The Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA), regulator
of the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), has announced that the use of
e-ticketing payment to board BRT buses will commence on Tuesday.
This is part of ongoing re-structuring of its operations and management aimed at enhancing effectiveness.
Managing Director, LAMATA, Dayo Mobereola, who disclosed this over
the weekend, said the measure was part of a holistic plan to return BRT
operations to its efficient and effective state as planned when it was
launched in 2008.
Dr. Mobereola said the Lagos State Government is aware of challenges
faced by commuters using the BRT, explaining that steps were currently
being taken to ensure the restoration of efficient and effective service
delivery on the system and increase its capacity.
According to him, the e-ticketing payment was a solution through a
payment card named ‘Lagos Connect,’ and it would offer commuters several
options. “With the e-payment system, Lagos Connect, commuters in Lagos
will pay as low as N20 per trip instead of N70.”
“They would not need to struggle for change or lose their money, and the system is safe and convenient,” he added.
[TelegraphNigeria]
The Rivers state House of Assembly witnessed a very rowdy session
today for some minutes after two months of adjournment as pro-Governor
Rotimi Amaechi legislators battled five renegade lawmakers rooting for
the political opponents of the governor.
The minority lawmakers, whose agenda was to impeach the governor made
the impeachment of Speaker Otelemaba Amachree and other principal
officers the first priority. They thus stole into the House of Assembly
at about 8.30 am earlier before the normal sitting of the House and
smuggled in a mace.
But they met eight Pro- Amaechi lawmakers including the Speaker
Otelemaba Amachree, Chidi Llyod, the majority Leader and six others in
the assembly.
Frustrated that their coup was a mission impossible , one of the five
rebels, Evans Bapakaye Bipi, went straight to Chidi Llyod’s seat and
physically assaulted him.
As Llyod and Bipi were having a fisticuff, the Speaker who stepped in to separate them was also attacked by Bipi.
A free-for -all started, with blows being exchanged by both sides.
Lloyd was injured, while Martins Amaehule another anti-Ameachi Lawmaker
representing Obio-Akpor was also injured and rushed to St Patricks
Hospital at Ogbunabali in Port Harcourt for treatment.
As the fracas degenerated, some of the pro-Amaechi lawmakers ran for
their dear lives because of the many thugs brought into the Assembly
premises by Bipi and his group.
The moment was seized by the minority lawmakers, as a member of the
group, Victor Ihunwo, representing Port Harcourt constituency stepped
into the Speaker’s seat to “Pilot “ the affairs.
Martins Amaehule moved the “motion” for the “Impeachment” of the Speaker
who has been rushed out after the physical assault. Kelechi Worgu an
anti-Amaechi, representing Omuma Constituency “supported” the motion and
thereafter announced Bipi as the new “Speaker.”
Governor Amaechi who was alerted about the fracas and the breakdown of
law and order at the Assembly, arrived at the Assembly chambers, just in
time to hear Evans Babakaya Bipialaka give a vote thanks for his
‘election’ as speaker of four other members.
According to witnesses, Bipialaka on sighting the Governor, ordered some
thugs and policemen to “shoot him…shoot him”, pointing at the Governor.
Amaechi was said to have walked towards him and replied: “Shoot me?”
The Governor thereafter ordered his security men that came with him
to arrest Bipialaka. But Bipi’s orderly and Policemen who came with him
resisted the arrest.
Bipi is the lawmaker who represents Ogu-Bolo Constituency, whose wedding
was attended several weeks ago by Mrs Patience Jonathan as a Special
Guest of Honour and Mother of the Day.
After the confrontation with the governor, Bipi and other other four
lawmakers opposed to Amaechi left the assembly with their thugs.
After calm was restored, the house was re-convened at exactly 11.40 am
with the Speaker, Otelemaba Dan-Amachree, presiding with 22 Lawmakers
present.
P.M.News observed that there was still tension with thugs supporting the
anti-Amaechi shouting that they be allowed into the Assembly but were
prevented by pro-Amaechi supporters and House of Assembly Policemen.
The Governor later presented a minor amendment of the 2013 budget as it affects the capital expenditure only.
Mr Tele Ikuru,the Deputy Governor who read the proposed minor amendment
on behalf of the Governor explained that the minor amendment only
affects the capital expenditure.
The Deputy Leader Robinson Nnam Ewor moved a motion for the adoption of
amendment and was supported by Mrs.Irene Inigba,the Chief Whip supported
the motion.
Golden Chioma ,representing Etche Constituency II moved a motion that
the amendment should be committed to the committee of the whole house.
The Speaker asked if there was a counter-motion but there was none.
The amendment was committed into the House of the whole of 22 members
present and was later adopted. Amaechi had 28 members on his side since
the political fight started. Those that were not at the sitting were
said to have sustained injuries and were undergoing medical treatment.
However, Freddy Itolo-Ofen,the Press Secretary to Bipi told P.M.News in
an interview that his boss was properly elected as the Speaker of the
House by the Five lawmakers.
“Hon Evans Bipialaka the New Speaker was making his vote of thanks when
the Governor arrived and ordered that he should be arrested, but was
resisted by Bipialaka and his orderly”.
With 60,000 Nigerian children infected with the Human
Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) last year, Nigeria has the highest number
of children with the virus in the world, according to the latest report
by the United Nations.
The number of children infected with the virus is higher than that of
any other country in the world, and is a source of worry for experts
with one describing it as "alarming," a report by an online news medium,
Premium Times, has said.
However, President Goodluck Jonathan said for Nigeria and other
African nations to successfully control the HIV/AIDS scourge, the
continent must effectively tackle poverty.
The UN report titled "2013 Progress Report on The Global Plan:
Towards the elimination of new HIV infections among children by 2015 and
keeping their mothers alive" is the most recent on the global plan
which seeks an elimination of new HIV infections among children by 2015,
as well as keep their mothers alive.
Despite the efforts of the federal and state governments to check the
spread of HIV, the report shows that the prevalence rate of HIV among
Nigerian children has remained relatively stagnant with no significant
improvement; while that of several other countries was improving with
fewer prevalence rates than before.
"In several countries, the pace of decline in the numbers of children
newly infected has been slow and the numbers have actually risen in
Angola. Nigeria has the largest number of children acquiring HIV
infection - nearly 60,000 in 2012, a number that has remained largely
unchanged since 2009," the report stated.
The UN said it was worried about the prevalence rate of HIV among
Nigerian children and warned that if Nigeria is not serious in curbing
HIV in children, part of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) will
not be realised by 2015.
"Without urgent action in Nigeria, the global target for 2015 is unlikely to be reached," the report added.
While Nigeria witnessed stagnancy since 2009 in the prevalence of HIV
among children, several other sub-Saharan African countries witnessed a
massive reduction in their prevalence rate.
Botswana, Ethiopia, Ghana, Malawi, Namibia, South Africa and Zambia
all witnessed a 50-per-cent decline in new HIV infections in children,
while two more countries - the United Republic of Tanzania and Zimbabwe -
are very close to achieving this target; prompting the UN to warn
Nigeria to sit up in the fight against HIV in children.
Nigeria's comparatively poor performance in combating HIV
transmission to children also reflected among the 21 countries under the
Global Plan watch of the UN.
"Nigeria accounts for one third of all new HIV infections among
children in the 21 priority countries in sub-Saharan Africa: the largest
number of any country. Progress here is therefore critical to
eliminating new HIV infections among children globally.
"Nearly all indicators assessed show stagnation and suggest that Nigeria is facing significant hurdles," the report said.
Meanwhile, Jonathan has attributed the rising HIV/AIDS scourge to
prevalent poverty and urged African leaders to take a bold step in
tackling it.
The president, at the opening of a meeting of the Global Power Women
Network Africa in Abuja, urged African leaders to go beyond the
provision of free test kits and anti-retroviral drugs to effectively
confront the HIV/AIDS scourge.
"For us in Africa, to fight AIDS, we must also fight poverty, African
leaders must ensure that we create wealth for the citizens," he said.
He recalled that as governor in Bayelsa State, he initiated a scheme
whereby the state was giving N10,000 to each person living with AIDS in
addition to free drugs.
Giving statistics of the HIV-AIDS in Africa, Coordinating Minister
for the Economy and Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, said
of the 34 million people living with HIV/AIDS in the world as at 2011,
69 per cent were in Africa.
Nigeria’s hip hop sensation, P Square (real name Paul Okoye), has
reportedly abandoned the mother of his second baby in a London hospital
where the woman recently gave birth to the entertainer’s baby.
A few weeks after welcoming his first new born baby in Atlanta, P
Square – who is also known as P2 – had another baby delivered for him
in a London hospital by a former beauty pageant contestant. However,
this time, P Square has refused to claim paternal responsibility for the
baby boy.
SaharaReporters learnt that the new baby’s mother is
Elshama Benson Igbanoi, a 19-year-old and former Miss Plateau State. Our
sources disclosed that she gave birth at the Queen Charlotte and
Chelsea Hospital on Du Cane Road, London W12 0HS.
Our sources
said the new mother had been in touch with P2, but he had not been
forthcoming beyond telling her that he plans to arrive in London for a
DNA test to ascertain paternity. SaharaReporters spoke to the woman’s
father, Benson Igbanoi, in Abuja. Mr. Igbanoi stated that his daughter
was faithful to the musician. He also revealed that he had sent several
emails to P Square concerning his daughter’s pregnancy for him, but had
received no response.
Another source said Elshama's family had
contacted Paul Okoye's father and aunt to persuade the musician to
accept responsibility for his baby.
Ms. Elshama insists that she
never slept with any man except for P2, adding that she lost her
virginity to him when she was 17 years old.
SaharaReporters
learnt that the London hospital where she gave birth has not received
any payments. “The hospital has been harassing both Elshama and her
mother to pay hospital bills of over £5,000 that have been incurred,”
said one source. The baby boy has been named Michelle Paul Okoye.
In
a twist to the story, a source close to the former beauty queen said
Ms. Elshama was a close friend to Anita, the other woman who gave birth
to another baby for P2 a few weeks ago in Atlanta, Georgia.
D'Prince has sacked the fiance of his label mate at Mavin Records, Tiwa Savage, Tee Billz, as his manager.
Before now, Tee Billz was the manager of D'Prince, which is no more the case at the moment.
"For
further bookings and enquiries, please contact my new management,
Sunday Are of List Entertainment," D'Prince recently tweeted on his
twitter page indicating the sack of Tiwa Savage's lover, Tee Billz.
Sunday
Are used to manage the artistes under the defunct Mo'Hits Records
co-owned by Don Jazzy and D'Banj. Are seized to manage the artistes
after the split.
It was gathered that other artistes under Mavin Records are still managed by their managers.
