The Lagos State Governor, Mr Babjide Sanwo-Olu, has declared a state of emergency on environmental sanitation and traffic management matters in the state.

Sanwo-Olu declared this while signing the first executive order of refuse management, traffic management and public works on Thursday at the Lagos House, Alausa.

This, according to the Governor, will start the process of restoring stability and a culture of accountability in which all the citizens become active stakeholders in bringing about the necessary changes.

“As from the date of this order, there shall be zero tolerance for environmental abuse, including illegal and indiscriminate dumping of refuse, construction on drainage points and setbacks,” he said.

According to him, all LASTMA officials shall effectively carry out their functions by ensuring strict enforcement and compliance with all extant traffic rules and regulations.

He said the LASTMA officials would immediately begin work on a shift basis in which road and traffic management operations would be on till 11 pm on a daily basis.

Sanwo-Olu said that the Lagos State Public Works Corporation would immediately commence the identification and repairs of all potholes and bad roads within the state.

He also said provisions of the order would extend to all enforcement agencies in the state, in maintaining law and order for the collective good of the citizens.

“I expect the fullest level of compliance with this order and will look to the various heads of ministries, departments and agencies to give full force and effect to the orders therein contained and to take responsibility for any failure,” he said.

(NAN)

Olusegun Obasanjo, former Nigerian president and other Nigerians escaped death on Wednesday at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that other prominent Nigerians in the Ethiopian airline passenger aircraft, Boeing 777-300, included the Director General of Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA) Ambassador Ayoola Olukanni.

Also in the plane was Prof Samson Tunde Adebayo, the Director of Ports Inspection, National Agency For Food And Drug Administration And Control (NAFDAC) as well as scores of Nigerians and other nationals.

The passenger aircraft, ET-901, had departed the Bole International Airport, Addis Ababa, at about 9:10 a.m., Ethiopian time; 7 a.m Nigerian time.

A NAN correspondent, who was among the passengers, recalled that the almost 5-hour flight from the Ethiopian capital to Lagos had been smooth until the pilot attempted to land at the Murtala Mohammed International airport.

Rather than landing on the first touch-line of the runway, the pilot over short it, due to rain and heavy wind, landing on the third touch-line.

NAN reports that, on realizing this, the pilot quickly manouvered the plane back air, flying out of the Lagos airport.

After hovering around between Lagos and areas suspected to be in Ogun, causing panic in passengers and crew members, the plane landed in Lagos airport, some 20 minutes after the initial false landing.

The atmosphere in the aircraft upon landing was a replica of what is obtainable in some Nigerian worship centers, as many passengers broke out into worship songs and clapping, while some fell to their knees in prayer.

The duty manager and Chief Customer Service (Nigeria) of the airline, Mr. Otori Jimoh Otan, told NAN that if the pilot had continued taxing down after landing on the third touchline, he would have overshot the runway.

“But this is an experienced pilot. He realized this immediately.

“Fortunately, the distance between when he realized the situation still permitted him to take off and renegotiate landing,” Otori said.

Obasanjo and Olukanni had both attended a Stakeholders Dialogue on Continental Trade and Strengthening Implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) which ended on Tuesday in Addis Ababa.