22042019 - ACUTE HUNGER: Outrage as IDP children feed on onion leaves

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10 — VANGUARD, MONDAY, APRIL 22, 2019 By Evelyn Usman & Monsur Olowopejo L A G O S — MOTORISTS plying the Oshodi/Apapa expressway in Lagos, yesterday, blamed the perennial gridlock on what they described <strong>as</strong> the insensitivity of the Federal and Lagos State governments to the state of the roads. As at yesterday, when the expressway w<strong>as</strong> expected to be free for vehicular movement, owing to the E<strong>as</strong>ter break, motorists were still trapped in traffic, from Ijesha to Mile Two. Some motorists, who attempted to use the E<strong>as</strong>ter break to visit relations and friends living around the Apapa axis, were shocked to discover that the situation w<strong>as</strong> not different from how it w<strong>as</strong> during work days. Some motorists were forced to wind down their gl<strong>as</strong>ses, while others opened their doors for fresh air. Motorists flay FG, Lagos govt A motorist, Mr. Gboyega Ishola, lamented that he spent three hours between Ijesha and 2 nd Rainbow, from where he w<strong>as</strong> compelled to make a u-turn. He expressed shock that the situation w<strong>as</strong> like that on an E<strong>as</strong>ter Sunday and attributed it to failure on the part of both the Federal and Lagos State governments. Mr. Ishola said: “This is appalling to say the le<strong>as</strong>t. To think that we are undergoing such a situation under same party government, at the state and federal levels, is even more disappointing. This is an indication of failure on the part of government.” Another motorist, Mr. Chukwudi Nwanazie said: “I w<strong>as</strong> on my way to visit my eldest brother at Wilmer Crescent, Olodi Apapa, only to be trapped in-between heavy duty trucks at 1 st Rainbow. What is government doing about this? This crazy situation did not just start today. Why would government be insensitive to our plights? Or are they waiting for calamity to occur before they take action?” Truck drivers lament Surprisingly, truck drivers, who have been blamed for the gridlock, lamented that they were also affected by the situation. Some of them lamented :Vanguard News that they spent weeks on the queue waiting for their turn to load at the port, a journey that ordinarily should have taken less than 24 hours. They, however, said that government should be held responsible for the gridlock. A truck driver, Shehu Mungeri, said: “We don’t have government in Nigeria. If we did, we won’t be experiencing such situation. Whose responsibility is it to fix the roads, truck drivers? What is preventing government from finding a l<strong>as</strong>ting solution to this problem? It is really disturbing. We have decided not to talk again because all the time we have been talking; nothing h<strong>as</strong> been done to address the situation.” Another truck driver, Lamidi Onabode said: “With the visit of the Vice- President here and the subsequent meetings with stakeholders, one would have expected the situation to be a thing of the p<strong>as</strong>t. Government should be bold to tell Nigerians that its agencies failed in their responsibility to address this menace. “I have <strong>children</strong> to <strong>feed</strong> and I have school fees to pay; but with the prevailing situation, I have not been able to meet that obligation. Government should rise to the occ<strong>as</strong>ion by proffering a l<strong>as</strong>ting solution.” It’s affecting our business — Clearing and Forwarding agents Some Clearing and Forwarding agents, who spoke with Vanguard expressed worry that the traffic situation h<strong>as</strong> plunged them into hardship, <strong>as</strong> they can no longer fend for their families. An agent, Mr. Nwokonye Okechukwu said: “Before now, we used to clear between 10 and 20 cars in a month from the Port. But the present traffic situation is affecting us because by the time you clear vehicles, it would take time to get to the owners. As I speak with you, I have not cleared a vehicle since January 2019 because our agents abroad have resorted to using ports of neighboring countries. I am not the only one in it. Most of my colleagues have left because of hardship.” Osinbajo’s T<strong>as</strong>k Force directive flouted Nine months ago, Vice :@vanguardnews :@vanguardnews NEWS HOTLINES: 08052867023, 08052867058 HELLISH TIMES! Heavy trucks on Apapa-Oshodi expressway, causing severe gridlock. Photo: Kehinde Shonola. OSHODI - APAPA EXP WAY: FG insensitive to our plight — MOTORISTS, COMMUTERS President Yemi Osinbajo had directed the commencement of a 72- hour joint operation to restore sanity along the Oshodi/Apapa expressway and other routes affected by traffic. This w<strong>as</strong> after he made an unscheduled stop at Apapa Port for an on-thespot <strong>as</strong>sessment of the gridlock. According to the Vice President’s directive, the operation would be carried out by the Police, Nigerian Navy, Nigerian Army, the Nigerian Air Force, Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC and the Nigeria Civil Defence and Security Corps, NSCDC. Others included the Lagos State Traffic Management Agency, LASTMA, Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, LASEMA, Container truck drivers, National Association of Road Transport Owners, NURTW, National Union of Petroleum and Natural G<strong>as</strong>, NUPENG, and Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria. Aside this move, stakeholders, including the Nigerian Military and the Lagos State Government sometime ago, gave a 48-hour ultimatum to all truck drivers to vacate Lagos bridges. The resolution w<strong>as</strong> reached during a stakeholders meeting at the Naval B<strong>as</strong>e in Apapa, l<strong>as</strong>t year. Vanguard observed that the t<strong>as</strong>kforce put in place h<strong>as</strong> failed to clear the gridlock <strong>as</strong> trucks are still •LASG abandons works on truck terminals •Osinbajo's t<strong>as</strong>k force ineffective •Lagos/Badagry road now imp<strong>as</strong>sable parked on the bridges allegedly in the connivance with members of the Federal Government Joint T<strong>as</strong>k Force, who collect money from truck drivers. LASG abandons works on truck terminals Meanwhile, there are also indications that the Lagos State Government may have abandoned expansion works on the ongoing Orile truck terminal and the proposed 5,000 capacity truck terminal in the Ojo axis, eight months after the flag-off ceremony. Both truck terminals were conceived <strong>as</strong> shortterm and long-term solutions to the gridlock that had crippled commercial activities in Apapa and Tin Can Ports. The Orile truck terminal, which is being expanded to 1000-capacity w<strong>as</strong> flagged off by Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, l<strong>as</strong>t August, with <strong>as</strong>surance that the project would be completed eight weeks after. But at the moment, the level of work done is less than 60 percent. Also, Vanguard observed that progress h<strong>as</strong> not been made on the 5,000 capacity truck terminal. Sources close to the office of the governor hinted that paucity of funds w<strong>as</strong> responsible for the continued delay of the project. Sources also stated that the project would only receive a boost when the House of Assembly p<strong>as</strong>sed the proposed 2019 budget estimated at over N800 billion. Lagos govt keeps mum Efforts to get the Commissioner for Transportation, Mr. Ladi Lawanson and the Permanent Secretary, Dr. Taiwo Salaam's reactions proved abortive, <strong>as</strong> calls and Short Messages sent to their lines were not returned. Earlier, when our correspondent visited the site, it w<strong>as</strong> gathered that the contractors had redeployed its staff and major equipment. But Salaam, had l<strong>as</strong>t year countered the <strong>as</strong>sumption, arguing that the “contractors are presently testing the soil. Once the results of the tests are out, the work will continue.” But despite commencing the project behind schedule, Vanguard gathered that the contractor spent several weeks excavating the top soil from the site but did not deploy the needed heavy equipment early. It w<strong>as</strong> further learned that after commencement, persistent rainfall slowed down the pace of work on the terminal According to a staff of the firm, “the weather w<strong>as</strong> not friendly. So, the contractor battled daily with removal of water from site.” Motorists, commuters lament Lagos/Badagry expressway Similarly, motorists and commuters have frowned at both the Federal Government and Lagos State Government over their travails on the Lagos/Badagry expressway. Recounting the pains he goes through daily, a commercial bus driver, Peter Oluw<strong>as</strong>eun said the roads are in a terrible state. He said: “The Federal Government and Lagos State government are deliberately subjecting us to so much suffering with their nonchalant attitude towards the construction of the Lagos/Badagry expressway. This government is the most insincere government I have ever seen. But the rains are here and the road h<strong>as</strong> gone from bad to worse. Now, they have gone blind and become insensitive. So, they cannot see or feel the plight of motorists and commuters who are gradually dying because of this road.”
VANGUARD, MONDAY, APRIL 22, 2019 — 11 ALAAFIN VISITS OYETOLA: From left; Elende of Eko Ende, Oba AbdulRouf Olaniyan; Aragbiji of Iragbiji, Oba AbdulRosheed Olabomi Odun IV; Governor Gboyega Oyetola of Osun State; Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi III; wife of the governor, Alhaja Kafayat Oyetola; Akinrun of Ikirun, Oba Rauf Olayiwola Adedeji and Olororuwo of Ororuwo, Oba Qomorudeen Adeyanju during a visit by Oba Adeyemi to the governor at his country home, Iragbiji yesterday. AKEREDOLU'S SUSPENSION: Tinubu, gov’s aides trade brickbats •Oshiomhole, Tinubu have expantionist agenda •Don't drag Asiwaju into gov's plight By Dayo Johnson A Atik<strong>as</strong>e, KURE—OTITO an aide to Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State, yesterday, took a swipe at the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole and a leader of the party, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu accusing them of having an expansionist agenda. The National Working Committee, NWC, of the APC had suspended Governor Akeredolu for engaging in anti-party activities. Vanguard w<strong>as</strong> reliably informed that the party’s NWC would make public the suspension of the governor this week. The committee, according to sources, w<strong>as</strong> waiting to brief President Muhammadu Buhari before the public pronouncement. A letter of suspension w<strong>as</strong> said to have been sent to the governor through the party’s Vice Chairman (South), Bankole Oluwajana. Oshiomhole, Tinubu behind Akeredolu’s travails — Atik<strong>as</strong>e Meanwhile, an aide to the governor, Mr Atik<strong>as</strong>e had fingered Oshiomhole and Tinubu in the travails of his principal. Atik<strong>as</strong>e said: “Akeredolu is a principled man who does not play politics with anything goes. “He will not allow anything that is not right to be done. Tinubu and Oshiomhole should not rule the party for their expansionist and narrow agenda. “All I can see is the aftermath of the defeat Tinubu suffered when he sponsored Alliance for Democracy, AD, against Akeredolu in 2016. “What disciplinary action did the party put in place? Oshiomhole, on the other hand, wanted his candidate to be picked after him in Edo but Akeredolu supported the man on seat- Ob<strong>as</strong>eki. Adams w<strong>as</strong> very angry so he became Chairman of the party to witch-hunt our Governor. “All I know is that Ondo people will determine who governs them. The God who brought Akeredolu to governance is not dead but reigns supreme over them.” Don’t drag Asiwaju into governor’s indiscipline — Tinubu’s loyalist However, a loyalist of Tinubu in Ondo state, Tolu Babaleye said Tinubu should not be dragged into the alleged governor’s indiscipline. Babaleye also on his facebook page said: “What concerns Tinubu with this suspension? Is Akeredolu not guilty of anti party activities? I hate pretenders and I know they won’t make heaven.” Babaleye said: “Let him answer the query and explain why he worked for AA in Ondo State to the extent that money meant for APC w<strong>as</strong> hijacked and used to work for AA. Now you are p<strong>as</strong>sing the buck and trading name over nothing. “Akeredolu is working no doubt but this is party politics where anti-party is not allowed. The suspension is long overdue and it should extend to the HERDSMEN ATTACK: Ekiti monarch commends Fayemi over deployment of military JTF By Rotimi Ojomoyela hunters would curtail the Fayemi for deploying military joint t<strong>as</strong>k force to Iyemero,restored peaceful coexistence among the A DO-EKITI—THE traditional ruler of Iyemero-Ekiti, Oba Ebenezer Ogungbemi h<strong>as</strong> commended Governor Kayode Fayemi for the deployment of joint t<strong>as</strong>k force by state government to tackle herdsmen attack in the state. Oba Ogungbemi and members of his council in a letter dated April, 20, 2019 and addressed to governor Fayemi, said the combined force of military and local :Vanguard News activities of the suspected killer herders and restore peace to the beleaguered community. Suspected herdsmen l<strong>as</strong>t Tuesday attacked a farmstead called Eda, a village under Iyemero and shot two persons and also raided some houses during the midnight attack. The attack prompted the governor to seek military intervention to save the border town from further attacks. The monarch said: “We are thankful to Governor :@vanguardnews :@vanguardnews NEWS HOTLINES: 08052867023, 08052867058 residents of the community. “Olu-in-Council and entire people of Iyemero Ekiti wish to express our d e e p e s t and heartfelt gratitude to the governor for his immediate and prompt response during the l<strong>as</strong>t week insurgency, which led to the death, maiming, displacement, chaos and disturbance of public peace in our town. (Ondo) State (APC) Chairman “Akeredolu w<strong>as</strong> issued a query to explain his role but he failed to reply the query. W<strong>as</strong> Buhari the only candidate of APC? Show the World the clip of where he Campaign for Senator Omojuwa and Senator Boroffice or any of the House of Reps candidates. Governor failed to show remorse A member of the NWC told Vanguard that the governor failed to show remorse even <strong>as</strong> he w<strong>as</strong> yet to respond to the query. The source said: “You know we issued him a query and he went about telling people that he w<strong>as</strong> yet to be queried. The worst is that he refused to be remorseful and went about abusing and denigrating the national leadership of the party. “So, we decided that since he w<strong>as</strong> issuing threats that the APC would lose Ondo State if he is suspended or affected by any decision of the party, we felt he cannot be bigger than the party. “We have to go the whole hog to suspend him and it will be made public anytime soon. We have nothing to fear, the fortunes of our party are dwindling under him and if we could lose while he is governor, it can’t be worse. “We have read how he h<strong>as</strong> been denying the allegations. But we have evidence of how AA samples of ballot papers were given to some commissioners and advisers in the state. “We have evidence of how he and his cronies have been threatening cabinet members who did not do anti-party <strong>as</strong> he directed, especially from the North senatorial district of the State.” Akeredolu, had through his Chief Press Secretary, Segun Ajiboye, denied being issued a query. Oke Ogun Poly Rector, principal officers axed over alleged fraud ....It’s untrue — Rector By Ola Ajayi IBADAN—AS crisis of alleged financial mismanagement rocks Oke- Ogun Polytechnic, Saki, the Governing Council of the institution h<strong>as</strong> suspended all substantive principal officers of the institution, including the Rector, Mr. Matthew Oladeji. The suspension order w<strong>as</strong> contained in a memo signed by the Chairman, Governing Council of the institution, Prof. Moshood Tijani. According to the letter which w<strong>as</strong> sent to Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State through the Commissioner for Education, the council noted that the affected officers “have been queried in respect of series of allegations of fraudulent practices and gross misconduct.” The governing council also constituted a five-man investigation panel at one of its meetings to give the concerned officers fair hearing. The letter reads: “Thus, in line with the disciplinary procedure of the Institution <strong>as</strong> highlighted in the Institution’s Edict; Part 8, Sub-section 28 (3 &4), Mr M. Oladeji led substantive management (i.e. the Principal Officers) have been placed on suspension pending the final determination of the investigation.” I’ve not been suspended — Rector Responding to the suspension order, the Rector, Oladeji said: “I have not received such a letter. I’m on leave.” Vanguard further learned that after series of warnings by the governing council, the principal officers were first <strong>as</strong>ked to proceed on compulsory leave before the letter of suspension w<strong>as</strong> issued. Yoruba'll produce next president in 2023 — AFENIFERE By Rotimi Ojomoyela AAfenifere DO-EKITI—THE Renewal Group, ARG, in Ekiti State, yesterday, expressed confidence that the Yoruba nation would produce the country’s next president in 2023. Speaking with newsmen in Ado-Ekiti, State Coordinator of ARG, Mr. Bunmi Awotiku noted that the body would play significant role in rallying the Yoruba nation for the realisation of the 2023 agenda. He said: “The South West h<strong>as</strong> been supportive of the policies and programmes of the present administration of President Muhammadu Buhari and we shall continue to do so. We want him to succeed and he shall succeed by God’s grace. “We would come to the round table and I can <strong>as</strong>sure you that Yoruba would forge a common front this time around. We have learned our lessons <strong>as</strong> a people and we won’t allow internal fight or acrimony to deprive us this great opportunity like the presidency.” Alaafin urges Oyetola to boost Osun's IGR By Gbenga Olarinoye O Alaafin SOGBO—THE of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi, weekend, urged Governor Adegboyega Oyetola of Osun State to bring his experience to bear in order to improve the Internally Generated Revenue, IGR, of the state The monarch spoke during a visit to the governor at his country home in Iragbiji, Boripe Local Government Area of the state. In a statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Adeniyi Adesina, the Alaafin commended Governor Oyetola for building on the good legacies of his predecessors, saying a state like Osun needed a robust revenue profile to enable its governor to deliver democracy dividends. He said: “You have to use your wealth of experience in administrative, financial and political sectors to improve on the revenue b<strong>as</strong>e of the state. “You might know that I am fully aware of the significant role you played to boost the revenue profile of Lagos State. “You were among the few people that deployed financial professionalism and expertise to help Lagos to raise its revenue status at a time its local government allocation w<strong>as</strong> seized by the Ob<strong>as</strong>anjo Government during Asiwaju Bola Tinubu’s tenure “Osun is not a rich state, so, my advice for you is to use your ingenuity and the experience acquired to advance the economy of the state.” Oyetola expressed delight in the Alaafin’s visit which he described <strong>as</strong> a symbol of support for his administration. He said he w<strong>as</strong> thrilled the monarch decided to come to his country home adding that “the visit will occupy a big place in my diary.” He lauded the monarch for supportiing his administration with prayers and advice.
Page 1 and 2: How low yield, high NPL took toll o
Page 3 and 4: Vanguard, MONDAY, APRIL 22, 2019
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Page 15 and 16: 9th NASS: Give speakership to S-E<s
Page 19 and 20: Credit to the economy rises to N30.
Page 21 and 22: FINANCIAL Credit to economy rises t
Page 23 and 24: FINANCIAL VANGUARD Developing new b
Page 25 and 26: FINANCIAL VANGUARD MTN still in the
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Page 47 and 48: Ighalo scores goal No 6 of se<stron

22042019 - ACUTE HUNGER: Outrage as IDP children feed on onion leaves

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