The Lagos State Government has announced a traffic diversion to facilitate the installation of truck barriers at the Ojuelegba Flyover Bridge by the Fire Station.

The diversion will run from 10:00 pm on Saturday, October 26, to 5:00 am on Sunday, October 27, 2024, following recent damage to the barriers.

This planned diversion follows an earlier temporary closure of the bridge for barrier installation between Saturday, October 5, and Sunday, October 6, 2024.

The announcement was contained in a statement by Mr. Oluwaseun Osiyemi, Lagos State Commissioner for Transportation, on Thursday.

“The Lagos State Government has announced a traffic diversion at Ojuelegba Flyover Bridge by the Fire Station from 10:00 pm on Saturday, October 26th, to 5:00 am on Sunday, October 27th, 2024, for the installation of truck barriers which were recently damaged,” the statement read in part.

The diversion is part of the government’s traffic management strategy to enhance road safety, control the movement of heavy-duty vehicles, and prevent further accidents or loss of lives.

The statement further noted that the installation would require motorists to use alternative routes.

• Motorists traveling from Eko Bridge, Constain, and Iponri toward Ojuelegba are advised to use the service lane from the National Stadium gate to connect to Barracks for access to their destinations.
• The commissioner encouraged motorists to cooperate with authorities to prevent unnecessary delays during the installation period. He also appealed for patience, explaining that the nighttime closure was planned to minimize disruptions.
• “This traffic management strategy aims to prevent further accidents and loss of lives,” he added.

The Commissioner also warned motorists against damaging public infrastructure, cautioning that offenders would face the full wrath of the law.

The house of representatives has resolved to probe the alleged lopsided recruitment process in the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), and Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC).

The resolution was passed during plenary on Thursday, following the adoption of a motion by Ali Isa, the minority whip.

Moving the motion, Isa said there are allegations that staff recruitment processes in the agencies are “marred by irregularities of favouritism” and non-compliance with the federal character principle.

He said the allegations also include extra-budgetary expenditures with funds earmarked for statutory operations being used for non-statutory items — in gross violation of the Fiscal Responsibility Act 2007.

“If the allegations of lopsided employments and extra-budgetary expenditures are true, the principles of fairness, equality and transparency are violated, erode public trust in critical institutions, reduce operational efficiency, and will foster a sense of marginalisation and hopelessness among sections of the Nigerian populace,” he said.

The lawmaker said the alleged malpractices could undermine the capacity of the government agencies to effectively carry out their mandates and may affect tax collection, corporate regulation, and the stability of Nigeria’s financial system.

In 2023, a job racketeering probe by the house ad hoc committee chaired by Yusuf Gagdi, a lawmaker from Plateau, ended in a scandal.

The committee ended the investigation after members were accused of demanding bribes.

Members of the Joint Health Sector Unions and Assembly of Health Care Professionals (JOHESU) have announced a seven-day warning strike.

This comes after the federal government allegedly failed to address welfare issues raised by the union.

Earlier this month, JOHESU issued a 15-day ultimatum to the government to resolve these welfare issues.

The key demands include the immediate implementation of the consolidated health salary structure and a 25 percent review of arrears from June to December 2023.

The union is also asking for an upward review of the retirement age for health workers, tax waivers on allowances for healthcare workers, and the immediate payment of COVID-19 hazard allowances.

Kabiru Minjibir, national chairof JOHESU, spoke to journalists in Abuja on Friday after the union’s national executive council meeting.

He said there had been no positive response from the government despite repeated assurances during meetings with various ministries and agencies.

Minjibir further explained that the strike could have been avoided if the government had responded to the 15-day notice.

“In compliance with the Provisions of Section 41 of the Trade Disputes Act Cap. T8 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004, members of JOHESU affiliate unions from Medical and Health Workers’ Union of Nigeria (MHWUN), Nigerian Union of Allied Health Professionals (NUAHP), Senior Staff Association of Universities, Teaching Hospitals, Research Institutes and Associated Institutions (SSAUTHRIAI), and Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) will begin a seven-day strike action from midnight on 25th October 2024 in Federal Health Institutions,” he said.

”The general public should bear with us all inconveniences the withdrawal of services of health workers under the umbrella of JOHESU might cause during this period.

“We urge the consumers of health care and well-meaning Nigerians to empathise with us and also give solidarity to this struggle which is aimed at making healthcare delivery effective, accessible and affordable in the country.

“JOHESU has always exhibited maturity, selflessness and patriotism even in the face of extreme provocations and government’s long delay in meeting our demands and we think that our maturity and patriotism have been taken for granted.

“JOHESU is committed to using social dialogue to resolve matters affecting the welfare and working conditions of our members.”

He also warned that no member should be victimised for participating in the strike, which he described as a “dispute of right”.