Happenings

Travelers now spend almost the entire journey engaging in prayers for God’s protection while traveling in commercial vehicles and trucks along the Lagos\Ibadan expressway.They pray fervently not to be involved in  ghastly motor accidents that  have now characterized the expressway,among other tales of woe.

Not long ago,three occupants of a sleek new model black Honda Accord car with Lagos registration number had a collision with a truck.The car somersaulted several times before coming to a halt,while a middle aged man,clad in brown native attire survived the accident with serious bruises,the other two occupants,a lady and another man died instantly.

On the same day,at another spot along the road,some hundreds of meters to Ogere,a town along the expressway,two towing trucks made spirited efforts to rescue another truck,which found its way into a very deep pit,beside the expressway.

Curiously, investigations reveal that it is always celebration time for residents of villages along the road,when trucks conveying consumable and valuable products are involved in accidents.

One of such incidents,was when a petrol tanker fully loaded with petroleum products got involved in a ghastly accident which resulted in the spillage of its contents. Inhabitants of the villages near the scene trooped out in their hundreds to scoop fuel.

Sadly,although the regular and anti-riot policemen are noticeable at different spots on the road,their presence might be to fulfill personal desires, rather than get involved in rescue operations for accident victims and the  arrest of looters at accident spots.

A resident of Sapade,Moshood Ariyo,insists that the poverty in the land has driven a lot of Nigerians into contriving ways of survival.”A number of accidents along the road involving trailers conveying goods,are the handiwork of people with intentions to steal the goods.In the case of accidents involving other vehicles,the thieves rob the victims”,Ariyo disclosed.

He,however called on the law enforcement agencies to check the trend,before it becomes institutionalized.

Investigations also reveal that  trailer and tanker drivers have for a long time now,converted the expressway to garages.Instances abound at Ogere and the Ibafo axis of the road. This, to a great extent has contributed to the road carnage.

Also,the reckless nature of commercial bus drivers already high on intoxicants,has sent the drivers and countless number of passengers to their early graves.

When this magazine visited a number of motor parks including the one at Ojota,Lagos and Iwo road,Ibadan,the urgent need to be intoxicated before embarking on any journey appears to be a major consideration.

This has resulted in passengers continuously controlling the driving style of the drivers all through the journey.

Sadly,the activities of kidnappers and ritualists have contributed a great deal to the almost helpless situation. With their focus on passengers,who cannot afford the transport fares at the various parks,they lower theirs to attract people hanging along the expressway.

Once inside the vehicle,the unsuspecting passengers are driven to unknown destinations,after they might have been hypnotized.Therehave been several reported cases of abduction for ritual purposes along the expressway.

While some have been fortunate to escape,others have never been seen again,after their abduction.

With the situation already becoming worrisome and frightening, even though the repair work on the expressway has gone a long way to reduce accidents on the road,,it is the hope that the law enforcement agencies would live up to expectation,while passengers look on to God for protection.

Three Journalists were injured when  an explosion disrupted last Saturday's  ZANU-PF  political rally at the Bulawayo White Stadium in Zimbabwe.

The political rally had in attendance President Emmerson Mnangagwa, who was there to campaign, ahead of the July 30 general elections in the country.

The three Journalists who were injured work for the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation(ZBC), they are Cameraman Coster Thole, Technician Chipo Five, and Producer Forget Tsododo.

Although President Mnangagwa escaped unhurt, the source of the blast has not yet been uncovered, while security agencies step up investigations

Workers of the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority(ZIMRA) will today(Friday) embark on  protests over issues revolving on poor  welfare and working conditions.

The notice of the strike is contained in a letter addressed to the Officer in Charge of Harare central of ZIMRA.

 According to the Secretary General of Zimbabwe Revenue Authority and Allied Workers Trade Union (ZIMRATU) General secretary, Mr. Lovemore Ngwarati, the workers have notified the management and the Zimbabwe Republic Police of their intention to picket the authority's head office  in Central Harare, starting from 1230hrs until 1400hrs.

The workers lamented that since 2003 the managemtn had embarked on 'costly job evaluation exercises'' without impelmenting the results.

They expressed reservations over the award of 

 "lucrative" three-year fixed term contracts "renewable without advertisement or equal opportunity" to the authroity's managers  while the 2500 strong workforce is "languishing in poverty".

In July 2005, the then Inspector General of Police Mr. Sunday Ehindero put in place committee to investigate the circumstances that led to the alleged killing of five Igbo traders and their female friend by some policemen at the Apo  mechanic village, Abuja on June 7 of the same year.

However, the committee was  headed by, Mike Okiro, then a Deputy Inspector General  of Police was dissolved by the then President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo.

The President hinged his decision on the fact that the Police could not be a Judge in its own case. In addition, the President's action was predicated on the testimonies of a  photographer, hired by the Police in the Federal Capital Territory(FCT) to take photographs of the lifeless bodies of the six Nigerians sent to their untimely graves. 

The photographer confessed that the police were responsible for the crime, as he stated that he saw the police bring guns and placed  by the side of the corpses of the six, to make them look like armed robbers, after which, the police ordered him to take their photographs.

The photographer further stated that, he could not believe his eyes, when he saw the Commissioner of Police of the Command, explaining to Nigerians that those killed were armed robbers, while making particular reference to the photographs. Such instances abound till today.

This development emboldened the President to put a stop to the Police investigation, to avert a situation whereby the outcome of the investigation would favour the Police.

Without hesitation, the President set up a Judicial Commission  of Inquiry to find out how the six were killed and the role of the police in the incident. 

Nigerians now realized that the action of the President, was an indication that he lacked confidence in the competence of  Ehindero, as Inspector General of Police.

Complainants are converted to accused persons at Police stations, when money exchange hands, just as criminals boast of their cordial relationships with compromised officers and rank and file of the force.

Corruption and inefficiency have become recurring decimals in the Nigeria Police Force, this has affected almost all senior officers, who have occupied the position OF inspector General OF Police.

In this dispensation, Nigerians heaved a sigh of relief, when Ibrahim Idris assumed office as the Police Boss. They thought that they would soon begin to sleep with their two eyes closed This is not the situation, considering the manner the Police has handled the  Senator Dino Melaye case.

Sadly, for several years, there has been a disconnect between the IGP's office and the 36 state commands. This informed the establishment of special task forces by successive Inspectors General of Police to tackle crime nationwide.

Accusation of deprivation of funds and counter accusation of mismanagement of funds have characterized the relationship between the IGP's  office and the 36 state Police Commands.

Indeed, on issues bothering on corruption, the Police cannot be a Judge in its own case. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission(EFCC) is an anti-graft agency, with a number of policemen involved.

Indeed, the question of funding of the police still remains in the circle of administrative bottlenecks and the late release of funds by the Federal Government. Sabotage is now the order of the day. The insecurity in land addresses the question.

Of worry, is the communication lag between the office of the IGP and the Police Service Commission(PSC). The PSC is  not responsible for the appointment of the IGP.

Successive occupants of the IGP's seat have always been suspicious of any suggestion or advice emanating from  the commission.

Interestingly, some state governments, which are vigorously agitating for the establishment of state police, have taken advantage of the insecurity in the land.

However, state police cannot fly, in an environment filled with political office holders bereft of ideology and principles.

Nigerians should not be deceived by the activities of some selfish and greed-driven citizens, who continuously discredit the present  centralization of the  police structure, in favour of sectional interests and design.

The Lagos state Government has abolished the 50 year old practice of promoting civil servants based on their progression in their various careers.

The  state government hinged its decision on the need to ensure effective service delivery in the state.

This disclosure was made by the state Head of Service, Mrs. Folashade Adesoye at a news  conference to commence the2018 Civil service week in the state, at the state secretariat, Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos.

“To this extent, all government officers now have clearly defined job schedules against which their performances will be assessed. This approach is based on the perception that governance must be open, timely, effective and efficient”, Mrs Adesoye disclosed.

Stakeholders in the betting industry, last Wednesday, shunned an interactive forum organized by the newly reconstituted Oyo state aming Board.

The stakeholders hinged their action  on the fact that the intention of the board might not be in line with their battles fr survival in te industry, considringthe tax regime in the state.

They lamented that the business environment in the state was unfriendly, harsh and hostile,just as they warned that any attempt to introduceaother category in te mulitple taxe regime, currently operating in the state, will force several operators to close down.

A few of the operators were, however, cited at the forum. 

In his remarks of the board, Mr. Lekan Abari, opined ''this is a stepping stone to so many things that is going to be done. There are over 50 operators in the state less than 10 are in attendance''.

One of the stakeholders, who was in attedance, Mr. Michael Nwogu, the Cheif Executive of Celcon Limited, a platform provider, appealed to the board to protect operators, adding ''of all the stkeholers, only  those in sports betting are online and none of them are using ocal platforms, they all have to pay their subscriptons in foreign exchange, what is the board doing ?''.

Similarly, the Secretary of the Pools Promoters Asociation in Oyo state, Mr. Gbenga Ogungbenle drew the attention of the board to the fact that the business environment n Lagos varied from that  of badan, while lamenting  that the state governmen did not cary them along when it decided to make changes in the nomenclature of the board.

''What is applicable in Lagos cannot be applicable in Ibadan. We didn't know whe the sat government inaugurated the state Gaming board, there is little or no difference from the  pools beeting board we usd to know. We are not online, Why the change ? We don't know, all of us in the industry are passig through hard times'', Mr. Ogungbenle disclosed.

In response, the Chairman of th state Internal Revenue Board, Mr. Bisi Alli declared that the sanitizaton of the  revenue process by the revolved on mutula benefit.

''We are sanitizing the rvenue process in the state. Govenment must render service and you mus pay. Our state must be in line with what obtains in all other parts of the world. The essence of embracing technology  is to assist operators.

It makes your operations very easy and lesscumbersome. The cost of compliance becomes cheap, it reduces as transaction increases. It knocks down the cost of compliance. Those who operate illegally cannot come o our platform. More importantly, you need the government, the government needs you. If you don't partner with government, if you don't pay  your contribution, it might be difficult'', Mr Alli warned.

Sadly, jobless youths and secondary school students, form the bulk of those who patronize the betting centres, who also include market me nd women.

These category of people spend valuable time discussing, analyzing and projecting  winning prospects