Category: PM News

Lagos State government has made moves to deepen citizens participation in governance with the unveiling of a three year Strategic Plan and Communication Strategy (2025-2027) documents.

The documents were unveiled on Monday in Lagos by the Office of Political, Legislative and Civic Engagement, OPLandCE.

According to the Special Adviser to the Governor on Political, Legislative and Civic Engagement, Dr Afolabi Abiodun, the plan is to strengthen the bond between government and the people through effective communication of government activities to the citizens thereby allowing them to take active participation in governance.

Afolabi noted that Lagos being a state with people from diverse backgrounds, there is a need for people to participate actively in government policies that can shape their future.

He further said that the documents will improve public trust and widen opportunities for meaningful engagement between the government and the public.

“The Strategic plan and Communication Strategy align deeply with the THEMES+ Agenda of Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu’s administration. The plan advances this agenda by fostering transparent communication, enhancing collaboration between the executive and legislature, and ensuring that stakeholders, both formal and informal, are fully engaged in the decision making process.

Ultimately, it serves as the foundation for meaningful engagement. At the core of this plan is a belief that public participation must become a culture rather than an event. A government that values its people must create continuous avenues for citizens to express themselves, offer opinions, and contribute solutions,” Afolabi said.

He mentioned some of the strategies the Office plans to use to achieve its objectives to include strategic dialogues, structured town hall formats, digital feedback platforms, advisory mechanisms and more targeted civic education initiatives.

The Special Adviser added that the CitizensGate platform created by the Lagos State andgtovernment where Lagosians can communicate with government on issues is ‘one of the ways ‘we are building an environment where residents can engage the government without barriers.’

He urged Lagosians to work with Lagos State government noting that ‘governance is a collective responsibility which demands transparency from government and active participation from the people.’

The Permanent Secretary, Office of Political, Legislative and Civic Engagement, Engr Solabomi Shasore said traditional rulers, social media influencers, media practitioners, civil society organizations, community development associations and movie directors are part of stakeholders that will drive the implementation of the strategy.

“Every citizen wants the government to communicate with them. The plan reveals all that we need to do. We want the people to know how the government is run in Nigeria therefore your expertise is important in amplifying our message. Our mandate is to ensure citizens are well engaged,” she said

One of the participants, Cynthia Mbamalu , human and gender rights advocate from Yiaga Africa commended the OPLandCE and the Lagos State government in general for the initiative.

“Civic engagement is key to Nigeria’s democracy. You can not talk of democracy without citizens participation .Democracy survives on active participation of the people. The strategic documents will identify policies that promote the relationship between government and the people,” she said.

State chairmen of the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) from all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory on Monday toured strategic locations along the Lagos waterways as part of their ongoing leadership retreat in the state, examining emerging opportunities in Nigeria’s growing blue economy sector.

The delegation, under the NYCN Forum of State Chairmen and led by its chairman, Adigun Ibrahim Olalekan, who also heads the Lagos State chapter, was received by the Special Adviser to the Lagos State Governor on Blue Economy and General Manager of the Lagos State Waterways Authority (LASWA), Mr. Oluwadamilola Emmanuel.

Adigun said the visit was designed to deepen the youth leaders’ understanding of Lagos’ expanding blue economy and expose them to the state’s investments in water transportation, safety systems and sustainable environmental practices.

He described Lagos as “a national model for how waterways can drive mobility, tourism and economic growth.”

Welcoming the delegation, Emmanuel praised the NYCN’s interest in Lagos’ transport reforms and reiterated LASWA’s commitment to building a “safe, modern and technology-driven” waterways industry.

He noted that 28 states and the FCT have significant inland waterway potential, adding that Lagos continues to set the pace in infrastructure, regulation and innovation.

Emmanuel highlighted the state’s real-time monitoring system for all ferries and showcased locally built vessels–including the Omnibus and Omni Ferry, which he said meet international safety and performance standards.

The tour took the youth leaders through Lagos’ scenic coastal corridors, ferry terminals and waterfront communities, offering firsthand insight into the state’s long-term maritime and environmental plans.

The delegation, which arrived in Lagos on Saturday, had earlier held strategic engagements with local government leaders, including the chairmen of Onigbongbo LCDA, Hon. Moyosore Adebanjo, and Odi-Olowo/Ojuwoye LCDA, Mayoress Samiat Bada, as well as former chairmen Hon. Seyi Jakande and Hon. Rasaq Ajala.

They also paid courtesy visits to traditional rulers: the Paramount Ruler of Isolo Kingdom, Oba Isa Abiodun Faronbi-Shekoni, and the Oniru of Iru Kingdom, Oba Wasiu Omogbolahan Lawal.

Members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) at Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko (AAUA), have suspended their four-month strike.

The lecturers had started the strike in August to protest unpaid salaries and arrears, blaming the Ondo State government under Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa for neglecting the university.

Chairman of ASUU AAUA, Bolawaji Oshodi, confirmed the suspension, saying it followed an agreement with the university management.

“For now, we have suspended tuhe strike. This decision is based on the understanding we reached with the university management, who have been supportive.

We are still owed one month’s salary, but because of our commitment to the system and our students, we have decided to suspend the strike,” Oshodi said.

Earlier, ASUU AAUA had written to the university and state government about unpaid salaries and arrears.

Oshodi explained that the strike was necessary because the university is underfunded and lecturers were owed salaries for July and August, along with other arrears and promotion dues.

“We decided that until these issues are fully addressed, we cannot return to work,” he added.

Bandits have raided the Isapa community in Ekiti Local Government Area of Kwara State, abducting 11 residents in a late-night assault that has plunged the area into fear once again.

The gunmen, said to be more than 20 and moving with a large herd of cattle, swept into the community on Monday, firing shots wildly as residents scampered for safety. An elderly woman was reportedly hit by a stray bullet during the chaos.

According to Channels TV, A community leader, who spoke under anonymity, confirmed that 11 people were taken away, with seven victims coming from the same family. Those abducted include a pregnant woman, two nursing mothers and several children.

The victims were identified as: Talatu Kabiru (20), Magaji (6), Kande (5), Hadiza (10), Mariam (6), Saima (5), Habibat (housewife), Fatima Yusufu (pregnant), Sarah Sunday (22), Lami Fidelis (23, nursing mother), and Haja Na Allah (nursing mother).

Eyewitnesses said the attackers moved through multiple parts of the community, leaving bullet holes in homes and doors. Spent AK-47 shells littered the area after they fled. Police authorities have not issued an official statement as at press time.

Monday’s attack comes barely two weeks after gunmen stormed the Christ Apostolic Church (CAC), Eruku — also in the same LGA — kidnapping 38 worshippers in an operation that claimed additional lives. All abductees from that incident have since regained freedom.

The Kogi Police Command has urged residents to disregard false alarms and reports circulating on social media regarding imminent attacks by bandits in the eastern part of the state.

The Commissioner of Police, Naziru Kankarofi, gave the charge in a statement signed by the command’s spokesperson, CSP William Ovye-Aya on Monday in Lokoja.

“Such reports are unverifiable and did not constitute any elements of truth.

“The command has taken security matters very seriously and has put measures in place to ensure the safety of lives and property in the state,” he said.

The commissioner said that he has ordered the deployment of tactical teams, including Police Mobile Force, counter terrorism, Quick Response and intelligence units, to strategic locations across the state

“Additional security assets have also been deployed to carry out operations and meet any unforeseen situations in critical areas.

“We, hereby, urge the public to remain calm and verify information through official sources before sharing.

“This is necessarily because false claims can cause unnecessary panic and fear among residents, ” he said.

Kankarofi, however, appealed to the residents to work together with the police and other security agencies to keep the state safe.

He added, “If you notice anything suspicious, please report without hesitation. Security is a shared responsibility.”

(NAN)

By Kazeem Ugbodaga

Authorities in Borno State have assured residents that calm has been fully restored at the Government Girls College (GGC) Maiduguri following a brief panic incident on Monday evening, urging the public to ignore circulating false reports.

There was pandemonium in the school around 8:20pm when girls of the school ran out saying the saw masked men jumping into the school compound.

The clarification was first issued by the Spokesperson and Media Adviser to the Governor, Dauda Iliya, who announced on his Facebook page that “a panic incident occurred this evening at the Government Girls College in Maiduguri.”

According to him, security operatives acted swiftly to stabilise the situation.

“In response, security agencies were immediately deployed and have successfully restored order,” he said.

Iliya added that a delegation of senior government officials was dispatched to the school to assess the situation first-hand.

“To oversee the situation, a government delegation comprising the Commissioner of Education, the Chief Adviser on Sustainable Development, and the Special Adviser on Media are currently present at the school,” he wrote, urging the public to “disregard any false information.”

The Borno State Commissioner for Education, Science, Technology and Innovation, Engr. Lawan Abba Wakilbe, also issued additional details to calm public anxiety.

He addressed what he described as exaggerated or misleading accounts of the disturbance circulating on social media.

According to Wakilbe, the situation was not indicative of a security breach but rather an isolated incident that triggered panic among students.

He emphasised that the school was safe and functioning normally after the intervention.

The Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Nahum Kenneth Daso, echoed the government’s assurance, stating that police deployments around the college had been reinforced.

Daso said security within and around the school had been fortified “to prevent any form of breach,” noting that officers had established increased visibility and monitoring around the premises to reassure students, staff and parents.

The combined statements from the Governor’s media office, the education ministry and the police sought to dispel rising concerns in Maiduguri following the panic at a girls’ school, a sensitive issue given the history of school-related insecurity in parts of the North-East.

Officials reiterated that there was no ongoing threat at GGC Maiduguri and encouraged the public to rely on verified information from government and security agencies.

Super Eagles head coach, Eric Chelle, has been given a deadline of Thursday, December 11, to submit Nigeria’s final 24-man squad for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).

Chelle has already sent a provisional list of players to the Confederation of African Football (CAF). The final squad will be chosen from that list.

CAF rules require all countries taking part in AFCON to submit their final squad 10 days before the tournament begins.

Nigeria is placed in Group C, alongside:

Tanzania (Taifa Stars)

Tunisia (Carthage Eagles)

Uganda (Cranes)

The Super Eagles will begin their campaign against Tanzania on Tuesday, December 23, in Fez.

Many Nigerians are hoping that Chelle will select a strong team capable of competing for the title, as the three-time African champions look to regain their winning form on the continental stage.

The 2025 AFCON will begin on the 21st of December and run through January 18 in Morocco.

The Super Eagles finished second at the last edition held in Ivory Coast.

The 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has sent warm birthday wishes to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as he marks his 79th birthday.

Obi described Atiku as an elder statesman, mentor, and “a very dear elder brother,” praising his long years of service to Nigeria. In a birthday message shared on X, Obi said Atiku’s dedication to public life even in his later years shows remarkable fortitude.

He wished the former Vice President more strength, wisdom, prosperity, and “many more healthy and fulfilling years ahead.”

Obi added that Atiku’s special day should be a moment of quiet reflection on his “fruitful service to humanity,” praying that God continues to grant him grace as he contributes to peace and nation-building.

“Happy birthday, Your Excellency,” Obi wrote.

President Bola Tinubu expresses profound sadness over the death of Prince Bayo Osiyemi, writer, journalist and his longstanding associate.

An influential stalwart of the All Progressives Congress in Lagos State, Osiyemi served as Chief Press Secretary to the state’s first civilian governor, Alhaji Lateef Jakande. He died in Lagos on Monday at the age of 75.

President Tinubu describes the late Osiyemi as a renowned politician, a dependable ally, and a revered leader in the state, particularly in Mushin, where he held sway.

Fondly called the “Charming Prince,” Osiyemi was also the former Chairman of the old Mushin Local Government in Lagos.

President Tinubu recalls Osiyemi’s legacy of service to Lagos and to the media profession, as well as his commitment to the development of the state and its chieftaincy institution for which Governor Babajide Sanwo-olu once appointed him Special Adviser on Chieftaincy Matters.

The President commiserates with his family, friends, associates, and the media community on the loss of the colourful writer and columnist.

President Tinubu prays that God Almighty will grant Osiyemi’s soul eternal rest.

Nigerian reality TV star and media personality, Mercy Eke, has announced her readiness to become a mother, with or without being married.

While speaking during an interview, Eke explained that she is at a point where she can take care of herself and three kids on her own if she wants to.

She added that marriage is not an option for her, explaining that she is yet to meet the man that she wants to spend the rest of her life with.

“I’m ready to have a child outside marriage, this year I wanted to have a baby, something happened and I had to choose between that and the baby. At this point, I think if I get pregnant now, I’m just going to have my baby. I have worked so hard, and I think I can take care of myself and three kids. I’m a goal-oriented person that always sets things ahead for myself. For me, what people don’t know is all this stigma of having kids without a father is only applied to people who don’t have things going on well for them,” she stated.

Eke also claimed that even if she decides to have a child outside marriage, she can still find a right partner when she wants.