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Tag: Fury

  • Mike Tyson warns Fury ahead Ngannou fight

    Mike Tyson warns Fury ahead Ngannou fight

    Around a month or so away from Tyson Fury’s clash with former UFC star Francis Ngannou, the Brit has received a message from Ngannou’s trainer, Mike Tyson.

    Former undisputed heavyweight world champion Tyson has been helping ‘The Predator’ get ready for the showdown in Riyadh, which will be his professional boxing debut.

    And in a recent interview with ESNews, ‘Iron Mike’ wished Fury the best of luck, though warned him that he’s in for a “tough evening” on October 28th .

    Despite Tyson’s comments, the consensus amongst fans, pundits and fighters in the boxing world is that it will not be a particularly tough evening for ‘The Gypsy King.’

    Fury is a huge betting favourite with the bookmakers, and an Ngannou win would go down as perhaps the greatest upset in the history of the division.

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    Though the Cameroon born French national undoubtedly packs a punch and is known as the hardest hitter in MMA, few believe he will have either the speed or the guile to land on Fury, who is a slippery customer even against the best heavyweights in the world of boxing.

    The event has drawn criticism from some observers, with many stating it is little more than a cash grab for a non-competitive bout.

    Whatever fight fans’ opinion may be, there is a universal hope that an historic undisputed world title bout between Fury and unified world champion Oleksandr Usyk will finally take place following the Ngannou showpiece after both teams confirmed an agreement had been reached.

  • Floods of fury

    Residents mourn over loss of 40 lives, submerged houses and farmlands
    Families lament loss of graduates, children, pregnant women

    RESPITE appears to be far from sight for residents of Mokwa, Lapai, Lavun, Borgu, Shiroro and a few other local government areas in Niger State from the floods that have been unleashed on them by torrential rainfall.

    Many lives have been lost, houses have been submerged and properties and farm produce have been lost as residents of the various areas, who normally had nothing in common, continue to count their losses. Inhabitants of the affected communities are shedding tears almost on a daily basis as they witness one form of flood-impelled disaster after the other.

    According to the Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA), more than 50 communities across the 22 local government areas in the state are currently under water, while 40 deaths have been reported. Yet the agency has also predicted that there would likely be more casualties as the rainy season approaches its peak.

    In Lapai local government area, for example, the families of Suleiman Ibrahim and Tanko Hassan will not forget the rains in a hurry, having lost two of their promising sons to floods. The two families were inconsolable as they received the news of the death of their sons.

    Respondents after respondents described the deceased graduates as hard working, tenacious, responsible and ready to take on any task. In a state categorised as one of the educationally disadvantaged, it goes without saying that the deceased graduates were the leading lights of the families in Bina community.

    The ‘Small Teachers’, as the graduates of Niger State College of Education, Minna, were popularly called, drowned in a flood while they were on their way back home after visiting their flooded farms and those of their parents.

    “The last time I saw Suleiman, he was very happy. He wanted to make sure that the impact of the flood on our farms was not much. If I knew it was the last I would be seeing of him, I would not have let him go,” lamented Suleiman’s distraught mother as she repeatedly wiped her tears with the edge of her wrapper.

    The two graduates had gone to the flooded rice farmlands in good spirits but got drowned on their way back home as the canoe in which they rode capsized. Suleiman Ibrahim was  said to be 25 years old, while Tanko Abako Hassan was aged 23. Virtually all the rice farms in the village are currently  under water.

    In Shata Sabo, Shiroro Local Government Area, Mallam Mamman received his pregnant wife and two-year-old son’s bodies with tears. He had hoped that the baby in his deceased wife’s womb would be a girl and he would be her hero, but his hopes were dashed as they were caught in a boat accident caused by a flood wave.

    The deceased pregnant woman, Ramatu Mamman, along with her two-year-old son, Saminu, and seven other persons all perished in the accident on River Niger as the boat they boarded from Shata Sabo capsized midway into their journey to Shata Soho in Bosso Local Government Area.

    The Director-General of Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA), Alhaji Abdullahi Inga, attributed the accident to a flood wave.

    He said: “They were already on the water when a flood wave hit the boat, forcing it to capsize. The accident killed nine out of 11 passengers, including a mechanic, one John Moses, and two of his apprentices; Khalifa Danladi age14 and Ubale Usman age 16; one Mallam Muhammad Safir; Malam Salihu Aliyu and a 72-year-old man simply referred to as Makadi.”

    At press time, only the bodies of Ramatu and her son who was strapped to her back, had been recovered, while the bodies of the others are still being searched for.

    Unheeded danger alerts

    Despite several warnings from the management of dams across the state as well as the state government about impending flood due to the release of water from the dams, a lot of communities paid no attention to them and ended up paying the price. One of such local government areas is Mokwa where about 89 communities have been affected, including those in the downstream of Jebba Dam.

    The flood, according to the officials of NSEMA, destroyed more than 500 houses, rendering more than 1,000 people homeless. Roads, bridges and culverts were also washed away, while farmlands were submerged.

    In Kede community in Mokwa, 30 villages were submerged, while over 100 hectares of farmland were washed away. The villagers and their livestock are currently homeless with no means of livelihood and are seen in makeshift huts as alternative shelter. The farmlands submerged are a FADAMA intervention programme with 100 farmers in 10 clusters across 30 villages.

    One of the villagers whose house and farmland were washed away, Yahaya Adamu Muregi, told The Nation that the flood was not a new occurrence as the village has been experiencing flood yearly since the creation of the Jebba and Kanji dams. He added that the farmers of the FADAMA 111 farmlands that were washed away had just been given farm inputs for better harvest but the flood washed everything away.

    Muregi said that the people were ready to resettle in another community to forestall further loss of properties yearly, calling on the government to develop a resettlement programme.

    Another resident and victim, Alhaji Attahiru Isah, lamented that the people currently have no means of livelihood, adding that there is no food to eat or house to sleep in.

    A visit to one of the villages in Ketso showed irreparable losses. Most of the villagers are currently living in some of the schools that were so far spared by the ravaging floods.

    Aminu Kuje, who echoed Muregi’s statement, said the flood is a yearly occurrence in Ketso, stating that he lost 50 hectares to the flood along with 32 others who suffered the same fate.

    FG’s farming programmes under threat

    The 2018 flood in Niger State seems to have affected farmers the most, especially those participating in the Federal Government/CBN’s anchor borrowers and Fadama 111AF programmes. According to NSEMA Director- General, 80 per cent of farmlands belonging to the farmers were affected in the area.

    Indicating where his rice farmers use to be, which was still covered in water, Mallam Ndamitso Umar, fought to hold back tears as he told the reporter that flood, though expected, was not expected to cause such a colossal damage.

    “How am I going to pay back the loans I have collected? Who am I going to turn to, especially as most of my friends are also affected? You can see the damage yourself. I don’t have to explain how much damage this has caused me. ”

    Umar was the only one willing to speak as others only shook their heads in lamentation, asking: “What do you want us to say?”

    “Even if I say anything now, would it make the government to forget the loan? If I had known, I would not have gone for the CBN Programme. Will they have pity on us because we have lost our farms?”

    The Chairman, Rice Farmers Association (RIFAN), Niger State Branch, Alhaji Mahmood ElMahdys, described the floods as devastating, saying he has had a hard task trying to keep most of his members alive as some of them actually tried to end their lives after seeing their losses.

    According to him, more than 75, 000 hectares of rice farmland estimated at about N52 billion were affected by flooding in the state, adding that the recent flood experienced in Niger in August and September has seriously affected rice farmers, both RIFAN and non-RIFAN members in nearly all the 25 local government areas in the state.

    He said: “The flood we just saw has consumed farms belonging to about 25,000 farmers across the state, translating to an average of three hectares per farmer. You will get about 75,000 hectares of farmland submerged in the flood, and this translates to over N53 billion worth of rice engulfed, considering that most of the farms had either reached harvesting stage or were about to.”

    On Tuesday, the state also witnessed another incident of flood in Zugeru as the water in Zugeru hydro power dam, which is under construction, was released. Because the banks could not hold the water, it flooded into people’s homes and farms, displacing about six communities. The affected people have been resettled at the Central Primary School, which would be their home for the next three to four weeks when the flood is expected to subside.

    One of the leaders of the community, Zubairu Zugeru, said the sum brought as compensation was too meagre and was rejected by the villagers. He said that when the dam was being constructed, they cautioned the contractors that the diversion they did was too small and could not contain the water if it was released. “But, as usual, they took us as novices and continued constructing the waterway. This is our ancestral land, so we know what happens when the dam overflows. Now we are vindicated. ”

    The Public Relations Officer of NSEMA, Ibrahim Audu Hussaini, told The Nation that the cause of the flood was the inability of the waterway to contain the water when it was released from the dam. He added that the people should have been resettled before the construction of the dam, calling on all bodies responsible for compensating the people to do so as they have lost everything. “Their houses are totally destroyed. They lost all their crops and livestock, mostly chickens and goats, and their lives are in danger,” he said.

    Ibrahim said that the magnitude of the flood was the same as the one the state experienced in 2012, adding that the damage could not be quantified. He said the Niger State Government does not have enough funds to curtail the damages that have been caused, saying the state needed intervention from the Federal Government and the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).

    Niger State Governor, Alhaji Abubakar Sani-Bello, has continually visited most of the affected communities ravaged by flood in Mokwa, Lavun, Katcha, Agaie and Lapai local government areas of the state.

    In order to have an idea of the impact of the flood, the governor had to fly around most of the communities in a police helicopter in line with global best practices where flying in a helicopter over areas affected by flood or similar emergency situation allows for a bird-eye view or total picture of such devastation.

    After assessing the damage, the governor called for the Federal Government’s intervention and directed the immediate distribution of relief items worth over N65 million to some affected communities in Mokwa and Lapai local government areas. Otheraffected communities have also received relief materials from the government through NSEMA.

  • Dapchi: Fears, lessons and fury

    SIR: The Dapchi debacle where at least 105 girls were abducted has reminiscence of Chibok experience. On April 15, 2014, 276 girls were abducted from government Secondary school, Chibok Maiduguri. This is February 2018 and 105 girls are missing from another girls’ school in neighbouring Yobe State.

    The abductions share some basic similarities albeit different time, space, but definitely share same purpose. The abductions are carried out just penultimate year to election. We may recall that in 2014, the abduction of 276 Chibok girls contributed largely to Jonathan losing election. I have no doubt the same purpose the Dapchi debacle is meant to achieve.

    What Nigerians should be scared of going forward is the nature of political game-play where human lives may become the currency to transact business where politicians and party platforms will battle out in exchange to clinch to power. I have no doubt the Dapchi kidnap, just like the Chibok embarrassment is designed to discredit the government in power to pave way for another. While we fear this may be the feature of our political future, the APC may well learn from a scenario it used excellently well in raising the most crafted propaganda in the history of Nigeria to unseat the PDP in 2015.

    We do not know who was behind the 2014, only time and providence will make us know who is behind the 2018 abduction. Largely Christian girls were abducted in 2014, this time they are mostly Muslims. Those behind the two abductions are definitely persons without respect for the next religious belief, hence the choice of school to attack under different leadership.

    Sadly, the far-reaching consequence of this hideous political tool will definitely destroy the country if not stopped in its track. The conscious trend of terror-supported politics is already having a place in our political construct. It therefore means that terror is fast becoming a part of the political stratosphere.

    While government is searching for the missing girls, it is instructive to unravel those behind this heinous crime to humanity. We have always settled for peripheral solutions, failing utterly to probe deeper. Government must not play hastily with this to score cheap points. The politicians veiled behind these terrorists who must be uncovered.

     

    • Israel A. Ebije,

        ebijeo5@gmail.com

     

  • Sound and fury

    By now, Justice Walter Onnoghen should be sitting pretty as the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), but what happened to the Judiciary towards the end of last year seems to have stalled his confirmation for the exalted seat. It is given that the most senior Justice of the Supreme Court (JSC) takes the CJN seat on the retirement of the incumbent. This has been the practice for ages, but in 1972, the military deviated from the tradition to appoint the late Dr Taslim Elias, the commissioner of justice and attorney-general of the federation, as CJN. Perhaps, in order to avert a recurrence in future, the framers of the 1999 Constitution stipulated the criteria for appointing the CJN in the social contract.

    The Constitution made the CJN’s appointment a matter of seniority among JSCs. In one word, it became a turn by turn thing depending on who is next in the hierarchy. As the most senior JSC when CJN Mahmoud Mohammed retired last November 10, Justice Onnoghen should have automatically stepped in as CJN, in accordance with constitutional provisions. But there was a snag, which is not of his own making. Justice Mohammed was leaving at a time the Judiciary was virtually on trial for certain indiscretions, with two JSCs caught in the web. The homes of Justices Sylvester Ngwuta and Inyang Okoro were among the houses of some judicial officers searched by the Department of State Service (DSS) following allegations of corruption.

    Ngwuta has been arraigned, but Okoro is yet to be brought to court. Some Federal High Court judges have also been arraigned, while arrangements are on to bring some other judicial officers to court. This was the setting when Mohammed was leaving. Faced with a judiciary already tainted with allegations of corruption, President Muhammadu Buhari was probably in a  dilemma in keeping with the tradition on the appointment of the CJN. What do I know about this most senior JSC? Is he corrupt? Can he be trusted not to stain the exalted seat of CJN? What are his antecedents? These and many more posers would have weighed on the president’s mind. To avoid making hasty decision, he named Onnoghen acting CJN in line with Section 231 (4) of the 1999 Constitution as amended.

    Appointment into the Supreme Court is not a small matter, not to talk of who becomes the CJN. Elsewhere, appointment into the Supreme Court is treated with all the seriousness it deserves. Some countries do not follow the book as we do on the matter. They go for those who have what it takes to do the job. Such people may not even share political affiliation with the appointing authority. The most important criterion is : can the person do the job? Being the highest court in the land, the Supreme Court must be peopled by men and women of honour who will not compromise their stand because of filthy lucre. What we have heard about our judiciary in recent times is distressing, too too distressing. If the last hope of the common man is really like that, what hope is there then for the hoi polloi?

    Should the president be blamed if he decides to bide his time before appointing the CJN because of these distressing stories about the Judiciary? All we want is a judiciary that will serve the people and uphold the scale of justice without looking at the faces or the standing in life of the parties before it. The CJN plays a key role in the judicial set up because he is the numero uno, the leader of the Bench and the father of other judges. As a father, he must give direction to others. Can a CJN with a soiled hand play such a role and redeem the Judiciary? The answer is no. Onnoghen’s turn to become CJN came at a critical juncture in the life of the Judiciary. But, who knows, fate may have thrown him up as CJN at a time like this in order to sanitise the Judiciary.

    This is why I am not taken in by the noise being made by those trying to stampede the president to confirm him. The president, I am sure, will eventually send Onnoghen’s name to the Senate for confirmation, but that will be after he is satisfied with the investigation on the acting CJN. Let us face the truth, if we are in the president’s shoes, will we just send Onnoghen’s name to the Senate just like that because he has been recommended by the National Judicial Council (NJC) without probing his background in the light of the mess in the Judiciary? The president has not said he would not appoint him and he did not breach the Constitution by naming Onnoghen acting CJN. And Onnoghen’s three-month acting tenure will not end until tomorrow. As I write this on Tuesday evening, I am sure that the president will act on the matter between now and today.

    Those who feel that the president is delaying unnecessarily should sheathe their swords. The president will send Onnoghen’s name to the Senate before Friday for confirmation and he will only be doing so because he is satisfied with the outcome of the investigation on the acting CJN. Onnoghen has a Herculean task ahead of him. He has to cleanse the Augean stable once he becomes the CJN and automatically, NJC chairman. He has a lot of work to do as CJN to change the people’s perception about our judges. Long before the DSS’ raid on some judicial officers, many Nigerians had nothing good to say about many judges. Many senior lawyers will dismiss this claim, saying there is no proof of such allegations. They will talk like that because they are in it with those judges. But we all know that there is no smoke without fire.

    If a poor man goes to the market square or a bar and paints a picture of what he went through before a judge, then he must know what he is talking about. There is no poor man who will just wake up and accuse a judge of misconduct if he did not experience such in court. We should not be sentimental about Onnoghen’s appointment. It is not an ethnic, religious or political thing. All the president wants is the best for the country. His administration is fighting corruption and he needs a strong and an incorruptible judiciary to wage the war. If the Judiciary is corrupt, it will make nonsense of the anti-corruption war.

    This process will strengthen Onnoghen and make him a better CJN. I wish other CJN went through the same process. May be that would have helped them in leaving behind a worthy legacy.

  • Hammer test for Fury

    Hammer test for Fury

    Undefeated heavyweight destroyer Tyson Fury faces a dangerous test against big-hitting Christian Hammer on February 28 at London’s 02 arena, live and exclusive on Box Nation.

    Fury puts his WBO International title on the line against the WBO number four ranked Hammer in a risky title defence ahead of a projected summer showdown with reigning world champion Wladimir Klitschko.

    The Wilmslow giant dismantled Dereck Chisora for the second time last month to win the British and European titles and also secured the number one and mandatory position to Klitschko, who next fights in April, but must then defend his WBO title against Fury next.

    German-based Romanian Hammer, who fights out of the EC Boxing team, is a former WBO European Champion who has 10 stoppages out of 17 wins, and will be looking to cause a huge upset on these shores by being the first to defeat Fury and earn himself a shot at Klitschko.

    In his last fight the 27-year-old (17-3 10KOs) defeated then rising, dynamite-hitting, Brazilian prospect Irineu Beato Costa Jnr, who until then had stopped 13 out of 15 opponents early.

    But Hammer showed that he can box as well as punch by winning every one of the 12 rounds as he chlaked up his 10th successive win.

    Fury, 26, is not worried by the threat Hammer poses to his dream of fighting for the world title and relishes the challenge that he brings.

    “I’ve said all along I’m not like these other fighters in the division who pussy foot around, take soft touches and call themselves fighters,” said the 6ft 9ins Fury (23-0 17KOs).

    “I could have taken an easy job at the O2 arena to keep my position safe for my world title fight against Klitschko, but that’s not what Tyson Fury is about or what the public want to see from someone who has promised from day one to win the world heavyweight title.

    “On paper it’s a dangerous job against Hammer, he’s highly ranked, he brings a big punch with him, he’ll have ambitions of his own to beat me and grab himself a world title shot against Klitschko and I’m sure he’ll be full of confidence coming over here.

    “Training for Hammer will start in early January and this year is a big one for me and the world title is in my sight. My focus will be on Hammer now, he’s my priority and the man in the way of my dream.

  • Feeding fasting Muslim sparks fury

    Outraged by the incident of force feeding an Indian Muslim man fasting for Ramadan by an Indian lawmaker representing Ultra-nationalist Shiv Sena Party, Muslim leaders and opposition parties have demanded an investigation of the racial incident.

    “The incident turns much controversial and inhuman as the victim of this barbaric act is a Muslim who is fasting during Ramadan,” India’s opposition parties wrote in a letter to parliament speaker Sumitra Mahajan demanding an inquiry into the incident, Hindustan Times reported on Wednesday, July 23.

    “We would request you to uphold the dignity of the House by ordering an inquiry and also direct the government for an immediate inquiry and appropriate action so that such wanton behavior is no longer repeated.”

    Considering the incident a threat to their religious freedom and a blow to secularism, Muslim leaders announced, during a meeting in New Delhi, plans to meet President Pranad Mukherjee over the incident.

    “The Shiv Sena has always spread communal hatred. The MP should be arrested. But what is more shocking is Parliament did not censure the MP,” asked Zafarul Islam Khan, the editor of Milli Gazette, a community magazine.

    The incident has revived Muslims’ fears of facing restrictions on religious freedom and being discriminated against under the leadership of Narendra Modi.

    “My worry is that we will face more incidents like this under the Modi government,” said Professor Arshad Gauhar, the president of the Mumbai-based National Muslims Alliance, a think-tank.

    Describing the incident as “shocking”, Congress member M I Shanavas said it is “cutting at the root of secularism.

    “MPs who should be role models have become bad models … the faith of minorities has been tarnished. The House should condemn it,” the Press Trust of India news agency reported.

  • Tyson Fury to battle Ustinov in Manchester

    Tyson Fury will fight Belarus heavyweight Alexander Ustinov in Manchester on Saturday after original opponent Dereck Chisora pulled out with a fractured hand.

    Ustinov, who has won 29 of his 30 professional fights, was one of Chisora’s sparring partners during preparations for the bout and was the British boxer’s opponent when the injury was sustained.

    Fury said on Twitter that he “can’t wait” for the clash to take place, describing it as a “better fight” than the planned match-up with Chisora.

    The 6ft 7in Ustinov, 37, represents a significant challenge for Fury, whose preparations were for a fighter who stands several inches shorter.

    Ustinov has beaten Britain’s Michael Sprott, David Tua, Monte Barrett and Paolo Vidoz during his pro career, with his sole defeat coming against Kubrat Pulev – Wladimir Klitschko’s next opponent in September – in 2012.

    “The first thing is I’m happy to still be fighting this Saturday and that the fans will get what they paid for and see a good fight,” Fury said.

    “We’ve had a hard training camp and I’m in the shape of my life, expecting to knock out Chisora, but now I’m going to have to take it out on Ustinov and make sure he takes the full force of my anger.

    “Strangely, I’m going to break the man who broke Chisora’s hand.”

    Fury has had a difficult 18 months, with the cancellation of two fights with David Haye preceding this latest setback.

  • Fury as boy,7,does a Suarez in school

    A SEVEN year old pupil in Suffolk, England, has sparked fury after sinking his teeth into a classmate on the wrist, hours after  watching his football idol, Luis Suarez bit an opponent in  the ongoing World Cup in Brazil.

    Schoolboy Harvey Eaglen, a Liverpool supporter, was reported by The Sun of London as having told shocked teachers he tore into   a playmate because it was “what footballers do”.

    Suarez who has since been expelled from the competition has been banned from football activities for four months by FIFA.

    Harvey was punished with a ban from the “pitch” and his break-times for the rest of the day cancelled.

    His stunned mum Kathleen Cooke was called to Poplars Community Primary School in Lowestoft, Suffolk and told her son was on a final warning.

    The implication is that he could be expelled if he puts another foot wrong.

    And the mum fumed: “I thought what Suarez did was disgusting. When I found out my son had done it too I was furious. We’re trying to teach Harvey right from wrong but what are we supposed to do when he sees his heroes doing things like that?

    “Suarez is supposed to be a role model  all footballers are  but he never acts like one. It’s not fair on boys like my son.”

    Harvey is described as a promising defender with no previous record of biting.

  • Fun and fury of trade fairs

    Fun and fury of trade fairs

    Trade Fairs are as old as history of business. Many see it as a platform where manufacturers, service providers, small/medium entrepreneurs and end users interact and discuss their products and services. Thus, it is a bargain ground for producers/products exhibitors and shoppers; and the economy stands to derive some benefits from it.

    The “trade shows” is not only to create an atmosphere for shoppers and buyers to interact; it is also to create room for variety of products among sellers, thus bringing about reduction in prices to shoppers’ delight.

    For the fact that shopping is like a stage play where every actor comes, exhibits and leaves, shoppers and vendors adequately maximise their presence at trade fairs.

    Nigerian fairs are primarily designed for enterprises seeking wider access to internal and international markets, and investors seeking joint-venture partners and markets for various goods.

    Nigeria, being a viable market for assorted goods/services from all continents of the world, makes provision for ample opportunities to market new innovations and bring exhibitors and shoppers together for trade activities.

    Trade exhibition poses a lot of competition, especially among those who sell the same products, thus causing pleasant confusion for the shopper who is expected to be prudent and patient on product choice. But shoppers get good bargains, as many products are on promotion with attractive discounts.

    In addition, companies provide casual jobs to unemployed youths who help them market their products. This helps shoppers purchase items at cheaper rates in a relaxed atmosphere spiced with music and other side attractions.

    Trade fairs are significant in the realisation of a nation’s collective aspirations of rapid economic transformation as businesses are enhanced and promoted in the process.

    The representative of the Lagos State Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, Mr Alayande Olarewaju said at the Lagos Mega Trade Fair presently going on at Tafa Balewa Square that it is through trade that domestic companies can take advantage of bigger markets at regional, continental and global levels.

    He said: “Trade fairs offer excellent platforms for the promotion of domestic and international trade. However, for us to benefit from trade, local companies must be competitive. Therefore, the creation of an enabling environment to enhance competition is crucial.

    “Putting up trade fair expositions and promotions is the only way the organised private sector can reposition itself to face the emerging challenges of global competition. The importance of trade fairs and exhibitions in the expansion of trade and promotion of economic diversification cannot be over-emphasized as it creates opportunities for buyers and sellers to meet and forge partnerships that can last for a long time. Nigeria like many other developing countries is prepared to streamline trade in its development strategies. The consensus amongst policy makers and the private sector is that in the current economic climate where most economies are battling to reduce budget deficits, reduce unemployment and tackle their sovereign debt crises, the most potent tool for sustainable and inclusive economic growth is trade and investment.”

    Mr Wole Osunkunle, Managing Director, Osworld Associates Limited, the organisers of the ongoing Mega Lagos Fair with the theme Consolidating global economic and political gains through trade promotions said that a fair is an opportunity for people to make contact with manufacturers, create network for new businesses, make contact as distributors/agents, show-case new products and services as well as other benefits. The essence of the trade fair is not only for buying and selling,” he said.

    In a bid to ensure that members of the chamber make maximum use of the yearly fair, he also said, “We encourage participants to give flyers and business cards to those they come in contact with. So, the participants can easily be located for more business deals after the fair,”

    “Trade fairs contribute meaningfully to the expansion of trade for the sustainable economic growth of a nation thereby leaving a positive impression on the minds of participants.”

    The Nation Shopping spoke with some shoppers to find out what their attractions to trade fairs are and how they have gained one way or the other.

    Mrs Adesuwa Ehiadolor said her attraction is the free package that goes with visiting the fairs. “There are free this and that everywhere. Sometimes, when you don’t buy anything, you are given something for spending time at the fair. For instance, drink industries like Nutri-C, Milo and the likes give out free drinks to shoppers whether you patronise them or not. Pens and souvenirs of all sorts are commonly given out at fairs. Some of us patronise fairs because of these consolation gifts we get, regardless of any other thing.

    For Mr Nurudeen Komolafe, the attraction is the promotion and discounts, where shoppers are sure of getting products at cheap rates. ”If trade fairs continue the way they are today, people like me will not miss one for anything. I look forward to fairs, it is favourable to me”.

    Yet for Mr Sanya Akinkunmi, the attraction is also the discounts attached to products. “At the last Lagos International Trade Fair, I was given a 10 per cent discount when I bought a bed, I was to buy it for N40,000, but I was given 10 per cent discount and I got it for N36,000,” he said.

    An exhibitor, Mrs Olushola Ajireru who sells Mouka foam, said ‘trade fair is an avenue for creating awareness for products, though customers benefit more from fairs,” she said.

    Another exhibitor, Mrs. Praise Shopeju who sold Ghana wears at the last Lagos International Trade Fair said it is a good thing, especially in an international fair likes this where you have exhibitors and manufacturers from other countries. It is an opportunity for us to know how receptive Nigerians are and how they value our own products.”

    Osunkunle also noted that whenever there is a kind of bilateral activity, the government would be involved. “That is why, in the course of preparing for a fair, we make sure that we make relevant contacts within and outside the country and with all the government agencies, particularly, our mission outside the country and the mission of foreign countries inside Nigeria. We have to work with them closely because if company “A” is interested in coming from China and the Chinese embassy in Nigeria says Nigeria is not safe; that Nigeria is not a viable place to come, such a company would not come.

    “We also need cooperation to make those agencies understand us and understand the situation and then we need to understand them so that we would be able to market whatever we have in mind. That is how it works; the government is grossly involved because we cannot do it alone, especially if it is an international trade fair and even if it is a local government trade fair, these agencies and the government must be involved because they have to provide the security, the land and some other things. So, you cannot do it on your own. No matter how rich or how big the chamber is, it still needs to work with the government closely because there are things that are beyond the chambers; there are things that only the government can provide,” he said.

    The benefits and the main purpose of trade fairs is exchange of technology and ideas, so that when you invite people, they come and showcase what they have and they try to pick what you have also. The real gain from trade fair is the exchange of ideas, exchange of technology and exchange of bigger business. The actual benefits are in billions and those come from the discussions and exchange of ideas.

     

  • Fury as bulldozers pull down N3b estate

    Fury as bulldozers pull down N3b estate

    AN estate valued at about N3b has been levelled by bulldozers deployed by the Federal Capital Territory Administration Development Control Unit, but not without a spirited backlash from those on the receiving end.

    A sizeable angry crowd was soon mobilised. Placards denounced the demolition and questioned the legality of the demolition.

    The 500-unit housing estate belonged to Minanuel Investments Limited.

    The representative of the developer, Festus Adebayo, described the act as mischievous and unwarranted, adding that “the papers and other documents to support the development are valid and free from all encumberances before and after the company took possession of the land from NCR Associates in 2004.”

    It was also alleged that the estate has been re-allocated to some senators by the FCT authorities.

    Adebayo said that the demolished houses were 80 per cent completed before they were pulled down, stressing that “the company received all approvals to build and develop these destroyed residential houses which were planned to be handed over to owner-contributors by the end of October, 2012.”

    He stated that no notice was issued by demolishers.

    He said that the demolished houses consisted of 372 units of three- and two-bedroom bungalows, which had over 95 per cent subscription from civil servants, aided by bank loans and mortgages.

    Adebayo said that the swiftness with which the properties were destroyed was reminiscent of military fiat.

    “It is unthinkable that residential houses designed for low income earners are destroyed in a country which has a housing deficit of over 16 million,” he explained.

    He said that the subscription for the houses was in connection with social housing under the national housing fund.

    Chairperson of the Real Estate Developers Association of Nigeria (REDAN), Hajia Binta Ibrahim who commiserated with Minanuel Investments, described the demolition as an act of economic sabotage.

    “This has defeated the present administration’s agenda on mass housing, while also discouraging private developers to participate in mass housing programmes in Nigeria.”

    Ibrahim stressed that there was no justification for the action, adding that REDAN was poised to defend Minanuel Investments as it lawfully acquired the property.

    The Director of the FCT Development Control Unit, Yahaya Yusuf said the 100 houses demolished in the Estate were illegal structures.

    Yusuf explained that the demolition became inevitable due to what he called the recalcitrant attitude of the estate developer who allegedly continued to build on the plot of land based on a backdated title documents from the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC).

    He noted that AMAC allocation stopped being legal documents in 2004 while the building plan approval from AMAC also lost authenticity in 2006.

    Yusuf said even after an advertisement by the FCTA that developers should stop encroaching on lands meant for other purposes for mass housing, several developers failed to yield.

    His words: “Failure of the estate developers to heed the advertorials prompted the Department to commence removal of such illegal structures.

    “This exercise affected estates belonging to Nigerian Prisons Service, Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps and Liberty Estates. Also removed from a buffer zone along Outer Southern Expressway (OSEX) where 140 illegal structures belonging to one Messrs Sunshine Estate Limited.

    The Director said when the Department of Development Control noticed that developers were not complying, the sunshine estate, liberty, civil defence estate, prison service staff housing estates among others were demolished and were told to come forward for revalidation of their land titles at the Urban and Regional Planning Unit.

    His words: “In the case of the estate that has just been removed, Real Estate Developers Association of Nigeria (REDAN) has been involved right from inception.

    “When announcements were made that development should be suspended along airport road, the department informed REDAN and even went on a tour of the affected estates with them and REDAN assured the authority that their members will suspend further development pending new layout but these developers ignored all the warnings which necessitated the demolition.

    It would be recalled that the National Assembly has also threatened to demolish the estate for allegedly occupying the land belonging to its members.

    Senator Smart Adeyemi, the Chairman, Senate Committee on FCT, was said to have issued the threat.

    Adeyemi said that the estate developer had acquired the land hitherto allocated to some National Assembly members.

    “We are surprised to see a developer building on a district that belonged to Nigerians, including National Assembly members.

    “We will not condone this act because these buildings are illegal, the developer is not supposed to erect buildings here.