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Metro

Patronise only registered motorcyclists, association advises Lagos residents

 

Motorcyclists

Joan Odafe

Lagos, Feb. 9, 2020 (NAN) The Nagari Nakowa Motorcycles Owners and Riders Association of Lagos (NNAMORAL) has cautioned residents of Amuwo-Odofin area against patronising unregistered motorcyclists.

The association said during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Lagos that the caution was to ensure the safety of lives and property of residents of the area.

Femi Mathias, Amuwo Zone C Chairman of NNAMORAL, said it was mandatory for registered members of the association to wear yellow reflective vests with their registration numbers while on duty.

He said that the association had adapted to the recent restriction of commercial motorcyclists and tricyclists on certain routes in Lagos and adopted new strategies to comply with the rules.

Mathias said the association had a database for every registered member and a task force that ensured that they abide by the rules.

According to him, the duty of the task force is to check the excesses of the motorcyclists by preventing them from harassing residents when accidents occurred.

Mathias listed other duties of the task force to include preventing motorcyclists from going on restricted routes and aiding criminals as well as intercepting those who move around with dangerous weapons and those who take drugs.

“Whenever our task force stop motorcyclists, they check if they are in possession of knives, screwdrivers or anything that can injure passengers.

“There is a rider’s scan as well. We are also screening out the underaged motorcyclists from the system, even those who take drugs are also being screened out,” Mathias told NAN.

The Head of the association’s task force, Mr Alex Kareem, said the major challenges facing NNAMORAL were operators who came from outside the community and some residents who prevented them from carrying out their duties.

“We have different zones and chairmen, they have the number of motorcyclists they control, everyone monitors his area for easy coordination.

“We know all the okada riders in Amuwo Odofin, even without the vest, we can still identify them,” he said.

Kareem urged the residents to be patient during checks to enable the task force continue sanitising the system and fishing out the intruders.

The Secretary of Zone B, Mr Haruna Adaji, said NNAMORAL had been working with the Police Area “E” Command and the Festac Divisional Police to ensure that motorcyclists abide by the laws.

“Our men are situated in different places, if any accident occurs and they call us, under five minutes they are there to rescue the situation.

“If it is a serious accident, we call the DPO and the divisional traffic officer to come to our rescue.

“We will continue to work with the police to ensure the safety of the people in the community,” he said.

Adaji cautioned residents against patronising any motorcyclists after 9:45p.m. for their own safety.

Also speaking with NAN, Elijah Ogboche, Chairman, NNAMORAL Zone A, said the association also organised workshops to educate the riders on how to abide by safety rules.

“We don’t only hold it here, NNAMORAL holds workshops at our state council, we invite the Road Safety Corps and other security agencies to enlighten our members on risks.

“What causes accidents the most is over speeding.

“To reduce the numbers, we came up with the idea to screen out the underaged motorcyclists.

“We will not work on highways, we will only work on domestic routes where the speed limit will be regulated not to surpass the appropriate limits,” Elijah said.

NAN reports that NNAMORAL is affiliated to the Road Transport Employees Association of Nigeria (RTEAN).(NAN)

JOJO/CCN/WOJ

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Edited by Chinyere Nwachukwu/Wale Ojetimi

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Education

Amuwo Odofin gives free JAMB forms to150 indigent students

Amuwo Odofin gives free JAMB forms to 150 indigent students

JAMB
By Joan Odafe/
Lagos, Feb. 7, 2020 (NAN) The Amuwo Odofin Local Government in Lagos State has distributed Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) forms to 150 indigent students in the community.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the students were presented with the forms at the council secretariat on Friday in Lagos.

Mr Valentine Buraimoh, the council Chairman, said the gesture was to help the students fulfill their dreams academically.

Buraimoh said the council would also organise free coaching classes to help prepare the students so they could excel in the examination.

NAN reports that the classes will hold at Fifth Avenue Primary School, Festac Town.

“It is our joy to ensure that the young ones are able to face their future academically and become leaders of our country tomorrow.

“That is why we are providing you with this form and also coaching you so you can do well in your exams and get admission into the higher institutions,” he said.

Buraimoh cautioned the students against taking the goodwill received for granted because they got it for free.

“I don’t have issues buying JAMB forms but I found out that sometimes we beg people to come and take it; that is why we reduced the number we are buying,” he said.

The council’s Head of Education, Mr Ikeolu Ayandele, said the council would monitor their success in the examination.

“The chairman is interested that the students score high marks.

“The student with the highest mark will be given a scholarship,” he said.(NAN)

JOJO/JI/WOJ
Editing by Joe Idika/Wale Ojetimi

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Health

COWAP seeks more health education for elderly

Elderly
By Joan Odafe
Lagos, Feb. 7, 2020 (NAN) Some stakeholders of an NGO, Charity Organisation for the Welfare of Aged People (COWAP), have called on private and public sectors to adopt strategies to improve the health of the elderly in the country.

They told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Friday that the elderly could live longer if they were encouraged to exercise and educated on how to manage their health.

Mrs Esther Kelechi-Njoku, a Nigerian Red Cross Society (NRCS) Commandant from the Church of Presentation Detachment, called for continuous education and awareness on proper health management.

“We should have more lectures; make a 20 to 30 minutes lecture on how to care for themselves at this age.

“They should be encouraged on how to eat healthy and once in a while, they should be educated on the kinds of ailments the elderly suffer.

“They should be educated on the management and feeding for people with different ailments; some of them are diabetic, they should advise them how to live,” Kelechi-Njoku said.

Mr Darlington Ajitemisan, a former Chaplain with the Nigerian Correctional Services, identified physical exercise as a major strategy to ensure that the elderly stayed healthy.

“When the elderly exercise, there’s a flexibility of the ligament and it helps every part of the organs; sickness is reduced.

“It’s also important to talk about food. When exercising and you don’t talk about it, it’s minus zero.

“We tell them to avoid cholesterol, to avoid foods and drinks that are sugary and drink a lot of water,” he said.

Mr Esan Olushola, Founder of COWAP, said: “The organisation plans to adopt new strategies to ensure that the elderly have access to information and care.

“We will get more youths, train them on how to care for senior citizens and place them in different locations as our representatives.

“We’ll reach them through their churches, mosques, Short Message Service (SMS) and using the community leaders to educate them.”  (NAN)
JOJO/MAS/AJA
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Edited by Moses Solanke/Adeleye Ajayi

 

Politics

LG boss pledges support for CDC in Amuwo Odofin 

LG Boss pledges support to CDC Amuwo Odofin

CDC
By Joan Odafe
Lagos, Jan. 6, 2020 (NAN) The Chairman of Amuwo Odofin Local Government (AOLG), Mr Valentine Buraimoh, on Thursday pledged his support to help build the capacity of the Community Development Committee (CDC) to accelerate development at the grassroots.

Buraimoh made the pledge at the ‘CDC’ inauguration of newly elected executive officers and 2020 Special Inter-religious Prayers’ at the Council Office in Lagos.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the event was organised by the Community Development Committee (CDC) in Amuwo Odofin Local Government.

According to the chairman, the capacity training and workshops will help equip the CDC executives with the information needed to pursue their statutory obligations.

He noted that the CDC had helped coordinate the completion of several self-help projects in the community, adding that the strategy would lead to peaceful transition to a new tenure.

“The emergence of the executive leaders of the CDC in AOLG is as a result of peaceful coexistence and that gives us a smooth ride.

“In case you do not know, the CDC executive is more turbulent than the whole of the party simply because you are the fourth tier of government, the grassroots”, he said.

Buraimoh thanked the outgoing executives for their services and steadfastness in ensuring that the community was made better than they had met it.

He charged the new executives to ensure that they carry out their duties to the best of their ability.

The chairman also urged the new executives to support policies of the local government and help publicise its programmes and projects within the community.

The Head of Agriculture and Social Services, Mr Bola Onigbanjo, said the role of the CDC was to carry out functions of administration of community matters through community development associations.

He explained that the CDCs would be meeting once in a month at the local government level to deliberate on matters within their communities.

“So what we are doing is to inaugurate the fourth tier of government that is to take care of our problems at the grassroots level.

“It is the result of our going to our various CDAs to conduct elections  peacefully that the people can elect their representatives”, he said.

Onigbanjo advised members to forward all their challenges in their CDAs to the CDCs for amicable resolution at the LGA level.

In his remark, Chairman of the CDC, Mr Jola Ogunlusi, charged the newly inaugurated executives to seek more knowledge about their responsibilities in order to assist the council succeed in delivering democratic dividends to the people.

“I appeal to you to know that unity is very important. So let us all embrace peace and unity so that we can move forward,” he said.

NAN further reports that the new executives are made up of 19 members which included the chairman, vice chairmen, financial, social and welfare secretaries among others. (NAN)
JOJO/OMO/WOJ

Edited by Martins Odeh/Wale Ojetimi

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