Uganda Today - Thursday March 14
Mar 14, 2019
NRM Members of Parliament are away at the Leadership Training Institute in Kyankwanzi attending an eight-day retreat.
ROLLING NEWS THROUGHOUT THE DAY
Presented by Joseph Kizza
@joekizza
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1:35pm
Developments about Flight ET 302
From now onward, information on any development about ET 302 will be posted on Ethiopian Airlines website and on social media sites. We request all media channels to refer to our website and social media pages for any request of information they may have.
— Ethiopian Airlines (@flyethiopian) March 14, 2019
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1:23pm
Today in history
On this day 20 years ago . . .
TODAY IN HISTORY: NAGGINDA INTRODUCES KABAKA
— New Vision UGANDA (@newvisionwire) March 14, 2019
On March 14, 1999 The eagerly-awaited Nnabagereka, Sylvia Nagginda, daughter of John and Rebecca Luswata, introduced Kabaka Ronald Muwenda Mutebi II to her parents during a traditional kwanjula ceremony in Nkumba near Entebbe. pic.twitter.com/5HnGRDBWvc
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12:37pm
Works on NDA laboratory tower to start
Minister for Health, @JaneRuth_Aceng officially breaks ground for the construction of @UNDAuthority Laboratory Tower. #NDA25 pic.twitter.com/KGRPeodo3n
— Ministry of Health- Uganda (@MinofHealthUG) March 14, 2019
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12:30pm
Ground-breaking for NDA laboratory tower
Health minister Dr. Jane Ruth Aceng has broken the ground for the construction of a sh32b state-of-the-art laboratory tower for National Drug Authority (NDA). It will be used to test food, drugs and acaricides.
The contractor is Seyani Brothers & Co. (U) Ltd, a Ugandan firm that also built the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) tower.
The works can now begin!
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12:06pm
NRM Retreat in Kyankwanzi
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11:40am
NRM Retreat in Kyankwanzi
NRM Members of Parliament are away at the Leadership Training Institute in Kyankwanzi attending an eight-day retreat.
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11:30am
Solidarity - Education is key
New Vision's Geoffrey Nyamwongera says that part of this classroom block at Mutsahura Primary School in Bundibugyo district was ripped apart by strong wind two years ago - and it has been left like that.
Seeing that nothing had been done, residents of the area later mobilised themselves and constructed a temporary classroom (see below) so that pupils could study.
A touch of class!
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11:04am
Be warned
NDA has recently warned the public against adulterated herbal products on the market, some apparently for boosting 'man power'.
#NDA25 Health alert!!!! pic.twitter.com/OLdtKMyI63
— Uganda National Drug Authority (@UNDAuthority) March 4, 2019
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10:55am
NDA to build multibillion-shilling lab
The National Drug Authority (NDA) is this morning holding a ground-breaking ceremony to build a sh32b state-of-the-art laboratory tower to be used to test food, drugs and acaricides.
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10:53am
FAA statement on grounding of Boeing B737 planes
Ethiopian Airlines has also posted a statement by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on the temporary grounding of Boeing B737 - MAX fleet operated by US airlines or in a US territory.
Here goes:
FAA statement on the temporary grounding of Boeing B737 - MAX fleet operated by U.S airlines or in a U.S. territory. pic.twitter.com/buq9Jq5yDE
— Ethiopian Airlines (@flyethiopian) March 14, 2019
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10:45am
Ethiopian plane crash: Black boxes flown to France
Four days after the deadly Flight ET 302 crash, Ethiopian Airlines has tweeted this morning that a team led by the Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB) "has flown the Flight Data Recorder (FDR) and Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) to Paris, France for investigation".
The accident, which occured Sunday morning about six minutes after the Ethiopian Airlines jet had taken off, claimed the lives of all the 157 people on board, including Ugandan Christine Alalo, a commissioner of police.
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10:35am
Why does breast cancer recur? New study finds clues
I thought you might find this interesting . . .
For breast cancer survivors, the risk of tumours returning casts a long shadow, with recurrence possible up to two decades after a diagnosis. But new research could help identify and treat those most in danger.
Doctors have traditionally relied on factors such as the size and grade of a tumour at diagnosis, lymph node involvement and a patient's age to determine their risk of relapse.
But the rate at which breast cancer recurs, and why it does so, remains "poorly understood", according to the study published Thursday in the journal Nature.
In a bid to change that, the researchers turned to data from over 3,000 breast cancer patients diagnosed in the United Kingdom and Canada between 1977 and 2005.
Nearly 2,000 of the cases included molecular data about the cancers that provided the researchers with detailed information about the tumours.
The data was used to develop a computer model that identified four sub-groups with "exceedingly high risk of late distant relapse," said senior author Christina Curtis, assistant professor of medicine and genetics at Stanford University.
"These are the patients that remain in jeopardy of experiencing a relapse after their initial diagnosis," she told AFP.
The study found that around 25 percent of women with the most commonly diagnosed form of breast cancer have a 42-55% risk of seeing their cancer return within two decades.
"These are the women who seem to be cured but then present with systemic disease many years later," Curtis said in a press release issued by Stanford University.
"Until now, there has been no good way to identify this subset of women who might benefit from ongoing screening or treatment."
The study also opens up potential new avenues for additional treatment of breast cancer patients by identifying gene alterations in each of the four at-risk sub-groups.
These alterations or mutations result in problems in signalling that can cause unwanted cell growth. And that in turn can fuel the formation of tumours or their progression.
"Many of these genomic driver alterations can potentially be therapeutically targeted, suggesting the possibility of new treatment options, though this will need to be evaluated in the context of clinical trials," Curtis told AFP.
The study also reveals when and where in the body breast cancers might metastasise and found a group of patients with so-called triple-negative tumours whose cancers are unlikely to return after five years.
"This information can be used to refine risk estimates and improve follow-up and stratification of patients with breast cancer -- for example by determining which patients might benefit from longer or different types of treatment," Curtis said.
Better treatments
The researchers cautioned that their data set includes cases from decades ago, meaning that patients were not then able to access more recently developed and approved treatments.
Some of those treatments have significantly improved the survival rates for patients with particular types of breast cancer.
But the findings should still significantly help doctors more accurately predict which of their patients are most at risk of seeing their cancer return.
The team has even developed an online "breast cancer recurrence predictor" tool for doctors, using their model.
Curtis said the researchers are now pursuing a clinical trial for treatment options that would target the genomic defects in patients most at risk of cancer recurrence.
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10:20am
How to not inhale polluted air
The World Health Organisation has outlined five ways you can achieve this . . .
5 ways to limit breathing polluted air:
— World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) March 13, 2019
1⃣Limit🚶on busy streets during rush hour
2⃣Limit spending time at specific hotspots of 🚦
3⃣When you're doing 🏋️outdoors, try exercising in less polluted areas
4⃣Limit the use of 🚗 on highly polluted days
5⃣Don't burn waste pic.twitter.com/sJWLuvgdbY
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9:53am
Nine goals in two games!
Also on Wednesday, there was plenty of footballing action on the local scene. Three games were played on the day, with two of them producing winners, plus a whooping nine goals inbetween.
Juma Balinya was the star man at StarTimes Stadium, Lugogo as he bagged a hattrick to help Police beat Paidha Black Angels in a 4-2 result. The attacker gave the hosts the lead from the spot in the 29th minute and again in the 73rd minute. But his second penalty goal came after Jackson Nsubuga and Yusuf Ssozi had helped Paidha to a comeback and the lead.
At 2-2, the game appeared to be headed for just that - a draw result. But hold on. Paul Willa struck at the death, before Balinya added gloss to a deceptively comfortable scoreline with his third to complete his hattrick.
At Champions Stadium, Mwererwe, hosts Bright Stars edged struggling Nyamityobora 2-1 in a pulsating encounter. Nelson Senkatuka put Bright Stars through in the first half, before adding a second - and his brace - after the interval. And just when the home side were cruising to an easy win, their own Farouk Katongole turned the ball into his own net to bring Nyamityobora back in the game with seven minutes remaining and set up a nervy finale for the home crowd.
But Bright Stars held on for a vital three points.
Meanwhile, at Kakyeka Stadium in Mbarara, Mbarara City were frustrated by Ndejje University, with neither side finding the back of the net.
| WEDNESDAY RESULTS: | ||
| Police | 4-2 | Paidha Black Angels |
| Bright Stars | 2-1 | Nyamityobora |
| Mbarara City | 0-0 | Ndejje University |
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9:45am
What happened on Wednesday?
Plenty of stuff.
The inaugural Africa Now Summit closed at Munyonyo, and on the sidelines of the closing day of the two-day event, President Yoweri Museveni met and held talks with visiting Kenyan deputy president William Ruto and later with MTN bosses.
Elsewhere, Kaberamaido district council honoured fallen Commissioner of Police Christine Alalo, who was killed in Sunday's Ethiopian Airlines plane crash.
Have a quick look here.
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9:36am
Ethiopia crash black boxes 'to be sent to France'
The black box recorders from the Ethiopian Airlines plane that crashed just minutes after takeoff at the weekend, killing 157 people, will be sent to France for analysis, the country's air accident investigation agency (BEA) has said.
"The Ethiopian authorities have asked BEA for its assistance in order to analyse" the two black boxes, the agency said, adding that they would be sent on Thursday.
Earlier Wednesday, Ethiopia said it would send the black boxes to Europe following the disaster, the second deadly crash involving the Boeing 737 Max 8 plane in less than six months.
The Ethiopian Airlines 737 MAX 8 was less than four months old when it went down six minutes into a flight from Addis Ababa to Nairobi on Sunday, disintegrating on impact.
The crash has prompted governments worldwide including the US to ban the American aerospace giant's bestselling jet from their airspace.
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9:11am
Uganda refutes allegations it closed border with Rwanda
Abdul Musafiri, a driver, says he was transporting goods from Mombasa to Kigali and did not find any issues
Continuation of Minister Kutesa's letter . . .
5. The Uganda border posts continue to operate normally. Government is not restricting any movement of goods and people from Uganda into Rwanda. However, there have been and remain restrictions on the movement of goods and people from Rwanda destined to Uganda.
6. Consistent with its obligations under regional and continental frameworks, Uganda remains committed to ensuring the free movement of persons and goods across borders.
[Signs off]
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9:07am
Uganda refutes allegations it closed border with Rwanda
Continuation of Minister Kutesa's letter . . .
2. What is happening on the ground however is that export of Ugandan goods to Rwanda have been prohibited by Rwanda authorities. The same authorities are only allowing crossing into Rwanda those trucks carrying transit goods destined for Rwanda or transiting through Rwanda to the Democratic Republic of Congo and other places.
3. Goods from Rwanda and Rwanda-registered trucks are not being allowed to cross over from rwanda into Uganda by the Rwanda authorities.
4. Rwanda has introduced an export permit system for those that intend to export goods to Uganda. This is a technicla non-tariff barrier to trade, to which there has been no successful applicant. In effect, this is a trade embargo on bilateral trade with Uganda.
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9:05am
Uganda refutes allegations it closed border with Rwanda
In recent weeks, attention has been drawn to matters of the Uganda-Rwandan borders. The latest is that Uganda has come out to refute claims that it closed its border with Rwanda.
This is contained in foreign affairs minister Sam Kutesa's letter dated March 13. Here are the extracts from Kutesa's letter:
1. Uganda wishes to refute allegations that it closed its border with Rwanda. Since February 28, 2019 when the Government of Rwanda issued an advisory against travel of its nationals to Uganda, flow of traffic from Uganda to Rwanda has been continuing normally, as detailed below:
i) Cyanika border post: 41 transactions have been processed;
ii) Katuna border post: 85 transactions have been processed. However, this is only for light vehicles that were being allowed to cross over
iii) Miram hills border post: 311 transactions have been processed
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9:03am
Close to home
Now on something closer to home . . .
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8:58am
Sudan unveils new cabinet as opposition leader freed
Sudan has unveiled a new cabinet to tackle an acute economic crisis, as authorities freed a senior opposition figure jailed for taking part in protests against President Omar al-Bashir's rule.
Recently appointed Prime Minister Mohamed Tahir Eila announced a 20-member cabinet tasked with solving the economic woes that triggered the protests against Bashir's administration since December.
Bashir appointed Eila as premier last month after dissolving the previous federal government in the face of the demonstrations.
Eila's cabinet is the third such government formed in less than two years, with the previous two administrations also sacked by Bashir for failing to revive the country's dilapidated economy.
Bashir on February 22 dissolved the former cabinet along with all provincial governments as he imposed a nationwide state of emergency to quell demonstrations after an initial crackdown failed to suppress the protest movement.
"We recognise the main issues, the issues of bread and oil, that need to be solved," Eila told reporters as he announced the names of his ministers.
The new cabinet, which also includes 18 ministers of state, is to be sworn in on Thursday.
Eila named veteran politician Eshaj Adam Jamaa as oil minister, while the finance portfolio was handed to Magdi Hassan Yasin.
Protests initially erupted on December 19 after a government decision to triple the price of bread, while irregular fuel supplies have been a common feature for months across the east African country.
"The economic issues need to be solved immediately as it impacts inflation and our exchange rate," said Eila.
'Food prices increase'
Sudan's inflation rate touched 44.29 percent in February, compared with 43.45 in January, the country's Central Statistics Agency said on Wednesday.
"Prices of food items like bread, milk and meat increased in February, while that of vegetables fell," the agency said in a statement.
Although the bread price rise triggered the protests, anger had mounted across the country for years over soaring inflation.
The crisis was worsened by a lack of foreign currency after the secession of the south in 2011 took away the bulk of oil earnings.
Protesters accuse Bashir's administration of mismanaging the economy, while the leader has blamed the United States for the crisis.
Washington lifted a two-decade trade embargo in October 2017, but an expected recovery has failed to materialise.
Officials say 31 people have died in the protest-related violence so far, but Human Rights Watch has put the death toll at 51 including children and medics.
The protest movement was initially spearheaded by the Sudanese Professionals Association, but soon several political parties threw their weight behind it.
On Wednesday, a Sudanese appeals court ordered the release of Mariam al-Mahdi, deputy chief of the country's main opposition National Umma Party.
She had been sentenced to jail for a week on Sunday by an emergency court after security agents arrested her while she was taking part in a march to challenge the state of emergency.
"The appeals court freed Mariam and she is now at home," her sister Rabah told AFP.
Bashir swept to power in an Islamist-backed coup in 1989 after toppling the then government of Sadiq al-Mahdi, the chief of National Umma Party and father of the two sisters.
The Islamist Popular Congress Party, a key ally of Bashir's administration, reiterated that the deaths of "martyrs" need to be investigated.
"If our judiciary does not perform its role seriously... then there could be interventions from UN Security Council and rights council and we will support their decisions," the party's general secretary Ali al-Haj told reporters.
"Violating human rights is simply unacceptable to us," he said, adding that his party was also against the state of emergency imposed by Bashir.
On Monday, Sudan's parliament approved a six-month state of emergency instead of one year as declared by Bashir.
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8:53am
France, Kenya agree on deals worth €3bn
On the first-ever visit to Kenya by a French head of state, presidents Emmanuel Macron and Uhuru Kenyatta announced a series of public-private infrastructure deals Wednesday, totalling 3 billion euros (2.65 billion euros).
Key among the contracts between French companies and the Kenyan state will be the construction of a railway line from the traffic-congested capital Nairobi to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, a trip of about 20 km (12.4 miles) that can take up to two hours by car.
After Djibouti and Ethiopia, Kenya was the third stop on the French president's East African charm offensive, during which he offered "respectful" partnerships in the face of growing regional indebtedness to China -- fast expanding its foothold in the continent.
Macron said France wants trade and commercial relationships that are "much more fair and profitable for Kenyan people," adding the best kind of investment was one that respected the receiving country's sovereignty and was "sustainable."
Not good, added the French president, were major projects undertaken in other countries "without creating jobs" and financed with long-term loans that plunge countries into irreversible debt.
The railway, Kenyatta said, "will help completely transform the lives of millions of urban workers". It should be operational by 2021.
France and Kenya are also negotiating a contract for 1.6 billion euros to improve a highway from Nairobi northwest to Mau, a busy stretch of road for passengers and freight that is among the country's deadliest.
'Respectful' partnership
Looking to strengthen economic, military, and cultural ties in East Africa, Macron on Tuesday offered "respectful partnership" to Djibouti, heavily-indebted to China for infrastructure project loans.
"I would not want international investments to weaken the sovereignty of our partners," Macron told Djibouti President Ismail Omar Guelleh.
In Ethiopia, he announced a defence agreement in which France will loan 85 million euros to Ethiopia to support the establishment of a navy for the landlocked country.
On Thursday, the French leader will attend the One Planet Summit in Nairobi on reversing climate change.
During his visit to East Africa on Tuesday, Rwanda invited Macron to attend the 25th anniversary of the country's 1994 genocide that killed some 800,000 of its citizens.
Rwandan authorities have long accused France of complicity in the massacre. Macron has not indicated whether he will attend the event on April 7 in the capital.
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8:45am
Algerian teachers, students protest against Bouteflika
Hundreds of school teachers and students protested in the Algerian capital on Wednesday amid fears that President Abdelaziz Bouteflika plans to extend his two-decade rule.
In a surprise announcement Monday, the ailing 82-year-old said he would not stand for a fifth term -- but also cancelled next month's presidential election.
After initial celebration following Bouteflika's announcement, protesters returned to the streets of the capital Tuesday, accusing the 82-year-old of "tricks".
On Wednesday, an AFP correspondent saw middle and high school teachers protesting alongside their students at a rally in central Algiers that drew more than 1,000 demonstrators.
"It's about the future of our children," said Driss, a teacher at a high school in the Algerian capital.
"It's important that we teachers mobilise," he said after taking a selfie with some of his students.
The protesters carried signs saying: "No to the extension of a fourth term!" and "Times have changed: we are the power and you are despair so get out."
Schools in Algeria have been hit by a partial strike in recent days as protests have repeatedly rocked the capital and other major cities.
On Wednesday teachers took part in rallies across Algeria's 48 provinces, Idir Achour, a member of a school union, told AFP.
The veteran leader's promise of a "national conference" to carry out reforms and set a date for new elections "before the end of 2019" suggested he may stay in office for another year.
Bouteflika in 'good' health
University students have been at the forefront of the protest movement, in a country where half the population is under the age of 30 and many have never known any president other than Bouteflika.
Protest strikes first launched on Sunday continued to grip several regions, including Tizi Ouzou, Bouira and Kabylie, local officials said.
In Bouria "everything is shut down" including shops and public transport, one of them said.
The port of Bejaia, one of the country's main harbours, is "paralysed" and a strike at the Naftal company which distributes fuel and petrol was slowing down work at gas stations, a local journalist said.
The authorities have sought to tamp down suspicions of a ploy for Bouteflika to cling to power, with new deputy prime minister Ramtane Lamamra insisting the national conference should happen "as soon as possible".
"The absolute priority is to reunite the Algerians and allow them to go together towards a better future," Lamamra told state radio Wednesday.
"It's not about staying in power for a few weeks or a few months more."
Lakhdar Brahimi, a veteran diplomat and former UN envoy for Syria, on Wednesday denied having been appointed as head of the proposed conference, in remarks on state television.
"It is not true. I am not looking for a posting... but this is my country. I cannot say no (if asked to serve) but I would prefer if they find a man or a woman better than me" for the job, he said.
Brahimi's name came to the forefront after he paid a visit Monday to Bouteflika, following the president's return from Switzerland where he spent two weeks at a hospital for medical checks.
He said that Bouteflika, who uses a wheelchair and has rarely appeared in public since suffering a stroke in 2013, was in fairly good health.
"His voice is weak and he cannot give a speech in public or on television but he has regained one hundred percent his intellectual faculties," he said, said 85-year-old Brahimi.
He added however that Bouteflika "cannot move his feet" but "moves his hands".
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8:38am
Guinea-Bissau's ruling party wins parliamentary vote
Guinea-Bissau's PAIGC spokesman Joao Bernardo Vieira II
Guinea-Bissau's historic ruling party appeared well placed to form a coalition government Wednesday after winning weekend elections in a result likely to perpetuate its long-running standoff with President Mario Vaz.
In announcing provisional results, the National Election Commission said the African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde (PAIGC) had secured 47 of parliament's 102 seats after winning 46.1 percent of the vote.
But the result was just short of an outright majority, leaving the party dependent on smaller factions to build a coalition.
And the result could well plunge this poor, volatile West African state into a new round of confrontation between PAIGC and Vaz, analysts warned.
Another 48 seats were taken by two opposition parties, with the final seven seats won by factions who on Tuesday agreed to back a PAIGC-led government.
The announcement sparked jubilant celebrations at PAIGC's headquarters where chanting supporters banged drums and saucepans, and cars honked their horns.
"So far there has been no challenge," said election chief Pedro Sambu, who said turnout in Sunday's legislative ballot stood at more than 84 percent.
The one-time Marxist party has run this tiny state of two million people for most of the 45 years since independence from Portugal.
Long crisis
Sunday's vote aimed to draw a line under a crisis that erupted in August 2015 when Vaz sacked his prime minister Domingos Simoes Pereira, who heads PAIGC.
Vaz, who also came from the same party, then appointed a string of prime ministers but none garnered sufficient support to achieve a majority in parliament.
Parliamentary work was snarled for two years -- sparking frequent strikes by civil servants who went unpaid because of delays in approving the budget.
In April 2018, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) brokered a deal which led to the installation of consensus premier Aristide Gomes, allowing parliament to resume its work.
Gomes was given the caretaker role of preparing for fresh legislative polls, which eventually took place on March 10 after a string of largely technical delays.
The new coalition lineup will play a key role in choosing the next prime minister.
That is likely to hand the role of kingmaker to Nuno Gomes Nabiam, who heads the five-seat APU-PDGB which has agreed to back a PAIGC-led government.
Nabiam ran against Vaz in the 2014 presidential elections but was beaten in the second round.
Vaz's five-year term ends on June 23.
Powerful opposition
That leaves two parties in opposition -- the Madem-G15, led by PAIGC rebels, which picked up 27 seats, and the Party for Social Renovation (PRS), which won 21 seats and is reputedly close to part of the military hierarchy.
Ahead of the vote, the two parties concluded their own pact, meaning they could constitute a powerful opposition of 48 MPs.
The outcome of the election may confirm fears that gridlock may flare again, say commentators.
"Nothing suggests that these elections will make it possible to resolve the problems undermining the country," UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres had warned ahead of the vote.
He pointed to the option of a future revision of the constitution to clarify the roles of president and prime minister, both of whom wield executive power.
Coups and cocaine
Wedged between Senegal and Guinea on Africa's west coast, Guinea-Bissau has a notorious reputation for volatility.
It has seen 16 coup attempts since independence, four of which have been successful.
International sanctions remain in place since 2012 after the last violent seizure of power.
The country's porous coastline and chronic instability have made it a target for Latin American drug lords trafficking cocaine to Europe, implicating members of the elite.
During Sunday's vote, police in the capital Bissau said they had found nearly 800 kilogrammes (1,700 pounds) of cocaine in a Senegal-registered truck, the biggest drugs haul in a decade.
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8:32am
Eight killed, 37 rescued, in Lagos building collapse
Rescuers on Wednesday recovered eight bodies and rescued 37 people alive from the wreckage of a collapsed four-storey building in the Nigeria's economic capital Lagos.
Children had been attending an "illegal school" inside the residential building when the structure collapsed, officials said.
"Thirty-seven people were rescued alive and eight were recovered dead," Ibrahim Farinloye of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) said in a statement.
Earlier officials said dozens of children were trapped inside the building which collapsed mid-morning in an area near Itafaji market on Lagos Island.
In chaotic scenes, panicked parents, local residents and shocked onlookers rushed to the area as police, firemen and medics staged a massive rescue operation.
Blood and dust
A young man helping rescue efforts who gave his name only as Derin said "at least 10 children" were trapped inside but "thought to be alive".
An AFP reporter at the scene saw at least eight people pulled from the wreckage, including a small boy with blood on his face.
Covered in dust, he was alive but unconscious and appeared to be badly hurt.
One local resident who witnessed the moment of collapse said there was no warning.
"We were smoking outside when the building just collapsed," Olamide Nuzbah told AFP in pidgin English.
Distraught parents
As rescuers worked furiously to reach those inside, distraught parents begged them to find their children.
"Please, save my child, save my child!" wept one traumatised mother whose seven-year-old daughter was trapped inside, as people tried to console her.
School bags, toys and clothes could be seen among the piles of rubble as a bulldozer tried to clear a path through some of the wreckage to help the rescue efforts.
Hundreds of local residents tried to help, passing water and helmets through to dust-covered rescuers working tirelessly to sift through the rubble, some of whom appeared to be distressed.
Many locals told AFP that the building, which was in an advanced state of disrepair, had been "earmarked" for demolition by the authorities in Lagos state.
"It is a residential building that was actually accommodating an illegal school," said Ambode, the state governor, confirming that most buildings in the area had been marked for demolition but saying some landlords had defied the move.
"We get resistance from landlords but we must continue to save lives," he said, pledging to step up measures against all structures that failed to meet the correct standards, saying they would be "quickly evacuated" and demolished.
Lagos, which has a population of 20 million people, is made up of a collection of islands.
One of them is Lagos Island, a densely-populated area which is one of the city's oldest neighbourhoods.
It is characterised by its Afro-Brazilian architecture, a style brought over by thousands of freed slaves who headed back home after decades working the plantations in Brazil.
Tragically common
Despite efforts to renovate the area, a large number of abandoned buildings have been taken over by families or businesses, despite being dilapidated and unsafe.
Building collapses are tragically common in Nigeria, where building regulations are routinely flouted.
In September 2014, 116 people died -- 84 of them South Africans -- when a six-storey building collapsed in Lagos where a celebrity televangelist was preaching.
An inquiry found it had structural flaws and had been built illegally.
And two years later, at least 60 people were killed when the roof collapsed at a church in Uyo, the capital of Akwa Ibom state, in the east of the country.
#UgandaToday
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8:30am
Around the continent
A look at what's going on around the continent.
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8:20am
Today's Ras toon
The United Nation's advisory committee has endorsed the relocation of its Regional Service Centre from Entebbe to Nairobi, Kenya.
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8:16am
Today's motivational quote
Feeling a bit uninspired today? Woke up on the wrong side of the bed? Or are you struggling to climb out of it for that matter? How about some stretches - iron up some cramped up limbs, huh?
Today's dose of motivation should sure spring you up:
"Physical fitness is not only one of the most important keys to a healthy body, it is the basis of dynamic and creative intellectual activity." - John F. Kennedy
#UgandaToday
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8:05am
Good morning!
It's the 14th day of March and what glorious sunshine we have upon us today! On this day last month, love enveloped the air as couples re-expressed their love to each other on Valentine's Day. Hope that lovey-dovey spirit is still alive.
Well then, let's see how this 14th day of this month goes.
One thing for sure is that the spirits are high in the Uganda Cranes camp as Sebastien Desabre and co prepare to face Tanzania in their final AFCON 2019 qualification round match in Dar-es-Salaam.
Need I remind you that the Cranes have been flawless so far? They are unbeaten, have kept a clean sheet intact and most importantly, have already qualified for the finals. Come on you boys!
