Ambode Allegedly Sacks Chaplain Over Disrespect To Wife

There is anger at the Chapel of Christ the Light, Alausa, Lagos State, after the Presiding Chaplain, Venerable Femi Taiwo, was sacked by the Governing Council allegedly on the order of the state Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode.

Punch Metro gathered that Taiwo got the sack on Monday, May 15, without any query or official reason stated in the sack letter.

He was said to have been ordered out of his official quarters where he lived with his wife and two children within 24 hours of receiving the letter.

Despite pleadings from church leaders and other reputable elders in the church, the government was said to have insisted that the cleric must leave the church.

Some church members reportedly contributed money to buy gas cooker, and other household items for the family as they vacated the vicarage.

Investigations by Punch correspondent showed that Taiwo had angered the Governor’s wife, Bolanle
Ambode, who had visited the chapel on Sunday, May 14, when the church held an anointing service.

The church is under the Lagos State Ministry of Home Affairs, while the Office of the Lagos State First Lady supervises church.

Church members were said to have filed out to receive anointing oil during the May 14 service without any preference given to Bolanle, who waited endlessly with her entourage.

She was said to have later moved to be anointed and moments later, stormed out of the church, as some of the women leaders ran after her.

Bolanle, who was reported to be visibly angry, allegedly shunned entreaties from the women, which included the wife of the presiding chaplain.

The cleric got the sack the following day.

The directive was issued in a letter dated, May 15, 2017, and signed by the Chairman, Governing Council of CCTL, Mr. Olugbenga Solomon. The letter also ordered the Assistant Chaplain, Very Rev. Ayo Oyadotun, to take over  with immediate effect.

A church member, who witnessed the drama and begged not to be identified, said , “The church had declared seven-day fasting after we lost two prominent members.

“The Sunday service, which was declared as anointing service, was supposed to end the fasting.

“The First Lady, Mrs. Bolanle Ambode, was present with her entourage. She comes to the church once in a while.

“When it was time to be anointed, the cleric asked people to come forward, adding that it was optional. Three people stood at the stage to anoint people. They included the chaplain, the presiding chaplain and one other person.

“People started stepping out one after another. The governor’s wife, after some time, also stepped out and was anointed.”

The source said within a few minutes of taking the oil, Bolanle, who felt disrespected, stepped out with her entourage.

Another member of the church  said, “As she stepped out, it was obvious that she was angry.

“The president of the women’s fellowship and the pastor’s wife ran after her. She shunned them, entered her car and zoomed off.

“When we came to the church on Tuesday, we heard that Venerable Taiwo had been sacked. We were told that he was sacked because the the governor’s wife didn’t get the anointing oil first and she felt disrespected.

“The man that signed the letter is also a civil servant,” the source said.

The governing council is said to be made up of members of the church and some appointees of the government.

Punch Metro learnt that Taiwo still had two years to spend as the presiding chaplain when he was fired.

The source said some church members quickly bought household items for his family as they vacated the church premises on Thursday.

He said, “The children went to school on Thursday without knowing that they would not be staying in the vicarage that evening. Church members bought bed and other household items for them because they did not have their own property.

“The members said their pastor did not offend them, and protested the sacking. The governing council members, however, said they should forget it because whatever came from Alausa was final. Most of the church members are civil servants who can’t talk too much.”

Punch correspondent reached out to leaders of the church, including Oyadotun, who refused to comment.

However, one of those that confirmed the incident, begged not to be named.

He said the reason Taiwo got the sack was not stated in the letter, adding that the action was not unconnected from the visit of the wife of the governor.

He said, “Let me be straight with you, in the letter there was no reason for the sack. Whatever you are hearing are what members of the church believed could have happened. And there was indeed a protest by the church and the governing council assuaged them on the sacking.

“There was nothing official in that sacking. No investigation, no query, nothing. We had an anointing service on that Sunday. The following day, the venerable was served the sack letter.”
When Punch Metro reached out to Taiwo, he said he did not want to comment.

He said, “If you have any enquiry, direct it to the church. But one thing I can say is that I have tried as a pastor to live above board. It will not be right engaging the church or the government on the pages of a newspaper.”

The state Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Steve Ayorinde, said, “The former chaplain had been queried a number of times in the past for conducts unbecoming of his office. The culmination of various indiscretions led to the Governing Council of the church issuing yet another query that led to his being relieved of his post.

“This has got nothing to do with the First Lady. The Chaplain is looking for an excuse to cover his insouciance. It’s nothing but cheap blackmail.”

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Photos: Ambode In Kenya For German-African Business Summit

Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode is currently in Kenya. He joined other world leaders to attend the German-African Business Summit in Nairobi, Kenya. According to him;

'As a role model mega city, Lagos State is strategically positioned to play a leading role in propelling development on the continent. #GermanAfricanBusinessSummit.' 

'Lagos State is fast becoming a preferred destination for investors in Africa. Lagos is open for business. We are willing, able and ready to partner with investors within and outside the continent. #GermanAfricanBusinessSummit,' he said. See more photos of the amiable Governor after the cut.

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Ambode Okays Death Penalty For Kidnappers, Signs Bill Into Law

Lagos State Governor, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode on Wednesday signed into law the anti-kidnapping bill recently passed by the State House of Assembly, with a pledge to ensure its full implementation to eradicate kidnapping once and for all in the State.

The Prohibition of the Act of Kidnapping Law imposes a penalty of life imprisonment on kidnapping for ransom. The law also stipulates that where a victim dies in the course of kidnap, the suspect is liable on conviction to death. 

Speaking at the signing ceremony held at Lagos House in Ikeja, Governor Ambode said the spate of kidnapping in the State had gotten to a level that required decisive action from government, hence the need for the enactment of the law to send serious message to perpetrators of such heinous crime.

He said aside the enactment of the law, the State Government was also putting in place appropriate measures particularly in the schools and other vulnerable targets to prevent kidnapping and other security breaches.

The Governor said: “Security is of utmost importance to our administration and we are confident that this law will serve as a deterrent to anybody who may desire to engage in this wicked act within the boundaries of Lagos.

“Why we use this law to address the challenge and punish the criminals, we are also putting in place appropriate measures particularly in our schools and other vulnerable targets to prevent security breaches and it is important that we ensure that everything we do in respect of this anti-kidnapping law is in good faith and good spirit to eradicate the issue of kidnapping once and for all in the State.” Governor Ambode assured that the justice system would be activated to execute the anti-kidnapping law to the letter to ensure that any criminal caught is subjected to the full wrath of the law.

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Lagos Emerges Fifth Largest Economy in Africa

The prosperous economy of Lagos has received international recognition in the African continent's ratings.

Governor Akinwunmi Ambode

 

Lagos State has emerged as the fifth largest economy in Africa, consequent upon which, Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, disclosed that his administration is in the process of setting up an Economic Management Team, EMT, comprising distinguished individuals from the private sector and the public sector to manage and improve the feat.

Ambode spoke on Tuesday at the Lagos House in Ikeja when he received a delegation from the Nigerian-British Chamber of Commerce on courtesy visit, disclosing that the emergence of Lagos as Africa’s fifth largest economy was very instructive according to the DailyPost.

He promised that his government would explore synergy with private sector with the view to catapult the State into a true global city-state in the true sense of the word.

Ambode said: “Very soon we would be setting up what we would refer to as an Economic Management Team to drive the fifth largest economy, because that’s the way we need to envision ourself and this Economic Management Team will involve nominees from the Chambers and other people in the private sector so that we can collaborate because majorly this economy is driven by the private sector."

“Our duty is to create an enabling environment and fuse all that together."

 

“I think that synergy can just catapult Lagos into that global city-state that we want it to be.”
 

The governor explained that his decision to come up with the Office of Oversees Affairs and Investment, otherwise known as Lagos Global, was part of efforts at encouraging investment in Lagos both from within and outside, among many other initiatives of the present administration.

His words: “I think it is very instructive to clearly state that the economy of Lagos is in the hands of the private sector and beyond the fact that Lagos is now the fifth largest economy in Africa, the drive to take Nigeria out of recession actually resides in the private sector and willingness on the part of the public sector.

“Because our economy is in the hands of the private sector and we are willing to allow them drive it, that is why we have decided to formulate policies and decisions that will make the private sector to thrive in this State and that is why in the last 18 months, we have been running this administration on a tripod of security, job opportunities and infrastructure development.”

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Lagos To Introduce Monthly Payment On Housing

In a bid to cushion the effects of economic recession in the country, the Lagos State Government has perfected plans to introduce monthly payment plan on its Home Ownership Mortgage Schemes popularly called Lagos HOMS across the State.

The State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, who stated this after embarking on an extensive inspection tour of projects across the State, said his administration has decided to scale up the rent-to-own policy by introducing monthly payment plan whereby people can pay monthly instead of being compelled to make a down payment of 30 percent of the total cost or pay for one year.

“We believe strongly that people should be able to pay one month rent and live in our housing schemes. We don’t think in a recession, we should be having a situation where we allow people to come and buy when they don’t have money or to come and pay one year rent. We think the way to move forward is to allow these our younger ones to just pay one month deposit and pay one month rent and move into the houses and then more or less play up our rent-to-own scheme,” Governor Ambode said.

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Ambode Berates Senate For Rejecting Bill To Grant Lagos Special Status

Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode has berated the Senate for turning down a bill meant to grant Lagos special status which will entitle the state to a special grant.

The Senate on Wednesday vote overwhelmingly against the bill sponsored by Senator Oluremi Tinubu.

In a statement on Thursday, Ambode commended Senator Tinubu for pushing the need for Lagos State to be recognized and rewarded with a Special Status and Grant into the forefront of national discourse even if the import of that request is lost on a number of her colleagues.

In a release signed by the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Steve Ayorinde, Ambode said that history would remember Senator Tinubu kindly for her thoughtfulness and courage in promoting the bill that sought a special recognition for Lagos State as the commercial capital of Nigeria as well as one per cent of federally generated revenue in view of its socio-economic importance to the entire country.

Ambode stated that without prejudice to the decision of the Senate to stand down the bill, Senator’s Tinubu’s informed position and push will remain an important contribution as well as a reference point in the national economic discourse.

“At a time that our country needs courageous voices that seek solutions that can benefit millions of Nigerians irrespective of where they are from, what the distinguished Senator Oluremi Tinubu has done is to draw attention to how Lagos State can provide more succour to Nigerians being the home to the largest assemblage of Nigerians. She has drawn attention to how Lagos deserves to be assisted so that the state can further provide assistance to millions of Nigerians. It is a pity that this import was not seen from that perspective by the majority of her colleagues,” he said.

Ambode stated that in spite of the set-back the bill suffered on Wednesday, the fact remained that Lagos State has always played a special role to Nigerians as individuals and to the country as a whole.

“The truth of the matter is that as the most populous Nigerian state and the commercial heart-beat of the entire West Africa; a state that would have been the fifth largest economy in Africa if it were an independent country, Nigeria needs Lagos in order for other parts of the country to continue to benefit from Lagos.

“A special status and a special grant are fair requests that would have encouraged and rewarded Lagos State for what it contributes to the federal purse. A yes for the bill would have provided an opportunity to truly reflate the economy and empower Lagos State in serving as home to more than 21 million Nigerians and as hub to the largest volume of businesses and foreign direct investments in Nigeria. But clearly, a spectacular opportunity has been missed by ignoring this important bill,” Ambode said.

The governor added that in spite of the rejection of the bill, Lagos State would continue to be special and will not be deterred in continuing to play the important role of serving as a conducive and secure home for Lagosians as well as local and international visitors where opportunities are limitless and lives and property are safe.

PM News

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Stop Spending Lagos Funds On Partisan Activities - PDP Blasts Ambode

Governor Akinwunmi Ambode has been accused by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in Lagos State, of roaming the country while spending Lagos funds on partisan activities that are not beneficial to the state.

In a statement by its Publicity Secretary, Mr Taofik Gani, the party faulted governor Ambode for allegedly neglecting and “exhibiting busy body in his style of governance”. The PDP said: “Governor Ambode now appears disillusioned and has thus compromised the welfare, security and concerns of Lagosians and Lagos State for the sake of his party’s interest, thereby plunging the state into neglect, distress and prodigality.

“Governor Ambode abandoned governance and travelled out of the state to Osun and Edo states within the last five days, at such period that he ought to empathise with victims of the flooding now ravaging the state; destroying property, causing traffic, distress and deaths in parts of the state.
“It is now obvious that Governor Ambode is nonchalant to the plight of Lagosians and attaches no humanitarian value to the welfare and lives of Lagosians thus his decision to take the executive and legislature to Osun state to commission just a school building constructed by the Osun state governor, Aregbesola, after almost whole eight years in office.

“Worse still is that governor Ambode accepted the needless burden to be the National coordinator of the APC Edo governorship campaign committee and has literally moved Lagos governance to Edo state and also pledging further human, logistics and financial supports to the APC candidate for the election day. We are keeping tabs on him and we shall demand his probe at the appropriate time.”

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Ambode’s Convoy Foils Robbery Operation On Lagos-Ibadan Expressway

The convoy of the Lagos State governor, Mr. Akinwumi Ambode yesterday saved several motorists from being robbed by armed robbers, who struck at the popular Long Bridge on Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.

The incident which happened last Thursday at 8 pm was said to have been perpetrated by the robbers, who were dressed in Police uniform.

An eyewitness told Vanguard that the bandits had blocked the expressway forcing motorists to a halt in an attempt to carry out their act.

However, the eyewitness said the convoy of the state governor which was close to the scene at that moment, engaged the robbers in a fire fight which eventually saved the day.
Confirming the incident, a source at the governor’s office said the convoy was returning from Osun State where Ambode had attended the President’s visit.

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Governor Ambode Approves N15.5 Million For Varsity Entrepreneurs

Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, has approved N15.5million as seed funding and grants for final year students enrolled in the Ready.Set.Work (RSW) programme.

Ready.Set.Work is an entrepreneurship and employability training programme for final year students of tertiary institutions in Lagos State, aimed at preparing them for economic productivity as value-creating employees or employers of labour.

In June, five hundred (500) promising final year students from Lagos State University (LASU), Lagos State Polytechnic (LASPOTECH), and Lagos State College of Health Technology (LASCOHET) were enrolled in a rigorous curriculum either in the employability track or the entrepreneurship track.

At the end of the programme, over 90 top performing students in the employability track will be placed in six-month internship positions with organizations like PwC, SystemSpecs, FCMB, GTBank, Access Bank, TOTAL, Jobberman, Stutern, among others.

With Governor Ambode’s recent financial commitment to the Ready.Set.Work program, up to 80 students in the entrepreneurship track will likewise have the opportunity to partake in three to six-month entrepreneur apprenticeships where they can learn the tricks of the trade, understand and develop processes for various business functions, and build a network of vendors, industry peers, and mentors.

Speaking on the development, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Education, Obafela Bank-Olemoh, said the focus of the initiative from the onset was to provide students in Lagos State with the tools, knowledge, and know-how to become effective employees or job creators.
“We already secured 90 internship slots for students in the employability track of the program and we realized that students in the entrepreneurship track could also benefit from experience in a structured, supervised work setting, where they can learn the rudiments of running a business effectively,” he said.

He said the N15.5m committed by Governor Ambode’s administration would also provide seed funding and working capital for the top three teams to emerge from the RSW Business Pitch Competition, which will hold on September 3.
This announcement comes as the 13-week programme enters its penultimate week, while a graduation Ceremony has been scheduled for September to close the programme and celebrate the achievements of students who successfully complete their courses.

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Photos: When Seyi Shay Slayed With Governor Ambode Yesterday

Seyi Shay was among the AFRIMA team who visited the Governor yesterday. She used the opportunity to steal a photo with him and we must say they slayed. See other celebs who also visited the governor after the cut.

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Ambode to build 20 road in each LG in Lagos

Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, yesterday restated his administration’s resolve to
ensure rapid development at the grassroots. Ambode, who disclosed this at an interactive session with men and officers of Neighbourhood
Watch at Banquet Hall of the Lagos House, Ikeja, was represented by his deputy, Dr Oluranti Adebule.

The governor, while declaring that the policy thrust of his administration would be community
development, stated that his government was ready to make people at the grassroots level feel
the impact of government. He told the officials that henceforth “you will be playing more significant and critical role in this administration.

This administration is giving back (governance) to the communities, which is its policy thrust. “We know if we develop the community we have developed the local government, which means we are equally developing the state. But we will not start from up; we will start from the bottom and go up.”

The governor also appreciated the contributions of Neighbourhood Watch members to the maintenance of law and order in the communities,
adding that there was need for the organisation to embark on self-appraisal so as to ensure its members live up to expectations of the public.

He reiterated the commitment of the
administration to ensure the provision of 20 new rural roads in each of the local government
councils of the state as promised during electioneering

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