President of the Federal republic of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari, has ordered the restriction of movements in Lagos, Ogun and Abuja from 11pm on Monday 30th, March, 2020,

The president who disclosed this in his broadcast to the nation on Sunday, however, said the restriction will be for an initial period of 14 days from Monday.

“Based on the advice of the Federal Ministry of Health and the NCDC, I am directing the cessation of all movements in Lagos and the FCT for an initial period of 14 days with effect from 11pm on Monday, 30th March 2020. This restriction will also apply to Ogun State due to its close proximity to Lagos and the high traffic between the two States

“All citizens in these areas are to stay in their homes. Travel to or from other states should be postponed. All businesses and offices within these locations should be fully closed during this period,” he said.

Lagos State Governor Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu has congratulated the National Leader of the All Progressives Congress, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, on his 68th birthday.

Sanwo-Olu in a message signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Gboyega Akosile, described the former governor of Lagos State as a pathfinder, a visionary leader and a rare mentor, who has contributed in no small measure to the socio-political and economic development of Lagos and Nigeria as a whole.

Sanwo-Olu said: ‘‘What do you say about a man of many parts on the occasion of his birthday? A visionary leader, with exceptional abilities in various areas of human endeavours.

Indeed his achievements are almost impossible to capture in a single book, not to say in a mere statement”.

Asiwaju as a pathfinder, navigated and charted the developmental course of modern Lagos and raised the bar of governance as well as public service in the State.The statement described Asiwaju as ‘‘ a welfarist, a cheerful giver and an epitome of humility and humanity.”

‘‘Asiwaju’s strength lies in his firm belief in a united and indivisible Nigeria that is without religious and ethnic bigotry.
This has enabled him to provide the right leadership, make the right decisions in the overall interest of the country most of the time.’’

Describing the Jagarban Borgu as an an astute politician, Sanwo-Olu said, ‘‘it is no news that the story of Nigeria’s democracy today cannot be told without Asiwaju’s name boldly written in gold.’’

The Governor wished Asiwaju a birthday full of joy, even as the country and the rest of the world battle the ravaging COVID-19 crisis.

He said: ‘‘As you march on in life, may the Almighty go with you every step of the way and support you to accomplish more in the service of humanity’’.

The Lagos State House of Assembly led by the embattled speaker, Hon. Mudashiru Obasa, on Thursday, 26th March, 2020 lifted the suspension of two lawmakers, Moshood Oshun and Raheem Kazeem, we learnt.

Hon. Obasa, made the announcement at the start of plenary activities on the floor of the House.

According to Obasa, the Governor’s Advisory Council (GAC) and the National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, called a meeting earlier in the week to intervene in the matter.

The Speaker said at the meeting, it was agreed that the House should reinstate the suspended lawmakers.

Recall that aside the suspension of the two members, two other principal officers, Olumuyiwa Jimoh and Rotimi Abiru, who were the former Deputy Majority Leader and the Chief Whip, respectively, were relieved of their offices.

Recall also that the sanctions was slammed against them by their colleagues on Monday, 9 March, 2020.

Hon. Obasa has been battling allegations of fraud for weeks now.

Recall, we reported that a non-governmental organisation, Human Rights Monitoring Agenda (HURMA),  recently accused the Lagos Assembly speaker of being reckless with funds meant for development.

In a petition to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC), and signed by its executive director, Comrade Buna Olaitan Isiak, the group called on the anti-graft agency to investigate and prosecute Hon. Obasa for “gross financial misconduct and abuse of office allegedly perpetrated by the speaker so as to avert a further bleeding of the public treasury under his care and restore sanity in the functioning of the state’s legislative establishment.”

Specifically, HURMA urged the anti-graft agency to probe Hon. Obasa’s alleged financial recklessness and cornering of public funds through illegitimate means; and the alleged corruption and compromise of laid down procedures and rules deliberately foisted on the workforce of the assembly.

Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Sunday directed all staff under the employ of the State Government to observe a stay-at-home order for 14 days in the wake of the increasing cases of coronavirus in the State.

Addressing journalists the State House Marina, Sanwo-Olu said the directive will take effect from Monday, March 23, adding that all officers from Grade 1-12 are to observe it.

He also urged members of the public to refrain from visiting the State Secretariat, urging them to utilise other available options to carry out their transactions including online and via phones.

The Governor, however, added that the directive does not apply to first responders, including staff of LAWMA, LASEMA, Fire Service, LASAMBUS, LASEPA among others.

He also encouraged private owned organisations to take a cue from the State government and tell their staff to work from home for the period.

He assured that the State Government was ramping up its capacity to deal with the increasing cases of coronavirus, which hit 27 on Sunday.

“We are working to ramp up our capacity. We have evacuated other patients our of the infectious Disease Centre in Yaba to other hospitals while the hospital will only be dedicated to attending to Covid-19 patients,” he said.

On the enforcement of social distancing for all public gathering to not more than 50 persons, Sanwo-Olu thanked religious centres for complying with the directive, assuring that it was in the interest of protecting all residents from any chance of contacting the virus.

“This is not a religious matter, it is a matter of morrality and responsibility. I will state again that our law enforcement agencies will be out to ensure strict complaince of the directive of not more than 50 people in any gathering,” he said.

While reiterating that there was no need to panic, he said strict adherence to recommended hygiene measures should continue to be observed by all and sundry.

Due to the global spread of the Corona virus and the recent ban of all high-density gatherings in Ogun State, the State Government wishes to clarify that the ban on high-density gatherings affects all schools, whether they are public or private-owned, as well as all religious activities in the State.

Consequently, all schools in the State will remain closed indefinitely after school hours on Friday, March, 20th, 2020.

Also, all religious centres and activities including regular and special services that bring together fifty (50) or more persons in the same place are banned with immediate effect.

These measures will be reviewed at regular intervals in response to the development surrounding the Corona virus disease.

The Government, therefore, enjoins all parents and guardians who have their children and wards in any boarding facility within the State to immediately evacuate them and return them to their respective homes at the close of schools on Friday, March 20th, 2020.

Governor Dapo Abiodun thankfully acknowledges and appreciates religious leaders for their advice, understanding solidarity and support, as we jointly search for solution to the pandemic and for their cooperation to observe all safety measures in the overall interest of our State and common humanity.

Government emphasises the need to observe global best practice of social distancing as way of curtailing the spread of the pandemic and recommends that as much as possible, people should minimize contact with others and maintain a distance of at least five feet between one another in public places or in public transportation. In addition, nonessential travels should be limited whilst also avoiding high-density gatherings.

Governor Abiodun pleads for the understanding of parents, school owners and the entire citizenry to comply fully with all laid down measures and for them to offer useful information for the state to respond appropriately to the COVID-19 challenge.

The Governor further encourages people to maintain a high level of personal hygiene and surveillance. He added that suspected cases should be reported at the nearest Primary Healthcare Centre (PHCs) in all the 236 wards in the State or the Emergency Operations Centre on COVID-19 by telephone on 08188978393 or 08188978392

Kunle Somorin
Chief Press Secretary to the Governor of Ogun State

The court of appeal in Abuja has affirmed Ifeanyi Ubah as the senator representing Anambra south senatorial district.

Stephen Adah, the appellate court justice, held that the judgment of the lower court which sacked Ubah as senator is a nullity.

Bello Kawu, judge of a federal capital territory (FCT) high court in Kubwa, had voided Ubah’s election on April 11, 2019 on the grounds that he presented a forged National Examination Council (NECO) certificate to INEC.

After hearing the case afresh, the high court still affirmed its previous judgment on January 17, 2020, and ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to withdraw the certificate of return issued to Ubah and to issue a fresh certificate to Obinna Uzoh, candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as the senator-elect of the district.

But Ubah contended that he was not given fair hearing.

Ubah through his counsel, Onyeachi Ikpeazu, argued that as of the time the judgment in suit No: FCT/HC/CV/3044/2018 was delivered, the suit was not properly filed before the court and that consequently, “the entire proceedings and the judgment emanating therefrom are manifestly incompetent being a nullity”.

Another issue raised was that the originating summons was not signed by any counsel as required by law.

Delivering the judgment, Adah held that the law makes it mandatory for a legal practitioner to sign an originating summons before it is issued out.

He said: “A document that is not signed is a worthless piece of paper and has no credibility.”

He also agreed that the right of the appellant to fair hearing was breached by the trial court.

“Right to fair hearing is very fundamental and anything done afterwards results to a nullity,” he said.

“The judgment of the lower court is a nullity and is hereby set aside.”

The Lagos State Government has stated it will request religious leaders to stop Friday (Juma’at) and Sunday church service over Coronavirus.

Commissioner for Information, Gbenga Omotoso, stated this on Wednesday at a briefing.

He said the religious leaders will be advised to shut down services in the interest of the public.

He said this a few hours after Lagos recorded its seventh coronavirus case.

“We are all aware that the Federal Government asked the National Youth Service Corps to shut down orientation camps; yesterday (Tuesday) the Commissioner for Home Affairs said there will be a meeting with religious leaders today (Wednesday).

“It is going to be suggested to them to maybe stop Friday and Sunday services – wherever we have large gatherings.

“Going by the new development, I am sure they will be advised to shut down the services in the interest of the public and all of us. I am sure they are going to comply,” Omotosho said.

Yielding to public outcry, the Federal Government, on Wednesday, banned flights from 13 countries.

This was announced by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Mr. Boss Mustapha, in Abuja.

The move was aimed at containing the dreaded COVID-19.

The government also suspended issuance of visa on arrival.

The affected countries are the United States (U.S.), United Kingdom (UK), Switzerland, China, Japan, Iran, South Korea, Germany, Italy, Norway, The Netherlands, France, Spain.

The Speaker, Lagos House of Assembly, Mr Mudashiru Obasa, has insisted that there was no going back on the suspension of the four lawmakers for allegedly leaking the N2.4 billion vehicle documents to the public.

Obasa made this known following a petition against him on gross financial misconduct, criminal breach of public trust and abuse of office by the suspended lawmakers.

The speaker declared that if those who had been disciplined by the House were responsible “for what was being spread all over the place”, the committee set up on the issue should be dissolved.

The suspended lawmakers include former Chief Whip, Rotimi Abiru (Shomolu II), former Deputy Majority Leader, Olumuyiwa Jimoh (Apapa II), Moshood Oshun (Lagos Mainland II) and Raheem Adewale (Ibeju-Lekki II).

Mr Buna Olaitan Isiak, Executive Director, Human Rights Monitoring Agenda (HURMA), had on March 12 claimed that popular demand necessitated the petition against the speaker.

Isiak said the petition was written to acquaint the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) with gross financial misconduct and abuse of office being perpetrated by the speaker.

The petitioner said EFCC should begin thorough investigation to “avert a further bleeding of the public treasury under his care and restore sanity in the functioning of the state’s legislative establishment”.

Obasa, during the plenary, explained that the petition against him was not about the official vehicles, but the backup vehicles and the money spent to purchase them.

“The official vehicles for the 9th Assembly was the issue. It was a deliberate action to paint the House in bad light.

“The people that stole the vouchers that were leaked to the press is the issue.

“I thank you for all you have said about the petition. We have discussed issues relating to divulging discussions in the House.

“I said that the issue that came out in the Guardian Newspaper is traceable to one of the suspended lawmaker, Mr Moshood Oshun.

“He was asking me for documents of the vehicle given to him, he was the one that called me on the telephone that his vehicle was seized by Customs Officer.

“I once said that someone stole the vouchers of the vehicles. Where did he get it from if not for the role played by a member of the House?

“The writer of the petition is close to Rep. Olumuyiwa Jimoh. Some of the things he wrote were parts of what we have discussed,” he said.

Earlier, Mr Rotimi Olowo, (Shomolu II), who moved a motion on the issue of the petition on Monday under Matter of Urgent Public Importance, said it was malicious and against the image of the House.

“The House bought vehicles worth N2.4 billion. Since I joined the House of Assembly, we always got two vehicles before the end of the assembly.

“In 2007, I got a vehicle and a backup vehicle before the end of the assembly.

“The vehicles are always budgeted for, and it has been like that right from the time of the former Speaker, Adeyemi Ikuforiji.

“We always told the Speaker that the 8th Assembly could not wind up without a backup vehicle.

“The Speaker used to tell us that the resources were not available, and we later got the backup in April 2019.

“In the 9th Assembly, we just got our official vehicles in November/December 2019.

“None of the 11 new members got two vehicles. We insisted on LandCruiser Prado and Mr Speaker did not want to give us, but we insisted on it.

“We are all beneficiaries of the largesse, and yet we go about making insinuations and leaking information to the whole world,” he said.

Olowo then moved that having appreciated Obasa to be a democratic, responsible and a reliable leader, a vote of confidence should be passed on him and this was supported by majority lawmakers with the raising up of their hands.

The lawmakers unanimously passed a vote of confidence on the Speaker over issues relating to the purchase of vehicles worth N2.4 billion for the members of the assembly.

This was also supported by all lawmakers, who spoke on the matter and agreed that the speaker was on the right path.

The lawmakers added that they all took the decision on the purchase of the cars together.