Pastors @ War

If you call it a holy war, you might not be far from the truth. Right now, all is not well between two popular Pentecostal churches in Nigeria. And the cause of the feud? A parcel of land.

The Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), which has Pastor E.A. Adeboye as General Overseer, and Christ Embassy, headed by Pastor Chris Oyakhilome, are involved in a big fight over a parcel of land situated along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.

The land, which the Redeemed Church claims it owns, is spread across Oloke, Asese, Maba and Gideon villages in Ogun State. RCCG says Christ Embassy has been using policemen and hoodlums to cause trouble on the land.

Authorities of the Redeemed Church are, therefore, appealing to the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. M.D. Abubakar, to use his good offices to avert an impending crisis in the villages. According to the church, a structure put up there by RCCG was earlier in the year demolished by some alleged land grabbers working for Christ Embassy.

The church noted that the appeal to the IG had become necessary so that the nation’s top cop could help resolve the matter, even as it accused the other church of deliberately employing delay tactics to frustrate the rightful owners of the land.

The crisis, it was gathered, has been on for long before reaching a head in March this year.

According to the RCCG, hoodlums, armed with dangerous weapons, (allegedly led by one Lukman Jimoh, aka Ogo Oluwa), and purportedly acting on the instructions of the Christ Embassy Church, had on March 19, this year, invaded the villages in a Volvo car and Toyota Hiace bus, destroying the headquarters of Ogun Province 8 of The Redeemed Christian Church of God under construction.

The Redeemed Church informed that the guard at the site, who reportedly escaped death by the whiskers, said the hoodlums told him to stay clear of the land, adding that the property belonged to the Christ Embassy which they were working for.

“The thugs threatened to kill me or anybody who stood in their way and boasted that nothing would happen because, according to them, they and the police have been “heavily settled,” the guard was quoted as saying.

In a petition addressed to the Inspector General of Police, the RCCG asked the IG to intervene in the case of trespass on the church land and the malicious damage to the church property.

RCCG said it had done everything within the ambit of the law to possess the land. The church said despite the fact that the land falls under the government acquisition area, the church had, in June 1999, paid ratification fees for the land to the late Alhaji Tajudeen Ogo Oluwa (Lukman’s father), who subsequently gave the church a Deed of Surrender signed by him and witnessed by one Waidi Ogunsesan (aka Damolapa).

The church said it was also given allocation of the land for 99 years by the Ogun State Government, in a letter with reference number LUD 9/LCI33/6, signed by the Director-General, Bureau of Lands and Survey, Surveyor Gbenga Ogunnoike.

Ogun State also issued a Certificate of Occupancy with the Number 025748, dated November 7, 2006 and signed by the governor, to the RCCG.

It was also gathered that, in 2004, the Redeemed Christian Church of God wrote to the Presiding Pastor of the Christ Embassy Church, Pastor Chris Oyakhilome, following a programme held by the latter on the disputed land.

The letter, signed by the Assistant General Overseer, Admin/Personnel of the RCCG, Pastor A. O. Akindele, partly reads: “It has come to our notice that your organization is inadvertently trespassing on the piece of land measuring about forty acres (40 acres) along Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, precisely at Oloke Area.

“We wish to inform you that this parcel of land belongs to the Redeemed Christian Church of God, and we have seized (sic) of the land for more than four years.

“We shall appreciate your prompt intervention and godly directive to one Alhaji Ogo Oluwa, who has held himself out as your agent, to desist forthwith in continuing with the trespass.”

The RCCG, it was learnt, also went ahead to solicit the help of officials of the Ogun State Government who invited the two parties with a view to settling the dispute. At the meeting, presided over by the then Director General, Bureau of Lands and Survey, Mr. Gbenga Ogunnoike and held at the Bureau’s office at Oke Ilewo, Abeokuta, the state government affirmed that the Redeemed Christian Church of God which has the duly issued Certificate of Occupancy of the land, is the rightful owner. The meeting also warned the Christ Embassy from further trespassing on the land.

But the Redeemed Church said it was shocked that in spite of the resolution, the Christ Embassy Church and its agents still went ahead to demolish the structure put up on the land, which prompted the church to write to the Inspector General.

The IG, it was learnt, directed the Eleweran Police headquarters in Ogun State to quickly resolve the matter. But RCCG said nothing tangible has been achieved since. According to the church, the hoodlums, who boasted that nothing would come out of the matter, were already being proved right.

“Meanwhile, the hoodlums are still occupying the land and they keep threatening the other owner families of other plots of land who are ready to act as witnesses for the church,” the RCCG noted.

Attempts by our correspondent to reach Christ Embassy officials were unfruitful

DJ Switch wins X- Factor

DJ Switch (X-Factor)

Obianuju Catherine Udeh aka Dj Switch is the winner of the first edition of Glo X Factor.

She was crowned the winner after the finale which held yesterday. Catherine won the $150,000 prize money (₦24 million), an SUV and a recording contract with SONY music.

Big congrats to her

29-year-old rapper Obianuju adopted the stage name DJ Switch because of her versatility and ability to switch from one thing to another. She is from Udi, Enugu State, and studied Geology at the University of Port Harcourt. She worked briefly with Halliburton and is now a professional DJ. She grew up in Warri, Delta State, but lives in Abuja. Her father is late and she is the last of eight children. “I have my trust in God. I believe everything happens the way it is meant to be and I am confident,” DJ Switch says, adding that she had always loved rapping,

Whizkid Nominated for Best African Act

Nigerian superstar Wizkid and dynamic duo, PSquare have been nominated for the Best African Act category alongside African acts, Mafikizolo, LCNVL and Fuse ODG. These selected acts will represent Africa at the global music celebration as announced by MTV on September 17, 2013.

Musical powerhouse and multi-talented Justin Timberlake and breakthrough artists Macklemore & Ryan Lewis lead the EMA nominations with five nods each, while always captivating superstars Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber, Miley Cyrus and Robin Thicke are each up for four awards.

News of the nominations will be revealed during the “2013 EMA Nomination Special” Hosted by Ron Burgundy (Will Ferrell), premiering on MTV at 16:40 CAT on Tuesday 17 September. The world famous “Anchorman” Ron Burgundy (star of the upcoming Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues) will deliver the news on this year’s EMA nominees in his unique and hilarious way.

Other notable EMA nominees include Lady Gaga, Miley Cyrus, Robin Thicke, Justin Bieber, Taylor Swift, Bruno Mars, Green Day, Thirty Seconds to Mars, Daft Punk, Rudimental, Icona Pop and One Direction, who are each up for three EMA nominations (with 1D’s Harry Styles also nabbing a nod for Best Look). Artists with two EMA nods include Rihanna, Katy Perry, Eminem, Jay Z, Bastille, Imagine Dragons, The Killers, Paramore, Rita Ora, Drake, Afrojack, Avicii, Calvin Harris and Iggy Azalea. MTV will announce EMA performers and presenters at a later date.

The MTV EMA – MTV’s global celebration of the hottest stars in music – recognizes artists from around the world and across genres, and brings together music fans everywhere for a one-of-a-kind experience in the weeks leading up to and at the show. Voting for EMA categories is open now until 00:59 CAT on Saturday 9 November 2013.

Once again, viewers from around the world have been engaging with the EMA digital platforms to earn points for their favorite EMA artists in the Biggest Fans category; since 30 August, their participation has helped narrow down the field to the five official nominees announced today. The more fans continue to engage with the EMA content featured on MTV’s digital platforms in the weeks leading up to the show, the more they can help boost the chances for their favorite artist to win the Biggest Fans award on November 10th.

Each year, the MTV EMA highlights incredible artists from every corner of the world with the Worldwide Act category. Fans can vote for nominated artists from their respective territory starting today, Tuesday 17 September. The local winners will receive an EMA award and also move on to the next phase of voting starting Friday 25 October and compete for the regional title. The 10 official Worldwide Act nominees from each region will then be announced on Monday 1 November, and battle for the Worldwide Act Award. The winner will be named at the show in Amsterdam.

The “2013 MTV EMA” will broadcast live on MTV (DStv Channel 130) on Sunday 10 November at 22:00 CAT from the stunning new Ziggo Dome in Amsterdam (official red carpet show starts at 21:00 CAT).

Nominees for “2013 MTV EMA” includes:

BEST SONG

Bruno Mars – “Locked Out Of Heaven”

Daft Punk – “Get Lucky” (ft. Pharrell Williams)

Macklemore & Ryan Lewis – “Thrift Shop” (ft. Wanz)

Rihanna – “Diamonds”

Robin Thicke – “Blurred Lines” (ft. T.I. & Pharrell)

BEST POP

Justin Bieber

Katy Perry

Miley Cyrus

One Direction

Taylor Swift

BEST FEMALE

Katy Perry

Lady Gaga

Miley Cyrus

Selena Gomez

Taylor Swift

BEST MALE

Bruno Mars

Eminem

Jay Z

Justin Bieber

Justin Timberlake

BEST LIVE

Beyoncé

Green Day

Justin Timberlake

P!nk

Taylor Swift

BEST NEW

Bastille

Icona Pop

Imagine Dragons

Macklemore & Ryan Lewis

Rudimental

BEST VIDEO

Justin Timberlake – “Mirrors”

Lady Gaga – “Applause”

Miley Cyrus – “Wrecking Ball”

Robin Thicke – “Blurred Lines” (ft. T.I. & Pharrell)

Thirty Seconds To Mars – “Up In The Air”

BEST AFRICAN ACT (winner goes on to compete in Worldwide Act category)

Fuse ODG

LCNVL

Mafikizolo

P-Square

Wizkid

For the full list of Worldwide Act nominees, please visit press.mtvema.com.

BEST ROCK

Black Sabbath

Green Day

Kings Of Leon

Queens Of The Stone Age

The Killers

BEST ALTERNATIVE

Arctic Monkeys

Fall Out Boy

Franz Ferdinand

Paramore

Thirty Seconds To Mars

BEST HIP HOP

Drake

Eminem

Jay Z

Kanye West

Macklemore & Ryan Lewis

BEST ELECTRONIC

Afrojack

Avicii

Calvin Harris

Daft Punk

Skrillex

BIGGEST FANS

Tokio Hotel

Thirty Seconds To Mars

One Direction

Justin Bieber

Lady Gaga

BEST LOOK (exclusively sponsored by essence)

Harry Styles

Justin Timberlake

Lady Gaga

Rihanna

Rita Ora

BEST PUSH

Karmin (October 2012)

Rudimental (November 2012)

Imagine Dragons (January 2013)

A$AP Rocky (February 2013)

Bastille (March 2013)

Austin Mahone (April 2013)

Bridgit Mendler (May 2013)

Tom Odell (June 2013)

Iggy Azalea (July 2013)

Icona Pop (August 2013)

twenty one pilots (September 2013)

BEST WORLD STAGE (WS)

Alicia Keys – WS Manchester 2012 (aired Dec. 7th)

fun. – WS Rock Am Ring 2013 (taped June 7th)

Garbage - WS Mexico 2012 (aired Dec. 21st)

Green Day – WS Rock Am Ring 2013 (taped June 9th)

Jason Mraz – WS Live In Myanmar 2012 (taped Dec. 16th)

Jessie J – WS Malta 2013 (taped 26th June)

Linkin Park – WS Mexico 2012 (aired Oct. 26th)

Macklemore & Ryan Lewis – WS Wireless 2013 (taped 13th July)

No Doubt – WS Frankfurt 2012 (aired Dec. 28th)

Paramore – WS Rock Am Ring 2013 (taped 7th June)

Rita Ora – WS Malta 2013 (taped June 26th)

Robin Thicke – WS Malaysia 2013 (taped 8th September)

Snoop Lion – WS Durban 2013 (taped May 18th)

The Black Keys – WS NY Webster City Hall 2012 (aired Oct. 12th)

The Killers – WS Big Day Out 2013 (taped Jan 18th)

The “2013 MTV EMA” will air across MTV’s global network of more than 60 channels reaching nearly 700 million households around the world as well as through syndication. In addition, its convergent programming and content will reach the entire interactive community, via MTV’s more than 200 digital media properties around the world. Bruce Gillmer and Richard Godfrey are Executive Producers for the “2013 MTV EMA”.

Please Say Yes! Peter (P-Square) finally puts a ring on it...

Peter Okoye one -half of the duo P-Square proposes to the mother of his two kids Lola Omotayo....

The Game of Porting: Whose loss, and Whose Gain?

MTN Nigeria has taken a big hit by recording 49 per cent of the overall subscribers that have switched service providers under the recently introduced Mobile Number Portability (MNP) scheme, according to figures released this week by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).

With over 114 million active phone lines in Nigeria, mobile phone subscribers now have the freedom to switch from any non-performing operator and still retain their numbers with the introduction of number porting, NCC said when the scheme was launched last April.

On the same day of number porting launch, MTN, the largest network by subscriber numbers, launched its widely celebrated “Saka Don Port” campaign.

In the controversial TV commercial, MTN used an actor popularly known as Saka, who hitherto featured in TV commercials for rival Etisalat Nigeria, to promote its number porting campaign, urging subscribers to migrate to its network.

The Saka Don Port video by MTN got rave reviews and several wannabes, including a YouTube animation, which was to further trigger mixed reactions from industry market watchers.

Figures released by NCC showed that Etisalat may have emerged the big winner in the number porting duel between the two mobile phone companies as it recorded the biggest gain of 44 per cent in the first month of porting in the country, reported Technology Times, an online ICT publication.

NCC Director of Public Affairs, Tony Ojobo, said number porting had deepened competition so far and given subscribers a choice to switch networks without losing their unique numbers, which he cited as one of the gains of the milestone 12th year of commercial roll out of GSM services in Nigeria in August 2001. Ojobo said   within the first month after the April launch of number porting, among an overall number of subscribers that switched service providers in the telecoms market, MTN topped the losers table when it recorded a 49 per cent switch to other networks in May. Globacom followed MTN by recording losses of 23 per cent; Airtel Nigeria was number three with overall losses of 17 per cent while Etisalat Nigeria came last on the losers table with 11 per cent for May figures.

culled from Thisday

Pay to Play, Pay for the Groove!

Party people get ready to start paying for the groove!, i stumbled across this article in one of the dailies,and wow! this people are not kidding, soon the tax collectors will come knock at your door with every "Owambe" you do in Lagos state, read the article by Olatoye Akinbode.

Taxation is the life-blood of the administration in Lagos state and the Lagos state government takes its life-blood very seriously indeed. Lagos generated N60 billion in internally generated revenue (IGR) in 2006. Four years later, in 2010, IGR in Lagos had more than doubled to N168 billion. Tax revenues make up the lion’s share of Lagos state’s IGR at 65% of it in 2006 and as much as 83% in 2010. This year, the state government projects that it will generate around N316.6 billion internally, 80% of which will come from taxes on Lagosians.

The growth of the state’s IGR is nothing short of phenomenal compared to the rest of the country. While Lagos currently generates about N20 billion every month, Kano struggles at N2 billion while Bayelsa generates a paltry N1 billion. Lagos state’s impressive ability to squeeze billions in taxes, rates and charges out of the pockets of its 21 million citizens is born out of necessity. Lagos received N168 billion in 2012 from the federation account (excluding derivation and excess crude payments). Akwa Ibom state on the other hand received N217 billion. The reason for this discrepancy is oil. Akwa Ibom is the largest oil producing state in Nigeria, with as many as eight oil producing local governments. When it comes down to it, Lagosians are the only abundant natural resource available to Lagos state.

Lagos has limited options if it wants to sustain and even expand its impressive year-on-year internal revenue growth. One way is to make the state’s tax collection infrastructure more robust and effective by strengthening the tax net, eliminating waste, clamping down on tax evaders and capturing more of the 4 million eligible but untaxed workers in Lagos. Of the 8 million taxable individuals in the informal sector only 2.5 million were captured in the tax net last year. Lagos state Commissioner of Economic Planning and Budget, Mr Ben Akabueze described this last week when he told the press “The intention was not to impose any hardship on the residents as the administration would not introduce new taxes or increase the tax rates, but to make more people pay their taxes ”.

A second option is to widen the tax net by identifying taxable but currently untaxed economic activity. Lagos is doing just that with the merriment tax local governments in the state are now demanding. According to Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Ademorin Kuye, “Over N1billion is spent monthly in Lagos state on entertainment and parties, we have the records to confirm this and these people, how many of them pay tax? The money goes into drinks, wine, food, aso-ebi and all of that and when they spend all of this money; they do not want to pay anything to the government…this justified the reason why local Governments demand that anyone organising events in the state must pay the Merriment Tax…. There is merriment tax in that constitution, it’s part of the rate Local Governments can collect. We have not fully utilised the benefit of the entertainment industry in this state”.

The merriment tax is provided for in the Taxes and Levies (Approved list for collection) Act of 1988, not in the constitution as erroneously stated by Mr. Kuye. The tax is already being collected by local governments in the state and is proving to be deeply unpopular with Lagosians. It is probably not politically correct to say this but Lagosians have a serious partying addiction. We do not want to pay taxes although we are perfectly happy to spend N12 billion a year on parties, champagne and aso ebi. Nigerians reportedly spent N9.4 billion in 2012 on imported champagne alone. God knows how much we spent on imported aso ebi, but I suspect it must be an equally scandalous amount. The N1 billion monthly spend on parties and entertainment in Lagos is equal to the monthly IGR of Bayelsa state. Personally, I find this to be a frightening statistic, one that does not suggest that we have the right priorities as a society.

These days, Lagos is the venue of a massive arms race, with each wedding now trying to ‘out-party’, ‘out-champagne’ and ‘out aso-ebi’ the next. If Lagosians have so much money to invest in owambe and faaji then they really shouldn’t be so upset when the state government comes for its share of the endless partying that seems to be going on. According to a recent report by Renaissance Capital (RenCap) ‘Nigeria Unveiled: Thirty Six Shades of Nigeria’, the planned rebasing of Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is expected to raise Lagos state to Africa's 13th biggest economy by 2014, equivalent to that of Ghana. As the state continues to grow it will need to continue to mine its only available natural resource. That means more money out of your pocket and more money out of mine. It’s for a good cause though and Lagosians had better get used to paying these taxes. If you don’t like it you can always relocate.

Ogun state is right next door. Eko o ni baje o!

Prophets of our time

Prophet Timothy Obadare- 83

Earlier report has it that the renowned evangelist, Prophet Timothy Obadare

died but unconfirmed . It is now confirmed that the renowned evangelist and founder of the World Soul Winning Evangelical Ministry, died in a private hospital on Thursday in Akure, at the age of 85.

An aide of the late evangelist, Pastor Michael Awe, and Chairman of Ondo State chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Bishop Joshua Ketiku, confirmed that doctors at the private hospital, where the octogenarian man of God breathed his last, pronounced him dead around 4.45pm.

Awe, who had managed the media activities of Obadare’s WOSEM for many years, said the late prophet died of old-age-related ailment.

He said, “Baba had worked tiredlessly as a general in the army of Jesus Christ. He travelled widely within and outside the country for serious and rigorous evangelical activities for many years. These definitely took a toll on his health, considering the fact that he also fasted and prayed a lot, apart from engaging in long sessions of counselling.”

Asked whether the age-long controversy between the late prophet and the Christ Apostolic Church will not affect WOSEM, Awe said, “There is no faction in the CAC. The late Prophet Obadare related well with officials of the CAC before his death, and he was a great follower of the late Apostle Ayo Babalola, founder of the CAC.”

Meanwhile, Ketiku has described the death of the late Obadare as a shock.

He said, “The news of Baba Obadare came to us as a shock. Baba lived a good life. He is happy where he is now.”

Chinua  Achebe - 82

Early Years

Chinua Achebe (fully Albert Chinualumogu Achebe) was born on November 16, 1930, in eastern Nigeria, in the Igbo town of Ogidi. After he was educated (in English) at the University of Ibadan, Achebe taught briefly before joining the Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) as director of external broadcasting (1961–1966). Just prior to joining NBC, Achebe saw his first novel published, 1958’s Things Fall Apart.

Things Fall Apart was published. It has since sold more than 12 million copies and been translated into more than 50 languages. Achebe is currently the David and Marianna Fisher University Professor and Professor of Africana Studies at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island

The groundbreaking novel centers on the cultural clash between native African culture and the traditional white culture of missionaries and the colonial government in place in Nigeria. An unflinching look at the discord, the book was a startling success and has become required reading in many schools across the world.

1960s and 1970s

The 1960s proved to be a creatively fertile period for Achebe, and he wrote the novels No Longer at Ease (1960), Arrow of God (1964) and A Man of the People (1966), all of which address the issue of traditional ways of life coming into conflict with new, often colonial, points of view. (Anthills of the Savannah [1987] took on a similar theme.) In a related endeavor, in 1967, Chinua Achebe and Christopher Okigbo, a renowned poet, cofounded a publishing company, the Citadel Press, which they intended to run as an outlet for a new kind of African-oriented children’s books. Okigbo was soon killed, however, in the Nigerian civil war. Two years later, Achebe toured the United States with Gabriel Okara and Cyprian Ekwensi, fellow writers, giving lectures at various universities. The 1960s also marked Achebe’s wedding to Christie Chinwe Okoli in 1961, and they went on to have four children.

When he returned to Nigeria from the United States, Achebe became a research fellow and later a professor of English (1976–1981) at the University of Nigeria. During this time he also served as director of two Nigerian publishing houses, Heinemann Educational Books Ltd. and Nwankwo-Ifejika Ltd.

On the writing front, the 1970s proved equally productive, and Achebe published several collections of short stories and a children’s book, How the Leopard Got His Claws (1973). Also coming out at this time were Beware, Soul-Brother (1971) and Christmas in Biafra(1973), both poetry collections, and Achebe’s first book of essays,Morning Yet on Creation Day (1975). While back in the United States in 1975, at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst Achebe gave a lecture called “An Image of Africa: Racism in Conrad's Heart of Darkness,” in which Achebe asserted that Conrad's famous novel dehumanizes Africans. The work referred to Conrad as a “thoroughgoing racist,” and, when published in essay form, it went on to become a seminal postcolonial African work.

That same year, he joined the faculty at the University of Connecticut, but he returned to the University of Nigeria in 1976.

Later Years

The year 1987 would mark the release of Achebe’s Anthills of the Savannah, which was shortlisted for the Booker McConnell Prize. The following year he published Hopes and Impediments (1988), but the 1990s began with tragedy as Achebe was in a car accident in Nigeria that left him paralyzed from the waist down and would confine him to a wheelchair for the rest of his life. Soon after, he moved to the United States and taught at Bard College, just north of New York City, where he remained for 15 years. In 2009 Achebe left Bard to join the faculty of Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island.

Chinua Achebe has won several awards over the course of his writing career, among them the Man Booker International Prize (2007) and the Dorothy and Lillian Gish Prize (2010). He has also received honorary degrees from more than 30 universities around the world.

Culled from:

http://www.biography.com/people/chinua-achebe-20617665?page=2

The Scramble for Nigeria

A fresh wave of optimism is sweeping through the Nigerian economy, as reforms in key sectors yield positive results, attracting a deluge of foreign investments

Nigeria is basking in a rare global spotlight. With all its well advertised blemishes in the form of poor infrastructure, corruption and activities of the Boko Haram insurgents, the country is now rated a new development frontier with prospects of growth that can even out pace some developed countries in the next 10 years.

With real gross domestic product, GDP, growth rate of 6.5 per cent recorded last year and seven per cent projected over the next three years, experts forecast that at this growth rate, Nigeria’s economy will double in the next 10 years. The country’s capital market, regarded as the barometer of the economy, where foreign investors account for around 70 per cent of transactions, is considered one of the world’s best performing markets, with return on investment, RoI, of over 60 per cent in dollar terms in 2012...

This was an article I stumbled upon in one of our local magazines and it got me thinking, amidst the current high level of insecurity in the country, Foreign investors still find the country attractive to do business, if this is so, it therefore translates a case where Money has no fear for the bullet ...as the popular saying Money Answers All things, looking at it from this perspective does it mean that there is a level of potential investment haven after the insecurity storm or are these Foreign Cash Magnets thriving in the turmoil that is dwelling in the country, we see lots of Foreign diplomatic gestures toward the troubled land and the urge to carve out from these barking tree in Africa....is Nigeria really a fertile ground, or a fertilized ground, the scramble for Nigeria is really a food for thought  

Ladipo Market Opens under condition

The Ladipo auto spare parts market in Mushin area of Lagos shut by the state government two weeks ago was on Monday reopened after the traders signed an agreement to abide by the state environmental laws and raise sanitary standard in the market.
The market, popular for used auto spare parts (Tokunbo) and serves Nigeria and the West African sub-region, was shut on Monday, February 25, 2013 following what government described as abuse of sanitation laws and indiscriminate dumping of refuse into drainage channels and construction of stalls on road setbacks and drainage alignments.

Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos, accompanied by Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State, visited the market last week, where Okorocha appealed on behalf of the traders on the need to reopen the market.

Yesterday, the state government finally ordered the reopening of the market after the traders agreed to certain terms spelt out in an agreement signed by Ikechukwu Animalu, president, Ladipo Central Executive Committee (LACEC); Steve Paul, secretary of Ladipo Central Executive Auto Dealers’ Association; Babatunde Adepitan, chairman, Mushin Local Government and Tunji Bello, commissioner for the environment- represented by Muyideen Akinsanya, permanent secretary, Office of Drainage Services in the ministry.

At a meeting of stakeholders held at the ministry yesterday, the following conditions were reeled out for the traders who expressed readiness to comply.

The non-conversion of the drainage right of way (RoW) to trading points and mechanic workshops; non-conversion of the access roads in the market to trading points, non-conversion of the shops in the market to residences, no dumping of wastes and vehicle parts into canal, maintaining the general cleanliness of the market environment at all times and that the Ladipo Central Executive Committee (LACEC) shall be empowered to ensure same.

Also, in response to the appeal for reopening the market by concerned stakeholders, the state government, Mushin Local Government and the traders’ association agreed on the following:

*That there shall be proper security arrangement in the market which shall be acceptable to the government and which cost shall be borne by the traders.

*That there shall be non-encroachment on the drainage right of way (RoW). The canal shall be properly fenced and no dumping of refuse into the canal.

*There shall be no illegal trading activities in and around the market environment....culled from BusinessDay

Too Many Vacant Houses....!!!

This was an article I stumbled over in one of the local dailies and thought of sharing with you., this article raise the issue of the numerous vacant accomodation in some part of Lagos state and tries to ask the reason why such is existing, in wake of well many  Nigerians still battling for good accommodation

Many beautiful houses, no tenants  by  Okwy Iroegbu-Chikezie

What could be the cause of the lingering property glut that hit Ikoyi, Victoria Island and Lekki few years ago? There are exotic houses everywhere in these areas but many remain unoccupied, years after their completion. Are they overpriced or what? Okwy Iroegbu-Chikezie asks.

Ikoyi, Victoria Island and Lekki in Lagos State are the toast of the rich and famous. Over the years, they have remained the choice areas for expatriates and the rich to live and play. Yes, the rich wish to live in these areas but most properties there now carry the “to-let” or “for sale” tag. And the tag has been on them for months or years.

The properties are exquisitely and tastefully finished with top-of-the range infrastructure and services yet, they have not attracted tenants. Usually, the properties come with well-cut lawns, fitted kitchens, fitted bedrooms, gym, lawn tennis court, table tennis, 24-hour electricity, and bar, among others. The flats, detached duplexes and town  houses do not come cheap. For instance,  a three-bedroom  luxury serviced apartment on Banana Island costs $60,000 per annum; a detached duplex goes for $75,000 per annum, a five-bedroom, with a single room boy’s quarter  in  Victoria Garden City (VGC) goes for N70 million. On Victoria Island, such luxury flats go for  between $40,000 and $50,000 per annum.

Although developers have improved on services and provided top-of-the-range facilities to woo tenants, there have not made impression on tenants. Government also considers these areas with the provision of competitive infrastructure, such as high quality roads exemplified by the soon-to-be commissioned Lekki/Ikoyi bridge, mini-water works, and recreational services, among others.

In an interview with The Nation, former National Publicity Secretary of the Nigerian Institute  of  Estate Surveyors & Valuers (NIESV) Mr Sam Ukpong said the glut is an interplay of demand and supply. He said many houses have been supplied to the market without effective demand. He said when the Federal Government sold its properties some years ago, in Ikoyi, most of them had large expanses of  land with single occupants, which its new buyers converted to storey buildings for multiple prospective tenants.

He said: “ The challenge here is the demand for the properties is not as high as supply – leading to a glut. Besides, the disposal incomes of people  and even companies have shrunk to unimaginable levels.  The developers of these houses, most times, lack construction knowledge or trends in housing development and build what will not easily be taken up by tenants.”

Ukpong cited an example of people building houses that cost $60,000 per annum. He wondered how a young graduate would be able to rent such an apartment.

He said what some people are doing now is to sustain their daily living on an average income and not necessarily live above their means.

The former NIESV spokesperson also said some developers build wrongly by either not having a kitchen or sitting room big enough for tenants’  needs. So, although people inspect such buildings but they are not usually satisfied with them.

The Chairman, Nigeria Institute of Estate Surveyors & Valuers (NIESV) Lagos branch, Mr. Shola Fatoki, said the  property glut is a mirror of the downturn in the economy.

This, he said, could be seen in the movement of some residents from the upscale areas to places such as Gbagada and Ilupeju while the former residents of those middle class abode have since relocated to Ogba, Agege and Mowe/Ibafo in Ogun State. He called on President Goodluck Jonathan and his economic team to move fast in tackling the problems of the economy.

He stressed that except the government tackled issues relating to  land acquisition, mortgage, land speculators, family land holding, funding and cost of labour, Nigerians would always find it difficult to rent available  houses  due to paucity of funds and,  by extension,  would find it difficult to  own their own houses.  Fatoki said the high cost of construction and the lack of patronage of local building materials are some of the reasons some houses upscale properties have been without tenants. He said as far as incomes do not improve, there would always be houses without tenants.

Fatoki criticised the high cost of acquiring titles in Lagos and Ogun states, noting that it is prohibitive and a limiting factor to home ownership.

But Lagos State Commissioner for Physical Planning & Urban Development, Mr. Toyin Ayinde, insists that land acquisition and building approval processes had been liberalised, with the creation of agencies, such as the Building Control Agency, and the strengthening of town planning authorities up to the local government level. He said the government was gradually eliminating bottleneck in the approval process to attract developers .

A developer, Mr Kenny Ojomo, on the Lekki-Ajah axis, confirmed the high vacancy rate in the area. He said it was more visible in Lekki  where a great percentage of houses carry the “to–let” toga with banners and boards. He said some properties are over-prised by their owners – making it impossible for them to be sold or let out quickly. He said it was more worrisome where houses which don’t have competitive facilities or services are prized so high.

Ojomo urged developers  to be realistic and also work in tandem with current economic realities to beat the property glut. He also highlighted the fact that some developers do not follow trends in real estate market while building houses.