Lagos Traffic Law: Beyond Controversy.

 Implementing law to curb human excesses will always meet challenges and resistance, especially in a society that thrives on recklessness, indiscipline and impunity. The protest and untenable destruction of public property that followed recent implementation of the Lagos Traffic law by commercial motorcycle operators is by no means a sore point in our democratic experience.
Dictionary.com defines law as “the principles and regulations established in a community by some authority and applicable to its people, whether in the form of legislation or custom and policies recognized and enforced by judicial decision”. Therefore, the function of law is to regulate human conduct in the society and award sanction for disobedience. The introduction of the state traffic law and its enforcement are to curb excesses and return sanity to our roads.

  Every sane nation has its own version of the traffic law. And its purpose is to govern traffic, regulate vehicles, motorcycles and pedestrian’s movements for the purpose of road safety. Legislating, instituting and implementing traffic law is a universal thing as it is the case in the United Kingdom where the rules are set out in the Road Traffic Act and Highway Code which includes obligations and advice on how to drive sensibly and safely on the roads. Similarly, in the United States, which operates a similar federal system like Nigeria, traffic laws are regulated by the states and municipalities through their respective traffic codes.
In Nigeria, there is a Federal Road Traffic Act  implemented by law enforcement agencies such as Police and Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC). However, despite the existence of this law, road accidents have remained unabated. According to the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) in the four months of (December 2009-March 2010) 7,737 road accidents were recorded in the country. Between 2008-2011, 5157 lives were lost and a total of 13,251 persons sustained various forms of injuries through road accidents in Nigeria within three years.

  In Lagos State, the State Traffic Law was signed into law on 2 August, 2012. The composition of the law is a reflection of executive rigorous debate, hearing at the various stages in the House of Assembly, public hearing and stakeholders` contributions. The Lagos State Traffic Law is to Provide for Traffic Administration and Make Provisions for Road Traffic and Vehicle Inspection in Lagos State and other Connected Purposes became operational on  22 October, 2012. The law consists of many aspects on road traffic and administration such as control of traffic, traffic signs, closure of highways, control of vehicular traffic on the bridges, removal of abandoned vehicles from highway and side of private premises, careless and inconsiderate driving, reckless or dangerous driving, driving under the influence of alcohol or drug and general penalty for each of the offences among others. In this law, the aspect that has generated much debate and controversies is the section 3(1) that prohibits riding, driving or propelling of a cart, wheelbarrow, motorcycle or tricycle on some major highways in Lagos State. It further bans the use of commercial motorcycles on 475 designated roads in the state. The objective of this is to curb the menace of commercial motorcycle accident, improve general security and restore sanity on the roads.
 
  A recent statistics from LASTMA reveals that over 600 people were killed or seriously injured in commercial motorcycle accidents in the state in the last two years. Similarly, a recent police report reveals that a total of 513 fatal accidents that occurred in the state in the last two years were caused by commercial motorcyclists. And out of this number, 305 happened between January and June this year. Equally, out of the 30  armed robbery cases recorded in Lagos State between the months of July and September this year, 22 of them involved the use of commercial motorcycles.
In the society where people treat law with disdain and commit crime with impunity, government’s commitment to safety and security will always be resisted by the few that benefit from the chaotic situation. The wanton destruction of public property by commercial motorcycle owners and its leadership, in the wake of implementation of the new law, further reinforces the need to properly regulate activities of okada operators.
 
   Traffic management in a state like Lagos is complex and challenging. For one, Lagos is the nation`s economic nerve centre, with a population of 17 million people on 377,000 hectares of land.  With over 75,000 commercial buses, over 4 million cars, about a million motorcycles, Lagos has the highest volume of vehicles than any other state in the country. This frightening statistics, coupled with the lackadaisical attitude of road users, activities of fake law enforcement agents, road cutting and other unfriendly attitude to the road, there is, indeed, a genuine justification for the provision of a legal framework to control activities on the road.
To successfully implement the new traffic law, the state government led by the Governor himself, put in place a vigorous public enlightenment and sensitization campaign. He was at the military formations in Lagos seeking for the support and cooperation of officers and rank file in the implementation of the law. The Governor was also at the Lagos Metropolitan Club and Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry to interact with members in respect of the new law. This is aside the various stakeholders’ meetings chaired by the state Deputy Governor with commercial motorcycle and vehicle owners on the law.
In furtherance of its determination to ensure traffic law compliance and road safety, the state government has begun the re-training exercise of over 7,960 enforcement officers. This involves LASTMA, KAI and Neighbourhood watch. The purpose of the training is to improve the knowledge and skill of officials in order to meet global standards in terms of service delivery.
The establishment of the Lagos Drivers’ Institute across the five divisions in the state represents another strategy of the state government to bring about safety on the roads.
On the economics of okada, while it is true that commercial motorcycle offers temporary succour from umemployment, it is yet to be seen how the restriction on strategic 475 out 9000 roads in the state can lead to unemployment. The government is not unmindful of the challenge of human factor with regards to the implementation of the state traffic law. It is to this end that some LASTMA officials have been punished while others are presently waiting to appear before the Personnel Management Board (PMB). Also section 37 (1) of the traffic law stipulates from the onset that no officer shall demand, willfully condone, connive, abet or receive gratification in cash or kind from any person to circumvent the provision of this law. And 37 (2) further says, that any officer who contravenes the provision of subsection (1) above shall be liable to summary dismissal and prosecution under the Criminal Justice Administration Law. The members of the public should take advantage of the existing criminal and enforcement law to report activities of any officer that is capable of undermining the efforts of the state government to restore safety and sanity on the roads to the appropriate authority.

   On the issue of job creation, the state government is training and engaging willing hands, to become entrepreneurs who would employ others. The dignity to human life and returns from all the aforementioned, are far more valuable and higher than whatever okada riders claim to earn.
The vision of Lagos State becoming a megacity will be in the doldrums if the menace of Okada riders is not dealt with head on. Lagos State is fast becoming the destination of businesses in sub-Saharan Africa, so it’s imperative that the good people continue to think in the direction that other great cities across the globe are being positioned.
Looking at available facts and figures, there should be no controversy about the fact that the activities of commercial motorcyclists in Lagos state must be re-examined to tackle the social challenges posed by them. This is what the state government is doing. This is what every reasonable government should do. This is the right thing to do. Those who are criticising the restriction are parochial in their thinking and utterly miss the point.

•Mamudu is Public Relations Officer, Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, LASTMA, Oshodi, Lagos.

2013 People's Choice Awards Nominees....

And the first awards show news of the season has arrived with the announcement of the nominees for the 2013 People's Choice Awards. Once again, horror got the cold shoulder in films, but lots of our TV favorites are here. Check out the highlights!

In the film categories you'll find Jennifer Lawrence/Josh Hutcherson/Liam Hemsworth and The Hunger Games, Kristen Stewart/Chris Hemsworth and Snow White and the Huntsman, the Twihards and the Tributes in the "Favorite Movie Fan Following" category, and Dark Shadows among the "Favorite Comedic Movies"; but TV is really where the horror can be found.

Favourite Dramatic TV Actor:
Ian Somerhalder, "The Vampire Diaries"
Jared Padalecki, "Supernatural"
Jensen Ackles, "Supernatural"
Paul Wesley, "The Vampire Diaries"

Favourite Dramatic TV Actress:
Ginnifer Goodwin, "Once Upon a Time"
Nina Dobrev, "The Vampire Diaries"

Favorite TV Fan Following:
Oncers, "Once Upon A Time"
SPNFamily, "Supernatural"
TVDFamily, "The Vampire Diaries"

Favorite New TV Drama:
"666 Park Avenue"
"Arrow"
"Beauty & The Beast"
"Revolution"

Favourite Network TV Drama:
"Grimm"
"Once Upon a Time"

Favourite Cable TV Drama:
"The Walking Dead"

Favourite Premium Cable TV Show:
"Dexter"
"Game of Thrones"
"True Blood"

Favourite Sci-Fi/Fantasy TV Show:
"Doctor Who"
"Once Upon a Time"
"Supernatural"
"The Vampire Diaries"
"The Walking Dead"

Winners will be revealed during the live broadcast of PEOPLE'S CHOICE AWARDS 2013 on Wednesday, January 9, 2013 (9:00-11:00 PM, live ET/delayed PT) on the CBS Television Network.


How to Vote for PEOPLE'S CHOICE AWARDS 2013:

· Website - PeoplesChoice.com houses the main voting platform for PEOPLE'S CHOICE AWARDS 2013. Click around to all of the different categories and make sure you vote, vote, vote!

· Facebook - If you can’t make it all the way over to PeoplesChoice.com, head to Facebook.com/PeoplesChoice and vote right there. Fans can personalize their page, share votes with their friends, and even RSVP to the People’s Choice Awards.

· Twitter - Like the last few years, voting is enabled on Twitter. It’s super simple and a great way to show support for your favorites in movies, music, and TV: After voting on the Web or Facebook, you’ll be asked to “Tweet your vote.” Once you choose that option, you will automatically cast a second vote through your Twitter account. Best of all, retweets count too! Keep track at @PeoplesChoice.

Guess What's Added To BBM? - Free Voice Calls.

BlackBerry users will be able to make free voice calls over a Wi-Fi network using the popular BBM messaging service.

Research In Motion Ltd. announced Wednesday that it's adding the feature to BBM. Users will be able to switch back and forth from a text chat to a voice call. A split-screen option will let them talk and text at the same time.

The new feature is a free update for existing customers and comes months before RIM introduces its new BlackBerry 10 smartphones, which are seen critical to RIM's survival.

RIM surprised analysts in September when it announced that the number of BlackBerry subscribers grew, thanks in part to emerging markets and its popular BBM service. It's struggling in North America as customers migrate to flashier iPhones and Android phone.

RIM stopped short of offering the BBM voice feature over wireless carriers' own cellular networks. Doing so would have potentially created more congestion on cellular data networks and deprive carriers of revenue for voice calls. With the new feature, the free calls are limited to times and places where Wi-Fi is available.

The Canadian company said the BBM voice feature is especially attractive for developing markets. Unlike regular texts, BBM messages are not charged on a per-text basis.

Although RIM is struggling in North America, the BlackBerry continues to sell well in such markets as South Africa, Nigeria and Indonesia....

Generator That Runs On Urine.

As part of an innovation fair in Africa, four teenage girls invented a generator that runs on urine. One liter of urine can produce up to six hours of electricity.

The girls, 14-year-olds Duro-Aina Adebola, Akindele Abiola, Faleke Oluwatoyin and 15-year-old Bello Eniola, presented their creation at Maker Faire Africa in Lagos. As explained on that website, it works like this:

Urine is put into an electrolytic cell, which separates out the hydrogen.

The hydrogen goes into a water filter for purification, which then gets pushed into the gas cylinder.

The gas cylinder pushes hydrogen into a cylinder of liquid borax, which is used to remove the moisture from the hydrogen gas.

This purified hydrogen gas is pushed into the generator.

The girls were going to keep this idea a secret, but a little of it leaked out. Maybe they could give a demonstration of this generator to the public. They could stream it live.

As reported on NBCnews.com, Gerardine Botte, a chemical engineer at Ohio University who invented the urea electrolysis process that the girls are using, suggested the girls could go forward and work with an engineer to further understand the process and its applications.

For instance, since wastewater plants are treating urea, perhaps the urea could be used to run the plant itself, making the plant more energy efficient.

As New Jersey and the region grapples with power outages, this seems like an idea we could use. After all, a lot of people still don’t have power, and they’re pissed about it.

The urine powered generator is a very creative and exciting idea. Each of those four teens is a real whiz.

FUNNY BUT CREATIVE!!!!

K1, Omo Banke Allegedly Slept With Pasuma's Daughter.

The main reason for the title-drop of Arabambi 2 to Oganla of Fuji title by Pasuma may be getting clearer if what both what Newscarte is reporting and further information reaching Nigeriafilms.com are anything to go by. Few weeks ago, there have been conflicting reports on why Pasuma dropped the title.
While some reported that Pasuma dropped the name due to the treatment K1 gave Pasuma in the build up to Iya Rainbow’s 70th birthday, others reported that there was no bad blood between the two Fuji music icons in the title-drop.

Pasuma had claimed in a report that “I am old enough to decide on my own; I have served K1 and I have to move on with my career. After all, K1 used to be called Wasiu Ayinde Barrister and when he changed the name, almost everybody hailed him over his decision,” while K1 was reportedly quoted to have said “Do we have to deny anybody the right to change of name? He has been a wonderful and loyal person to me, so I have no hard feelings over the change in title. At least, it will go down in history that he was once Arabambi 2.”

But a recent report by Newscarte revealed that Pasuma dropped the Arabambi 2 title after he discovered that K1 was allegedly having a secret romantic affair with his first daughter, Wasilat. This, may have necessitated his decision to drop the title because of the hurt of realising that his godfather is allegedly sleeping with his daughter secretly.
It was further reported that a source disclosed that Pasuma has been told about the alleged illicit affair between Wasilat and K1, but chose to confirm the development before taking any action until he finally confirmed it himself.

“Pasuma is angry because he never expected such thing from a man he regarded as one of his godfathers. Actor Ose Omo Banke (Soji Taiwo) is also having an affair with Wasilat, but that of K1 is more painful to him. He (Pasuma) decided to keep it a secret in the interest of his daughter,” the source was quoted to have told Newscarte.

Efforts made by Nigeriafilms.com to contact the trio of Pasuma, K1 and Soji Taiwo to get them speak on this revelation proved abortive as their phone numbers were switched of as at press time.
A source disclosed to Nigeriafilms.com that K1 is presently in America.
A close source to both K1 De Ultimate and Pasuma confirmed this story to Nigeriafilms.com but begged for anonymity. The source said that Pasuma has been doing everything possible not to allow this story leak to the press.....

Rihanna Poses Completely Naked As GQ Magazine's 'Obsession Of The Year'

Rihanna says she has her limits – but they’re hard to find in the pages of GQ's December "Men of the Year" issue.
The singer oozes unbridled sex appeal in a series of GQ snaps featuring her mostly naked body and a strategically placed motorcycle jacket, manicured hand or designer shirt that can’t seem to contain her.
Now promoting her seventh studio album "Unapologetic," the pop superstar says her sultry style is second nature.

“That comes from my culture,” the Barbados native tells GQ. “That’s just the way it’s always been, and I think that for people, especially in America, they make it like the forbidden fruit, but that only makes kids more curious.”

“I was a lot more naive about the way I moved and the way I was being perceived” she says of the era shortly after she was first discovered by a vacationing music producer in 2003.
“The more you hear people talk about ‘Oh, you’re a sex symbol,’ it just makes you think, ‘Why are you saying that?’ And I figured it out.”

Asked what turns her on, Rihanna says she likes a partner who calls the shots.

“I like to feel like a woman,” she says. “I have to be in control in every other aspect of my life, so I feel like in a relationship, like I wanted to be able to take a step back and have somebody else take the lead.”
But that doesn’t mean she’s a pushover, she warns.
“Love makes you go places you probably wouldn’t ever go, had it not been for love. But I think everybody still has their limits,” she tells GQ.

Born Robyn Rihanna Fenty, the “We Found Love” singer is mum on the subject of her reportedly rekindled romance with Chris Brown – the ex-boyfriend who beat her bloody in a rented Lamborghini in February 2009.


The GQ article describes the former lovers meeting up – possibly by chance – at Griffin nightclub in the Meatpacking district last month and flirting openly.
Still, confronted by reports that Brown and R&B singer Drake were fighting over her when they got in their bottle-throwing brawl at another nightclub in June, Rihanna turns “impenetrable,” the article says.

“There’s no proof of that being for my love. That’s my answer to that question,” she tells GQ.
As for her music, the “Umbrella” singer says she wants it to be “hopeful” and “uplifting,” never “corny” or “super sentimental.”

“I just want it to have the feeling that brings you out of whatever you’re going through,” she tells GQ. “I want it to spark that fire. I want it to be real, authentic, and raw.”

And even though she’s toured the world by the tender age of 24, she’s still not comfortable with paparazzi stalking her every move.

“You’re never used to it,” she tells GQ. “It’s chaos.”

Riri!!!

Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor - Presented With Private Jet As A Gift.

The elite list of Nigerian Christian clergymen who own a private jet at least, have been swelled as president of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and founder, The Word of Life Bible Church, in Ajamimogha, Warri, Delta state, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, yesterday, was presented with a private jet as he celebrated 40 years on the pulpit which coincided with his birthday.


The jet with registration number N431CB, is a 10-Seater Bombadier/Challenger 601 aircraft manufactured in the United States and was ordered at the instance of one of the pastors. The jubilant congregation spent over 15 minutes congratulating one another, while Oritsejafor did not make any comment on the gift said to have been purchased for him by the church.

Dignitaries present at the occassion included presdient Jonathan, governor Uduaghan of Delta state, the Speaker, Delta state House of Assembly, Engr. Victor Ochie among others.
Sermon was delivered by internationally acclaimed preacher, Dr Mike Murdock, who spoke briefly ‘on seven laws of success......

What A Gift!.