The Nation Newspaper

Category: Building & Properties

  • 27,500 sanitation officers coming

    27,500 sanitation officers coming

    As part of its solid waste management reforms, tagged Cleaner Lagos Initiative, the Lagos State Government is to engage 27,500 community sanitation officers.

    Commissioner for the Environment, Dr. Babatunde Adejare, who spoke with reporters at Alausa, Ikeja, said the officers would be posted to their communities, adding that they would be equipped to sweep the inner streets and take care of  their communities.

    He said: “This initiative will further guarantee the vision of the Lagos Sate Government’s commitment to the realisation of a sustainable and habitable environment.”

    Adejare said the year promised to be very eventful as it marked the beginning of the Cleaner Lagos Initiative, designed to take solid waste management to a higher level. He said  the government planned to create an environmental sanitation corps to enhance the enforcement of laws.

    “As we await the new horizon in solid waste management which is characterised by the infusion of technology, resources and technical know-how as well as creation of jobs for multitude of the unemployed, we remain undaunted in ensuring massive evacuation of wastes, cleaning and clearing of drainages/canals, beautification of the environment and enforcement of pollution control measures,” Adejare said.

    Stressing that an average of 80 people enter Lagos hourly, he blamed the influx for the volume of refuse being generated. He said  the government was poised to intensify advocacy and enlightenment among the people, especially to sensitise waste generators on the value of solid waste and the need for sorting.

    “We need to let our people know that refuse now has commercial value; refuse can be bailed and exported like every other commodity and can also be used to generate power,” he said.

    Adejare gave a breakdown of wastes generated by his ministry in January. “Within January, a total of 33, 338 metric tonnes of waste was evacuated from highways and other public places in Lagos, while a total of 135,406.00 metric tonnes of refuse were deposited in various dumpsites across the state.

    “To control environmental nuisances/ infractions noticed across the state, a total of 122 nuisance abatement notices in 194 locations across the 20 local governments areas, while continued advocacy and enlightenment was sustained to reorientate people towards positive environmental behaviour,” he explained.

    He restated the government’s commitment to ensuring the smooth delivery of potable water supply to Lagos metropolis and its environs.

    “The government has commenced the process of the award of contract for the construction of Adiyan Water Treatment Plant Phase II with 70 million gallons/ day (MGD) capacity which is to benefit a population of about three million people. Similarly, the state government has given approval for development of 100 mgd Odomola II Water Treatment and Distribution Network Project to commence on Public Private Partnership mode,” he said.

    The ministry, he said, also progressed with its landscaping and beautification projects propagating 5,458 local and Indian plants at Lagos State Parks Agency (LASPARK) nurseries in Oko-Oba, Agege and Erikorodo-Ikorodu.

  • Firm plans London property roadshow

    To showcase the potential in  real estate business in Lagos State, VFN Projects plans to stage a property roadshow, London4Lagos 2017,     in London, United Kingdom (UK) between April 27 and 29.

    The event tagged: “The property road show for Nigerians in Diasporas” will bring proven Lagos-based developers in contact with over 3,000+ real estate investors in the United Kingdom. There is a publicity in the UK being targeted at able Nigerians.

    According to a statement by the director, VFN Projects, Mr Abayomi Oni-Williams, in 2015, Nigerians in diaspora remitted the sum of $21 billion back home. Therefore, he said, Lagos, as the biggest commercial hub in the country, must be put in a vantage position to receive a higher percentage of these remittances.

    This, he said, can be accomplished through the real estate sector which at this point is slowing down drastically due to current macro-economic environment caused gendered by the economic recession.

    “It is also our belief that there is the need to further open up and bring closer the Lagos real estate sector to Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation (NIDO) for active participation. Interested property developers will be brought closer to potential buyers and vice versa, with the state government at the centre to give confidence to investors,” he said.

    Williams said the value of naira has plummeted in the past one year such that the purchasing powers of the Diasporas have risen astronomically. This means that Nigerians living in the UK, US, Canada, Europe and other places, can now buy properties in Nigeria with about one-third of what they needed only a few years ago.

    He added that Nigerians in the Diasporas have suddenly become the target because of the value of their adopted home currency, which has gained more value when compared to the naira because of its devaluation. For instance, with about £16,000, a Nigerian living in UK can conveniently buy up a N10 million flat in Lagos, which would not buy him a flat in the European country.

    “The London4Lagos 2017 property roadshow is conceived to leverage on this opportunity in a formal and a structured way and with emphasis on Lagos State as the best destination for real estate investment in the country,” he said.

  • Lagos to invest $500m in housing

    Lagos State is to invest $500 million to redesign and complete housing units at Ilubirin and Ijora-Badia.

    The Commissioner for Housing, Mr Gbolahan Lawal, disclosed this in an interview in Lagos.

    Lawal said the investment would be in collaboration with private partners, and that the venture would create 10,000 direct jobs.

    “There is a need to redesign and expand the mass housing units at Ilubirin and Ijora Badia to allow for efficient utiisation of resources and for better quality delivery.

    “We have signed a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) agreement with First Investment Development Company (FIDC) in this regard.

    “The project will be in phases and is expected to be fully completed within the next five years,” Lawal said.

    He explained that the PPP arrangement was to reduce the housing deficit in the state by providing affordable and qualitative accommodation for residents and to create jobs.

    “The Ministry of Housing is responsible for implementation of the programme, which has three templates, namely: affordable mass housing; equity partnership housing and mixed partnerships.

    “Under the first template, government provides land and development plan while the partner provides funds and executes.

    “Secondly, government will provide the land while the partner generates the plan, provides fund and executes.

    “The third template, which is mixed partnership, will see the partner providing the land while government will provide the funds and execute the development plan,’’ the commissioner explained.

    He assured that any of the templates adopted would be in the best interest of residents.

    It would be recalled that some residents had expressed concern over the condition of housing estates in Ilubirin and Ijora Badiya.

    One of the residents, Mr Tola Ade, called on the government to complete the estates for interested members of the public to benefit.

    “The estates at Ilubirin and Ijora appear to have been abandoned for some time. I appeal to the state government to complete these estates and other uncompleted ones so that we can begin to take advantage of them,” he said.

    Another resident, Mr Adeniyi Idowu, who also expressed similar views, said the state government was doing well in infrastructure development, but that the estate at Ijora Badiya had remained abandoned for some time.

    “I can only appeal to the government to complete the estate and the one at Ilubirin to reduce the scarcity of accommodation,” he said.

    Similarly, Mrs Yemisi Martins, another resident, appealed to the state government to do something about the “abandoned” estates to stop miscreants from using them for their criminal activities.

  • 26 vie for LafargeHolcim’s $2m

    Twenty-six Nigerians are vying for the fifth International LafargeHolcim Awards. The awards, which is held in a three-year-circle, is worth $2 million. It seeks to balance environmental performance, social responsibility and economic growth.

    LafargeHolcim Awards, according to the sponsors, is the most significant project competition in sustainable design, and it seeks projects that go beyond balancing environmental performance, social responsibility, and economic growth.

    Other considerations include entry depicting a project that exemplifies architectural excellence; a high degree of transferability, such that it extends notions of sustainable construction throughout all stages of a project’s lifecycle.

    Also, irrespective of scale, such entry must provide sustainable response to technological, environmental, socio-economic and cultural issues affecting contemporary building and construction across the region of entry.

    Although a few Nigerians have participated in the previous editions of the competition, and producing a winner in the Acknowledgement Prize category, the competition, is being made public in Nigeria by Lafarge Africa for the first time. It is open to engineers, architects, builders, planners, construction firms, project owners, students and non-governmental organisations.

    It seeks to recognise and reward high profile projects from professionals as well as bold ideas from students and upcoming professionals in the built environment that combine sustainable construction solutions with architectural excellence.

    “The award is relevant to Nigeria, a country of over 170 million people that is urbanising rapidly and projected to be the third biggest country in the world by 2050. So far, 14 professionals and 12 students have submitted entries for the awards,” explained the Director of Communications and Public Affairs, Lafarge Africa, Mrs. Folashade Ambrose-Medebem.

    She urged interested stakeholders and beyond, who seek smart solutions for cities and the built environment, to key into the Award, which opened last July 4, closes on March 21. Eligibility of a project for entry should not have started before July 4 last year.

    The Head, Sustainability and Corporate Brand, Lafarge Africa, Mrs. Temitope Oguntokun, explained that the competition would target projects that embodied issues of sustainable construction such as progress, people, planet, prosperity and place, and provide the opportunity to institute the principles of sustainability for future construction.

    “Entry is free. We have two categories: the main category for professionals, whose projects are at an advanced stage of design with high probability of execution; and the next generation category, which is for students between the ages of 18 and 30, who have vision and bold ideas.

    “There is an urgent need to come up with clever ideas that optimise sustainability performance of buildings that we live and work in due to rapid urbanisation. This initiative is relevant to Nigeria, as there is a need for ideas to help bridge the housing deficit,” Oguntokun explained.

    As a global award, winners would be grouped into regional and global categories. Winners of projects in the main category would be get $100,000, while those of the next generation would be given $25,000, and the global winner would get $150,000.

    “There will be five regional award ceremonies in 2017, while the announcement of the global winner will be made in the second quarter of 2018. Three global award ceremonies will hold at the location of each winning project during the third quarter of 2018,” Oguntokun added.

  • Many woes of real estate sector

    Many woes of real estate sector

    The recession ravaging the country has spared no sector. Experts say it has disorganised short and long-term plans. Particiapnts at the International Real Estate Federation (Nigeria Chapter) annual dinner in Lagos have warned of a further dip in investment in the built sector this year. They say unless urgent measures are taken, the woes of the industry will worsen, dashing any hope of it contributing significantly to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). What is the way forward? Stakeholders are, however, divided over which sector offers better returns than real estate. MUYIWA LUCAS reports.

    Dr. Doyin Salami, a lecturer and member of Faculty, Lagos Business School (LBS), is not a man who minces words, especially when it concerns the economy. When he ascended the podium at the Metropolitan Club Hall, Victoria Island, Lagos, last Friday, it was time for another confrontation with the stark reality of what obtains in the real estate sector, viz-a-viz the nation’s economy.

    Delivering an address at this year’s annual dinner of the International Real Estate Federation (FIABCI) Nigeria Chapter, with the theme: “Real Estate: It is All About the Economy”, he warned that although the real sector is about eight per cent of the nation’s economy, it has been in decline, contracting so many times.

    “The data are very clear. The real estate sector contributes between seven and eight per cent to the nation’s economy, but it has contracted consecutively for five quarters. In other words, for more than a year, the sector in which we operate have been shrinking. “What will happen to it in 2017, will depend on what happens to the economy generally because housing / real estate takes its cue from the general economy,” Salami said at the dinner.

    Lagos State Commissioner for Housing Gbolohan Lawal agreed no less with Salami. According to him, the sector needs to wake up fron it deep slumber because “we have noticed no growth in the real estate industry”.

    He, however, assured that the  state would  inject private capital into housing delivery as it now has 10 private developers, and several stakeholders across various layers in the real estate sector participating in housing delivery.

    Lawal further said the time was ripe for the government to reflate the economy with increased activities in the real estate.

     

    Budget 2017 vs real estate

    Salami noted that unlike last year, the Federal Government has projected that the economy would grow by about 2.5 per cent this year,  representing a turnaround from the past. “Last year, we shrank, this year we will grow. The extent of the growth, however, is what only time will tell,” he said.

    With the country’s population growing at about 2.8 per cent yearly, a 2.5 per cent growth, therefore, still represents a reduction in per capita income. In other words, according to Salami, income per head of the population is set to fall this year. Beyond that, the government’s assumption was that inflation would be at 13 per cent, although 12.92 per cent was the actual assumption.

     

    Housing supply and purchasing power

    Salami said if income did not increase at the same pace with inflation, it means that its real value would continue to depreciate and the capacity for demand/spending wwould equally continue to diminish. And once spending capacity diminishes, demand will fall and create difficulties for other sectors of the economy.

    On the supply side of housing, he regretted that the figure most regularly brandished was a housing deficit of about 17 million, which he said, seemed not to have changed in the last 10 years, irrespective of the growth in the population. This, he noted, gives a bit of concern about the accuracy of the data in the sector. “As far as the supply of the real estate side is concerned, if there is no construction, then supply suffers,” he said.

    FIABCI-Nigeria President Joseph Akhigbe said in the short period the economy took a downturn, operators and other stakeholders witnessed the good, the bad and the ugly of the devaluation of the local currency, rising inflation, excess supply of property as a result of the economic downturn and surprising stable prices despite the fall in the demand for property.

     Prospects

    The stakeholders are concerned about the attractiveness of the sector this year. For this year, both the federal and the state governments have a combined budget of N14 trillion. In his analysis, Salami explained that the over N2 trillion deficit in the Federal Government budget this year, could only be made up through borrowing – either domestically or internationally.

    “Therefore, if the Federal Government finds it difficult to borrow internationally then she will want to borrow domestically. The effect of borrowing domestically will lead to an increase in interest rate, which presently is at between 16 – 18 per cent for companies and for individuals, and it can go as high as 27 per cent.” He then asked: “The big question will be is real estate still attractive as at today?”

     

    Treasury bills and housing

    For Salami, given the evolving scenario, a discerning investor is better off buying government treasury bill than building a house. He will base it on the return-on-investment (RoI) because treasury bills will give 20 per cent returns and no risk to the investor- the risk of inflation and looking at standard economic parameters such as yields, inflations and interest rates. An investor in housing will have to face a whole lot of risks such as difficulty in getting government approvals and consent; non payment of rent by tenants and managing the house as a whole.

    Besides, to Salami, capital appreciation in housing is one of the slowest because it is a long-term investment. It may probably take another two years for the housing market to become productive looking at the present economy and the rate at which already built houses up for sale or rent are not occupied.

    “The housing sector needs to look at how to capture more information and data to help those who want to invest have a holistic approach on the sector; it is a major challenge that the professionals in the sector needs to solve. During inflation, the sector also suffers because it becomes difficult for suppliers to get commodities at reasonable prices, which create another fundamental issue,” he said.

    However, a former president of the body, Kola Akomolede, carpeted Salami on the RoI submission. Drawing example from the value of properties in Dolphin Estate, Ikoyi, Lagos, Akomolede said the theory of treasury bills having more RoI than real estate did not arise.

    “When we sold Dolphin estate in 1990-1992, it was just under N500,000 per unit of duplex. Now each unit is worth several millions of naira. If you kept your N500,000 in treasury bills since 1990, what will it be worth now? Certainly your principal investment would just be worth about $1,000 now. So, RoI on real estate is better,” Akomolede said.

    During the dinner, stakeholders were equally rewarded for their activities in the sector over the years. Notably, two journalists- Chuka Iroko of BusinessDay and Chinedu Uweagbulam of The Guardian, who were awarded certificates of merit for their journalistic contributions to the real estate industry in the country.

  • ‘Arbitration a better option in real estate dispute’

    ‘Arbitration a better option in real estate dispute’

    Nathan Searle is a partner in Hogan Lovells International Arbitration Group, who acts for multi-nationals and high-value international arbitrators in cross-border disputes. In an email chat with MUYIWA LUCAS, Searle speaks on the role of arbitration in the real estate sector. 

    What is the role of arbitration in real estate dispute resolution?

    As urbanisation increases and the size, value and complexity of real estate developments rise, the potential for disputes heightens. In particular, real estate developments are increasingly involving provision of key infrastructure such as power, water and roads. Real estate projects involve many parties including investors, lenders, construction firms, materials suppliers and the purchasers, who may be businesses or individuals.

    Arbitration is a means of resolving disputes in a fast, efficient, cost-effective and confidential manner.

    One key advantage of arbitration is parties can choose arbitrators with experience in the real estate sector. This means that the parties’ dispute will be determined by someone, who can bring to bear his expertise in understanding and deciding the matters in dispute.  This can lead to a more efficient process and be helpful, particularly regarding issues that are technical or relate to industry practice.

    Another advantage of arbitration is parties can determine, to a large extent, how they want the proceedings to be handled whereas court proceedings are conducted in accordance with court rules.  In the context of an ongoing real estate development project, it may be necessary for a dispute to be resolved quickly so that work on the project can continue. Arbitration enables the parties to agree to put in place procedures to ensure that an award is made quickly to prevent a dispute from derailing the project.

    Does Nigeria have trained personnel to handle arbitration?

    There are many leading arbitration lawyers in Nigeria. Many of these lawyers have experience of arbitrations in the oil and gas sector, where arbitration is the preferred means for resolving disputes.  There is a false perception that it is only used in resolving oil and gas disputes, this, however, is not the case, as arbitration is constantly evolving and is increasingly common in other sectors.

    The recent creation of the Association of Young Arbitrators (AYA) Nigeria, also shows that Nigeria is investing in promoting arbitration among young, up-and-coming lawyers. AYA is an organisation established by young Nigerian lawyers to facilitate mentoring, knowledge sharing and training of the next generation of arbitration lawyers in Nigeria. The Lagos Court of Arbitration has also offered arbitration training to Nigerian lawyers for a number of years.

    How can the concept of arbitration be related to real estate?

    When people talk about Arbitration, they are often referring to mediation.  Unlike in court or an arbitration, in mediation there is no final and binding judgment.  Instead, the mediator’s role is to seek to facilitate the parties reaching agreement on a final settlement.  The mediator’s role is to help show the parties how they can reach a win-win solution by helping them evaluate the strength and weaknesses of their cases to reach a fair and mutually acceptable outcome.  A key advantage of mediation is that it is faster and cheaper than litigation or arbitration.

    To what extent is the outcome of arbitration legally binding on other parties in real estate issues?

    Arbitration results in an award which the parties agree is final and binding, subject to any rights of appeal provided for by law.  Courts will usually enforce arbitration awards provided that the arbitration was conducted fairly and in compliance with the parties’ agreement to arbitrate.

    What other means are available for real estate dispute resolution?

    If the parties do not wish to use mediation or arbitration to resolve real estate disputes then these would usually end up in court litigation.

    Court litigation can be expensive and it can take a long time get to a final judgment, particularly if the case goes all the way through the appeals process.

    Adoption of arbitration in real estate disputes is a great opportunity in Nigeria. It takes pressure off the courts, and Nigeria definitely has the infrastructure for it, with high-calibre lawyers experienced in arbitration, and arbitral institutions like the Lagos Court of Arbitration. Arbitration has a broader role in resolving not only real estate disputes, but shipping and other commercial disputes, and Nigeria is well placed to capitalise on this.

  • Mercury Convention for September

    the First Conference of the Parties (COP1) to the Minamata Convention on Mercury will take place on September 25, this year in Geneva, Switzerland, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has said.

    This is coming even as Costa Rica became the 36th Future Party to the Minamata Convention. On January 19, this year, the Government of Costa Rica deposited its instrument of accession for the convention.

    The Minamata Convention on Mercury, a global treaty aimed at protecting human health and the environment from the adverse effects of mercury, was agreed at the fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) in Geneva, Switzerland on Saturday,  January 19, 2013.

    Nigeria is one of the 128 signatories to the global treaty, but she is yet to ratify it. Ratification by Nigeria automatically makes her a Party to the Convention with the duty to domesticate its content.

    A minimum of 50 nations are required to ratify the Minamata Convention to make it legally binding.

    Charles Brown, president of the World Alliance for Mercury-Free Dentistry (WAMFD), said that the treaty’s emergence entailed a process of international meetings or INCs that held in 2010 – Stockholm, Sweden; 2011 – Chiba, Japan; 2011 – Nairobi, Kenya; 2012 – Punta del Este, Uruguay; 2013 – Geneva, Switzerland; 2014 – Bangkok, Thailand; and 2015 – Jordan. In 2013, a Diplomatic Conference held in Kumamoto, Japan.

    While acknowledging the role of the Africa region towards making the Convention a reality, Brown opined that ratifying the treaty is a “great” opportunity for Nigeria to lead, even though several other African nations are already Parties to the Convention.

    Leslie Adogame, the Executive Director of SRADev Nigeria, said: “Nigeria has signed the treaty. But, by signing, it merely shows that you are part of the process and you stand by it. Ratification however means that you are now a Party and ready to domesticate it by, for example, making local legislations.”

    According to him, Nigeria became a signatory to the Convention on October 10, 2013. “The Convention highlights actions to reduce mercury emissions to the air from identified sources, reduce the use of mercury in products and industrial processes, and to address mercury supply and trade. In addition, it contains provisions to address the severe and growing problem of mercury use in artisanal gold mining,” he added.

    Adogame pointed out that the signing of the Convention would enable Nigeria to: Develop a National Implementation Strategy (NIS)/Action Plan to holistically address challenges relating to the reduction and elimination of Mercury.

    Undertake a comprehensive inventory as a basis to develop and implement a more robust Mercury preventive programme which will include the identification and location, contaminated sites and extent of contamination, storage, handling and disposal to ensure that mercury related activities do not result in further damage to health and the environment;

    Enhance national capacities with respect to human resources development and institutional strengthening, towards addressing concerns about the long-term effects of Mercury on both human health and the environment and also to ensure the effective domestication of the instrument that will be implementable at national level; Sensitise the populace and policy makers on the hazards of mercury; Develop and implement Mercury Release Minimisation Projects; and Control mercury supply and trade.

    Nations that have ratified the Convention include: Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Bolivia, Botswana, Chad, China, Costa Rica, Djibouti, Ecuador, Gabon, Gambia, Guinea, Gayana, Japan, Jordan, Kuwait, Lesotho, Madagascar, Mali and Mauritania.

    Others are Mexico, Monaco, Mongolia, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Samoa, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Swaziland, Switzerland, United Arab Emirates, United States of America, Uruguay and Zambia.

    Major highlights of the Minamata Convention include a ban on new mercury mines, the phase-out of existing ones, the phase out and phase down of mercury use in a number of products and processes, control measures on emissions to air and on releases to land and water, and the regulation of the informal sector of artisanal and small-scale gold mining. The Convention also addresses interim storage of mercury and its disposal once it becomes waste, sites contaminated by mercury as well as health issues.

  • NIS chief blames IDP, camp bombing on improper mapping

    Nigerian Institution of Surveyors (NIS) President Mr. Akin Oyegbola has blamed the accidental bombing of the Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) Camp in Rann, Borno State on the lack of proper mapping of the country’s landscape.

    He said it was regrettable that the  accident occurred because the flight crew was not aware of the location of the IDP Camp when it was bombed.

    “The digital method of processing, managing, storing and presenting geo-spatial information would have made possible mapping of the IDP Camps as they were being sited. If the IDP Camps have been mapped the position of one of them would not have been mistaken for that of Boko Haram,” he said.

    While calling on the Federal Government to ensure adequate mapping of the country, the NIS President explained that the case in point shows how important mapping is to all human activities on land and how much Nigeria has relegated it to the background, insisting that the most mapped countries are the most developed ones.

    He regretted that the little efforts that were being done by the government and the private sector is not well coordinated for optimal use, assuring that his institute would continue its awareness, enlightenment, and publicity drive to make government and all concerned understand the need to earmark enough funds for Surveying and Mapping in the budget.

  • 14 bridges ready in Eko Atlantic City

    14 bridges ready in Eko Atlantic City

    The multibillion dollar Eko Atlantic City, being developed in Lagos State, has made significant progress in its infrastructural development with the completion of 14 bridges, its developer has said.

    The bridges, built to international standard, in phases one and two, extend to over five million square metres, representing half of the planned city.

    Work on the bridge started in December 2014, when the first bridge deck was cast and the last one completed last December.  Phases one and two of the city are divided into eight districts – Harbour Lights, Business Districts, Eko Drive, Marina, Ocean Front, Down town, Eko Energy Estate and Avenues.

    They are planned for mixed-use with commercial, residential, entertainment and leisure  to make the city a 24/7 environment. With the new bridges, all the districts are now accessible by road.

    The bridgeworks have formed a major element of the works and it has also enabled all major avenues to overpass the canal system running through the spine of the project.

    The bridges are between two and eight lanes. For instance, Bridge seven comprises a six-lane carriageway and is located on Avenue 1, thus defining the western boundary of the Business District, the commercial heartland of the city.  Spanning 52 metres overall in three sections, Bridge seven is typical of the design utilised throughout all bridges and comprises a reinforced concrete cast  with concrete piers and abutments.

    Also, post-tensioning techniques were employed on the horizontal deck to achieve the span required. The last bridge was constructed to overpass the canal entrance to the Soutwest Marina, defining the marine access to the Atlantic Ocean.

    South Energy Nigeria Limited (SENL), a subsidiary of the Chagoury Group, Managing Director, Mr David Frame, said the firm is committed to ensuring that the project is completed on schedule.

    “With the successful completion of all the bridges, all the major avenues within Phase 1 and 2 of the City are now fully interconnected, with the comprehensive road network of the City defined and all zones accessible,” he said.

    Last November, the first Eko Pearl Towers, a residential building in its Marina District, was unveiled.  Its inauguration by the Lagos State Governor Akinwunmi Ambode came months after the city’s Eko Boulevard opening, the country’s first eight-lane city road.

     

  • Nonagenarian warns trespassers

    Ninety-six-year-old Pa Christopher Ojomo has warned trespassers on his family land in Okemeji in Igbokoda Local Government Area, Ondo State.

    He said people with questionable characters were using faking documents to acquire others’land.

    He said the land was willed to him b his late father, the late James Ojomo, founder of Cherubim and Seraphim, Okemeji.

    He said any transaction on it without his consent was a violation of right of the Ojomo family to the titles of the land.

    Addressing reporters in Lagos, he said some telecoms companies were discussing with certain people, who do not have titles to the land, adding that the Ojomo family has commenced legal proceeding to halt such transaction and encroachment.

    He said some members of the Okemeji communities approached the telecom companies with fake documents on the deal, stressing they even came to meet him with the fake papers in Lagos, but he warned them to desist.

    Ojomo said: “The land belongs to my father, James Ojomo, Founder of Cherubim and Seraphim (C&S) Okemeji, which he handed over to me being his eldest son. I learnt Nicholas Philip, son of Ogundana, has been parading himself as the owner of the land.

    “Let me use this medium to reach out to him to desist from encroaching on the land handed over to me by my father. Our legal team has commenced the necessary process to seek redress on the matter; those who are transacting business in respect of Okemeji/Idiagbon land are warned.”

    Speaking on the development, Ojomo’s lawyer Lanre Mabawonku Chamber said legal proceeding has started, noting that the nonagenarian is the heir to the land.

    “The land in contention belongs to my client and we have all the valid document to substantiate the claims. Any other document presented to those telecoms companies in respect of the land are not genuine.

    “The land they are talking about holds the prospect of economic viability. We are not surprised at the twist of event. They want to grab it for selfish reason and we are going to resist such conduced by legal means.

    But  Ogundana said he was not contesting any land with anyone at Okemeji. ‘’As far as I am concerned, the land at Okesiri belongs to me and you can come to see things for yourself.

    “I am the head of Okesiri, where our church is located. Whatever they are talking about concerning Okemeji is known to us. The land at Okesiri belongs to me. I don’t want to state further that this,’’ he said.