The state’s Commissioner of Agriculture and Food Systems, Abisola Olusanya, disclosed this in a news conference on Wednesday at the Alausa Secretariat.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that in March, the LASG successfully implemented Phase I of the Ounje Eko Food Discount Market across its 57 Local Government Areas and Local Council Development Areas.

The temporary markets, which also took place at the Alausa, Secretariat and Lekki Phase I, operated on Sundays to provide selected food items at a 25 per cent discount.

Its over six editions reached over 250,000 beneficiaries across the State, ensuring essential food items were accessible to all citizens, regardless of economic constraints.

Residents across Lagos enjoyed a 25 per cent discount on a variety of food items, including Rice, Beans, Garri, Bread, Eggs, Tomatoes, Pepper, Tatashe, and Onions.

The commissioner said that the governor had approved the commencement of Phase II of the Ounje Eko market in a bid to further reduce the impact of high prices.

“On behalf of the Lagos State Government, we announce the commencement of the ‘Ounje Eko’ Food Discount Market Phase II, an initiative aimed at alleviating the impact of rising food prices on our citizens.

“This programme aligns with Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s commitment to supporting Lagos residents through innovative and impactful initiatives.

“The success and wide acclaim of the first phase of the project have shown us the substantial impact such initiatives can have on improving the lives of our citizens.

“In response to numerous requests from the public, the governor has decided to expand and enhance this initiative,” the commissioner said.

Olusanya noted that the programme became more pertinent with food inflation reaching 40.9, placing the price of staple food items beyond the reach of many households and its attendant social implications.

“This second phase will commence on Sept. 1, 2024, and will run for eight weeks across 64 locations, including the 57 LGAs/LCDAs, Alausa Secretariat, Lekki Phase 1, University of Lagos (UNILAG), and Lagos State University (LASU).

“It will also take place at Lagos State University of Science and Technology (LASUSTECH), Lagos State University of Education (LASUED), and Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH).

“The markets will operate from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm. Markets at the Alausa Secretariat and the institutions, such as UNILAG, LASU, LASUSTECH, LASUED, and LASUTH, will take place on Fridays.

However, the market for Mushin LGA will operate on Wednesdays and Saturdays at the Fresh Food Hub in Idi-Oro.

“The food items available at the markets will include a maximum cap purchasable of 5kg each for Rice, Beans, and Garri, two loaves of Bread, one crate of Egg, 2kg of Tomatoes, and 1kg each for Pepper, Tatashe, and Onion per individual.

“It is important to note that the prices of these food items have increased over the past few months, varying from one location to another,” Olusanya said.

She also promised that the markets would operate seamlessly in collaboration with the necessary agencies.

“To ensure smooth operations, each market will be managed by a market leader, supported by eight ministry staff, four representatives of the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN), Lagos Chapter.

“There will also be two representatives from the LGAs/LCDAs, typically the Head of Department for Agriculture and the Supervisor. We will also receive support from volunteers and local government chairmen.

“In collaboration with Payment Service Providers such as Money Master PSB by GLO, MoMo PSB by MTN, Smartcash PSB by Airtel, Palmpay, Hydrogen by Access Bank, and Traction, all transactions will be digitalised.

“No cash transactions will occur at any market location, enhancing accountability and convenience. For any transaction issues, such as declined but debited transactions, citizens are advised to contact their respective banks.

“We have made provisions to ensure a comfortable and hassle-free experience at all market locations. Adequate seating, canopies, and convenience facilities will be available.

“For any issues or complaints, citizens should approach the market leader, who will be wearing a branded red reflective jacket, or other staff officials in branded lemon reflective jackets.

“To guarantee safety and orderliness, we are engaging security and support personnel, including the Mobile Police, Rapid Response Squad (RRS), and the Lagos State Neighborhood Safety Corps (LNSC).

“The Lagos State Traffic Management Agency (LASTMA) for traffic management and Civil Defense will also be represented, and the Lagos State Ambulance Service (LASAMBUS) for medical emergencies.

“And Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) for cleanliness during and after the market hours,” she said.

The claim by the NMS Labs was in response to inquiries made by our correspondent, who embarked on a fact-finding mission to ascertain the musician’s cause of death.

Before embarking on the fact-finding mission, some concerned members of the public reportedly protested against the claim made by a pathologist, who appeared before the Coroner’s Court on Wednesday, May 15, and said an autopsy could not ascertain Mohbad’s cause of death because his corpse had decomposed.

the counsel for the state government, O. Akinde, told the Coroner’s Court sitting in the Ikorodu area of the state sometime in November 2023 that a toxicology test, which is an aspect of an autopsy seeking to determine the cause of Mohbad’s death, was conducted in the United States.

Buttressing this claim, the state Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso, while responding to inquiries via a live telephone call with Ahmad Isah, the anchor of an Abuja-based online programme, Brekete Family, sometime in February 2024, said the toxicology test was being conducted at the NMS Labs in Pennsylvania, USA.

“The matter is being handled by the state DNA and Forensic Centre, but they are doing skeletal services, and they have affiliate centres which are three.

“So, if there is an emergency like this one that we have, they will not say they cannot handle it. So, there are three of them in the US and the one handling this particular one is the NMS in Pennsylvania, USA,” Omotoso said during the live programme.

The result of the test reportedly arrived in Nigeria sometime in April 2024 and was passed on to a pathologist for interpretation.

Appearing before the coroner’s court, the pathologist disclosed that the autopsy could not ascertain the cause of Mohbad’s death because the corpse had decomposed.

However, during the fact-finding mission, our correspondent independently verified the location of the NMS Labs on 3701 Welsh Road Willow Grove, Pennsylvania, and that of two NMS crime labs on Stratford Avenue, Willow Grove, Pennsylvania, and another at Grand Prairie in Texas.

The single e-mail address that these labs had been using for correspondence was also discovered on the NMS Labs’ website and our correspondent sent an inquiry to confirm if a toxicology test to ascertain Mohbad’s death was conducted at their facility.

The inquiry read in part, “I am a journalist from Punch Newspaper in Nigeria, currently working on a story involving the death of Nigerian hip-hop artiste, Ilerioluwa Aloba, aka Mohbad.

“Following the Lagos State Government’s active interest in the case, the state Commissioner for Information revealed that the government conducted a toxicology test on the late artiste at your facility. However, conflicting reports have emerged, casting doubt on whether or not the toxicology test indeed took place at your facility. As a journalist committed to factual reporting, I am independently reaching out to your facility to verify the authenticity of this claim. Clarification on this matter will contribute significantly to resolving the discrepancies surrounding the artist’s demise.”

the Client Services Associate, Forensics Division, NMS Labs, Esther Dede, refuted the claim by the state government that Mohbad’s toxicology test was conducted at any of their laboratories.

“Unfortunately, we do not have a case for that patient,” Dede said.

Dede, however, noted, “To maintain our compliance with HIPAA privacy regulations, we would need authorisation from the submitting agency.”

When contacted on Wednesday, the Commissioner for Information, Omotoso, said that was the name of the lab given to him by the state DNA and Forensic Centre.

“This was what I was told by the Lagos State DNA and Forensic Centre officials who took the sample there. We are dealing with the officials of the centre, they have three other labs that they have affiliations with. If they have an emergency, they can go to any of the three labs. I asked which particular one did they go to and they answered it was that one. That means I will have to go and check again because that was what I was told.”

Mohbad died at the age of 27, on September 12, 2023, with circumstances surrounding his death sparking controversies on social media.

Being a former record label signee of Marlian Music owned by Naira Marley, Mohbad left the label in February 2022. The Lagos State Police Command had on September 18, 2023, inaugurated a 13-man special investigation team to probe the singer’s death.

The closure of the bridge begins on Sunday, 4 February and will be re-opened on 4 March, 2024, a statement by the Commissioner for Transportation, Oluwaseun Osiyemi said on Saturday.

The commissioner said the closure of Kodesoh Bridge was to allow for maintenance work, while traffic would be diverted to other routes.

“Consequently, all other access roads, from Awolowo Way and Oba Akran, inward and outward, will be open to motorists as only the bridge will be closed,” he said.

Osiyemi assured that the traffic management personnel would be deployed to the affected route to minimise inconveniences and improve traffic flow.

The state Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahaba, issued the warning in a statement released on X.

The statement reads;‘’Lagos State Government has given 30-day final notice to owners/occupiers of residential buildings illegally converted to churches, mosques, clubhouses, lounges, and bars across the state without approval for change of use, to revert to the original use of the structure. The notice is a sequel to the distortion of the masterplan of Lagos State, especially residential areas, by some people who in gross disregard to the regulatory provisions of the law turned residential areas into clubhouses and worship centres thereby constituting a nuisance to the environment.

The removal notice became imperative following security concerns of citizens and repeated complaints of non-adherence to safety and security guidelines issued to the club owners.

ANY owner of buildings in residential areas that have been converted to churches, mosques, clubs, bars or lounges without the requisite approvals should evict such occupants before the expiration of the 30 days’ final notice as the state will not give further notice of sealing but outright removal of such non-conforming buildings at the cost of the owners.”

The Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Mr Tokunbo Wahab, made this known when he hosted representatives of the National Association of Supermarkets and Operators of Nigeria.

He urged that the ban on styrofoam be looked at in terms of the larger picture for all residents, a statement said on Tuesday.

He noted that the campaign was to ensure that the message was passed to all segments of society on why they should embrace the ban.

He called for the support of the association and their members, stressing that there was no going back on the ban.

While saying that the ban was already having a “bandwagon effect,” the commissioner said, “Abia State just also announced a ban on the usage of styrofoam, underscoring the inherent dangers it poses to human and environmental health.”

He reiterated that the decision to ban styrofoam and other single-use plastics was taken at the National Council on Environment in 2021 with a window of three years for enforcement to commence in 2024.

Wahab, who urged manufacturers to be innovative about coming up with substitutes for styrofoams and single-use plastics, said at the expiration of the three-week window given to distributors and sellers to mop the products in circulation, the state would commence enforcement of the ban, promising that the enforcement would be carried out in a civil but firm manner.

This was disclosed in a statement issued by the Director of Public Affairs, Ministry of Environment, Kunle Adeshina, on Sunday.

Adeshina said a 24-hour notice had also been issued to everyone selling petroleum products beneath the Ijora Bridge, warning them to relocate their trucks and containers or face confiscation.

He restated that until the three-week prohibition on sales and distribution of styrofoam items expires, no enforcement action would be taken against the the makers and users.

“The Lagos State Government on Sunday gave five days quit notice to different squatters under the Ijora Causeway Bridge and Lagos Blue rail Line overhead bridge in Ijora to remove all their shanties for constituting a danger to the Lagos Blue Line corridor or risk demolition and removal.

“The quit notice was given by the Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, when he led a high-powered team that included the Chairman, Special Intervention Squad on the Restoration of the Lagos Badagry Rail Corridor Clean-Up, ACP BAYO Sulaima,  and the Special Adviser on the Environment, Kunle Rotimi-Akodu, on an inspection of the Ijora and the under bridge.

“He also gave a 24-hour quit notice to all those selling petroleum products under the Ijora Bridge to move all their trucks and containers or risk confiscation, adding that they posed enormous dangers to the infrastructure and human presence in the area.”

The Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, declared this during a consultative meeting with representatives of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria and the Restaurant and Food Services Proprietor Association of Nigeria at the Secretariat, Alausa.

Wahab said enough damage had been done to the health of residents of the state as well as the environment, stressing that “three weeks is enough time for the products already in the state to be exhausted if indeed the stockists are committed,” according to a statement on Thursday.

“You will all agree with me that for over three years, this conversation has been ongoing, waiting for when the big bold step of enforcement will be taken,” he said.

He added that the number of lives that had been lost through the effect of the use of styrofoam, the destruction of the ecosystem and aquatic lives as well as the menace brought upon the environment could not be quantified.

He further stated that the lives of the residents were far more important than the profit producers make from the continuous production of styrofoam.

Speaking earlier, the Permanent Secretary, Office of Environmental Services, Dr Omobolaji Gaji, noted that the decision to ban the product was reached following the menace caused by styrofoam in the environment, saying the product was not recyclable but rather remain the same after hundreds of years.

Meanwhile, the Chairman, Isolo Local Council Development Area, Mr Olasoju Adebayo, has urged residents of the LCDA to comply with the state’s ban on styrofoam and single-use plastic.

Adebayo made the call on Thursday, noting that the banned plastics pose a great threat to the environment and health of residents.

He commended the state government on the ban, saying the council would support efforts to enforce the ban in the council area.

“We pledge our unwavering support for the enforcement of the ban within Isolo Council.

“Our administration is ready to embark on comprehensive awareness and sensitisation, targeting organisations involved in the production and distribution of styrofoam and single-use plastics,” he said.

The Special Adviser to the Governor on Energy and Mineral Resources, (Office of Mineral Resources), Abiola Olowu, made the promise in a statement on Friday, adding that the ministry had commenced a visitation exercise across the state.

Olowu stated, “As part of the drive to curb illegality in the solid minerals, mining sectors, toll fee, and revenue points, the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, Office of Mineral Resources has commenced a scheduled visitation exercise to all the dredging, mining, toll, and revenue points across the five divisions of Lagos State.

“The exercise which commenced on Monday, January 8, 2024, was targeted at curbing illegalities in the solid minerals and mining sectors across the state to a minimal level. The Babajide Sanwo-Olu-led administration will begin enforcement of all relevant laws guiding mining and dredging activities in the state.

“Anyone caught violating the set rules, laws, and guidelines of the dredging and mining in the state will be prosecuted. Therefore, we urge all the dredgers and miners across the state to go obtain all necessary permits and regularise their operations with the Office of Mineral Resources.”

The LSBL is one of the companies under the regulation of the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority offering Bus Rapid Transit services in the state.

The Managing Director, LBSL, Mr Idowu Oguntona, in a statement on Thursday, said the decision was in line with the fast-changing operating environment for bus services.

He stressed the LBSL’s leading role in a recent proof-of-concept exercise of eco-friendly, efficient, electric mass transit vehicles in Lagos State, adding that the POC exercise was successful with the cooperation and robust partnership of relevant stakeholders, including the state government through LAMATA, which was championing the project.

Oguntona further noted that the company would continue to seek proactive ways to improve its service delivery while putting customers first in its operations and empowering its staff for better service delivery.

This year, we will continue to operate with the mindset of customer first, ensure transparency in all our processes, and adhere to our culture and core values of empowering people to deliver outstanding results.

“Let us continue to work hard to reach even greater heights in 2024.”

He appreciated members of staff for their dedication, creativity, and hard work, saying these had been the driving force behind the company’s success.

“Every one of us has important roles to play in the new year and I am confident that together we will achieve the change we desire,” the managing director said

The bridge, which was closed to traffic in November 2023, was reopened on December 21 to ease traffic during the Yuletide period.

The state Commissioner for Transportation, Mr Oluwaseun Osiyemi, in a statement said the closure was to allow the repair works of the Federal Ministry of Works to continue on some sections of the bridge.

He said the Iyana Oworonshoki-Adeniji Adele section would be closed for effective repairs of the entire section of the bridge.

The closure is part of the ongoing work that started in November 2023, focusing on fixing the ramps, and now, the remaining parts of the bridge will also be repaired,” he stated.

Osiyemi said arrangements had been made to ease the burden of commuting.

He said from 12 am to 12 noon, the bridge would be opened for Mainland inbound Island travellers, while those who intend to travel from the Island to the Mainland are advised to use Eko Bridge.

Conversely, from 12 noon to 12 am, motorists will be able to access the bridge from the Island to the Mainland while motorists from the Mainland heading towards the Island will have to use Eko Bridge.

“These timings have been selected to match the peak period flow of traffic and reduce travel stress.

“Please cooperate with our traffic management officials who will be helping out. Thanks for your usual understanding and cooperation. Let’s work together to keep our roads safe,” he said.