News
Protecting Donald Trump costs New York City more than $1 million a day
Protecting President-elect Donald Trump and his family is costing New York City more than $1 million a day, according to three city officials.
And those costs won’t necessarily drop significantly once he moves to the White House.
That’s because Melania Trump and their 10-year old son Barron expect to stay at their home at Trump Tower in midtown Manhattan, at least until the end of the school year. And Donald Trump has indicated he plans to return home regularly, especially while they’re still here.
Adding to the expense is the cost of police assigned to Trump’s adult children and his grandchildren, who are also receiving Secret Service protection, John Miller, NYPD’s deputy commissioner of intelligence & counterterrorism, told WCBS Monday. All of them live in the city, and all are entitled to receive Secret Service protection.
“The number one imperative here is safety and security. We owe that to the president elect, his family and his team,” said New York Mayor Bill de Blasio at a press conference on Friday. But he added the city will need help with those costs, particularly police overtime.
“This is a very substantial undertaking. It will take substantial resources,” he said. “We will begin the conversation with the federal government shortly on reimbursement for the NYPD for some of the costs that we are incurring.”
While primary responsibility for the protection of the president, or president-elect, rests with the Secret Service, local law enforcement is charged with assisting them, particularly in controlling movements of the general public.
Related: Top network executives, anchors meet with Trump
Every president is required to have local law enforcement protection when they return home during their terms. But protecting Trump in New York City is particularly costly, given that he lives in the most densely-populated neighborhood of the nation’s biggest city.
“We have never had a situation where a POTUS (president of the United States) would be here on such a regular basis,” said de Blasio. “The details of his future plans are unknown, but we certainly know over these next 65 days [until the inauguration] he will be here regularly. The NYPD is up to the challenge and the city of New York is up to the challenge, I have no doubt about that.”
Related: Donald Trump says SNL was ‘biased’ and asks for ‘equal time’
The city has sought and received reimbursement for protecting world leaders in the past, such as when heads of state visit the United Nations, de Blasio said. City records show it received $26 million in reimbursements for such expenses in the 12 months ending June 30, or about $500,000 a week. But the fact that the city will need to protect Trump on an ongoing basis is unprecedented, de Blasio said.
“This makes [previous protection efforts] look quite small obviously,” he said. “We’ll have to establish a new set of ground rules.”
The police have set up barricades around Trump Tower at 56th Street and 5th Avenue, smack in the middle of the city. While a block of 56th street has basically been closed to traffic, 5th Avenue remains open, although the traffic flow on that major thoroughfare has been affected.
And as Trump moves through the city, police need to close streets accordingly. For example, the Lincoln Tunnel was closed to traffic on Friday afternoon during rush hour when Trump traveled to New Jersey.
News
IGP directs police officers to wear black bands in honour of Taoreed Lagbaja
Kayode Egbetokun, the inspector-general of police, has directed officers to wear black bands in honour of Taoreed Lagbaja, the late chief of army staff (COAS).
In a statement signed by Muyiwa Adejobi, the force spokesperson, Egbetokun ordered personnel to wear the bands during the seven-day mourning period.
“This directive is to pay tribute and honour the late General who has shown gallantry, dedication, and passion for fighting violent crimes and insurgency in Nigeria,” the statement reads.
“He was a great leader who deserves to be honoured by all means.”
On Wednesday, President Bola Tinubu ordered that national flags be flown at half-mast in honour of Lagbaja.
Lagbaja died on Tuesday after battling an undisclosed ailment. He was 56-years-old.
He was appointed COAS by Tinubu on June 19, 2023.
Lagbaja enrolled into the Nigerian Defence Academy in 1987.
In September 1992, he was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Nigerian Infantry Corps as a member of the 39th regular course.
He served as a platoon commander in the 93 Battalion and the 72 Special Forces Battalion.
Lagbaja also participated in various internal security operations, including operation ZAKI in Benue, Lafiya Dole in Borno, Udoka in south-east, and forest sanity in Kaduna and Niger.
The president has appointed Olufemi Oluyede as acting COAS.
News
LASEPA seals off churches, hotels over noise pollution
The Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA) has sealed off some establishments over alleged noise pollution.
The facilities sealed include churches, lounges, nightclubs, bars, and hotels in the Lagos metropolis.
In a statement on Wednesday, Babatunde Ajayi, the general manager of LASEPA, said the move was in line with the agency’s efforts to uphold environmental standards and safeguard public health.
“In a bid to address noise pollution and other environmental violations, LASEPA took action, closing down several establishments across different parts of the state,” Ajayi said.
He noted that the establishments were found guilty of breaching environmental regulations despite multiple warnings from LASEPA.
He reiterated the agency’s zero-tolerance policy on regulatory non-compliance, saying “we will not permit disregard for our regulations”.
Ajayi said the enforcement drive focused on areas like Ogudu, Gbagada, Iyana Ejigbo, Isolo, Ajao Estate, Oshodi, Ilasamaja, and Okota.
He added that the sealed outfits include Honourable Lounge & Lodging, Redeemed Christian Church of God, Celestial Church of God, OMA Night Club and Lounge, and Bridge Spot Bar.
Others are Okiki Event Centre and Hall, Emota Paradise Hotel (Phase 2), CF Hotel & Suites, House 27 Hotel & Suites, Echo Spring Hotel, and Smile T Continental Hotel.
The LASEPA boss urged all businesses to recognise their environmental obligations and work alongside the state government to foster a cleaner and more sustainable Lagos.
News
Tinubu approves establishment of Teaching Hospital in Ondo
The Federal Government has approved the establishment of a teaching hospital in Akure, Ondo State, to support the training of medical students at the Federal University of Technology Akure (FUTA).
President Bola Tinubu has directed the Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Mohammad Pate, to initiate the necessary arrangements for the establishment of the teaching hospital. Prof. Pate has since dispatched a team to Ondo State to assess the location.
Leading the team, Dr. Jimoh Olawole Salaudeen, Director of Hospital Services at the Federal Ministry of Health, inspected FUTA’s permanent site, designated for the hospital. Salaudeen also visited the Akure Annex of the University of Medical Sciences Teaching Hospital (UNIMEDTH), which will serve as a temporary site for the teaching hospital.
Speaking with reporters after the inspection, Dr. Salaudeen expressed optimism about the hospital’s potential to become operational soon, citing available facilities. “President Tinubu directed that Akure should have a federal teaching hospital,” Salaudeen stated. “We are here to coordinate with the state government and review the site options for establishing the teaching hospital.”
Salaudeen highlighted the urgency of the project, noting that FUTA has begun training medical students, who are now in their third year. “The state government has provided a temporary site, and we are pleased with the infrastructure at the permanent site, including an auditorium, health center, and classrooms,” he said.
He added, “Our goal is to identify equipment needs at the temporary site to create a model federal tertiary hospital that supports student training. The enthusiastic support from the community is encouraging and will facilitate a peaceful learning environment.”
Ondo State’s Commissioner for Health, Dr. Banji Ajaka, affirmed the state government’s commitment to supporting the project, ensuring it aligns with the president’s vision. “We have drafted an MOU and laid groundwork for the medical students to complete their training on schedule,” Ajaka said.
FUTA’s Vice Chancellor, Prof. Adenike Oladiji, expressed relief, saying, “We’ve been concerned about where our medical students would complete their clinical studies. I’m thrilled that the federal government has stepped in to provide a solution.”
Prof. Oladiji also highlighted FUTA’s biomedical engineering department, which aims to contribute to the school of health sciences by producing essential medical equipment. “This initiative aligns perfectly with our commitment to training future health professionals and engineers who can innovate and support the healthcare sector,” she added.
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