society

WE’VE ENSURED SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN BUILDING COLLAPSE – LASG …Identifies 149 Distressed Buildings, Demolishes 40

Published

5 years ago

April 30, 2018

The Lagos State Government on Monday said it was gratifying to report significant reduction in occurrences of building collapse across the State, revealing that a total of149 distressed buildings were indentified at different locations out of which 40 have so far been demolished in the last one year.

Speaking at the annual Ministerial Press Briefing to mark the third year anniversary of Governor Akinwunmi Ambode’s administration held at the Bagauda Kaltho Press Centre in Alausa, Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Mr Rotimi Ogunleye said another 38 distressed buildings have equally been earmarked for removal in the next phase, while others would follow suit.

Ogunleye, who reiterated the commitment of the present administration to go all out against any form of illegal developments and contraventions, said in the last one year, removal was effected on structures illegally built on setbacks, drainage channels and incompatible uses which resulted in public complaint and disaffection.

“It gives me satisfaction to report that during the year under review, the State recorded a significant reduction in building collapse. This was achieved through collaboration with stakeholders as well as intensive Post-Construction Audit of buildings by the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA).

“In a systematic approach to curtail occurrences of building collapse, 149 distressed buildings were identified at different locations out of which 40 of such have been removed, while the next phase of 38 of the structurally defective structures have been earmarked for removal. Others would follow suit to safeguard lives and property,” Ogunleye said.

Giving details on how the distressed buildings were discovered, the Commissioner said the Ministry embarked on intensive audit through the Lagos State Material Testing Laboratory, and in the process, visited the 57 Local Governments and Local Council Development Areas of the State to inspect both on-going construction sites and completed buildings suspected to be distressed.

“Consequently, 1,842 sites were visited; 1,392 Test Advice Notices were served and information on buildings identified as distressed were forwarded to LASBCA,” Ogunleye said.

On compensation of owners of structures which were demolished for developmental projects, Ogunleye said it was indeed instructive that as part of the inclusive governance model of the present administration, both property owners with Certificate of Occupancy and other documents, as well as those without such but with prove of ownership, have been compensated and still being considered.

“The administration of Governor Ambode has been benevolent in dealing with owners and developers whose structures were affected by the construction of roads and other forms of infrastructural development.

“There have been instances where the government even approved compensation for people whose only proof of ownership were pictures taken in front of the structures because the Governor does not want to subject the people to inconveniences as a result of the removal of their structures for public projects,” Ogunleye said.

He said following detailed inventory, enumeration, evaluation exercises and analysis of submitted documents, work had reached advanced stage to compensate house owners whose structures were demolished for construction of Orile/Badagry road expansion, Agric-Ishawo Road in Ikorodu, Epe Road expansion project, Murtala Muhammed International Airport Road, Free Trade Zone Resettlement Land and Adiyan Waterworks Phase II, among others.

On other activities of the Ministry, Ogunleye said eight Master and Model City plans have so far been developed for Lekki, Badagry, Ikoyi-Victoria Island, Ikeja, Alimosho, Mainland Central, Apapa and Agege-Ifako, while additional four to be ready in second quarter of 2018 were being prepared for Epe, Ikorodu, Oshodi-Isolo and Revised Ikeja Model City Plan, as well as in Kosofe.

He said from April 2017 to March 14, 2018, a total of 2,023 planning permit applications were received with 1,237 approved and others at various stages of processing, while due to adoption of technology to fast-track the process through the Electronic Planning Permit (e-pp) Platform, applicants can now have their permits within ten days.

He said in order to clear backlog of applications and to encourage regularization of developments without permit, the State Government has also granted six months amnesty starting from March 1 to August 31, 2018, advising property owners to fully utilize the opportunity.

On the relocation of Okobaba Sawmill in Ebute-Metta to modern Sawmill at Timberville, Agbowa in Ikosi Ejirin LCDA, Ogunleye said the project was now ready for operational take-off save for provision of additional transformers and link road, adding that government was currently working with relevant stakeholders on modalities of movement of their equipment to the new site.

He added that the relocation of Mile 12 Market to Imota was taking longer than projected due to topography challenges and expansion of the scope of the project to accommodate other markets, assuring that it would however be completed by the second quarter of 2018.

On Katangowa ICT Park, Ogunleye said the project would commence with upgrading of roads to the site, adding that the project would remove the chaos currently associated with Computer Village, Ikeja.

“When ready, the project would be the biggest ICT Park in West Africa and will offer 4,000 shops, exhibition halls, hotel, industrial park, warehouses, keeklamps, helipad, malls, banking halls, parking lots, conference centre, food courts, security and power, among others,” he said.

society

2023 general* elections is a shame, a nationaldisgrace – Dr Akinyemi Bolaji

Published

2 days ago

March 19, 2023

Sahara Weekly

***2023 general* elections is a shame, a national disgrace - Dr Akinyemi Bolaji**

By Ifeoma Ikem

The recent 2023 presidential and governorship general elections have been described as very shameful and disgraceful to a country like Nigeria!

The convener Apostolic Round Table (ART), Dr Bolaji Akinyemi, who made the assertion in an online interview with the Sahara weekly correspondent on Sunday said the elections were marred by violence experienced across the nation.

“I am deeply pained by the event leading to the general elections in Nigeria, the level of violence that we witnessed!

“My pain is not on those who are not believers but those who are in Christ and join in perpetrating this level of ignorance of bigotry!

Akinyemi said that the outstanding scripture when he first got born again was the teaching of Apostle Paul in Ephesians 2 from verse 11 which talked about the oneness that we have in Christ!

“This one new man was lost in the church! We saw Yoruba Christians and igbo Christians divided along the line of unbelievable political hatred!

“Whatever resurrected the enmity that Christ slew I cannot explain!
Whatever took over our minds to fail to understand that we were made to be one in Christ is unexplainable!

“I saw sons and daughters of God calling each other unprintable names in the name of politics!

“I remember when I first got saved and went to join a church verse 19 of that scripture was sang as a song which is always emotional whenever it is being sang”!

Akinyemi said that he saw Nigerian citizens and saints who took back strange identities and failed to see what God needed to do through the oneness of the church in Nigeria!

“I can only pray that God will bring them to the understanding that a child of God is beyond politics! It is all about the kingdom of God.
All the same, we still have steps to take to bring about healing and champion oneness that is needed at this time for nation building, he therefore advice all Nigerians to look out for ATS- After The Storm.

“I presume democracy supposed to be free, fair, and transparent but it is the other way round and when elections are not fair, open, and transparent, it is disenfranchising and shatters citizens’ faith for nation building.

society

Police Officers Lament Over Unpaid salary Arrears,6 Years After Promotion

Published

2 days ago

March 19, 2023

Sahara Weekly

Police Officers Lament Over Unpaid salary Arrears,6 Years After Promotion

By Ifeoma Ikem

EXCLUSIVE: Some Junior officers of the Nigerian Police are lamenting over the inhumane and unfair treatment meted out to them that got promoted since 2017 from Sergeant to Inspector ranks without paid arrears.

They claimed that they are yet to receive their arrears while some of their mates were selected and paid.

Some of these selected officers earlier received thirty eight thousand naira as part payment and later on, another over hundred thousand within one month while many of them have not received any thing.

One of the officers affected(nameheld) told our correspondent that they were confused because some of them confirmed that they have gotten their arrears while majority of us had received nothing .

“We cannot continue like this, we are dying seriously, some officers who were promoted died due to health challenges while waiting to get the arrears to support their medication.

“Our salary is poor, with the hardship across the nation what we get at the end of month is not enough to take care of the family”.

According to another source, ‘some of us have contacted IPPIS which is in charge for the arrears both in Abuja and Lagos yet it has not resulted to anything good.

“In fact sometimes, when you call IPPIS no-one will pick your calls for the money we are supposed to benefit from while serving our Father’s land: We are tired of the whole process and situations”, he added.

The officers added that presently they don’t know what to do over the arrears as the authorities claimed that no body is having issues with arrears.

“So now we no longer know who is lying or who will answer us, this is our rights, everyone of us has a family to care of, we go to work everyday without pay”.

They said that sometime in January 2023, there was a circular on committee set up for any complaints on the above subject with the chairman as DCP Umar M. Hadeji.

They were also referred to the complaints unit for police account and budget office with a mandate to find a lasting solution but till date nothing has been done.

society

NAUB Holds Send-Off Dinner in Honour of Former Pro-Chancellor, Exiting Principal Staff

Published

2 days ago

March 19, 2023

Sahara Weekly

NAUB Holds Send-Off Dinner in Honour of Former Pro-Chancellor, Exiting Principal Staff

The Nigerian Army University Biu organized a send-off dinner in honour of the former Pro-Chancellor and Chairman University Governing Council Lt Gen TY Buratai (Rtd) along with exiting principal staff officers who have served the university in different capacities.
The Vice Chancellor of the university Prof Kyari Mohammed in his opening remarks said that the event was put together to “honour the honourables”, describing the honourees as distinguished Nigerians who have served the University and are still contributing their quota to the progress of the nation at large.

The Vice Chancellor went on to eulogise Lt Gen TY Buratai (Rtd) the shining star from Biu who is now a household name across the nation. “We are honouring him for establishing a model university among many other very commendable achievements” Prof Mohammed said. Indeed, it is common sentiment that the former Pro-Chancellor of the University and out gone Chief of Army Staff deserves every adulation and recognition given to him for the mammoth impressions and legacies he has etched in the minds and hearts of many.

The Vice Chancellor also described the exiting Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic) Professor Fatima Jafar Tahir as an uncommon kind of woman who has served the university from its early times. He disclosed that even at the time when the university underwent a turbulent patch, Prof Tahir rose to the occasion as the University Ag Vice Chancellor and steadied the ship. While commenting on her recent appointment as the Vice Chancellor of Bauchi State University Gadau, Prof Mohammed with a confident demeanour attested to her capacity to deliver as she is a more than capable hand.

The Vice Chancellor went on to describe the exiting Deputy Vice Chancellor (Administration) Prof Lawan Bala Buratai as an incredibly supportive hand to the university management. He added that Prof Buratai never shy away from responsibilities and has being an effective “filler” in the university.
Prof Mohammed also applauded the tremendous efforts of the exiting University Registrar Maj General SS Ibrahim and the exiting Director of Academic Planning Brig Gen PC Obilor in the just concluded accreditation exercise. The university underwent accreditation for over 30 courses and after a thorough and rigorous process, all courses submitted were given accreditation. In fact, at least 28 courses received full accreditation by the National Universities Commission (NUC). This is a feat never seen before in the history of accreditations in the country.

Earlier in his welcome address the Chairman Organizing committee Maj Gen MM Bunza appreciated the Special Guest of Honour HRH, Emir of Biu Alh Dr Mustapha Umar Mustapha II con and all invited guests for honouring the invitation. Maj Gen Bunza went on to appreciate the Emir for his fatherly advice, hospitality and commitment to the peace enjoyed in Biu and its environs.
Gen Bunza said, the University is also blessed with serene learning environment, guaranteed security as well as outstanding place of character moulding, these led to a continuous rise in enrolment rate of perspective candidates that desire to study in the university.

Speaking on behalf of the honourees Prof Tahir expressed gratitude to the University management for the honour. She attested that starting a new university an easy task, but they drew inspiration from the founding father of the university Lt Gen TY Buratai. Prof Tahir added that they are willing and open to serve the university in whatever capacity in the future.
Highlights of the event include presentation of award to the honourees, dinner, and group photographs.