The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Estate

  • New Kasumu Estate residents celebrate

    New Kasumu Estate residents celebrate

    RESIDENTS of New Kasumu Estate (former C), Odo-Ona Elewe, Orita Challenge in Oluyole Local Government Area of Oyo State will hold N10 million fund-raising for self-help projects and end- of-the-year party/thanksgiving on Saturday.

    The programme will start at 10:00 a.m.

    A statement by the Chairman, Board of Trustees (BoT), Mr. Sulaimon Adebayo Ajibola and community Chairman, Elder Gabriel O. Alonge, said: “We will visit a motherless babies’ home before the programme begins. There will also be a lecture on security,  to be delivered  by the Divisional Police Officer (DPO), Orita Challenge, Mr. Daniel Alao.

    “Awards will be given to the Chairman of Oluyole Local Government Area, Prince Ayodeji Abass Alesinloye; Chief Gbenga Faleke, Chief Sunday Gbenjo  and other member of the New Kasumu Estate for their contributions to the community’s  development. Another set of awards will be given to some prominent members of the community for their contributions to the development of the community. They include Engineer Abdulhakeem Aderinto, Alhaji Mukael Azeez Ibikunle, Alhaji Abdulganiy Alukoso, Alhaja Kudirat Adeyemo, Mr. Matthew Ogundipe, Mr. Wale Adegoke, Mr. John Benemor and Papa Akinomoakin.

    “Projects, such as road, borehole, health centre, transformer, modern entrance gate and 500 metre drainage system will be launched.

    “Elders of the community will instal Mr. Sulaimon Adebayo Ajibola as Atunluse of New Kasumu and its environs.

    “Dignitaries expected at the event include wife of Oyo State Governor, Chief (Mrs) Florence Ajimobi; Majority Leader, Oyo  State House of Assembly, Hon. Oyeniyi Akande; Commissioner for Environment and Habitat, Hon. Lawrence Olujide Adewale; Chairman, Oluyole Local Government Area, Prince Ayodeji Abass Alesinloye; All Progressives Congress (APC) Chairman in Oluyole Local Government Area, Alhaji Abdulwaheed Akinleye; Federal Commissioner, Abuja, Hon. Citizen Omagbemi; Divisional Police Officer, Orita Challenge, Mr. Daniel Alao; Chief Sunday Gbenjo; Mr. Babatunde Olaniyi (Ti o common); Professor Akingbade Bello and others.

  • Estate firm unveils programme in Lagos

    3Invest Limited,the continent’s largest online platform and information platform for the real estate sectoron Wednesday 27 August, 2014 hostedmedia representatives to a conference and brunch at Victoria Island Lagos, to officially launch Real Estate Unite 2014—the International Business-to-Business event that convenes players from across Africa’s real estate industry. The event is scheduled to take place from 2 – 3 October 2014 at the prestigious Intercontinental Hotel in Lagos.

    Speaking at the press conference, Ruth Obihwho is Chief Executive Officer of 3Invest,said with Nigeria’s rebased GDP, the sub-Saharan real estate market presents an attractive investment opportunity; a portfolio which currently accounts for about 7.6% of the nation’s GDP but can be as much as 40% if better mobilized.

    “This is what we are seeking to do at this year’s event through the theme, ‘Igniting the F.I.R.E, where lies the key?” she said.

    The theme represents key factors 3Invest have identified over the years as having the potential to catalyse the industry’s growth.  The “F” represents Finance, the “I” represent Infrastructure, “R” represents Red-Tapism while “E” represents Education.

    Also speaking at the event was Peter Bamkole, Chairman of the Real Estate Unite Advisory Board and Director of the Enterprise Development Center, Pan-Atlantic University. “Real estate is a major contributor to employment in the country,” he said. “The more we are able to provide jobs, the less the likelihood that we are going to have uprisings.”

    The launch also witnessed the introduction of the Health Care Real Estate Forum which will be part of the event in October, 2014.

    “As a forum that is responsive to growing trends in the industry, we knew it was time to bring to the forefront a new market opportunity when we were suddenly faced with the outbreak of the Ebola virus in Lagos and West Africa at large,” Obih said. “With the infrastructural challenges of providing medical services to the infected, exposed and others, I knew that at Real Estate Unite, we had to focus on healthcare real estate or simply put, the future of care from the real estate perspective.”

  • Rainbow Housing Estate unveiled in Lagos

    Rainbow Housing Estate unveiled in Lagos

    The fast developing urban renewal project and largest construction site in sub-Saharan Africa sprawling in the heart of Port Harcourt, Rainbow Town Housing Estate has been unveiled in Lagos under the umbrella of  a consortium of Bode Adediji Partnership a firm of estate surveyors & valuers.

    Mr.  Bode Adediji who is also a  former president of the Nigeria Institution of Estate Surveyors & Valuers, spoke at the  presentation of the project in Lagos.

    In his presentation, he explained that  the project is the biggest integrated luxury real estate development in Africa  currently  built on a 23.24 hectares of land designed to accommodate residential, commercial, recreational and educational property development of various types and sizes.

    The objective he said is to create an exceptional environment where the upper class can live, work and play adding that the master plan reflected some of the ideals of new urban communities worldwide and is gaining international recognition. He said the project is largely a private enterprise  with participation of the Rivers State government by way of land contribution and sponsored by the FirstBank of Nigeria.

    On the composition of the team, he said it is composed of very outstanding and successful Nigerians with enviable track record with the Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) -the Rainbow Town Development Limited offering impeccable leadership to drive the project.

    He explained that the  state governor took the initiative to revamp the previous slum into a much better housing scheme in 2000.

    Located with strategic proximity to the robust and vibrant Trans-Amadi business-industrial area of Port Harcourt, the ambitious program was conceived with a range of good quality 1,181 residential units creatively located in terraces, detached houses and 25 high-rise condominium towers. These units, he  revealed, will address various lifestyles and family sizes with 2 and 3 bedroom condos, 4-bedroom terraces and 5-bedroom detached duplexes, all en-suite with domestic aid quarters.

    On the return on investment, he urged investors to invest and take advantage of the urban renewal programme  of the current administration in the garden city and expect huge returns.

    He however, was silent on the pricing, noting that they will come up with it on request.

  • Ekiti estate to get new roads

    Ekiti estate to get new roads

    Residents of State Housing Estate in Ado Ekiti, the state capital, will in a couple of weeks begin to enjoy asphalted motorable roads.

    Governor Kayode Fayemi has affirmed that the estate internal roads would be ready for use by October.

    The governor spoke during an inspection of some ongoing projects, including the Oba Adejugbe General Hospital and road projects, at the weekend.

    He gave an assurance that most of the projects embarked upon by his administration, including the legacy projects would be commissioned for use before the end of his tenure.

    Assuring that the internal road network in the Oke Ila Housing Estate would be delivered by next month, Fayemi said the roads were neither provided for the estate during construction nor did previous administrations consider it a priority.

    He said the need to give the people living in the estate a new lease of life informed the decision of his administration to effect the construction of the road alongside current road projects..

    “The state housing estate road ordinarily ought to have been delivered as part of the services. When you want to start a new housing estate, it is always better for government or the developer to deliver on the roads the way we have done with the Eyi Yato Housing Estate by giving support to the developers in terms of infrastructure development within the estate.

    “That’s not what happened in the case of Oke Ila Housing Estate which has been there for the better part of the existence of Ekiti State,” he said.

  • CBN to resuscitate 82acres staff estate in Ibadan

    CBN to resuscitate 82acres staff estate in Ibadan

    Work will soon commenced on the abandoned 82 acres of Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) staff estate located in Owode, Apata area of Ibadan, the Oyo state capital.

    The CBN’s Deputy-Governor (Corporate Services), Mr. Bayo Adelabu gave this assurance while on the on-spot assessment of the multi-million naira property designed as housing units for its staff but which unfortunately had been abandoned and allowed to suffer neglect.

    Adelabu who led a team of staffers within Ibadan office of the CBN to the area, lamented the culture of waste and undue neglect that “this very massive property containing several blocks of housing units has been made to go through in a way that this place is in a state of neglect.”

    “But CBN under the current leadership of our Governor, Godwin Emefiele is a sensitive, responsible organization. You recall there was a news item in a newspaper about the neglect of a property which belongs to CBN last week. Immediately we read the news, we have to respond promptly because it is our belief that a very massive property containing several blocks of housing units that is in a state of neglect must be brought back to life,” Adelabu told reporters in Ibadan.

  • Estate gets new exco

    Residents of the Millennium Housing Estate (MHE) in Ojokoro-Ijaiye area of Lagos State have been advised to pay their monthly levies and other charges promptly.

    The estate’s newly elected chairperson, Mrs. Florence Lawal, who gave the advice at the inauguration of the newly elected executives of the estate, said prompt payment of levies and other charges would enable the estate’s leadership to provide basic amenities in the area for meaningful development.

    While thanking government for its efforts on the estate over the years, she urged government to establish a primary healthcare centre in the estate. “We need a medical centre here. We have about 634 flats here; so, it is usually agonising that when our women want to give birth and we start running helter-skelter to take them to Agege or Alimosho. Government needs to do this for us,’’ she added.

    Outgoing chairman Gbayesola Akin, who urged the new executives to imbibe the spirit of togetherness, enjoined them to always consider other people’s opinions before taking any decision, adding: “In every human group, there must be misunderstanding, but the ability to resolve same amicably is what matters most.”

    Saying that leadership should be seen as a sacrifice, Akin added: “The state and local government should help us in the implementation and enforcement of laws guiding every resident in the estate. This is important because we understand that everybody has a fundamental human right. But if there are laws in place, people will act accordingly.”

  • Estate thrown into darkness

    Residents of Unity Estate in Arepo, Ogun State, have been thrown into darkness following the burning of their electricity transformer.

    The incident reportedly happened hours after a councillor at the Ikosi Isheri Local Council Development Authority (LCDA), Lagos State, threatened to burn down the N4million equipment.

    It was gathered that the transformer was procured last December by the residents. The matter was reported at Ibafo Police Station and the councilor was arrested.

    The suspect, Odukunle Kuti, had in the morning of Saturday, allegedly gone to Wendy Garba Street, to tamper with the equipment, thus triggering several explosions.

    The suspect was reportedly angry because the leadership of the estate disconnected his house for failing to pay the transformer fee like other residents.

    Residents said some buildings paid N40, 000 each while some paid N25, 000 each to purchase the transformer.

    It was learnt that a few hours after the Ibafo Police invited both parties to write statements – about 7pm – the transformer was burnt down after some explosions. The councilor was arrested and later released, but the entire estate has since remained in darkness.

    Ogun State Police Public Relations Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi, who confirmed the incident, added that during investigations, a leader of the estate came to withdraw the case, saying it would be settled by the community.

  • Dirty fight for Omoruyi’s estate

    Dirty fight for Omoruyi’s estate

    At the funeral service for the late former Director-General of the defunct Centre for Democratic Studies, Prof. Omo Omoruyi, which was held last November, the no-love relationship between his biological and adopted children was glaring.

    Only one of the two adopted children, Karl, was present and he sat apart from the two daughters of Omoruyi – Ivie and Amenze.

    There were no exchanges of pleasantries and an empty chair stood between them. The marriage between the late Omoruyi and his wife, Joan, which was consumated in 1969, did not produce any children, hence they opted for adoption of Karl and Osarenren. Prof. Omoruyi however had the two girls from a Bini woman named Magdalene. Before the burial was fixed, the two daughters had kicked against insistence by family members that the two sons be present – in line with Bini customs.

    They were not allowed to see the body until top Benin chiefs intervened. The Will left by Omoruyi has further deepened the sour relationship among the children. The two girls, according to family sources, are alleging that the Will was cooked up after their father’s death. It was learnt that late Omoruyi gave his houses in America and the family house where he was buried in Benin City to the two boys. The house where he lived before his death at the Government Reservation Area was given to his wife, Joan while his house at Uwasota was given to the girls. Angered by the contents of the Will, the two girls- Amenze Omoruyi-Okungbowa and Ivie Omoruyi- Ideh – dragged the executors, Prof. Union Edebiri and Mr. Donald Omorodion before an Edo State High Court.

    Other defendants in the case are Dr. Imuetiyan Festus, Mr. Iduoze Nehikhare, Owere Dickson Imansogie, Mr. Sunday Omoruyi, Mr. Eghosa Omoruyi, Mr. Courage Omoruyi and the Probate Registrar. The late Omoruyi daughters through their counsel, Mr. N. Osifo, are asking the court to declare the Will null and void, as being contrary to Bini Native Law and Customs.

    They want a declaration that the 3rd and 4th defendants being witnesses to the said Will, cannot under the Will’s Act be beneficiaries under same. The claimants also want the court to declare that the concepts of adopted male children are unknown to Bini Native Laws and Customs and therefore, not entitled to inherit properties from their adopted father. They also seek “A declaration that the signature purported to be signature of the claimants’ father on the Will dated September 28, 2013, is not his signature.

    “A declaration that a Will that was lodged with the Probate Section of the High Court after the death of the Testator is not the Will of the Testator.’ “A declaration that the Will dated September 28, 2013 which was lodged in November 2013, is open to serious doubt as to its correctness and actual custody particularly when the Testator had died before it was lodged.” The family members in a press statement after a meeting held on January 16 said their late brother married only one wife, Joan and challenged the children to show evidences of their father’s marriage to their mother. They said late Omoruyi declared before his death that he has four children and listed them in order of seniority in his last testament. The Omoruyi family said they would not succumb to blackmail by the two women and alleged that the two daughters carted away three vehicles, valuables and documents immediately after the will was read.

    They said the two adopted sons have manifested the character of their father while growing up among the family.

    In an article, a close confidant of the late Omoruyi, said: “Cancer sufferers need their families to be with them to console them and give them hope particularly during rehabilitation. But was Prof’s immediate family there for him?

    “In his book-“My Journey Back to Life”- which manuscript I helped to edit, Prof. Omoruyi said: “The rehabilitation that was to be a family affair turned out to be something else. To set the record straight, I did not live with a family who is able to assist but with care givers at various times who saw me as a helpless person in search of care they gave me”. He, however, survived all that and was given a new life before the cancer later relapsed.

    “But because the friends he had laboured for in the past and the authorities he had appealed to for assistance all abandoned him, and lacking the required money to continue his treatment abroad, Omoruyi returned home, to Benin, to die. I think Prof. had a premonition his time was up. He arranged that he should be brought back home in order not to complicate things for his family who might want to bring back his remains from the US in the event of death in that country. Omoruyi was a very considerate man. As he returned, he knew doctors here could hardly do anything to help his case.

    “He was only getting one or two doctors to help him manage the pains. He quickly put together his family and other things as one doctor had once advised him five years ago. But because doctors are not God, Prof. lived for five years more. His estranged wife, a foreigner from Guyana, who had abandoned him during rehabilitation in the US following their disagreement, eventually came back and reconciled with him.”

  • Gwarinpa: ugly face of Abuja’s largest estate

    Gwarinpa: ugly face of Abuja’s largest estate

    In size, it has no rival. In beauty, only a few can compare. Gwarinpa Estate is to Abuja what the famous Festac Estate is to Lagos.

    It is a mega housing estate, boasting some of the most enchantingly designed houses. It was designed and built by the government of the late General Sani Abacha.

    The estate, many agree, is the largest housing estate in West Africa. It is also the largest of its kind in Nigeria. It sits on an expanse of land measuring about 1090 hectares with seven residential areas marked by avenues. It is no doubt the home for the well-to-do in Abuja. They all converge here seeking to establish a niche of their own within this vast area of habitation.

    Gwarinpa, apart from the masterpiece in designs and architecture, boasts of beautiful road networks. The roads within the estate are linked together, making it accessible for vehicular movement. All these features make the estate a notch above other residential areas in Abuja, except a few like Maitama and Asokoro.

    But an estate, which was once the toast of many residents of Abuja is gradually declining into a cesspit, thanks in part to the neglect of the Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB) which is supposed to ensure that the estate remains clean by getting rid of its waste.

    In May this year, residents of the once beautiful estate accused the Abuja administration of failing in its duties to ensure prompt and regular waste disposal, thereby causing health hazards. The residents said that the infrequent disposal of waste by the AEPB posed health hazards to them, adding that they are beginning to find heaps of waste littering the major roads disgusting and annoying.

    However, of all the residential avenues within the estate, 1st, 2nd and 3rd avenues are quite notorious for indiscriminate dumping of waste. This is because they are high activity areas with markets, commercial outlets and villages.

    When Abuja Review visited some of the avenues in the estate, heaps of waste were visible. The ever- busy 3rd Avenue was the most abused. Heaps of garbage littered the estate. When our correspondent asked why the place was littered with refuse, some of the residents said that the board had shown “laxity” in carrying out its duty for some time now.

    A resident civil servant who pleaded anonymity, explained that most times, waste remained in front of his house for days. The resulting odour, he says, pervades the environment. This, he says, ensures that some of them who reside in that environment do not spend time outside in the evening.

    He called on the board to be more serious and committed in the discharge of its duties, stressing that the absence of an efficient waste disposal strategy posed a threat to human life.

    Jibran, a businessman and resident of 1st avenue disclosed that it is saddening to see that waste lay unattended for long periods around the estate.

    According to him, “This is not acceptable. There are people in charge of disposing this waste. Anytime I pass round some areas in the estate, I see waste by the road side.”

    Jibran called on the board to assist in keeping the environment clean by assigning a monitoring unit to always move round to ensure proper waste disposal.

    A housewife in 2nd avenue who gave her name as Sarah, explained that people bring out waste from their homes on daily basis, which if not properly disposed, would continue to pile up.

    She said it was unhealthy for waste to pile up in residential areas for days. She advised that the relevant authorities be alive to their responsibilities so that the environment could remain clean and habitable.

    Corroborating the existence of indisposed waste in the estate, as a long practice, Gboyega, a former resident of the estate and a journalist with a radio station in Abuja, explained that the estate, for a period of time, was littered with heap of waste, adding that 3rd avenue was the most abused in terms of indisposed waste.

    ”I stayed there for two years (2010 – 2012). During that period, trucks that came to collect waste came once in a week at least to pick people’s wastes they put in front of their gates. It was easy for those that stayed in 3rd avenue to drop their wastes in black leather bags or plastic bins. It will remain for days before they will come and pack it. Imagine the heap of dirt that would have gathered before another week.

    ”For those that stayed around 3rd Avenue village, the case was different. Most of the residents dumped their waste by the road side for AEPB to come and pack. It normally blocks the gutter. In fact, for a long time, the gutters (drainages) were not working because of blockage, due to indiscriminate dumping of waste by the road side.”

    Another resident of the estate who gave his name as Segun called for a campaign by AEPB against the indiscriminate dumping of waste by residents. He observed that dumping of waste in the estate was an abuse of the environment. “It is something we all have to work together to curtail. A good campaign on indiscriminate dumping of waste for residents of the estate will go a long way to reduce the problem. There is need for residents to know the implications of abusing the environment.”

    Explaining the effects or dangers indisposed waste pose to human health, an Abuja base Radiologist, Dr. Augustine Ogah, explained that indisposed waste, when they decompose, release bacteria and parasite that cause diarrhoea, worm infection, typhoid and skin diseases. According to him, “when flies, rodents and cockroach come in contact with waste, they transmit diarrhoea diseases.”

    Reacting to the accusation of laxity by the board in performing its duties within the estate, the Head, Information and Outreach Programme of the board, Joe Ukairo, blamed the problem of waste in the state on lack of adequate waste bins in homes and commercial premises.

    He accused the residents of dumping their wastes on the ground instead of using the waste bins made available by the administration.

    He said: “Gwarinpa is quite large and we have two contractors handling the area. The major challenge in Gwarinpa district is lack of adequate waste bins in homes and commercial premises in that estate. Where there are no waste bins or the available ones are inadequate to containerise waste from the point of generation, litters and floor dumps cannot be avoided. So the first step towards a sustainable waste management is proper containerization; this is in line with global best practices.

    “The contractors collect waste from homes at least twice in a week and this is good enough. Where the waste bins are available and adequate, once a week collection will not be too bad.

    ”But what we have observed especially in Gwarinpa and other locations with blocks of flats is that they dump their waste on bare ground or into a “make shift” waste receptacle that fills up in less than 24 hrs giving rise to litters, floor dumps and unsightly/ unhealthy conditions. The contractors are working but before they can come back for the second routine in a week, the waste receptacles are overflowing because they are inadequate.

    “Our people are wonderful. However, people’s attitude towards environment sustainability is very poor. Majority of the residents do not pay the bills for the services rendered; knowing full well that the services come with a cost. Some cannot even lift a finger to take charge of their immediate environment which is their sole responsibility. They will wait for government to do everything for them which is not possible. The number one challenge we face as an agency in the discharge of our duty is negative attitude of people towards the environment.

    ”AEPB in her effort to right this wrong has begun the dust bin enforcement programme. In the past two months, we have been working in Gwarinpa through the mobile court to deal with defaulters accordingly. Firstly, abatement notices are served on erring households or business premises to procure required number of waste bin(s) within a specified time. At the expiration of given time, the team will go back for compliance monitoring. Where there is compliance it becomes a win – win situation but where the defaulters did not comply, a mobile court will be set in motion to prosecute the defaulters.”

     

  • Thrills, frills of living in 1004 Estate

    Thrills, frills of living in 1004 Estate

    Residents of luxurious 1004 Estate in Victoria Island Lagos share how living in the estate is like with Sunday Oguntola at a recent party

    When Chaitanya Jayaraman, an Indian businessman, arrived Lagos for the first time in 2011 to execute a long-term multi-million project, his major headache was how to get his family a suitable accommodation in Victoria Island. Mounting hotel bills and traffic congestion drove him to a state of despair. He was about resigning to fate when a friend mentioned giving 1004 Estate a try.
    “When I got here, I was speechless,” he recalled. “I was shocked that such a high-rise luxurious estate could exist and function efficiently in Nigeria.” But his amazement was a bit too early. More surprises awaited him. “I saw the exterior and was touched, but the interior was simply fantastic. My three bedroom maisonette compared much to the best hotel suites I have stayed across the world.”
    What really enthralls Jayaraman is what he described as the excellent services offered in the estate. He loves to qualify it as simply world-class. “I never knew I could stay in such an estate in Nigeria where there won’t be power cuts. I have been here for over two years and cannot remember the last time there was no power. That, for me, is mind-blowing,” he stated.
    When our correspondent visited the remodelled estate during the play @ 1004 musical show organised during the last Eid-Fitri celebration to fete residents, the exquisite atmosphere was as inviting as alluring. Residents basked in the euphoria of constant electricity supply, jogging across the well-laid lawn in the early hours of the day.
    The locust years
    Conceived as an upscale abode for senators and members of the House of Representatives, the Estate opened in 1979. Then, it was not just a status symbol but also a delight to live in 1004. When the federal capital was moved to Abuja, it was subsequently occupied by senior federal civil servants. Then, the rot began. Amenities became hard to come by. Residents groaned under acute water cuts.
    Things became so bad at a point that residents resorted to fetching water with buckets to as high as the 14th floor. The Estate became a laughing stock with passers-by nauseated by clothes spread across the once beauty-to-behold place. Mushroom buildings and makeshift kiosks littered the 11-hectare facility. Human and environmental stenches sickened residents and passers-by. Elevators ran-down and recreational facilities became dysfunctional.
    The dilapidated state of the Estate convinced government to move out as quickly as possible. A bidding process led to the acquisition of the Estate by the new owners, 1004 Estate Limited. The deal worth N7billion was Nigeria’s single largest property transaction in 2007.
    The facelift
    With the new private owners came the much-needed facelift. The core investors began refurbishment in 2008 with stripping and replacement of all internal mechanical/electrical fittings.
    The entire external services equipments for power, water and sewage were extensively redesigned and constructed to meet the changing needs of the housing market. The exterior facade remodelled to a modern finish with the apartment sizes accorded increased footprints.
    Three years after the new residents moved in, most of them said they couldn’t have made a better choice. A resident, who simply identified himself as Dipo, said living in the Estate is the best thing to happen to him in recent years. “Staying here has been satisfactory. The strongest points for me have been the location, security and services. The location is good. Services in terms of water and power are also okay. I have no complaints at all,” he stated.
    Living in 1004
    The expatriate ratio of residents is quite high, it was observed, with an official putting it as close to 70%. This, for some of the expatriates, is down to many reasons. To Gernitdu Triot, a South African, security is a major attraction. “I have been here for close to two years now and I can sleep with my two eyes wide open. I have no fears at all. My things are safe and I have never lost anything,” he explained.
    For many others like him, having a secured environment without any risk of armed robberies or pilfering is hard to imagine, considering the bad impression they had before coming over. “I never thought I could live in a protected estate like this in Nigeria,” Triot confided.
    It was observed that the Estate has been deliberately partitioned to enhance security. Each of the clusters, as segments of the Estate are called, has securely-protected gates manned by security operatives. Vehicles and visitors are subjected to routine checks for entries and exits. The sense of security encourages residents to move in and out without hindrance, even at nights. Many of the expatriates were seen taking leisure walks across the many lawns and recreational centres in the estate. The availability of street and corridor lights makes residents move round the Estate at all times without fear of molestation.
    To a Briton, who simply identified himself as Eric, the serene environment is quite helpful. “I work in an industry that requires a high sense of critical thinking and reasoning. So I need an environment like this to sharpen my sanity and produce the best of my creativity,” he shared.
    Eric is impressed that the Estate is conceptualised in such a way that residents mind their businesses and do not bother others. “I tell you what I have been doing for over a year and I have never seen my immediate neighbour. We go each other’s ways without troubles.”
    Residents enjoy a private network switch provided by telecommunication giants, MTN, that enables them to call free of charge within the Estate. That way they stay in touch without incurring costs. Only calls to outside lines are charged. The network has a dedicated switch for internet connection at a fee to the service provider.
    The facility is served by a water treatment plant that produces 1.5m litres per day. The plant stationed just across the Estate ensures water consumed in there is of the highest standard. There is also a private power plant with an installed capacity of 10MVA. It is the secret of the constant power supply in the estate powered by litres of diesel every day.
    The sewage treatment plant is one of the largest in Lagos, considering the high rate of waste generated in the Estate. Investigations revealed that residents on the upper floors dispose their waste by simply dropping into a tunnel that leads to a refuse chute strategically placed at the ground of the high-rise. Those on the upper floors enjoy the use of elevators, 12 of which are in different parts of the Estate.
    For recreational pleasure, it has four swimming pools and two tennis courts. The gym centre is awaiting equipment for take-off. Each of the apartments has complementary fitted air conditioners and washing machines for the use of residents.
    The Human Resources/Administrator Manager of 1004 Estate Limited, Kenneth Nwankwo, said no efforts will be spared to improve on facilities within the Estate. According to him: “We want the best of residency for our people with comfort and convenience. Our intention is to be the best residential estate in Nigeria.”
    But for all the thrills, it was observed that the painting of the Estate is fading. The exterior sure needs refurbishment to maintain the high standards in it. Also, over 3,000 cars belonging to residents and visitors access the Estate daily, putting the parking lots under serious strain. Measures must be taken to provide more lots, especially for visitors during closing hours of the neighbouring American International School. The traffic congestion at the period, though lasting for about 30 minutes, can be frustrating for visitors and residents.