatained for Porting Services, otherwise called Mobile Number Portability.
The old and new harmonised short codes will run concurrently up until the May 17, 2023, when all networks are expected to have fully migrated to full implementation of the new codes. The period between now and May 17, 2023 is provided by the NCC to enable telecom consumers to familiarise themselves with the new codes for various services.
The initiative, which is in line with NCC’s regulatory modernisation programme, is essentially to make life much easier for telecom consumers, as it is now easier for Nigerians to memorise single codes for various services across all mobile networks they may be using, thereby improving consumer quality of experience (QoE).
In addition, the new policy will provide opportunity for licensees in the Value-Added Services (VAS) segment of the telecoms sector to be able to use freed-up/old codes for other services, as well as enhance cohesive regulatory framework in keeping with world-class practices.
I fought against godfatherism in APC, Lagos. My refusal of recognising Bode George as a godfather in the PDP is a major reason for his endorsement of Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour of LP against my candidature in the PDP - Abdul-Azeez Olajide Adediran, PDP Governorship Candidate, Lagos
Yemi Eberechi Alade (born 13 March 1989), is a Nigerian Afropop singer, songwriter, actress and activist. She won the Peak Talent Show in 2009 after which she signed to Effyzzie Music Group, and had a hit with her single "Johnny" in 2014. Since then Yemi has gained prominence in the music industry and considered one of the biggest artists in Africa. Following the releases of her albums King of Queens and Mama Africa with huge commercial success recorded for both albums, this made her embark on world tours consecutively.
She won the MTV African Music Awards for Best female in 2015 and 2016 consecutively and was nominated for Artiste of the Year in 2015, making her the first female to win the MAMAs for Best female consecutively twice and nominated for Artiste of the Year. In 2015, Alade was the first African female to be nominated for the MTV Europe Music Awards (EMAs) and She was nominated for the BET awards for Best International Act: Africa in 2015 and 2016. Yemi is also applauded for her creative and overwhelming stage performances, fashion and music videos, She has won The Headies Award for Best Performer twice, 2018 and 2019. The slot was initiated at The Headies 2018 and she was the first artiste to win the category.
Alade sings in English, Igbo, Pidgin, Yoruba, French, Swahili and Portuguese. Her music has been of influence in many African countries and the world as she is acclaimed "Mama Africa" for her versatility in using different African languages and attires in her songs and music videos. Alade's father was a police commissioner of Yoruba descent, while her mother is of Igbo descent.
On 9 June 2020, Alade was mentioned to be among the forefront artists/musicians from across the world to perform at The Global Goal: Unite for our future sponsored by the Global Citizen aimed to highlight the disproportionate impact of the COVID-19 pandemic especially in the most remote places in Africa and across the world. On 27 June 2020, Yemi Alade performed in the Global Goal: Unite for Our future alongside Miley Cyrus, Shakira, J Balvin, Jennifer Hudson, Coldplay, Usher, Justin Bieber, Quavo, Christine and the Queens and Chloe X Halle.
Early Life Alade was raised in a multi-ethnic home from Nigeria, Her father James Alade was a commissioner of police from Ondo State, Nigeria while her mother Helen Uzoma is a native of Abia State, Nigeria. According to Yemi, She taps from the Igbo and Yoruba ethnicities of her parents. Alade attended secondary School at Victory Grammar School, Ikeja, and the University of Lagos, (both in Lagos, Nigeria).
Twitter user, Owo Ayodeji, shared a disturbing video of a man who identified himself as uber driver, being beaten by security officers. He was injured in his eye.
They didn't ask for his identity if he is Yoruba or Igbo or Niger-delta as they brutalized him even as he explained himself as an Uber driver. LP top to bottom abeg.
They didn't ask for his identity if he is Yoruba or Igbo or Niger-delta as they brutalized him even as he explained himself as an Uber driver. LP top to bottom abeg. pic.twitter.com/pr3X6jsv5H
I received the depressing news of a train collision with a BRT Staff Bus in Ikeja today, where precious lives were lost and several people wounded. We must at all cost, guard against accidents like this.
The many lives lost to such avoidable incidents are heart breaking. The relevant agencies and authorities must stand up to their responsibilities.
I commiserate with the bereaved families and hope the critically injured are given good medical care for quick recovery. We are united with you in this time of sorrow and pain. May God keep us all safe as we go about our daily lives. - PO
...Sanwo-Olu, suspends campaign, orders flag to fly at half mast, minister, others mourn
The Federal Government, FG, has directed the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) experts to commence immediate investigation into the early morning Thursday accident which involved a moving train operated by the Nigerian Railway Corporation, NRC, ramming into a Lagos State Government staff bus at Shogunle and Ikeja, axis of the state, killing at least six persons, while 80 sustained various degrees of injuries.
The ill-fated bus with Lagos registration number; 04A- 48LA, number 33, was heading to Alausa, Ikeja from Isolo, and in the processing of beating other motorists at the PWD rail crossing, Shogunle, collided with an oncoming train. It was carrying several passengers, majorly civil servants, and some dependants. Two persons died on the spot while four others died in the hospital. There were 42 moderately-injured persons, 29 serious injuries and eight mild injuries. 25 persons have been treated and transferred to Gbagada General Hospital, Agege General Hospital and trauma centre at toll gate.
FG, commiserated with the state government and residents, especially, those who have lost their loved ones, on the sad event, and prayed for the quick recovery of those injured in the accident.
Meanwhile, Lagos State Governor, Babjide Sanwo-Olu, in swift response, expressed deep shock and sorrow over the unfortunate incident.
Sanwo-Olu, later, declared a three day mourning and directed flags to fly at half-mast and civil servants work half day tomorrow (Friday).
Speaking at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, LASUTH, when he visited to assess the situation and commiserated with victims, also cancelled all public engagements and campaigns.
Sanwo-Olu said: “I am deeply saddened by the news of the accident. The vehicle was conveying staff of the Lagos State Government, our staff who serve the state in different capacities.
“Let’s say a prayer for the families and a prayer of mercy and protection for our state.
“My thoughts are with the victims and their families during this difficult time.”
“This is a very sober time for us as a government, and while we acknowledge God as the giver of life, the one who determines every man’s destiny, it saddens when we have incidents like this.
“The fatal accident happened at the rail crossing around PWD in the Shogunle area. I believe they were coming from the express and needed a right turn, and wanted to drag over the rail.
“It is not yet clear what happened, but it seems like a wrong judgement by the driver. I also learnt he has turned himself to the police, and so investigations will determine what actually went wrong. We would also reach out to the Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC) to give their own account of what transpired so we can have full information.
“We haven’t informed any family members yet because these are civil servants that were going to work so we cannot begin to disclose names until when families have been contacted.
“Of the number of injured persons, 25 were treated very quickly an transferred to the Gbagada General Hospital, Agege General Hospital and the trauma centre at toll gate so this place can be decongested and proper profiling of injuries can be done.
“There will be half day of work tomorrow (today) so we can jointly mourn our staff, our loved ones, and the dead can be buried. Flags will also fly at half mast for the next three days, and we are also declaring a three-day state mourning for the deceased.”
Sanwo-Olu, commended residents who assisted the first responders in the search and rescue operation, saying the true spirit of Lagos must be sustained at all times.
He commended the first responders, LASUTH and LASUCOM staffs and security agencies for their prompt response.
“A big thank you to well meaning Lagosians who immediately joined in rescue efforts. Our first responders and emergency services are on ground and we will share more information shortly,” he said.
Sanmwo-Olu hails Jandor, Rhodes-Vivoour for visiting victims
The governor, also commended candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Jide Adeniran and Labour Party, LP, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour for visiting and commiserating with the families, saying ‘it is important to thank two of my other competitors – Mr. Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour and Mr Olajide Adeniran, who I learnt were here earlier, for their show of commitment beyond politics. I thank them for coming here.”
Politics › Profile Of Siminalayi Fubara, Rivers State Governor-Elect by nlfpmod(mod): 11:33am On Mar 23, 2023
