It was reported that Mr Sunday Aghaeze, the Personal Assistant to the President (Photography), confirmed this via pictorial reports on the meeting.

“The governor presented a report on the extent of the destruction suffered by Lagos State in the aftermath of the ENDSARS protests,” one of the captions of the pictures indicated.

It was reported that the governor, however, declined to take questions from State House Correspondents at the end of the meeting.

It would be recalled that similar report on the aftermath of the ENDSAR protest by the Ministers from the south west zone of the country was presented to the president during the Federal Executive Council on Wednesday.

The Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, submitted the report on behalf of the affected ministers where they urged the Federal Government to support Lagos State to restore damaged facilities.

They particularly appealed for the immediate repair of those facilities related to the maintenance of law and order, and the administration of justice such as police stations, court buildings and forensic laboratory in the state.

Buhari had in Oct. 21 sent members of the Federal Executive Council to their home states, with a view to solicit the support of stakeholders including political, traditional, religious and community leaders against the violence that emanated from EndSARS protests.

The presidential directive was also meant to douse tensions that resulted from the EndSARS protests across the country.

Fashola said: “The other matter in which I briefed council on behalf of ministers from the South-West namely, Otunba Niyi Adebayo, representing Ekiti; Rauf Aregbesola, representing Osun, Sunday Dare, representing Oyo, Olamilekan Adegbite, representing Ogun, Olorunimbe Memora, Lagos and Tayo Alasoadura, representing Ondo, was in regard to how we executed the directive on the Oct. 21 to ministers, for us to visit our states’ governors.

“So, we first met and then met with governors. After meeting with the governors, the position of the governors was that Lagos being the epic center, commercial and strategic city state in the South-West is where we should all go.

“That was what informed our visit to Lagos. So, I just briefed council about the reports that were presented to us by the Lagos State Government when we visited.’’

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Omisore, who represented Ifako-Ijaiye Constituency II in Lagos State House of Assembly from 2015 to 2019, made the appeal in an interview with our reporter on Friday in Lagos.

“We are aware it is a federal government project and even when I was in Lagos Assembly, I was on the issue for years, but the government refused to pay the contractors and for that reason, that road has been there.

“That road is a shame to Lagos and Ogun and to the federal government.

“It is already causing hardship and disturbing the commercial activities of both states.

“So, if the federal government is not ready, we want to appeal to both states to assist and do it and claim their money.

“I think it is needless waiting for federal government on that road,” the former lawmaker said.

According to him, years back, the state used to do certain roads belonging to the federal government and claim their money later.

“We have been waiting for government for seven years on that road, nothing has been done,” he noted.

It was reported that the road, linking Lagos State with Ogun, has been in a deplorable condition.

The skeletal repair ongoing on the corridor between Kola Bus Stop in Lagos and Toll Gate in Ogun was moving at snail speed.

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Our correspondent reports that Mr Adeoye Fadeyibi, Managing Director, EKEDC, flagged off the programme at the Orile/Ijora Districts in Surulere area of Lagos State.

Fadeyibi said that free single and three phase meters would be installed for 100, 000 EKEDC customers in the first phase of the NMMP initiated by the President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.

According to him, the move is to bridge the metering gap in the country which stands at 59.6 per cent.

He said the programme was being supported by the Lagos State Government and meter manufacturers, Mojec Asset Management Company Limited and Momas Electricity Meters Manufacturing Company Limited.

Fadeyibi said: “The mass metering programme is a welcome development and a boost to the deepening of the Nigeria Electricity Supply Industry (NESI).

“The programme couldn’t have come at a better time than now given the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on businesses and household income.

“We are happy for the initiative and acknowledge government’s renewed desire to improve the power supply and bridge the metering gap.

“Electricity as we all know is an important essential need of any society and we all have acknowledged the menace of the estimated billing both on the customers and even us as a business.

“It is my belief that with this mass metering initiative we can begin to say we are on a path to better days ahead.

“In the next 18 to 24 months, over six million meters will be distributed across households in the country and for us at Eko, we will be rolling out over 100,000 meters in the next few weeks in the first phase of the programme.’’

He said that all hands must be on deck to support the industry in stamping out energy theft through meter tampering and free riders.

Fadeyibi said the EKEDC would continue to strive to render better services to customers under its operational network and solicited for their support in actualising the objective.

Also, Mr Olalere Odusote, Lagos State Commissioner for Energy and Mineral Resources, said the government has been working with the DisCos to ensure that the whole of Lagos was metered by the end of the current administration.

Odusote, however, enjoined the people to pay for energy consumed, noting that this would prevent shortfall in the NESI for the benefit of all stakeholders.

On her part, Ms Chantelle Abdul, Managing Director, Mojec Asset Management Company Limited, said the programme would create jobs for Nigerian youths and keep them off the street.

Two community leaders who spoke, Mr Gabriel Omotosho and Mr Awila Banigo, commended the government and EKEDC for initiating the programme.

According to them, the initiative will put an end to disputes caused by estimated billings.

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Malam Garba Shehu, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, confirmed this in a statement in Abuja on Thursday.

The presidential aide quoted the president to have, again, commiserated with the traditional ruler on the recent violence that led to the loss of lives and property in Lagos.

”The President recalled his long association and friendship with the Oba and appreciated the personal role that the latter has played in nurturing the peace and development of Lagos state and nation as a whole,” Shehu said.

Our correspondent reports that the recent unrest in Lagos occasioned by the ENDSARS protests had seen hoodlums invading the palace of the Oba of Lagos.

Traditional instruments of office, artefacts and valuables, including the Oba’s shoes, were carted away by the invaders.

Our correspondent, however, gathered that some of the stolen items, including the Oba’s traditional instruments of office, have been recovered from the hoodlums.

It was also reported that all necessary rituals for the return of the traditional ruler to his palace, located at Iga Idugaran, Lagos Island, have been completed.

It is believed that the ancient palace, the official residence of the Oba of Lagos, was originally built in 1670 and has remained a historical monument and a cultural rallying point for Lagosians.

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The Lagos APC, in a statement by its Publicity Secretary, Mr Seye Oladejo, called on the PDP to show empathy for the state against the backdrop of public and private property as well as businesses destroyed during the protest.

Oladejo described the period as an inappropriate and insensitive time to play politics with an incident that has thrown the state into mourning as a result of avoidable loss of lives and property.

“We opine that the estimate could at the end of the day be found to be hasty and conservative with a careful consideration of the present cost of reconstruction, revamping and regeneration of these public utilities.

“We find it distasteful that the opposition PDP would rather mindlessly condemn and contest a mere estimate to restore our state as soon as possible,” Oladejo said.

He added that the PDP, after two terms in opposition, ought to have developed a template for responsible opposition.

“It’s also germane to gauge the mood of the people before mocking the dead and the wanton losses. Our people deserve emphathy and understanding from all and sundry,” he said.

He explained that, as a responsible and responsive party, the APC commiserated with the people and government of the state over the arsons and massive destruction of government property and businesses that trailed the protests.

Oladejo said that while not preempting the findings of the commission of enquiry already set up the party condemned all acts of omission or commission that might have directly or indirectly contributed to the national tragedy.

“We acknowledge the characteristic swift and decisive response of Gov. Sanwo-olu who continues to stand firm in the face of tremendous pressure to uphold his oath of office to protect the lives and property of all Lagosians.

“The visits to the injured victims in various hospitals and the statewide tour to pacify the citizenry and access the extent of damage were, without any doubt, moves in the right direction.

“The statewide tour enabled the state government to have an inventory of the monumental destruction which set our state back by decades,” he said.

The spokesman also called on the Federal Government to come to the aid of Lagos State at this trying time to successfully re-build and restore the state in a record time.

He said that the party joined other well-meaning Nigerians on the need for state police to forestall such incidents in future.

Oladejo urged all Lagosians to rally round the government, embrace unconditional peace and commence the process of far reaching healing to make the state great again.

Our correspondent recalls that the Lagos PDP, in a statement by its Publicity Secretary on Monday, faulted Sanwo-Olu’s claim that it would take N1 trillion to restore all property and facilities destroyed by hoodlums during the violence.

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Our correspondent reports that commuters were seen driving through the Admiralty and Ikoyi-Link Bridge Toll Gates to their various destinations.

It was reported that protests over a now-disbanded police unit, the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), took over the area for about two weeks, with demonstrators using the social media hashtag #EndSars to rally crowds.

The protesters had blocked the toll gates, while protesting against police brutality and an end to such, calling on the government to accede to their demands.

However, on Oct. 20, the protesters were dispersed by alleged shootings that caused many injuries following a 24-hour curfew imposed by Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu on the state.

Some residents, who spoke to our correspondent, expressed gladness that the crisis was over, calling on the state government to ensure safety of its citizenry.

They also called on the government to dialogue with the youth and give them the opportunity to thrive.

One of them, Mrs Theresa Benson, said: “We hope incidence such as this protest that got so bad does not occur again.

“We need peace and stability in our country, and that can be achieved through dialogue with the parties involved.”

Another resident, Emmanuel Afiawari, advised youths to be educated and improve themselves on how to engage government meaningfully.

Afiawari said, “The youth are our future, and they need to be given the opportunity to contribute their quotas to the development of our nation.”

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In a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, in Abuja on Sunday, Buhari also expressed the hope that the security men who were murdered and property owners whose assets were vandalised and looted would treated justly and fairly.

The Judicial panel of inquiry set up by the Lagos State Government to look into remote and immediate causes as well as the aftermath of the ENDSARS protests, particularly the Lekki Toll Gate incident, would commence sitting in Lagos on Monday.

The president, who said he had all along avoided going into a debate about the Lekki Toll Gate incidents until all the facts are established, appealed to the people all over the country to maintain peace and brotherhood.

He said the call became necessary as the machinery of the government and the wheel of justice had turned against the perpetrators of murder, arson, stealing, rape, assault and malicious damage to public and private property.

The president maintained that ”peace, brotherhood and inter communal harmony are central to our ethos.”

He urged Nigerians “not to turn against one another in hate”, and stressed the urgent need for the police and other security agencies to move everywhere to restore calm and normalcy as quickly as possible.

According to him, his administration is working hard through many pragmatic ways to reduce the hardship of the millions of the unemployed, poor citizens and those whose lives have been thrown into disarray by the harsh economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

He, however, warned that resort to widespread attacks and the organized looting and plundering of public and private property in many states were inimical to public good and stand condemned.

He said: ”A government that has launched a massive crackdown on corruption, brought in strong laws for a decisive battle against corruption, pursues loot recovery at home and abroad, and taken strong decisions against those who thought they were above the law, will not fold its arms when an otherwise legitimate and peaceful protest is turning into free-for-all vandalism and looting.

”While the administration has, for its part, blocked so many means of looting public money in a war against corruption, it is the expectation that all civil authorities, community and religious leaders in the country must rise against the organized looting and plunder we are witnessing in parts of the country.

”Families must turn back children who bring home unaccounted goods, in the same way wives must ask their husbands to return looted items brought home.

”What is more is that criminal actions as we have so far witnessed can weaken and erode the confidence of our people and that of foreign businesses in investing in the economy.

”Looting and vandalism will hurt trade and investment growth in our country, both large and small industries, as well as our hardworking people in the informal sectors of the economy.

”These incidents do not reflect well on any society. They are wrong and condemnable and should not be supported by reasonable members of the society.”

In line with this, Buhari commended the decision of the Lagos State Ministry of Justice to prosecute 229 suspects arrested by the police for allegedly using the #EndSARS protest to destroy and loot public and private property.

The president, who reiterated that his administration had taken note of the grievances of the people, again said: “We have heard you loud and clear.”

He said already the Federal Government had shown a clear determination to take all necessary measures to address the complaints, adding that the violence must stop.

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The Commandant, NSCDC, Lagos State Command, Mr Paul Ayeni, told our reporter in Lagos on Friday, that the directive came from the Commandant -General (CG) of NSCDC, Abdullahi Gana.

Ayeni said that the directive was for all NSCDC formation across the states to reinforce deployment to protect nation’s critical infrastructure and assets in their domain following the
#EndSARS protests in some parts of the country.

The Lagos NSCDC commandant, said that he personally led some of his personnel to some critical areas because of massive #EndSARS protesters in the areas .

He said that some of the infrastructures the corps were positioned to guard include: “the General Hospital, Ikeja, Lagos State Government Secretariat, Alausa, Ikeja, Third Mainland Bridge, Ikoyi and Kirikiri Maximum Correctional Centers, Railways.

“The Eko Electricity Distribution Company, (EKEDC) and all Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) pipelines within the state, Ikeja Shopping mall, among others.”

The commandant reiterated that the corps would not relent in executing all mandates bestowed on it.

“For instance, about 30 corps from the command were posted to monitor Ikoyi prisons and its environments, while 64 corps were posted to Maximum Correctional centre in Kirikiri and its environments.

“The corps in conjunction with other security agencies foiled the attempted jailbreak at Ikoyi prison on October 22,”he said.

The commandant urged Lagos residents to report cases insecurity or violation of human rights to the corps, with a promise of taking appropriate steps.

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This was contained in a statement signed by Ms Abisola Olusanya, state Acting Commissioner for Agriculture, on Thursday in Lagos.

Olusanya said that Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu had on Sept. 22 formally taken receipt of the food palliatives from the CACOVID team meant for distribution to the indigent.

She noted that the warehouse in question was not state owned and its usage was made available to the CACOVID group.

She added that the state government had been allowed to commence re-baging of food items allotted to it from the quantities meant for South-West states.

According to the statement, the re-baging was being done to account for each beneficiary receipt, as was required and monitored by the CACOVID team.

“The distribution was on-going but had to be halted due to protests, before the invasion of the warehouse today.

“For effective distribution groups such as Transport Unions, Ethnic Groups, Religious Associations, Artisans and Tradesmen Association, Marketmen and Women Association People Living with Disabilities, Orphanages and Old Peoples’ Homes among others were being used as distribution channels to their members.

“The state government, however, regrets the invasion of the warehouses and appreciate the support offered by the CACOVID group to the citizenry of Lagos,” she said.

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The U.S Mission in Nigeria made this known in a message on its official website on Tuesday.

The mission also issued security warnings to its nationals living across the country.

The US Government said multiple demonstrations were ongoing across Nigeria, to include areas within the consular districts of Abuja and Lagos.

The Embassy said that although most demonstrations were peaceful, some have become violent and had shut down in 02 major thoroughfares and bridges.

“Some police stations have been targeted.

“Lagos State closed all schools indefinitely as of October 19 due to protests and implemented a 24-hour curfew starting at 4:00 p.m. on October 20.

“Consulate General Lagos is closed for the rest of today and tomorrow.

“We continue to urge all U.S. citizens to avoid areas around protests and demonstrations and to check local media for updates and traffic advisories.

“Continue to be vigilant and avoid areas affected by the protests,” the Embassy warned.

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