News
Ban on Okada, Keke: Sanwo-Olu Has My Support, Says Fashola
The Minister of Works and Housing and former governor of Lagos State, Mr Babatunde Fashola (SAN), has advised Lagos residents to support the state government’s renewed enforcement of the restriction on motorcycles in some local government areas in the state.
He noted that while the discomfort created by the enforcement could not be dismissed, the security implication of not enforcing the law was a major threat to peace.
Fashola noted that motorcycles could not be the preferred choice of transportation in a centre of excellence like Lagos.
He was the governor of the state when the Lagos Road Traffic Law came into effect in 2012.
The Lagos State Government, under the leadership of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, had on February 1 commenced the enforcement of the restriction order.
Speaking as the guest speaker at the fourth annual public lecture/symposium organised by the United Action for Change in Lagos on Thursday, Fashola noted that motorcycles had been identified as the favourite means of escape by criminals.
But in his lecture titled, ‘Insecurity: Taking action against organised crime,’ Fashola said “insecurity is a global problem that requires the input of citizens to eradicate.”
He identified peaceful co-existence, intelligence gathering and curbing the menace of drug abuse as some of the solutions.
Meanwhile, speaking on the ban on okada in Lagos State, Fashola said there was need to restore order in public transportation.
The minister said, “So, for those concerned about insecurity in Lagos State, get behind your governor on the position that he has taken. I do not dismiss the concerns that have been raised on the other side, but a price must be paid. It’s a trade-off between our inconvenience and our existence.
“I know that work is going on with the trains, I know that ferries are being installed and they would take some time but in our now interest, we should bear with the government.
“The question to ask is that as the centre of excellence, are motorcycles elevated and acceptable standard of transportation?
“As a centre of excellence, motorcycles cannot be our preferred choice of transportation.
“My recommendation is that we should go back to the taxis and they have a very strong union. I’m sure government is already thinking about it, and it can use its financial balance sheets to guarantee them loans to acquire new taxis.
“No government is out to inflict pain on its people, but in the process of governance, tough calls have to be made because there are competing concerns here and there. It is also important to know that government was not acting on its own, but in response to our calls for more efficient traffic for safety, law and order.”
Earlier, Banire, who is the immediate past Chairman of the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria, said the governing philosophy of the movement was the addition of value to society without necessarily holding any office or expecting any reward.
UAC is a movement convened by Banire, a former National Legal Adviser of the ruling All Progressives Congress.
The Nigerian Army has dismissed as false and misleading an online report alleging threats of mutiny by soldiers over salaries and allowances, describing the claim as sensational and detrimental to national security.
The acting Director, Army Public Relations, Col. Appolonia Anele, said there has been no threat of mutiny within the Nigerian Army.
Anele said that such conduct is alien to its ethos, discipline and professionalism.
She said mutiny is a grave offence under military law and incompatible with the loyalty of Nigerian Army personnel to the Constitution and the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces.
Anele explained that the report relied on anonymous and unverifiable claims circulated through non-official channels, which did not reflect the views or disposition of officers and soldiers who were trained to address grievances through established military procedures.
Anele clarified that promotion increments is only one component of military pay and should not be misrepresented as total earnings.
According to her, military remuneration includes consolidated salaries, rank-based allowances, operational, field and hardship allowances, as well as other entitlements that vary based on deployment, qualifications and responsibilities.
She said the Nigerian Army, in collaboration with the Armed Forces of Nigeria and relevant government authorities, is implementing structured welfare reforms, including periodic reviews of salaries and allowances, enhanced operational incentives, improved accommodation, medical care and insurance packages for troops and their families.
The army spokesperson added that the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt.-Gen. Waidi Shaibu, had, since assuming office, initiated constructive engagements with relevant authorities on troop welfare, with positive outcomes already emerging.
Anele reaffirmed that the Federal government, under President Bola Tinubu, remains committed to the welfare and operational effectiveness of the Armed Forces amid evolving security challenges.
She urged the public to disregard unfounded reports and rely on official communication channels for accurate information on the Nigerian Army.
By Henry Ukazu
Dear Destiny Friends,
To survive, everyone must work irrespective of creed or cadre. Work defines an individual, and sets them apart.
Working as a human being is however, relative. A student’s main work is to read and pass examination. A parent’s main work is to train their children. An employee’s main work is do the job they have been paid to do. A pastor’s job is to preach the gospel of Christ in addition to leading people to God. An athlete’s main work is to train and compete at global events in addition to winning laurels. The list is endless.
It’s the job every living being does that attracts opportunities to them, and so, staying docile and expecting opportunities to come your way is another way of encouraging poverty, lack and want in your life. In fact, docile people derive a certain level of joy from begging. Some even love freebies, free lunch and introduction for job opportunities just because they think they have the connection to make it work without them necessarily doing the corresponding work or have the requisite skill.
I personally believe it’s only lazy minds, who think that way. Life doesn’t work that way. I have since discovered that the more work one does the more doors and opportunities that come his way.
Speaking from experience, I have observed that some of the opportunities and favours I am currently receiving and enjoying are consequences of the foundation I laid many years ago. One might be wondering how that works. Let me explain a little, the day you sow a seed is not the day you will reap the fruits. Let me be more direct, as an author, it wasn’t an easy feat writing, researching, editing, doing the layout, publishing and printing the manuscript. It was lots of work, and I didn’t know my book would connect me to resourceful persons today.
In addition, the book generated royalties that humbled me to say the least. The moral of this analysis lies in the fact that when I was spending hours doing the work, I didn’t know it would attract the kind of global attention and news interviews that came to me. Now, you see why it’s good to work. Even the Bible states in Luke 10:7, that every laborer deserves fair compensation.
Did you know that if anyone wants to bless you, they will bless you with the work you do. That’s why the book of life states; God will bless the works of your hands. Nobody likes to give out free money. They like their money to work for them. It’s sad and very unfortunate to see people who pray for opportunities, favours, and blessings without doing any work. These lesser minds think money and opportunities will fall from heaven; they fail to realize that it is their work that heaven is waiting to use to bless them.
Did you know that there are things which God has enabled us to do for ourselves, and there are things we need to depend on Him to assist us. Let me explain further; if all your prayer requests are things men can provide, why are you really praying? Isn’t prayer meant for things you can’t do yourself? You pray to pass an exam that your friend read to pass. You pray to get a job that your friend got on merit. You appeal to God for a car that your friend worked for. It looks as if you are abusing prayer, and you want God to give you the things He has equipped you to provide for yourself. It is high time we understood that prayer is not the solution to laziness.
My late dad, Chief Lazarus Ukazu, advised my siblings and I to always work. As a matter of fact, each time he feels we are oversleeping, he’ll wake us up and say we have many years to sleep in the grave when we die, but as we are alive, we must work.
This instructive advice has been one of the best inspirational lessons I have received in my life. That advice made me feel like setting another goal each time I accomplish a major feat.
The importance of working cannot be overemphasized. The difference between high achievers and docile people is the work they do. While high achievers are very intentional with their life, docile people live by chance. While high achievers are determined to break records, and set new records, docile people are always comfortable living in their comfort zone.
In our contemporary society, we literally have no reason to fail because there’s the availability technology and social media to boost the work we do. It’s easy for one to know what we represent by just surfing the internet. So, imagine when frivolities are seen on your page, it will greatly affect you. Then contrast it with when good information is seen of you on the internet. Like I always say, why be local when we can be global?
Did you know that working is like taking a risk, the more work and risk someone engages in, the more opportunities and experience come their way.
In summary, if you are asked, what’s your work or what project are you working on, what will be your response?
Henry Ukazu writes from New York. He works with the New York City Department of Correction as the Legal Coordinator. He’s the founder of Gloemi. He’s a Transformative Human Capacity and Mindset coach. He is also a public speaker, youth advocate, creative writer and author of Design Your Destiny Design and Unleash Your Destiny . He can be reached via info@gloemi.com
A Rivers High Court sitting in Oyigbo Local Government Area has issued an interim injunction temporarily halting further action on the impeachment process against Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy, Ngozi Nma-Odu.
In a ruling delivered in Port Harcourt, the court restrained Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Martin Amaewhule, alongside 32 other defendants — including the Clerk of the House and the Chief Judge of Rivers State – from taking steps aimed at advancing the impeachment process.
Specifically, the order barred the Chief Judge, Justice Simeon Chibuzor-Amadi, from receiving, forwarding, considering, or acting on any request, resolution, or impeachment-related document from the Assembly for the purpose of constituting an investigative panel, pending the determination of the matter. The injunction is to subsist for seven days.
The order was granted by Justice Florence Fiberesima following the hearing of a motion ex parte filed separately by Governor Fubara and his deputy. In the two suits—marked OYHC/7/CS/2026 and OYHC/6/CS/2026—the court also granted the claimants leave to serve the interim order and other originating processes on the first to the thirty-first defendants by pasting them at the gate of the Rivers State Assembly quarters.
The court also directed that the Chief Judge, listed as the thirty-second defendant, be served through any staff of the judiciary at his chambers within the court premises.
Justice Fiberesima, thereafter, adjourned the matter to January 23, 2026, for hearing of the motion on notice, as the legal battle over the impeachment move shifts from the political arena to the courtroom.
On Friday, the Rivers State House of Assembly had asked the Chief Judge to set up a panel to investigate the allegations of gross misconduct against Governor Fubara and his deputy.
The assembly members, who made the call through a unanimous vote, vowed to continue with the impeachment process.
The lawmakers had earlier addressed a press conference in Port Harcourt, where they accused Fubara of allegedly using blackmail.
Addressing journalists, the Deputy Speaker, Dumle Maol, claimed Fubara lacks the trust needed to address the crisis rocking the oil-rich State.
They accused the governor of infringing on the 1999 Constitution, saying the parliament was left with no other choice but to apply their legislative power by impeaching him from office.
The lawmakers also claimed the governor and his deputy had resorted to intimidating the parliament.
They, however, thanked President Bola Tinubu for wading into the crisis.
The members also called on the Speaker, Martin Amaewhule, to reconvene the House.
Their position came weeks after they initiated an impeachment process against Fubara and Odu. The lawmakers are accusing them of gross negligence, a move that has heightened political tension in the coastal State.
