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Tag: NIWA

  • NIWA reaffirms commitment to PPP for re- energised waterways operations

    NIWA reaffirms commitment to PPP for re- energised waterways operations

    The Managing Director of National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), Mr. Bola Oyebamiji, has expressed desire in consolidating the Public/Private Partnerships blueprint already initiated by his predecessors in office as a way of opening up new opportunities to maximized full economic potentials of the nation’s waterways.

     Oyebamiji made this commitment while speaking with newsmen at the end of his two-day working  visit to NIWA office in Warri, Delta state, last week as part of his on-going familiarisation tour of its facilities across the country and also to boost the morale of its workforce on the task ahead in re-positioning the parastatal.

    Responding to how he intended to continue the initiated partnership between NIWA and Burutu Port Management in the State, he expressed optimism the synergy would no doubt boost commercial activities along the Delta waterways and reaffirmed his determination to promote Public Private Partnership in all its operational bases in the country.

    He emphasised that the best way to go is the PPP, describing it as the norm now in the world, just as he disclosed that the Ministry of Marine and Blue  Economy has been preaching this global trends in harnessing the economic viability of the maritime domain.

    While pointing out that his predecessor in office had taken a good step in this direction, NIWA boss assured that they are going to follow it through, adding that they are going to be sure that the partnership with people who have genuine intentions and purposes are sustained.

    Read Also: Oyetola outlines plans for NIWA, others

    On Waterways security and efforts being made by the establishment to partner with security agencies in ensuring safety, especially along its right of ways, Oyebamiji, recounted various initiatives so far taken by the Minister, Chief Adegboyega Oyetola, in addition to the key areas the parastatal had also made its own inputs.

    He revealed that recently when he came on board he held meetings with some major stakeholders and have collectively chatted a way forward, adding that the parastatal had decided to take its security arrangements to the grassroots, as they have engaged the various village heads across their operational areas to see how they can safeguard their environment.

    According to him: “They understand their terrains, so they are in a better position to tell us more about their creeks and the flash points. They know their people, so they can guide on the good and criminally minded individuals in their areas,” adding that this will go a long way in assisting to tackle the issue of insecurity within its operational areas.

    He hinted that they have also engaged their own personnel securities, adding that this would complement the efforts of the Marine Police and the conventional security agents that had ensured some level of safety on the Waterways.

    “You will also remember that about three months ago or so, we commissioned some newly acquired gunboats and I can tell you that they are being deployed to strategic locations of our operations across the country“.

    On his general assessment after the tour of the Zonal office, Mr. Oyebamiji, noted that part of the reason he came to Warri was evaluate the present condition of some of its operational equipment at the Zonal office, In order to have a first hand knowledge of what they needed to do to upgrade some of these facilities.

    Earlier during a meeting with the workers, Oyebamiji, had reiterated his commitment to the welfare of staff, interns of training and retraining, promotions and remunerations, including the education of the children of his work force.

    While expressing his willingness to meet all their demands, he noted that he might be constrained by inadequate funding, hence he had to prioritize their requests. 

    He however urged them not to be discouraged but see their present position and an opportunity to make the difference in making Inland Waterways more efficient and productive.

    In his opening remarks, the Warri Area Manager, Engr Rufus Oladimeji, had thanked the Managing Director for providing them with an operational vehicle and went ahead to reel out a number of requirements needed at the Zonal office to boost its operations.

  • Oyebamiji, NIWA and Blue Economy

    Oyebamiji, NIWA and Blue Economy

    From the track records of Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji, his appointment into the hitherto moribund National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) as its Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer (MD/CEO) is well deserved. Given his pedigree, experience and previous positions, expectations are high that Oyebamiji’s good leadership style will ultimately impact inland waterways in a way as to make Marine and Blue Economy relevant and fulfill its mandate.

    In the past, not much has been heard about NIWA as it has just been job-for-the-boys kind of establishment. But now that a technocrat, famously called Bola Oyebamiji, has been put in the saddle, it’s believed that there will be a major turnaround in the inland water transportation sector; and, since the focus of the Bola Tinubu-led administration is restructuring to boost revenue, it’s also believed that the Ikire, Osun State-born banker, economist, public administrator and politician will make a mark in his new assignment.

    No doubt about it, Nigeria is in economic dire straits and all eyes can see it! Therefore, the strategic position in an agency or department that can help to diversify the country’s economy and boost productivity and revenue in the short and medium term is vital. If we had known what we’re doing, inland waters, like the Marine and Blue Economy, should have been a driving force of the economy. The two of them should be worth trillions of naira annually in terms of output and be responsible, directly and indirectly, for five to six hundred thousand employment opportunities, with almost all of them captured in the taxpaying scheme.

    In the First Republic, the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) contributed circa 42% of the Federal Government’s revenue; and that was under the legendary F.S. McEwen, a brilliant technocrat from Warri in today’s Delta State. As a matter of fact, NPA was the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) of that era. In today’s globalized world, international trade as well as internal trade mechanisms must once again be the propelling mechanism for the economy as a whole.

    It also needs to be noted that Nigeria’s navigable rivers are grotesquely untapped. Well, this is not surprising, especially since the political economy is based on rent-seeking, prebendal politics, corruption and poor service delivery, not productivity-fired value-addition. Under normal circumstances, the territorial waters can provide immense services in terms of moving cargoes and passengers, thereby saving the country from constantly repairing roads. It can also generate a lot of employment with the development of internal ports which will become bases of production activities such as light manufacturing and commodity exchanges, which are vital as price modulating frameworks, especially in a country battling unprecedented 40% food inflation.

    Yes, the national inland waterways ought to be the vineyard for a N4 trillion economy, which is an unambitious, deliberately conservative target, for the multiplier effect of well-structured developed internal waterways is massive. It is our belief that Oyebamiji as a seasoned technocrat has the captivating managerial capability to drive such a process in tandem with the Honourable Minister of the Blue Economy, H.E. GBoyega Oyetola, and reflecting Tinubu’s desire to diversify the economy and its operating modules from consumption to a productive, increasingly export-oriented, internationally competitive economy. The neglect of the inland waterway system is a clear indication of the way we have lost our way and the president should be given an ovation for creating a Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy and characteristically finding an astute technocrat such as Oyebamiji to be the driver of the reinvigorating process. If, as expected, Oyebamiji delivers on his mandate, the benefits will be unquantifiable.

    Read Also: Oyetola outlines plans for NIWA, others

    In the considered opinion of yours sincerely, the Asiwaju of Ikireland should outline a private sector-led framework for the inland waterways – if he has not already done so – by detailing the immense untapped benefits of the Blue Economy. The private sector will be awake to a new vista of investment opportunities and the well-above-the-average return on investment. This will also attract foreign investment capital as the world contradictorily is awash with capital looking for investment destinations. For example, ferry services for the movement of passengers and cargoes alone under a well-structured operating framework can bring in hundreds of millions of dollars of direct foreign investments.

    At a time like this, the NIWA boss should call an investment summit – if he has not already done so – under the working title, ‘The Immense Possibilities of the Inland Waterways’, tying the private sector and international capital, insurers, professional services and banks. The possibilities are simply mouth-watering! The investment summit should not be a talk-shop of limited value. Instead, there must be strict timelines as to the achievements of defined performance targets. The aim must be production-led, job-creating, industry-stimulating, investment-attracting and revenue-generating inland waterways, and the key ingredient towards achieving a trillion dollar economy.

    Birmingham is the 2nd largest city in England. But, in spite of its Spaghetti Junction, 60% of movement of passengers and goods in Birmingham is by canals. Coming back to Nigeria, there are more than fifteen hitherto untouched areas where Oyebamiji’s expertise can be applied to provide job opportunities for Nigeria’s teeming-yet-unemployed youths as well as generate revenue for the country. For example, there are internal waters that can be turned to commercial and/or transportation hubs. So, what prevents NIWA from dredging River Osun from Osogbo, through Ijebu-Jesa, to Esa-Odo? If internal waterways can reach remote areas, promoting trade and development in Nigeria, what stops NIWA from dredging Sokoto River, to get to Bakura in Zamfara State, ending with a light port? Beyond the fact that it is safer, cheaper, efficient and less polluting by sea or water, what that means in economic terms cannot be quantified.

    The development of River Osun alone will help create jobs; and jobs create revenue. Added to this is that the damage incessantly done to our roads will be drastically reduced! Of course, River Osun is just one out of the only-God-knows-how-many Rivers in Nigeria. Tragically, Nigerians are not exploiting this opportunity because everybody is too fixated on oil rubbish which, pathetically, has continued to rubbish our fortunes as a nation and people! Even the oil that we are so much talking about can be moved by ferries! If these are possible, why destroy the roads?

    For an economy to grow, determination is key! Refinement is also important! Former Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola of Lagos State understood these and Lagos State was better for it! For example, by banning night parties in Lagos, the state accessed a sudden boom in the hospitality business, ranging from event centres, to ushering and ancillary services. Even clothing, fashion and footwear retailers were not left out as everybody would want to look good during the day. To this end, NIWA must work determinedly to support recreational and related critical activities that can aid economic development, trade and sustainability. For optimal success, it is also expected that Oyebamiji and Oyetola as the Supervising Minister would enjoy excellent unity, more so as either by choice or divine design, the two great technocrats are from the same state. A road to the contrary will be a big opportunity gone wrong and … a beautiful disaster!

    Oyebamiji has started on the right foot and the can-do technocrat should put himself at the end of his shift among the greats such as F. S. McEwen. If he does so, the economy will be better off and, his place in history, assured.

    It is in all our interests as stakeholders to wish the Balogun Musulimi of Irewole, Isokan and Ayedaade the very best!

    May the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world, grant us peace in Nige

  • Oyetola to inspect, commission projects by NIWA

    Oyetola to inspect, commission projects by NIWA

    The Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, will on Tuesday, June 11 embark on a one-day working visit to the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) headquarters, in Lokoja, Kogi State.

    During the visit, the Minister will commission some projects and programmes executed by NIWA, under the leadership of the Managing Director, Bola Oyebamiji, in the last seven months.

    Among the projects to be inaugurated are: 12 fibre-reinforced plastic fast-moving boats and three water ambulances.

    The deployment of the boats, which are pilot schemes, is part of deliberate efforts to phase out wooden canoes to eliminate incessant accidents on the waterways.

    This was disclosed in a statement by the spokesman to the Minister, Ismail Omipidan, on Saturday.

    The MD of NIWA, Oyebamiji said the proposed visit would allow his team to give an account of how the agency has fared in the last seven months of assumption of office.

    Read Also: 18 teenage Nigerian girls forced into prostitution rescued from human traffickers in Ghana

    He said: “After receiving my appointment letter about six months ago, the Minister charged me to find a lasting solution to incessant accidents on the Waterways. Today, I am happy to note that, in response to that charge, my team and I have already put measures in place to address that situation.

    “The first thing we did was to ensure that the Inland Waterways Transportation Regulation (2023) for safety regulations on the inland waterways was gazetted. The process to have the code gazetted had been on for so many years. However, within 6 months, we have been able to conclude the process.

    “The code would be launched by the Minister on Tuesday. Once launched,  it will guide the operations of boat operators on the inland waterways, regulate the conduct of passengers using the waterways; and provide a framework for potential investors in water transportation. This would no doubt help to eliminate incessant accidents on our Waterways.

    “Also, the minister is expected to inaugurate three Water Ambulances for prompt search and rescue operations on the Inland Waterways. The ambulances would be deployed to Lagos, Port Harcourt, and Niger where the water is heavy,” Oyebamiji explained.”

  • Junior Pope: NIWA rescues seven, recovers two bodies in Anambra boat mishap

    Junior Pope: NIWA rescues seven, recovers two bodies in Anambra boat mishap

    The National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) has provided a clearer picture of the individuals involved in the boat accident in Anambra State, which involved a popular Nollywood actor, John Paul Odonwodo, known as “Junior Pope.”

    According to NIWA Area Manager, Suleiman Nicholas, the incident occurred in the outskirts of Onitsha, in the Akpaka Area and Nsugbe of Anambra East local government area, contrary to initial reports suggesting Anam in Anambra West Local Government Area.

    Nicholas disclosed that twelve people were aboard during the tragic incident: seven were rescued, two were found deceased, and three remain missing. Among the missing, two are female and one is male.

    The NIWA Area Manager stated that his men were already at the scene of the incident in the Akpaka Area of Onitsha and Nsugbe, conducting rescue and recovery activities, with the men of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria and Marine Police.

    Read Also: What to know about late actor Junior Pope

    He said: “Whatever you will get now as the cause of the incident may not be accurate, we are waiting for the report from my men who are at the scene of the incident, my men are on the water now to recover the remaining three missing victims.”

    One whether actor Junior Pope was one of the dead victims, the NIWA Area Manager said: “My people said Junior Pope was one of the dead.”

  • 75% of passenger boats on Lagos water ways not seaworthy, says NIWA

    75% of passenger boats on Lagos water ways not seaworthy, says NIWA

    The National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) is set to phase out many boats plying the waterways in Lagos State.

    The agency said its investigation revealed that 75 per cent of passenger boats on Lagos waters are not seaworthy.

    Addressing reporters yesterday, NIWA’s Lagos Area Manager Sarat Braimah said the Federal Government agency had put in some conditions for boat operators to meet or forget about the ferry business.

    She said: “What NIWA wants to do now is to sanitise those boat operators. We cannot wait until accidents happen again. From the two major accidents that happened this year, we have been able to analyse our investigations and we discovered that it was due to human errors. What I mean by human errors is down to the maintenance of the boats.

    “Most times, boat engines will go off mid-stream because of the speed the boat captains need. They won’t get it on the channel. So, they will move out of the channel to go to the shallow area so that they can maintain speed.

    “As I speak to you, our Marine Unit is in Ikorodu. I have embargoed boat movements in Ikorodu except for those certified.

    “Yesterday, we certified 10 boats, and only those 10 boats will operate for now. For other boats, we have instructed the operators to bring them down to our office here in Marina. We are not even going to Ikorodu to do the inspection.

    Read Also: NIWA MD directs agency’s workers to sign performance bond

    “Most of the boats,” she added, “have a single hull, and these single hull boats cannot withstand stress. Any single hit on the waterways, they will tumble. This is why some of them will hit a little pipe on the waterways and they will tumble. I have been inside a boat where we hit a wreck and the boat did not capsise because it had a double hull.

    “Majorly, we have to scrap these boats. About 75 per cent of them are not seaworthy. The time they bought the boats, registered them, maintained them – even the maintenance has dropped – and their life span too has dropped.

    “So, we want to know if it is 20 boats that are fit to operate from Ikorodu, Ibese jetty; let it be so. If it is 20 in Ebute, let it be so.”

    “The owners of the jetty are also part of the problem because they know that the fewer the number of boats, the smaller the money they make. But we don’t care about how much a jetty makes. If it’s just 10 boats that are certified fit, let them pay for jetty use. I’m not targeting anybody; we are just after safety.”

  • NIWA MD directs agency’s workers to sign performance bond

    NIWA MD directs agency’s workers to sign performance bond

    The Managing Director of the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), Mr. Bola Oyebamiji, has directed the management and workers of the agency to sign a performance bond.

    He said this would enable the agency to meet the aspirations of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Inland Waterways and Blue Economy.

    Oyebamiji said this in his address at the opening of a two-day special retreat/workshop with the theme: Repositioning the Inland Waterways Authority for Excellence, in Lokoja, the Kogi State capital.

    The NIWA boss urged the management and workers to brace up and ensure that all hands remain on deck to add value to the system in diverse ways.

    According to him, the objectives of NIWA and attaining excellence at sea are achievable.

    Oyebamiji said: “We have all been positioned to add value to the system in diverse ways. While some are to design policy directions, others have been picked to be the drivers of such policies. I liken the two groups to the main teams piloting a ship on a journey.

    Read Also: Swartz is Chevron’s new MD

    “While some hold the deck, others ensure the engines below run at their utmost performance. The ultimate goal is to achieve excellence at sea.

    “Therefore, our assignment at this retreat is to discuss and have a working template upon which the aspirations of Mr. President on Inland Waterways, through the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, will be achieved.”

    Oyebamiji announced that the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy and the Permanent Secretary in the ministry had signed performance bonds with Mr. President.

    “I have equally signed my performance bond with the honourable minister and the permanent secretary. Same way, all of you must sign a performance bond with me as a promise to deliver on your mandates.

    “It is important for you to do this with every sense of responsibility as it will determine our working relationship, going forward.

    “As I said about three months ago in my inaugural address to the management and workers of the authority, the objectives of NIWA are achievable; with our collective determination, they will be achieved,” he said.

    The Permanent Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, Dr. Magdalene Ajani, said it was important for the agency’s workers to embrace the Performance Management System (PMS).

    Mrs. Ajani said PMS had come to stay in the nation’s public service, replacing the usual Annual Performance Evaluation Report (APER).

    She added that the PMS was mooted and developed to help the civil service evaluation system using Key Performance Indicators (KPI).

  • NIWA clears waterways

    NIWA clears waterways

    The National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) yesterday said it has deployed its ‘Swamp Devil’ machines to combat and clear the pervasive water hyacinth vegetation that has clogged navigable water channels in the Ebute areas of Ikorodu, Lagos State.

    The project is a direct and proactive response by the Federal Water Transportation Regulatory Agency to calls by boat operators working in the area.

    The project, NIWA said, is strategic to keep Lagos waterways free from such encumbrances and highlights efforts to assure boat operators and water transportation stakeholders of their safety.

    Read Also: ‘Appoint professional as NIWA MD’

    NIWA’s Lagos Area Manager,  Dr. Sarat Lara Braimah who led the Water Hyacinth expedition team, said that the agency has mapped out strategic plans to tackle the menace.

    She added that a special team of the agency’s environmental experts will be on a detailed lookout for the mystery weeds to help mitigate their impact before they overrun the navigable channels in Lagos.

    She appealed to organised boat operators and water users to report any sighting of the weeds to the NIWA Lagos office, calling on stakeholders to be circumspect and obey all existing safety regulations.

    Water hyacinth weeds usually emerge between October and late December every year, a natural phenomenon that hinders boating activities and aggressively disrupts fishing activities on inland waterways across the country.

  • ‘Appoint professional as NIWA MD’

    ‘Appoint professional as NIWA MD’

    • By Chinaka Okoro

    Maritime Ambassadors of Nigeria (MAN), a support group in the maritime sector, has called on the Federal Government to appoint a professional as substantive Managing Director for the National Inland Water Ways Authority (NIWA) for effective service delivery.

    This, they said, will complement the ideals of the newly established Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy.

    The group said previous managing directors failed to live up to expectations because they were not professionals, even as they added that “NIWA headship has become a means of political patronage.”

    They made their position known yesterday at the sideline of the expiration tenure of Dr George Moghalu whose four-year tenure ended with the handover at the weekend in Lokoja, Kogi State, the agency’s headquarters.

    Spokesperson of the group, Yekeen Abdullahi said such political patronage has hindered the agency from fulfilling her mandates.

    ‘However, we urge President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to do the right thing by appointing a professional for the agency. There are many professionals in NIWA who are already at the directors’ level.

    ‘One of them is Adetola Olawale James, the most senior of all the directors who has held different managerial positions in the agency and is currently the Acting MD,” Abdullahi said.

    They said that the challenges facing NIWA can only be solved by entrenching the culture of appointing professionals who have come through the ranks to lead NIWA.

    Read Also: NIWA water transportation code coming, says MD

    “It is of great concern to us that NIWA has been singled out for political patronage. How can a non-professional address the numerous challenges of the maritime industry? It is a long-time established axiom that no one can give what he doesn’t have.

    “When an agency is turned into a place where people are being rewarded when they lose elections, or reserved for political patronage, then the focus and main objective of such agency is lost.

    “It is pretty disturbing that NIWA has been singled out for political patronage. It is basically garbage-in and garbage-out. Such a system will not last, because there is no focused leadership. You cannot expect to get a different result if you’re doing the same thing over and over again,” Abdullahi said.

    According to them, having a professional as head of NIWA will help put a structure in place as there will be knowledge transfer and the workers will be able to improve themselves.

    “The administration of President Tinubu should look at raising people from within to be in charge of NIWA; until then, there will not be any positive results to the numerous issues the agency is facing,” Abdullahi said.

  • ‘Some Nigerian vessels fit only for museum’

    Nigerian Inland waterways Authority (NIWA) Managing Director, Senator Olorunnimbe Mamora, has decried outdated vessels plying the nation’s waters, saying that some of them are fit only for the museum.

    He said this while receiving the executives and members of the Association of Marine Engineers and Surveyors (AMES) who visited him at the NIWA Lagos office.

    Mamora said NIWA needed partnerships to ensure that the right vessels ply the waterways, stressing that there is a need for competence among waterways operators.

    “Some of these vessels are outdated, in fact, they should have relevance in the museum, they ought not to be on the waterways. We need that partnership in terms of ensuring that the right vessels ply our waterways and that the ones that should not be there are taken off the waterways,” he told AMES, adding that there is a need for vessels plying the nation’s waterways to meet at least the minimum standards.

    Read also: NIWA stops Apple Island project

    Although he also decried the high level of insufficient number of marine surveyors in the industry, he nonetheless contended that there is a need to itemise some of the things, starting from what he described as an insufficient number of competent marine surveyors and engineers in the maritime industry.

    “It is bad enough there is insufficiency or deficiency of the number of engineers required; but worse is that what is available is not being maximised; this makes it double jeopardy. You don’t have enough and even the few that are there are not being maximised to get the full value of what they can add to the system,” he said.

    In his speech the President of AMES, Adeyinka Okunade, attributed lack of professional input in the implementation and execution of maritime policies and initiatives as a major contributor to the decline of the industry.

    Okunde said that in recognition of the deficit in the sector, AMES organised a maritime technical summit in 2016 aimed at finding solutions to some of the issues bedevilling the industry.

    He assured the NIWA boss that his association is capable of helping in the development of human technical capacity as may be required by NIWA including mentoring of her staff. “We can work with you to ensure standard of vessels operating on the waters and the competence of the operators of these vessels,” Okunade assured.

  • NIWA stops Apple Island project

    The Nigeria Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) has stopped work on the Apple Island project being undertaken by the Nigeria Army Property Company Limited (NAPCL) and its development partner, Tauraf International Limited.

    The project is to be developed on 43 hectares to be reclaimed from the Lagos Lagoon, adjacent to Banana Island, one of the most  expensive residential estates in Lagos.

    A 100-housing unit,  in the proposed estate is being handled by Julius Berger and Van Oord. The promoters of the island project allegedly dredged the  area illegally.

    A statement by The Nation alleged that NAPCL and Tauraf International were yet to present to NIWA the project’s Environmental Impact Analysis, Federal  Ministry of Environment’s nod, a survey plan and certificate of ownership/occupancy and pay. Besides, the two firms were yet to hold a public hearing on the matter

    All these, according to the statement signed by Adelowo Adesola, undermined the agencies and particularly, NIWA.

    Lagos State is in dire need of land for real estate, especially housing, which is grossly in deficit of three million units. This explains the surge in land reclamation to create new urban communities to absorb the emerging middle class who need modern housing in exclusive neighbourhoods.

    But unlike others before it, there are so many things wrong with the approach to developing Apple Island as another urban community. Besides the failure of the promoters to create a well-delineated access road to the proposed island,  experts argue that the proposed island is wrongly positioned.

    “If the Island has to be created, it should not be where it is as it is mainly within the channels used for navigation; the development of the Island in its location obviously can cause accidents on the waterways because of dredging,” said a regular traveler on the Lagos waterway.

    A town planner,  who didn’t want his name in print, maintained that what NAPCL and its partners were doing was illegal.

    He wondered how an island development could be created without the state government knowing or being part of it.  ”What would be the impact on the road in its location? What are the disaster management plans? What facilities – schools, hospitals, etc – are going to be provided to make it less exerting on facilities somewhere else?” the town planner asked.

    Also, estate promoters are facing a problem with the residents of Banana Island. The main access road to their new estate will pass through Banana Island.

    But residents of the Banana Island are resisting this, arguing that the access road would encroach on their estate.

    “Nobody can come here to do a development of this magnitude without letting us know. We are not saying you should not do your development but access to that development is going to be a problem. Besides, this road is already servicing two estates within. So, allowing another estate to use the same road will not augur well for residents of this estate,” said one of the residents in their complaint toLt.-Gen.  Tukur Buratai, the Chief of Army Staff and chairman of  NAPCL.