The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Estate

  • Siblings beat up elder brother over father’s estate

    Two siblings, who allegedly beat their elder brother to a pulp, were yesterday arraigned at an Apapa Chief Magistrates’ Court in Lagos on a two-count charge of conspiracy and assault.

    Adetola Sobowale, 36, andhis brother Adeleye, 29 of Jakande Housing Estate, Isolo, Lagos, allegedly committed the offence on January 24 at 19, Rhoda Crescent, Apapa.

    Prosecuting Inspector Tony Elibeh, told Chief Magistrate Titus Abolarinwa that the accused conspired and assaulted their elder brother, Adetoyese.

    “The two brothers beat the man to a pulp. Their deceased father had put them in charge of all his estate.

    “Since Adetoyese is the most senior, he took charge of the property.

    “The accused, who were not pleased with the way their brother was managing their father’s estate, decided to stand up to him by beating him up.

    “The complainant said he was at a tenant’s house when his brothers suddenly came around and pounced on him. He reported the case to the police and the duo was arrested for further questioning,” Elibeh said.

    The accused pleaded not guilty.

    The offence contravened Sections 171 and 409 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011, according to the prosecutor.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Section 171 prescribes three years imprisonment for an assault occasioning harm, while Section 409 provides two years for conspiracy.

    Chief Magistrate Titus Abolarinwa granted the accused N50,000 bail with one surety each in the like sum.

    Further hearing in the case has been fixed for March 8.

  • Estate seeks road repair, drainage system

    The Ogunfowora Estate Community Development Association (CDA) in Abaranje, Ikotun, lagos has sought the government’s intervention in fixing it.
    Its Chairman, Kamor Ogunfowora, said the estate was yet to benefit from the state, development projects.
    Governor Akinwunmi Ambode announced last week plans to construct 181 roads in the 57 Councils of the state.
    Speaking at the estate’s yearly forum, Ogunfowora said it suffered from flooding during the rains.
    “We have drainage problem in the sense that the topography of the land slopes from the entrance down and this is not what the community can rectify itself. So we need the government’s intervention so that the rain water can be rooted into the main drainage,” he said.
    The estate begged the government for a healthcare facility to secure the people.
    The CDA, Ogunfowora said, had also designed a house numbering system to assist the government with her revenue collection.
    Chairman on the occasion Mrs Qudrat Dada urged the residents to embark on projects for the area’s advancement.
    Mrs Dada, former Vice-Chairman, Amuwo-Odofin Local Government, said the estate needed a recreation centre and mini-markets.
    “Invest in projects that can generate revenues and support the administration. There are awards under the Lagos State government which the estate can win with good performance,” she said.
    Sensitising residents on fire precaution, an officer of the Lagos Fire Service, Onilenla Muftau, who represented the Director, Rasaq Fadipe, warned the residents against the use of iron bars, saying there must be escape routes for fire.
    An Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) in Ikotun Division, Godwin Okoloko, urged the community to give police information to nip crimes in the bud.
    He said domestic violence should not be dismissed, adding that the police were prepared to penalise offenders.

  • ‘Civil servants to get homes from govt estate’

    Fresh  hope for civil servants, who want to own houses, appeared on the horizon last week as President Muhammadu Buhari kicked off the first estate project under the Federal Integrated Staff Housing (FISH) Programme at Apo Tyafi District of the Federal Capital City, Abuja.

    The Federal Housing Authority Mortgage Bank (FHAMB), a subsidiary of the FHA, has been named mortgage banker to the scheme. The President was represented at the ceremony by the Minister of State for Power, Works and Housing, Alhaji Mustapha Baba Shehuri.

    In a document obtained by The Nation, the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs. Winifred Ekanem Oyo-Ita, it was learnt,  expressed regret that a large proportion of civil servants, who did not benefit from the immediate past sale of government houses lived in slums and unplanned settlements because of their inability to own houses or rent decent accommodation in planned layouts.

    She said the FISH initiative was conceptualised to provide cost effective and affordable housing for various categories of workers as a way of uplifting their quality of life during and after service.

    Mrs. Oyo-Ita said the delivery of affordable housing under the programme was predicated on multi-sectoral support and cooperation, which include group land acquisition from the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) and the states, provision of infrastructure and financial support through strategic partnership, cost effective pre-structural drawings and designs, as well as special intervention funds from the Federal Government using the expertise and skills of civil servants to supervise, develop and implement housing delivery.

    She said the FISH programme, operating under the umbrella of the Federal Integrated Staff Housing Cooperative Society, has forwarded applications for land to the FCTA and would be doing same to other states nationwide. “By that arrangement, the high cost of land acquisition and the difficulty in processing title deeds that added to the excessive cost of houses per unit at completion would be assuaged,” she stated.

    Under the Memorandum of Understanding signed with the OHCSF, FHAMB would be the custodian of the FISH programme with funds accessed by beneficiaries of the scheme through the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN) loan window. FHAMB will disburse funds to contractors and developers as approved by the FISH Project Committee and the FHA. It will also assess civil servants for mortgage facilities for houses and package mortgages for those qualified in all the states as well as collect loan repayment from beneficiaries. FHAMB will be the project financier through collaboration with the Nigerian Mortgage Refinance Company. FISH will be run by a 15-member committee headed by a Permanent  Secretary in the OHCSF, Mr. S. K. Y. Adelakun. It has seven other permanent secretaries as members as well as FHA’s Managing Director, Prof Mohammed Al-Amin and the FHAMB Acting Managing Director, Alhaji Hayyatudeen Atiku Awwal.

    FISH is expected to leverage on Ministries, Department and Agencies (MDAs) to acquire group land allocations at reasonable cost to make the houses affordable. It will use the Public Private Partnership (PPP) window to build houses and harness the existing potentials of such partnerships to provide massive and affordable housing for Federal civil servants before and after retirement. FISH will also consolidate existing unutilised group land allocations to the cooperative societies of MDAs and related Federal civil servants associations into the Federal Integrated Staff Housing Cooperative Society Limited for the purpose of effective coordination and utilisation for optimal benefit of staff.

    The programme will provide land and infrastructure for proposed estates while the houses would be built in phases. Buyers are expected to provide 20 per cent equity of the cost of their houses, which shall be domiciled in FHAMB while the remaining 80 per cent shall be financed through mortgage. The monthly repayment by beneficiaries shall either be remitted to FHAMB through its correspondent banks monthly or have their salary accounts domiciled in FHAMB.

  • 200 units ‘Garden Heights’ estate inaugurated in P/Harcourt

    Port Harcourt Gardens Limited, a real estate development company in River State, has launched its multi-billion naira Garden Heights Estate in the state. The estate, which consists of over 200 housing units, is located in GRA Phase 3, Port Harcourt.

    The estate, which was inaugurated by the Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike, represented Phase 1 of the project, with about 24 housing units, which comprised studio, one, two and three-bedroom apartments, including semi-detached bungalows and fully detached duplexes.

    At the inauguration of the project, Governor Wike commended the management of the estate for its vision in changing the face of middle class residential housing in the state and for supporting the effort of the government in meeting the housing needs of the people.

    He lauded the firm’s courage to invest in the state and promised that his administration would continue to partner credible investors with unique plans for the advancement of the state.

    “I am, particularly, impressed because the developers of this project were groomed in this state. They returned because they have confidence in what this administration is doing in terms of creating an enabling climate for businesses to thrive. Rivers State currently counts for one of the highest returns on investment in the country, despite a few challenges being experienced recently,” he said.

    The firm’s Managing Director, Mr. Uche John, explained that Garden Heights is set to become the focal point of reference to luxury living in Port Harcourt with facilities that offer security and comfort at an affordable price to the middle class socio-economic strata of the state.

    “Garden Heights is one of the best real estate investments in the Nigerian market presently and offers a return on investment unmatched anywhere else in this area. With just an initial deposit of N3.5million you can own your dream home, which combines the unique architecture with attractive natural scenery,” he said.

    John called on Nigerians to take advantage of the opportunity the firm was offering the public to own a decent home, especially the special price offer being made available on the ongoing four housing projects in the city.

    “Port Harcourt Gardens is a private real estate development firm established with the vision to change the middle class residential housing real estate market by delivering premium affordable residential housing to the citizenry of Port Harcourt and the entire Southsouth region. Currently, we have four estates of similar sizes in Port Harcourt located at Woji, Eliozu, Airport Road and this particular one in GRA being inaugurated today,” he said.

    On completion, the four estate projects by the firm is expected to deliver a total of 600 housing units to residents of Port Harcourt.

  • Excellence Estate to redefine class, quality

    Excellence Estate to redefine class, quality

    A new low-density community is evolving in Arepo, off the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway in Ogun State.

    The community, known as Excellence Estate, is close to the Journalist Estate at Arepo. It aims to replicate the ambience of the old Ikoyi, Lagos  State, with lush green areas in tandem with climate change.

    Estate developers on the Lagos-Sagamu axis of the expressway are beginning to add a touch of classy designs in their construction to ensure faster uptake.

    Excellence Estate is about 15 minutes’ drive from Alausa, Ikeja, Central Business District. It is being built on 20-acre of prime land, with construction at an advanced stage. The estate is a combination of horticulture and aesthetics. It comprises homes that are fully detached, semi- detached, terraces, and block of flats. It is subdivided into two; the built-up area, which is about two- thirds of the land, and the site and services plots that form about one-third of the land.

    Other facilities that would be fitted into Excellence estate would include, a shopping mall, church, mosque, school, hospital, corner shops and the recreational facilities like the park/green park.

    According to the promoter of the estate, and Managing Director of Inclusive Concrete & Engineering Limited, Misbau Aminu, construction work will take three years and prospective investors would get a million naira payback deal on construction cost.

    The pay back deal, Aminu explained, is an incentive given to buyers into the project, which is in form of discounted amount that will be given to them during construction of the buildings. These will include but not limited to expertise services, cement provision that will be provided to at discounted rate. He assured that his company would bring its wealth of experience in various field of construction in both the public and private sectors to bear in development of the Estate.

    Prospective investors, The Nation learnt, can key into the scheme at various stages. For instance, buildings in the state could be bought in stages either as carcass, semi-completed, and completed. The completed building is, however, targeted at Nigerians in the diaspora who are expected to buy and just move in.

    The carcass stage of a 3-bedroom apartment goes for N9 million; semi completed stage of same sells at N12 million; while the completed stage of the apartment goes for N16 million. The fully detached comes with two boys quarters (BQs) and sells for N24 million at carcass stage; N34 million at semi completed stage; and N45 million at completed stage.

    Others include the semi- detached with a BQ at N17 million carcass stage; N23 million for the semi completed; while the completed building goes for N31million. The terraces also come with a BQ at N12 million at carcass stage; N14 million at semi completed stage; and N17 million for the completed building.

    The promoter is also offering flexible mode of payment with 30 per cent upfront payment, while the balance is spread through 18 months. The estate project is being financed by Zenith Bank. However, the structural elements of these buildings are not negotiable, he said.

    “The regulation will begin from foundation, frame structure, slabs, among others, in order ensure the security of the buildings,” said Aminu.

  • Ogun 160-unit workers’ estate ready

    The Ogun State government has completed 160 units of two- and three-bedroom detached and semi-detached bungalows for its employees.

    The wife of the President, Hajia Aisha Buhari, inaugurated the Phase 1 of the estate named after the state’s first Head of Service, Chief Adedotun Adedeji Kayode Degun (AAK Degun MITROS Estate).

    Hajia Buhari lauded the state government for the estate located in Laderin, Abeokuta.

    Represented by the Minister for Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, Hajia Buhari praised the vision of the Senator Ibikunle Amosun-led administration in providing standard housing for civil servants, urging workers to continue to support the mission to rebuild the state.

    She said the estate was a remarkable achievement for the administration, noting that the initiative would have a  great impact on the socio-economic development of the state.

    Amosun said the estate would reduce the hardship civil servants face to have a home of their own, adding that it would avail them the opportunity to access decent homes at affordable cost.

    He added that the project was in partial fulfillment of his mandate on home ownership, which seeks to deliver fully serviced homes to  its workforce.

    Amosun said the houses, which are fully serviced, have been subsidised, explaining that the first phase comprised 68 units of 2-bedroom semi-detached flats and 92 units of 3-bedroom semi-detached.

    Also speaking, the Special Adviser on Housing Development and General Manager of Ogun State Housing Corporation Mrs. Jumoke Akinwunmi appreciated those that contributed to the success of the estate, adding that 30 per cent of the project had been subsidised by Ogun State Government. All the housing units are ready with modern and the facilities.

    Akinwunmi, an architect, noted that the achievement was an affirmation that the corporation could build houses that would be affordable for the civil servants.

    Four former Heads of Service in the State, Chief Babatunde Osokoya, Mr. Godwin Ogun, Princess Iyabo Odulate-Yusuf and Mrs. Modupe Adekunle who also witnessed the commissioning, commended the efforts of the State Government on its home ownership scheme.

    The heads of service in their separate remarks, lauded the State Governments achievements in providing affordable housing and urban development, while the current Head of Service, Elder Sola Adeyemi applauded Government for the gesture.

  • Fire guts housing estate

    Four blocks were yesterday razed at the Dan Ladi Nassidi Estate in Kumbotso Local Government Area of Kano State.  Property worth millions of naira were destroyed.

    Residents of the biggest estate in Kano with over 3,000 houses said they were disappointed that there was no fire service station in the estate.

    They waited an hour before arrival of the state fire service from another part of the town.

    Head of the estate’s vigilance group, Musa Lawal, said: “We were attending a security meeting with police officers when we heard about the fire at noon. We did everything but could not put the fire out. We sent a distress call to fire service officials and waited for more than one hour before they arrived. Then, the damage had been done. We were angry.

    “But when they explained that there was another fire at a government school in Gwale Local Government, which they put out before coming here, we were pacified.”

    An official of the fire service, Adamu Mustapha, said there was no casualty.

    The four blocks belong to a senior administration and finance official of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), an engineer, an official of the Kano Electricity Distribution Company (KEDCO) and one other.

  • Estate valuers praise Buhari on tolls’ reintroduction

    Estate valuers praise Buhari on tolls’ reintroduction

    The Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers (NIESV), Lagos State branch, has lent its support on the planned reintroduction of toll gates.

    Its Chairman, Samuel  Ukpong said it was a right decision but noted that for it to be successful, stakeholders must be carried along.

    Ukpong, who spoke on the sideline of the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Institution in Lagos at the weekend, said, the toll gate system failed because of the inconsistencies in government policies.

    He said: “If we want to re-introduce these toll gates, let us look at using them as growth centres by developing infrastructure, such as good roads, hospitals, hotels, cottage industries, banks and even clinics,” stsing that if there are accidents on the highways, treatment of the victims can be handled in these growth centres. Let everything not be concentrated in urban centres, he added.

    However, Ukpong faulted President Muhammed Buhari’s decision to merge three key ministries of Power, Works and Housing, saying that the decision, rather than lifting the growth and development of the nation, it would stifle economic growth.

    He said the President has not done very well to merge the ministries together, especially the ministry of housing, merging it with works and power.

    “It is a disservice to the nation and we want to say that it is not proper. Thirty years ago when the president was in government, the population of Nigeria was about 90 million, right now we are in the region of 170 million, we also have a housing deficit of 17 million which means it is a very serious matter. So putting it in the purview of just one person is not just right. Nigeria as a country is expanding responsibilities need to be given to more people.”

    He criticised what he called the neglect of professionals in the built environment and urged the government look at the issue critically in the interest of the nation.

    He said: “So why are we not putting round pegs in round hole? I cannot remember the last time an estate surveyor was made a minister in this country. I discovered we have minister of water resources and you know every activities starts on land. Why don’t we have some from real estate sector, someone who understands the environment as a minister?

    “It is high time the Federal Government thought about using professionals. If you go to international conferences, they are wondering what their Nigerian counterparts are doing. The international financial standards is an accounting standards, it recognise that the inputs of the estate surveyors and valuers must be there.

    “No valuation of asset can be carried out without the valuation being done by estate surveyors and valuers. We have accountant general, auditor –general, solicitor general, but we don’t have a valuer general, despite their relevance to all sectors of the economy, a lot of infrastructures are decaying because they are not managed by estate surveyors and valuers.

    “The Federal Government has taken us for granted. We are critical in the implementation of issues relating to built environment. The government should take us seriously.”

  • Ogun names school, estate after HID Awolowo

    Ogun names school, estate after HID Awolowo

    •Schools, markets closed tomorrow

    The Ogun State government has named the state-owned Model School in Ikenne and Plain Fields Estate, Abeokuta after the late Mrs. Hannah Idowu Dideolu (HID) Awolowo..

    The Model School and Plain Fields Estate are being built by the Ibikunle Amosun administration.

    Former Osun State Governor Bisi Akande; Minister of Solid Minerals Kayode Fayemi, his wife; Bisi, yesterday joined the  people to celebrate the life of the matriarch of the Awolowo family.

    For hours, dignitaries including Governor Amosun, chairman of the defunct Interim National Government (ING) Chief Ernest Shonekan; Chief Ayo Adebanjo and ex -military administrator of Ekiti State Gen Tunji Olurin extolled the virtues of Yeye Odua.

    Amosun, Shonekan, Adebanjo and Olurin, who spoke at the Gateway International Stadium,  Sagamu, venue of the celebration, described Mama Awolowo as an “exemplary woman,” a “ great mother, grandmother and a true daughter of Ogun State”.

    Amosun enjoined Yoruba women and Nigerians to imbibe Mama’s core values of selfless love and service to humanity.

    According to the governor, the State Executive Council (SEC) concluded that one of the best ways in which the state could immortalise Mama Awolowo was to sustain the ideals and philosophy, which she stood for.

    He noted that the late Yeye Odua worked for the stability of the Awolowo dynasty, standing by her husband throughout his political travails.

    “We should imbibe her ideals, selfless service and love for humanity because it is the greatest legacy we can leave for Mama. We should copy all the good virtues, values and attributes of Mama HID because that is the way to honour her.

    “Mama worked for the stability of Papa’s dynasty. She stood solid and resolute not only for the Awolowo family but also for the Yoruba. She was a good woman, mother, grandmother, great grandmother and daughter of Ogun State,” Amosun said.

    For Shonekan, HID Awolowo was a rallying point in progressives’ politics, an exemplar in character, who worked diligently for the economic and socio-political development of Yorubaland.

    He said Mama’s support for her husband was unique, adding that her “indelible marks on the sands of time and the legacies left behind will continue to speak for her”.

    Speaking on behalf of the family, Mama’s eldest daughter, Mrs Omotola Oyediran, said the show of love by Nigerians attested to their appreciation of what her parents did for the country.

    The government has directed that all markets and public schools in Remo be closed tomorrow.

    This was contained in a statement in Abeokuta yesterday by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Taiwo Adeoluwa.

    It stated that the closure was a mark of respect for the late matriarch.

    The release, however, said the directive would affect only schools Ikenne, Remo North and Sagamu Local Government Areas.

     

    ”Government, hereby, appeals to market men and women as well as residents of the state to troop out en-masse to give late Mrs Awolowo a befitting burial,” it said

     

    At the ceremony are wife of the Vice-President, Mrs Dolapo Osinbajo, the Iyalode of Yorubaland, Chief Alaba Lawson, Ambassador Olatokunbo Awolowo – Dosunmu, Chief Doja Adewolu, the General Overseer of Deeper Life Christian Ministry, Pastor Williams Kumuyi, Evangelist Ebenezer Obey, among others.

     

  • ‘Real estate will bounce back next year’

    ‘Real estate will bounce back next year’

    A real estate expert, Mr. Dipo Fakorede, has attributed the current lull in the sector to cash crunch and change of government at the federal level.

    He said the incomes of estate firms and investors have been dwindling because of the unpalatable situation.

    Fakorede, who spoke with our correspondent last week in his Lagos office, said: “Real sector of the economy has a lull because there is a financial crunch in the system.

    “We have a new government with different policies and people are still waiting to see which direction the new government will take us.

    “The new government says it want Treasury Single Account (TSA), which has forced banks not to lend. Banks are not lending to real estate developers or granting mortgage.”

    The downturn, he said, has thrown up many properties across major cities of the nation at give-away prices.

    The Head of Practice at Dipo Fakorede and Co advised investors with dormant resources to cash in on the situation to acquire most of these cheap properties.

    According to him: “It is good for anybody now who is not taking money from anybody or financial institution to buy properties.

    “This is the best time for investors who have their own money. There are thousands of properties out there for grab at give away prices.”

    For owners, he advised them to hold on to their properties, especially when they are not under dire financial difficulties because the market will pick up again.

    “My advice for sellers is to hold on to their properties if they are not pressed. What we are facing is a phase. The good times will soon come back.”

    Fakorede predicted the market will bounce back latest by first quarter of 2016, calling for patients among owners and investors.

    He explained: “I think by end of first quarter next year, there should be a bounce back. The ministers will be sworn in soonest; they would have to settle down, look at what is on ground and conceive a plan.

    “Then, they present them to the Federal Executive Council (FEC) before getting approval and then execution. Then, we can start seeing results.”

    The real estate expert also pointed out that banks will have no choice but to offer more housing mortgage facilities from next year.

    This, he said, would be in response to the implementation of TSA and cancellation of COT, which will bring down their earnings and force them to fund the housing sector.

    “There are coming back to meet us, I can tell you. They must survive and they will go back to mortgage. In developed countries, banks survive on mortgage.”

    He called on the would-be Housing Minister to settle down quickly and conceive policies that will take the sector to the zenith.