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Datkem plaza: Saving lives is not politics By Yemi Oke

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CSOs Petition Senate, Accuse Gbenga Daniel Of Plot To Destabilize Ogun State

Datkem plaza: Saving lives is not politics

By Yemi Oke

 

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Because Nigeria is a clime where almost everything is given a political coloration, the partial demolition of Datkem Plaza, Ijebu Ode, a structure owned by Mrs Olufunke Daniel, the wife of an ex-governor of the state and the senator representing Ogun Central in the National Assembly, Gbenga Daniel, was always going to be seen by many through the lens of politics.

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They have been conditioned by experience to see things through that lens. However, it is crucially important to go beyond politics in unraveling the present development. This is because a careful consideration of the facts of the case will show that the demolition is about law and order and public safety, and nothing more. There is no way a partial demolition that took place after more than 12 months of unheeded warnings can be seen as playing politics simply because those contravening the law are highly placed political persons. Indeed, it is absurd to see ordinary citizens who have suffered such fate as fully deserving of it and politically exposed persons as not. The idea of citizens potentially suffering as a result of the actions of highly placed individuals in the society organizing pity parties for them (highly placed people) after they have serially broken the law is not only absurd; it in fact amounts to self-abnegation.

 

Datkem plaza: Saving lives is not politics
By Yemi Oke

 

 

 

It is an open secret that the collapse of buildings has claimed thousands of lives and caused incalculable damage over the years. In April this year, a seven-storey building collapsed in the Banana Island area of Lagos, with workers trapped under the rubble. There is no way Nigerians are going to forget the November 1, 2021 tragic episode in which a 21-storey building being developed by Fourscore Homes collapsed in the Ikoyi axis of the state. The gory incident claimed 46 lives, including that of Femi Osibona, the owner of Fourscore Homes, while 15 others were rescued. In February 2022, a three-storey building collapsed in the Onike area of Yaba, leading to several casualties. In May of the same year, the collapse of a three-storey building in the Ebute-Meta axis of the state claimed at least eight lives, while in September 2022, a seven-storey uncompleted building collapsed at Oba Idowu Oniru street, Lekki. There have been many such incidents across the country.

 

 

Indeed, in January this year, the Building Collapse Prevention Guild indicated that over 271 buildings collapsed in the last 10 years, while at least 531 persons have died as the menace of crumbling structures continues to plague Nigeria’s building industry. The incidents were linked with professional ineptitude. The houses collapsed because of excessive loading, the use of substandard materials, faulty design, poor workmanship and weak foundation. The most tragic of the incidents was the collapse of a part of a multiple-storey building inside the Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN), which left more than 80 worshipers dead, while several others were critically injured. One can go on and on, but the point is that the collapse of buildings is a potent threat to life and property that no reasonable government can afford to ignore because of personal friendship/relationship with people.

What are the facts of the present case? As revealed by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development, Engr. Olayiwola Abiodun, Datkem Plaza, located in Ijebu Ode, is an illegal structure whose developers ignored all the efforts made by the state government to halt further development on the site. A commercial building of Datkem’s status must have a parking space to accommodate vehicular traffic within and outside the facility for workers and visitors. It must have stage certification, which is usually issued at every stage of construction. But the building did not, and the owners were served abatement, contravention, stop work and demolition notices between May and October 2022, which they ignored with relish.

Datkem Enterprises Limited submitted an application for an office building, located along Ibadan Road, Ijebu Ode in 2009 with registration number CB/05/299/2009, with a proposal was for five floors with airspace of 3 metres at the right, 5m at the left, 5metres at the rear and a setback of 32.5516 metres to the middle of Ijebu Ode/Ibadan road, Ijebu-Ode. However, the construction on site did not conform with the plan granted as there was a deviation from the airspaces and setback. That was not all: the building was enlarged with an additional storey building at the back, leading to over density. The government gave a contravention notice with serial no. 0106983 on May 24, 2022, and a stop work order with serial no. 000623 on May 24, 2022. Both were ignored, and so the government issued another stop work order with serial no. 001065 on July 22, 2022.

 

If the government stopped here, it would have been enough, but it actually went ahead to issue yet another demolition notice with serial no. 0007549 on October 11, 2022, while a notice to seal with serial no. 000815 was issued on October 4, 2022. Worst still, the re-sealing of the site on August, 1 this year did not stop work on the site. The developer wrote an appeal for unsealing, which was considered in order to evacuate the belongings on the premises and thereafter, quit notice with serial no. 0030750 was served on 31st august, 2023. Just where did the Ogun State government, which went over backwards to treat the developers with courtesy, go wrong in this matter?

In this country, developers routinely circumvent the law in erecting buildings and the cost of contravention is huge. If, on completion, Datkem plaza had collapsed and claimed many precious lives, the same people complaining now would have taken the Ogun State Government to the cleaners, blaming it for failing to act to save lives because of the status of its owners. The time has come for us to determine what we really want in this country. It is a fact that over the years, many buildings have collapsed because some people believed that they knew the people in government and could circumvent due process. A government cannot afford to play politics with the lives of the people. A structure such as Datkem must have structural integrity, escape routes and safety nets. Surely, Senator Daniel, an engineer himself, knows that. The owners of Datkem cannot produce any evidence of government approval in their possession simply because there is none. The Ogun State government merely acted to save lives.

Yemi Oke wrote this through yemioke@gmail.com

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ASR AFRICA BEGINS THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE ABDUL SAMAD RABIU CLASSROOM BLOCKS FOR THE UNIVERSITY OF UYO UNDER ITS TERTIARY EDUCATION GRANTS SCHEME

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ASR AFRICA BEGINS THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE ABDUL SAMAD RABIU CLASSROOM BLOCKS FOR THE UNIVERSITY OF UYO UNDER ITS TERTIARY EDUCATION GRANTS SCHEME

 

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Uyo, May 9th, 2024

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sahara Weekly Reports That The Abdul Samad Rabiu Africa Initiative (ASR Africa) has commenced the construction of four classroom blocks for the University of Uyo in Akwa Ibom State with a groundbreaking held on the university campus today. This donation forms part of a grant given to the University of Uyo through the ASR Africa Tertiary Education Grants Scheme, which was drawn from ASR Africa’s US$100 million Fund for Social Development and Renewal.

 

 

 

 

ASR AFRICA BEGINS THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE ABDUL SAMAD RABIU CLASSROOM BLOCKS FOR THE UNIVERSITY OF UYO UNDER ITS TERTIARY EDUCATION GRANTS SCHEME

 

 

 

 

 

The Vice Chancellor of the University, Prof. Nyaudoh U. Ndaeyo, expressed his gratitude to ASR Africa for considering the University of Uyo as a worthy beneficiary of the Tertiary Education Grant Scheme. He emphasised that constructing these classroom blocks was a top priority for the university and requested that the project be completed quickly so that the institution could start using it. He also appreciated the Chairman of ASR Africa, Abdul Samad Rabiu, for his various interventions in tertiary institutions in the country.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dr. Ubon Udoh, MD CEO of ASR Africa, whilst giving his remarks, applauded the management of the University of Uyo for their support project so far. He also reiterated the commitment of the founder and Chairman of ASR Africa, Abdul Samad Rabiu, to supporting quality education within the tertiary education system in Nigeria and Africa. He further urged the students to make good use of the new facility when it is completed.

 

 

 

 

ASR AFRICA BEGINS THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE ABDUL SAMAD RABIU CLASSROOM BLOCKS FOR THE UNIVERSITY OF UYO UNDER ITS TERTIARY EDUCATION GRANTS SCHEME

 

 

 

 

 

So far, over 27 public and private Nigerian universities and institutions of higher learning have benefitted from the ASR Africa Tertiary Education Grants, including the University of Maiduguri, Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, the University of Ilorin, the University of Benin, and the University of Ibadan; Adamawa State University, University of Jos, Federal University of Technology, Minna amongst others.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

About ASR Africa

ASR Africa is the brainchild of the African Industrialist, Philanthropist, and Chairman of BUA Group, Abdul Samad Rabiu. The Abdul Samad Rabiu Africa Initiative (ASR Africa) was established in 2021 to provide sustainable, impact-based, homegrown solutions to developmental issues affecting Health, Education and Social Development within Africa.

 

 

 

 

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More Taxes, Economic Hardship Fulfills Primate Ayodele’s Prophecy On Tinubu’s Government

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*More Taxes, Economic Hardship Fulfills Primate Ayodele’s Prophecy On Tinubu’s Government

 

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For almost one year, Nigerians have been made to go through palpable mayhem in the sectors that should drive the nation into bountifulness. Most especially, the economy and security sectors have maintained a constant downtime, leading to an unprecedented perilous season for the citizens of the once-lively nation.

 

 

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More Taxes, Economic Hardship Fulfills Primate Ayodele’s Prophecy On Tinubu’s Government

The predicament of the country cannot be separated from the current leadership; the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led administration cannot be exonerated from the country’s current state because the policies of the government are the major factors responsible for hardship.

Although President Tinubu’s mantra was ‘Renewed hope’ , many quarters of the country have simply exuded hopelessness in the last one year; an administration that raised the hopes of its citizens and promised to make life enjoyable didn’t waste time before inflicting pains on innocent electorates.

The beginning of Nigeria’s renewed woes was the first declaration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at his swearing-in ceremony that ‘Subsidy is gone’. Barely 24 hours after the President’s statement, the price of petrol increased from N189/Litre to N557, the highest in the history of Africa’s largest oil producer.

While many couldn’t see more to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu than meets the eye during the campaigns, a distinguished Nigerian prophet, Primate Ayodele already X-rayed through his prophetic lens what would become of the APC government if Nigerians voted for the party.

Several Nigerians banked on the renewed hope mantra of President Tinubu but Primate Ayodele was that fearless voice warning Nigerians against voting for Tinubu or the All Progressive Congress (APC) because it would be a government of hardship for the country.

Some of his warnings were hinged on the state of Nigeria’s economy and security. In viral videos, he was heard saying voting for President Tinubu would lead Nigeria into a dungeon. In follow-up prophecies, He prophesied that Dollar will be sold for N1,500, fuel will be sold for N800/Litre, a bag of rice will be sold for N6500, to mention a few.

‘’ I’m not saying anyone should not insult me, I am not scared of any human being. If Nigeria votes APC in 2023, things will be tougher. We will see human beings and want to eat them like food. This is how God told me. I am not saying you should not criticize me or say anything against me even as an APC member, I warned you in 2015 too. You want to vote for lies in 2023, if you vote for the party that has a broom as their symbol, I pity churches. I am not against anybody and I don’t vote, Nigeria will be tough. If you vote and Tinubu enters, there will be serious problems.’’

‘’If Nigerians vote for APC in 2023, the country will sink, we will swim in poverty, and the economy will be in shambles. If APC wins, Nigeria will suffer extraordinarily. We have not yet seen hardship; if APC wins, the real hardship will come. The economy will be sick.’’

As the cleric foretold, citizens are swimming in serious poverty, food items have become unaffordable for the common man, the Nigerian economy has been struggling to breathe for one year without any significant headway and in short, Nigeria has been thrown into an endless dungeon.

Moreover, suffice to say that the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led administration, just as Primate Ayodele foretold, is one that is bent on making Nigerians suffer extraordinarily. The government through the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) just recently introduced some taxes despite the current hardship faced by those who will still be required to pay the newly imposed taxes.

In a memo, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) ordered all commercial banks to impose a 0.5% levy on some electronic transactions. The fund is supposed to be transmitted to the Office of the National Security Adviser for the purpose of cyber security. The levy is imposed on the initiator of the transaction and not the receiver.

There is the stamp duty, the Nigerian Inter-Bank Settlement System (NIBSS) charge, and the Value Added Tax. This is apart from the charges imposed by banks like the maintenance fee and the SMS charges.

Meanwhile, the introduction and increment of some of these taxes were all foretold by Primate Ayodele who warned the citizens against voting for another APC government.

In his 2024 prophecies which were released in December 2023, the cleric revealed that there will be an increase in tariffs and more taxes would be introduced for Nigerians in the coming year.

‘’I foresee there will be a high cost of living as tariffs on goods and Services will be raised and taxes will be too high despite the fact that the goods are not contrabands. The spirit of God says the economy will still be very difficult to manage. The government needs to do something good for the people and seek the face of the Lord for divine direction.’’

In another video, he asserted that the government would increase stamp duty and Value added Tax (VAT).

‘’I am seeing an increase in stamp duties. The bank stamp duty will not be friendly to the people…it’s going to be a new thing that will come out. Also, increment in VAT will shut down the economy. The government must not try to increase it because it will make the economy tougher’’

@primateayodele

#centralbank #cardoso #olayemicardoso #cbn #centralbankofnigeria #banking #duties #charge #stampduties #primateayodele #iescworldwide

♬ original sound – Primate Ayodele

The prophecies of Primate Elijah Ayodele and their manifestation further explain the negligent attitude of people especially when it comes to divine revelations from the almighty God. There are no questions about Primate Ayodele’s credibility; there are proven records of over 15,000 fulfilled prophecies credited to him but the ears of the electorate have simply been deafened towards divine warnings.

Well, 2027 is by the corner and hopefully, they listen; maybe Nigeria will become a better nation that exudes hopefulness, liveliness, and wellness.

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Jumbo Emerges Rivers Assembly Speaker

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Jumbo Emerges Rivers Assembly Speaker

*Jumbo Emerges Rivers Assembly Speaker

 

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Rt. Hon. Oko Jumbo representing Bonny Constituency has emerged as the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly.

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Oko becomes the third Speaker under the current administration after Edison Ehie and Martin Amaewhule.

Details later…

 

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Jumbo Emerges Rivers Assembly Speaker

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