Zebra Crossing Law: 95% motorists don’t obey

       The Temidayo Ogan Child Safety and Support Foundation, TOCSS, has said that over 95 percent of motorists in the country do not wait at zebra crossing for pedestrians to cross, while many pedestrians have been killed trying to cross the road using the zebra crossing. This was even as it demanded for enforcement of the law in Lagos State.

Executive Director of the foundation, Mrs. Temidayo Ogan bewailed the high rate at which motorists violated the use of zebra crossing.

            According to Ogan, in Lagos State, lots of advocacy and enlightenment programme had been carried out on the need for motorists to obey zebra crossing and respect the rights of pedestrians. She wondered aloud, why motorists still violated the zebra crossing law with impunity.

            She said that the next stage now was for the government to begin enforcement on zebra crossing violation in a bid to ensure sanity and safety of pedestrians on the road.

            “Zebra crossing enforcement should come up now. The Lagos State Government has done lots of advocacy and enlightenment in this regard. We need to enforce this zebra crossing law and ensure that people are fine and some sentenced to community service to serve as deterrent to others. Road safety has gone beyond policy. Policy makers should appropriate safety policy in their programmes.”

Chief lands in hospital for placing ‘magun’ on wife

One  Balogun Olusegun Ojetade is presently battling to stay alive at an undisclosed hospital, following attack on him by some youths, who believed he was the one who placed magun on his wife, leading to the death of a young man died in Ibadan, Oyo State.

The angry youths believed that Ojetade found out that his wife was dating a young man identified as Niyi, and took steps to teach the man a lesson. He allegedly placed ‘magun’ (juju) on his wife and after his wife had intercourse with her lover (Niyi), the man died. Ojetade had however denied such allegations.
Ojetade claimed that it was the village head of Jagun who incited the youths to attack him over suspicion that he was behind the death of a young man called Niyi.

It was gathered that the youths, aside from injuring Ojetade also set his house on fire and sent his family packing from the Jagun Village.
Ojetade said it was unfair of the Baale of the village, Chief Isiaka Akinpelu, to send thugs after him because of personal scores between him and the village, who seized the situation and opportunity and accused of him of killing Niyi.
Ojetade, 65, denied having hands in the death of Niyi, adding that his wife was carrying an advanced pregnancy and could put to bed any moment from now.

He explained that it would not have been possible to place a pregnant woman with ‘’magun’’ since it was expected that no man in his right senses would want to have sex with a married woman, who was pregnant.

The man further revealed that the village head and he had had a disagreement over the sale of his family land, adding that Baale sent thugs to deal with him over that matter and not as a result of the death of the young man.
He further disclosed that he was lured out of the village by the youths who on getting to a place, attacked and inflicted injuries on him.
The village head, Akinpelu, denied ever sending thugs after the Ojetade, who according to him was also a leader in the village on his own right.
“How would I have sent thugs after him? I am not involved in the criminal act of the youths and those of them already arrested could confirm whether I was involved in the matter or not. I have no hand in the ordeal Of Balogun.”

Police spokesperson, Bisi Okuwobi Ilobanafor said that the case has been referred to the State Criminal and Investigation Department for further discreet investigation while the head of the village, Akinpelu has made statements and Balogun still on admission in hospital.

Ota/Lagos link Bridge: Senator alerts Amosun, police to avert crisis

Senator Akin Odunsi, presenting Ogun West District, has called on the governor of Ogun State, Ibikunle Amosun, to as a matter of urgency intervene in the brewing crisis between him and local government authority in Ado- Odo/Ota, to avert crisis in their party (APC).

The senator and the local government authority in Ado- Odo/Ota are clashing over the reconstruction of the collapsed link bridge between Ota and Lagos State.

Apparently perturbed by the twist the fracas was taking, Odunsi said he had written petitions to party leaders and police, alerting them of the brewing trouble.
A community leader at Ado- Odo/Ota, Tunji Musa, said that contractors of the Federal government, under the facilitation of the senator had already been mobilized to reconstruct the bridge, adding that members of the community were shocked when they suddenly saw a signboard four months after the senator’s contractors moved into the site, being erected by the local government, signifying that it too wanted to carry out repairs of the same collapsed bridge. 

Musa who spoke with journalists at Ikeja, Lagos State,  opined that he perceived a party fracas, which needed to be settled so, that the building of the bridge, which was more important to the community could be harmonized between the two opponents.
The director of information, Ogun council, Iyabo Oyerinde denied that there was a clash between the local government and the senator, stating that the face-off was merely zeal to serve people.
Odunsi said “They said I didn’t inform the local government that I was embarking on the construction of that bridge as a Constituency Project. It has also been said that the State government listed the same project as part of its contribution to the development of Otta. These are not true and amount to covetousness or at worst duplicity. "

The lawmaker continued:" The fact is that the Ilo-Ifako Bridge is a constituency project of Senator Akin Odunsi. It is backed up by an Act of the Nigerian Parliament, the National Assembly and was signed into law by the President. It is captured in the 2013 Appropriation Act, especially since it is a law in black and white."
Odunsi said he was not happy, that the state or local government should be at a loss about his intervention in the construction of the bridge, urging the local government to seek for other projects to do for the community. He further said that he embraced and took up the matter of the construction of the bridge because it was one the major promises he made to the community during his campaign.

The lawmaker explained further about the bridge, “It was captured in my 2012 presentation to the Senate. When it was not implemented, I had to write a reminder to the Minister of Works, Arc. Mike Onolomenem and followed it up with another letter on May 23, 2013 to the Chairman, Senate Committee on Works, Senator Ayogu Eze. I also made several visitations to the Ministry to actualise it.
 "Through the 2013 Appropriation, the same project was approved and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural development was mandated to execute it. It was contained in Vol 1, Page 151 of the 2013 Appropriation Act. Following the Presidential assent, it was advertised by the Ministry and awarded to TEMMADOT Contractors Ltd after due process. "
He alleged that” Just as the contractor moved to site, it was learnt that the Ado-Odo/Otta LGA came to erect a sign post to signal that it was also going to commence work on the same project.
"  The residents had complained that a makeshift bridge they erected had collapsed after a heavy downpour in February, 2013. I personally paid an on-the-spot visit to the place. Thereafter, I mobilized the Ministry of Works engineers and they assessed the extent of damage. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development at the federal level later came to clear the debris at my instance.”

Odunsi said he was also not happy that party members like him, and the local government should be working at cross-purposes. “I have been constrained to write to the party leadership to call them to order. I have also notified the police on this sad development to forestall a breakdown of law and order that could be spawned by this adversarial stance of the State against the Ogun West people."
Oyerinde   denied that the federal government contractors arrived at the site before the local government erected a signpost at the site of the collapsed bridge.
She also expressed the willingness of the council to leave the project for the senator and move to other areas in the community.

Driver attached to governor’s wife shot to death

A driver, identified as Mr. Chika Umaha, attached to the office of the wife of the governor of Ebonyi State, had been murdered by unknown gunmen.

The Ebonyi State Police Command stated that the deceased was traveling, when the gunmen attached his car along Mkpuma Akpatakpa Village in Izzi Local Government Area of the state. The murder of the driver took place three days after the Xmas celebration.

Police spokesman, Chris Anyanwu said that the killing of the victim was not an act of assassination. According to him, the victim’s vehicle was riddled with bullets holes and no valuables were carted away by the killers.

The image maker said that on getting the information about the attack on the driver, the police moved to the scene. “On getting the report, our patrol team raced immediately to the scene but unfortunately before the police could reach the crime scene, the bandits had already escaped. The vehicle met at the scene was riddled with bullet holes and the body of the victim was recovered and deposited at the mortuary, while the vehicle was taken to the station. No arrest had been made

The Police spokesperson stated that no arrest had so far been made in connection with the murder of the driver adding that the police had begun a manhunt to fish out the suspected criminals. I cannot precisely say that it is an act of assassination because we know the ingredients that make up an assassination.” 

YEAR 2014: IGP ORDERS TIGHT SECURITY AT PLACES OF WORSHIP

…Pledges increased commitment to national security

The Inspector-General of Police, IGP MD Abubakar, CFR, NPM, mni, psc, reassured Nigerians of the readiness of the Police to effectively provide adequate security for the country in the year 2014. While delivering his New Year message during the 2013 Security Assessment Meeting of the Police Management Team, Tuesday at the Force Headquarters, Abuja, he called on Zonal AIGs and Command CPs to ensure adequate safety and security in their areas of jurisdiction, with special attention on all places of worship. The IGP is positive that the multifarious strategies adopted by the Police and the renewed collaboration with the public are bound to yield more dividends for the country, reiterating that the Police are making robust efforts at locking up all channels of violent crimes in the country. He listed the preservation of public safety, fight against terrorism, rape, violence against women and children, challenges of communal clashes, capacity building and general welfare of Police personnel as top priority for the Force in the in-coming year.  

The IGP thanked Nigerians for their tremendous support to the Police in their sworn resolve to keep the country safe and united, adding that the Police and other security agencies have continued to pay the supreme price to ensure that they live up to their mandate of providing effective security for our Nation.    

Meanwhile, the IGP called on the public, particularly the youth, to desist from any act capable of disrupting the peace of the society in the New Year and beyond. He equally advised parents and guardians to continue to provide appropriate mentoring to our teeming youths.