Ambode, Patience Jonathan, MMM, other top 10 Lagos newsmakers in 2016
In Lagos, there is hardly a slow news day. You only need to tune your nose to the correct frequency. Last year, several persons, personalities, and institutions kept newsrooms across the state buzzing month in, month out.
PREMIUM TIMES brings you 10 of the regular features that made our front pages.
1. Akinwunmi Ambode: While Nigeria is facing its worst recession in years, Lagos is making money, raking in more billions than it had ever made. In fact, at N287 billion, the Internally Generated revenue in 2016 is the second highest ever in the state’s history. From constructing over 400 roads to lighting up more than 200 streets within his first 365 days in office and other people-oriented projects, Akinwunmi Ambode ranks among the best performing governors in the country.
Mr. Ambode began the year in a demolition style. While some of the shop owners were still in their villages exchanging kegs of palm wine with their kinsmen, he swooped on Oshodi and levelled the over 40-year-old Owonifari market.
In February, he hosted the Lagos Marathon. One month later, he was sealing off Lekki Gardens after a building collapse and ordering the arrest of the developers. By November, he was announcing the inclusion of Lagos State among the recipients of the 13 percent derivation fund. It was indeed a busy year for the governor.
2. The Lagos State Police Command: The police reports itself. That’s what the Command in Lagos do. They interview crime suspects, take their photos, quote sources, and syndicate the finished article across newsrooms almost on a weekly basis. The outcome has been one arrest after another.
However, when the police is reported, if the officers were not shooting a commercial bus driver for refusing to part with some money, they were being beaten up for causing the death of a Lagosian.
Fatai Owoseni, the state police commissioner, said 65 officers had been arrested by his Anti-Extortionist Squad by September – 33 arrested as at August 8, 12 more as at August 24, and another 20 by September 8.