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Tag: property

  • Professor seeks IG’s intervention over property dispute

    Professor seeks IG’s intervention over property dispute

    • •Alleges threat to his life

    A professor, Bismarck Nwadike, has petitioned the Inspector General of Police, alleging that a serving police officer threatened to eliminate him over a disputed property in Imo State.

    The property, meant for a multi-million naira medical facility and located at Umuofocha, Umudibia Nekede community in Owerri West Local Government Area of Imo State, has been allegedly seized by a police officer, Umezuruike Fred Iroaku.

    Nwadike claimed that Iroaku who used his position in the police force to intimidate and threatened him and the caretaker, Uchenna Uchegbu, sold the land to other individuals.

    He disclosed that the disputed land “is crucial for the development of a state-of-the-art medical facility aimed at improving healthcare services in the region.”

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    The professor alleged that Iroaku has threatened him and displayed his service firearms to intimidate those opposing him.

    According to him, “I have also sought protection from the Assistant Inspector General of Police, Zone 4 Umuahia.

    Iroaku, however, claimed when contacted that the land belongs to the Imo State Government and has a Certificate of Occupancy (CofO) in his name.

    He argued that the matter is being investigated by the State Command, and the petitioners should wait for the outcome.

    “This is a state acquired land with a Certificate of Occupancy (CofO) with a name, surveyed and gazetted and allocated to me,” he said.

  • A’Ibom communities seek N10bn compensation over destruction of property

    A’Ibom communities seek N10bn compensation over destruction of property

    Some oil-bearing communities in Akwa Ibom state have protested destruction of their buildings, farmlands and economic trees by Geoseimic Survey Ltd.

    Ikot Oyoro and Ibiote in Mkpat Enin and Ikot Akan in Ikot Abasi local government areas are demanding N10billion as compensation from the firm.

    Geoseimic Survey Ltd is seeking for oil deposits in the affected communities for Sterling Global Petrochemical company situated in Eastern Obolo local government area.

    Youths and women of the communities stormed the premises of the company at the weekend, alleging that the activities of Geoseimic Survey Ltd have destroyed their buildings, farmlands economic trees and polluted their rivers.

    The former Youth Leader of Ikot Akan community in Ikot Abasi, Comrade Imo Usen, said the peaceful protest was to draw the attention of the company and the state government to their plight.

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    Usen said: “We have through our lawyers written to the management of Geoseimic Survey Ltd to address the havoc caused by their activities in our community but they paid deaf ears.

    “Our buildings, farmlands and even our rivers have been destroyed and polluted. An evaluation team was despatched to assess the damage done but the company has refused to take responsibility.

    “The annoying part of it is that the company has completed it’s assignment for Sterling Global Petrochemical and is about leaving without addressing the problems it has caused”.

    The secretary of Ikot Oyoro Village Council, Mr. Cletus Inyang threatened that the community will go to the extreme if the company does not pay the compensation for the destruction it has wrecked.

    Akwa Ibom State Local Content Monitoring and Compliance Committee has given the company three days ultimatum to address the concerns of the affected communities.

    The Community Affairs Manager of the Geo Seismic Survey Limited Engr. Philip Aguda promised to address the grievances of the affected communities.

  • Woman seeks Kwara gov’s help over trespass on property

    A woman, Madam Sadaatu Mamadelo Belukor has cried out to the Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, over alleged trespass on her property.

    In a petition dated June 21, 2019, Madam Belukor said it had been difficult retrieving her inherited property despite the fact that some the culprits had been jailed.

    She claimed that some people, who are not the original owners of the property were wrongly paid compensation by a government agency.

    She claimed some person had unlawfully sold her inherited property to local, state and federal governments.

    The woman said that despite a court judgment sentencing six accused persons to jail over the matter, nothing was done to restore her ownership of the property.

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    The petition reads: ‘’The accused persons were sentenced to six years imprisonment  or an option of N15,000 fine by an Ilorin Chief Magistrate’s Court. During the trial, the people behind the accused persons ran to Akerebiata Upper Area Court IV, with another application on the subject matter.

    ‘’ I was served to appear before the court, but surprisingly these people did not show up till the matter was struck out.’’

    She added that none of the customary land owners numbering 82 tendered any valid documents to back up their claims before they were paid millions of naira as compensation from 1975 to date.

  • Sokoto PDP accuses Wamakko, APC of destroying its office, property

    THE Sokoto State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday accused former Governor Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko and some people, said to be suspected thugs working for the All Progressives Congress (APC), of attacking its presidential candidate’s campaign office in the state.

    The PDP also said suspected APC thugs allegedly attacked the property of other party members in the state capital on Sunday night.

    But the APC, through its State Chairman, Alhaji Sadeeq Isah Achida, denied the allegation.

    The chairman said the party was not aware of such incident.

    He said: “It was between the Attahiru Bafarawa and Aminu Waziri Tambuwal factions of the PDP.”

    The ruling PDP in the state condemned what it called the “unwarranted” attack on its members by suspected thugs of the APC.

    Addressing reporters at Dogon Daji House on Maiduguri Road in Sokoto, PDP’s State Chairman Ibrahim Milgoma said suspected APC thugs destroyed car windscreens, glasses and window glasses at the party’s campaign office for Atiku.

    He said: “The attacks were carried out at three locations, including Atiku Abubakar campaign headquarters on Kano Road, Sokoto Cinema home of Alhaji Abdullahi Maigwandu and the home of Sarkin Alhazai at Gobirawa, Sokoto.

    “Unprovoked thugs caused mayhem, destruction of the property of innocent passers-by with weapons under the watch of the senator.

    “A similar attack was also carried out by the opposition members at the popular ‘Welcome to China’ mobile phone and accessories sales complex at Gobirawa area in Sokoto where over items valued at over N500,000 were stolen.”

    Also, the party’s chairman said seven vehicles were affected at Maigwandu’s home.

    Milgoma said: “It happened when Senator Wamakko paid a condolence visit to the area by foot and APC thugs destroyed the vehicles.”

    The chairman, who said the PDP had reported the matter to the police command, urged members and supporters to remain law-abiding.

    He said: “We shall continue to be law-abiding citizens. As a party, we will remain peaceful and orderly while we call on security agencies, especially the police, to investigate and deal appropriately with the matter by ensuring that the perpetrators of the dastardly acts are brought to justice.

    “The APC and Senator Wamakko should endeavour to endear themselves to the good people of Sokoto State through humane and civilised manner rather than resort to desperate tactics that threaten the lives and property of the citizens.”

    But Achida, who also addressed reporters at the Diplomat Area state secretariat of the APC, said the attack “was between the new and old PDP factions”.

    He added: “They seized the opportunity of Wamakko’s presence in the area to cause problem in order to tarnish his political and personal image as well his long-standing reputation in the eyes of the good people of Sokoto state.”

    Police spokesperson Cordelia Nwawe, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), said the command was investigating the matter.

    “All these are allegations. The police commissioner is on top of the matter to ensure that the right thing is done. The command is resolute at ensuring peaceful political process and activities in the state,” she said.

    Nwawe recalled that the command had reiterated its commitment to ensuring a level-playing field for all parties and political activities.

    The spokesperson warned political parties and politicians to play the game by its rules and within the ambit of the law.

    She added: “We had an enlarged stakeholders’ meeting with various political parties recently and had their commitment to ensure peaceful and lawful political activities before, during and after the (2019) elections. We expect nothing less.”

     

  • Kaduna State No. 1 in registering property, enforcing contracts

    The World Bank has ranked Kaduna State number one in registering property and enforcing contracts in its latest ranking of doing business in Nigeria.

    The bank also ranked Kaduna State fifth in ease of doing business and 17th in dealing with construction permits, according to the  News Agency of Nigeria (NAN),citing the bank’s Doing Business in Nigeria, 2018 Report.

    According to the report, Doing Business measures aspects of regulations that enables or hinders entrepreneurs in starting, operating or expanding a business and provides recommendations and good practices for improving the business environment.

    It said:”The 36 states and the FCT Abuja were measured on four indicators:

    “Starting a business, which measures procedures, time, cost and paid-in minimum capital to start a business and registering a property, which measures procedures, time and cost to transfer a property.

    “Others are dealing with construction permit, which measures the procedures, time and cost to complete all formalities to build a warehouse; and enforcing contracts, that measures the time and cost of resolving a commercial dispute.

  • Kwara to secure life, property

    Kwara State Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed has promised to strengthen security of life and property.

    The governor spoke yesterday when members of the  Omu-Aran Development Association visited him at the Government House.

    He said his government would put tighten security in the state.

    The governor noted that his government will respect the traditional institution, not only as the custodian of culture and traditions, but as stabilisers of peace and understanding.

    He hailed the community on the peaceful nomination of an Olomu, saying the peaceful process confirms the spirit of inclusiveness in the community.

    National President of the association Chief Bisi Adeyemi said they were in the Government House to thank the governor for his support when the Olomu died.

    He appealed to the governor to improve the government’s presence in the community by improving its road network.

  • ‘State police panacea for security of life, property’

    The Chairman of House Services Committee of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Fatai Oluwa, has said state police is the best remedy to secure the lives and property of residents in these trying times in the country.

    Oluwa, who represents Ajeromi-Ifelodun Constituency II, was reacting to the continued attacks on communities and killing across the country, especially by armed bandits.

    The most recent of such attacks was in Zamfara State where 42 people were killed and several communities were razed.

    The lawmaker noted that the police had proven to be incapable of tackling sundry security issues in the land, except in a state like Lagos.

    He said: “Currently, Lagos is the most secured state in Nigeria. This is because Governor Akinwunmi Ambode and the House of Assembly had their strategies from the beginning. It is no news again that the state government invests heavily in security, being a primary responsibility.

    “To shore up the needed manpower for security of life and property in the state, the lawmakers passed the Neighbourhood Watch Bill sponsored by Speaker Mudashiru Obasa. We are all witnesses to the positive results from these concepts and ideas.”

    The lawmaker noted that the call for state police does not mean the nation’s original law enforcement agency should be scrapped.

    According to him, the state and the national security agencies would play complementary roles.

    Oluwa said: “We have always complained about the inadequate number of policemen to secure the surging population.

    “There is also this genuine argument that most policemen posted to states are strangers and that they hardly understand the languages spoken in their areas of assignment. Of course, there is a relationship between language, culture and safety.”

    Oluwa hailed Vice President Yemi Osinbajo for standing firm in his argument for the creation of state police.

  • Ambode: security of life, property my biggest achievements

    •Buratai lauds governor’s developmental drive, support for security agencies
    •Army opens base in Epe

    Lagos State Governor Akinwunmi Ambode has said security of lives and property of residents is the biggest achievement of his administration in the last three years.

    The governor said it was gratifying to note that the state was the safest in Africa.

    Ambode, who spoke at the inauguration of a Forward Operating Base (FOB) of the Army in Epe, noted that the combined investment of his administration in security and efforts of security agencies had resulted in peaceful atmosphere among residents and visitors.

    The governor recalled the days of kidnapping, cultism and other security challenges in Ikorodu and Epe axis, saying the activities of criminals, such as militants, had become history in the state.

    He said: “As I mark my three years in office on Tuesday (yesterday), I can say significantly that if there is anything that I have actually achieved in these three years, it is the security and safety of lives and property in Lagos State.

    “There is no way that could have been possible. That is why I say it quietly and openly that it is with the support and cooperation of the security agencies and, most significantly, the efforts of the Army. This is actually hidden underground but visibly seen by everything that is going on here.”

    Recalling his early days in office, Ambode said his first major task was how to address kidnapping and other nefarious activities perpetrated by militants in Ishawo axis.

    The governor added that a military base was set up with a military operation code-named Operation Awatse.

    He said: “At the beginning, the issue of kidnapping and cultism was actually in this eastern axis between Epe and Ikorodu. But with the efforts we have seen, which are visible to all of us, it has become a thing of the past. We are very grateful to the Army.

    “I want to quickly recollect that my first task was the issue of kidnapping, which was so notorious in Ishawo in Ikorodu. There and then, we had the support of the Army to set up a small base. We had to also take over the property of some of those militants to accommodate the military base.”

    Ambode said crime rate had reduced across the state as efforts were on to sustain the peace in the state.

    He said: “I must say the last three years have been very peaceful and everybody would agree that crime rate has reduced in Lagos. We need to sustain it because at the end of the day, that is what really grows our gross domestic product (GDP). That is what makes other people to want to come to Lagos. I can clearly and openly declare that Lagos right now is the safest city across Africa.”

    Alluding to how a former military barracks in Epe was closed, the governor described the inauguration of the FOB as historic and significant, considering the fact that it was witnessed by traditional rulers and community leaders in the area.

    He said the development was a new dawn for community relationship with the Army in the axis.

    Ambode also hailed the General Officer Commanding in charge of 81 Division of the Nigerian Army, Maj.-Gen. Enobong Udoh, for his steadfastness in promoting peace in the state.

    He said: “I want to openly say I will support the second FOB that is coming up in Ikorodu. If there is any need for us to give further support for gunboat engines or infrastructure, you can count on us that we would support anything that will keep the lives and property of our people safe at all times.

    “Our support for Operation Awatse is continual and we would support every other thing that is necessary. Beyond this, we would also support the welfare of security agencies that are operating in Lagos so that we can continue to have peace.

    “What we are seeing is a new strategy to keep our outer spaces safer than ever before. We need the military presence in Ikorodu, in Epe and all the outer spaces so that we can go away from the central protection and make every other place in Lagos liveable and economically viable.”

    The Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai, hailed Ambode for his administration’s support for security agencies and the massive infrastructural development across the state.

    The Army chief noted that the governor’s initiatives were laudable.

    He added: “We really want to thank you (governor) for the transformation and development going on in Lagos State. We acknowledge the transformation in Lagos and we say thank you.”

  • Traditional war, defence mechanisms to safeguard life, property

    War is as ancient as humanity and there are various wars. However, the type of war fought in one nation differs from the other. The reasons could be due to exposure to different weapons of warfare, the topography of the area, experience of the warriors and the intended end result.

    Nigeria is not left out among the many nations of the world, which have been in and out of wars. As a matter of fact, Nigeria has experienced both traditional and modern civil wars.

    According to Ray and Kaarbo there have only been 292 years without war since 3600 BCE and that since 1816 every decade has averaged around 22 wars. They add that over 150milion have died from war-related deaths since 3000 BCE, though approximately 96 per cent of those deaths have occurred in the last 400 years.

    The causes of war are numerous, but principal among them in ancient Nigeria is the desire by more powerful towns for territorial expansion and the urge to govern as many communities as can be conquered.

    According to an adage ‘as hunters learnt to shoot without missing so birds have learnt to fly without perching’. As warriors prepared for war in those days, they put in place effective defence mechanism. Today, some of such spectacular defence systems have become national pride and have been declared national monuments.

     

    Types of war

     

    Guerrilla warfare is a hit-and-run technique used in fighting a war; fighting of small bands, using tactics such as sudden ambushes. It also involves fighting men, who are not identified by uniform or any insignia. As a defense, this makes it difficult to know who is an enemy and it leads to killing of innocent people.

    Guerilla warfare is where one side has a far superior force to their opponent. The opponent recognises this, and so does not fight their invaders because of the superior force.

    Instead, they attack their supply weapon in hit-and-run style in order to force their enemy to retreat from their lands.

    Others are trench warfare, gang warfare, thermo-nuclear warfare medieval warfare and intertribal war. And the causes of war include ignorance, quest for freedom.

     

    The nature of war    

     

    This is based on the notion that wars are reciprocal, that all wars require both a decision to attack and also a decision to resist attack. This notion is generally agreed to by almost all scholars of some leaders of nations chose not to resist as they   believe in the potential benefits such wars   may result in. Also, the ego of the warlords/statesmen and geopolitical situation can lead to war.

    Also war can be viewed as been fundamentally cultural, that is wars are learnt by nature. Thus, if human societies could be reformed war would disappear. This is because war is inculcated into every individual by religious, ideological, and nationalistic surroundings in which we live.

     

    Economic factor

     

    War can be seen as an outgrowth of economic competition in a chaotic and competitive system. That war begins as a pursuit of new markets, of natural resources, and of increase in wealth.  Wars serve only the interests of the wealthy, but are fought by the poor. For instance, during the slave trade era the traditional leaders acquired all the wealth while the poor fought the battles. This was achieved by the warriors taking charge of the trade route, collecting tributes from the conquered nations, caching slaves and selling them for monetary or material benefits.

     

    Quest for power

     

    In ancient times war could erupt as a result of power tussle. That is, a more powerful society or kingdom may venture into war so as to enhance her ruling power over its surrounding neighbours. This gives the ruling class political authority over the conquered nations. Further, wars are a natural outgrowth of the free market and class system.

     

    Domestic factor

     

    Also, in those days war can equally erupt when the need to acquire more slaves arose. It could be for the purpose of increasing the number of domestic slaves for domestic services such as farming, house–keeping and forest guards. In addition to these, the need for increased number of slaves for construction such as walls and moats, even worse still for rituals, can lead to war.

    The Benin moat, also known traditionally as Iya, is the largest man-made earthworks in the world, one of the wonders of the world. It predates the use of modern technology.

    “The moat was dug before Benin became a city. It had nine gates that were shut at night.  The moat was constructed as a defence mechanism in times of war. Indeed, it is a great defence wall ever built by African civilisation. The fifth Oba of Benin kingdom, Oba Oguola dug the first and second moats to fortify the city from invaders, including the European invaders, who were hunting for African slave labourers, Oba Oguola further decreed that important towns and villages should build similar moats as defence systems around their communities.This resulted into 20 of such moats around Benin City and its environs. An extension of the moat was constructed in the 15th Century during the reign of 12th Oba Ewuare the Great (1440-1473 CE).  The Benin moat is over 3200 kilometres long.

    In memory of the battles fought by the Benin warriors, bronze plaques were produced for historic records of the royal court activities in the Oba’s palace.

     

    • Mrs Ifeadi works at National Museum, Onikan, Lagos.

  • ‘Six-month grace to property owners not revenue drive’

    Lagos State Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Rotimi Ogunleye says the government’s  six-month grace to property owners without building permit is not a revenue drive strategy. It is to boost planning and assist property owners, he says in this interview with MUYIWA LUCAS. 

    Your ministry recently announced  six months’ grace to property owners to enable them regularise their  building permit. Why did you do this?

    Why we have told people to come and do from March 1 to August 31 is that, unlike before when they tell you that the precondition to get your building permit is to bring registered title, we have removed that precondition. We will accept a family receipt issued by the land owners, even though it is not registered. During this period, we will waive penalties for those that come to do the regularisation. But, if you come after the deadline of August 31, then you will have to pay the penalty that obtained before the grace period. Regularisation is applicable to buildings; but new buildings owners without registered titles can also come and get their building permits. So, the incentive is that we are waiving the penal fee that applies during this period. You see, quite a number of people have built without permits, and we don’t want this to continue. Having a permit ensures that your building is recognised by the government. It tells us that the building exists somewhere. So, if, peradventure, a road is going to be constructed, which will affect one’s building and it has a permit, then the permit will enhance the value of the building and the compensation that will be paid.

    Some stakeholders see this grace period as a revenue drive by the government. How do you react to this?

    That is not correct. The main reason is not  to drive revenue. You know Lagos is a mega city. With over 24 million people, the state is being reprogrammed for proper development, and also being upgraded towards becoming a smart city. To achieve this, we need accurate data for planning, including knowing the demographic factors,  and how many houses are in place. This will enable the government to determine the size of a general hospital or a primary healthcare facility to build in such a place. It also tells us the size of a road an area needs, including electricity transformers. While I agree that the government is not primarily responsible for providing transformers, it is the duty of the electricity companies; but since this administration assumed office in 2015, it has put in place quite a number of transformers in various communities. So, it is when we look at the data here in the Physical Planning Ministry that we can say there are so many houses in Ikorodu, Badagry, Epe, Ikeja and plan for them adequately. We can only be accurate on this when we look at our records and see the number of people that have obtained our planning permits. The state Urban and Regional Planning and Development law is not new. It has been there and as old as Nigeria and laws are subject to amendment. The law says that any development that you want to do, just get approval before you do  it. This is why the advanced countries are able to plan properly for their people because they have demographic indices for planning. I know many buildings that have been put up without planning permits in the last 10 years across all divisions of the state. With the influx of people into Lagos daily, we need all these details for planning. That is why we are doing that and not really for revenue generation.

    How many buildings are you targeting ?

    We have no target, but we enjoin people to make use of the window because it affords everyone, developers inclusive, the opportunity to regularise their building permits without paying penalty. Going by the law, violators must pay the penalty because the laws says you cannot build without building permits. However, during these six months, we leave you to regularise with no penalty. So, we are not looking at any number, it depends on how the people respond and understand the importance of being on the right side of the law.

    What is the approval process like because the 28-day approval time being bandied by the government seems to be on paper?

    That is not true with this administration. We have simplified the approval process. The delay experienced is from those applying for Certificate of Occupancy (C of O). In this administration, the 28-day approval is sacrosanct. Counting of the days starts when an applicant submits the documents and without any irregularity. Some applicants disappear for a month or more when it is time to pay before reappearing, In such an instance, we do not count that period as part of the processing because it’s not our fault that an applicant didn’t pay as at when due. We even have what we call “fast-track” processing such that you can get your approval in 10 days, but it attracts extra charges. We have eliminated the delays; we even have app with which you can apply for your planning permit online. For your information, because of the massive transformation we have done in this ministry, it has really pushed up the state and country on the ladder of “Ease of Doing Business” moving the country up from the 169th position to 45th out of 189 countries. It is the activities of our operational framework, which have been tasted that has made this advancement to be possible. So, the delay right now is not from us; we have perfected our system and are ready to deliver once the customer has fully complied on his own part.

    There have been calls for an upgrade in the state’s masterplan on drainage, especially as the rains approach. What is your ministry doing about it?

    The Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development is responsible for designing masterplans for the entire state. In preparation for the rainy season, the government recommended the clearing of drainages, which is the responsibility of Ministry of Environment. Our responsibility is to identify and recommend areas where drainages are appropriate. We design drainages along with proposed roads; that is, once a new road is being established, drainages must be designed with it. Such proposal is to dislodge waste water into the Lagoon. The design of roads and drainages is the responsibility of Ministry of Works while the maintenance is that of Ministry of the Environment.

    What about the spate of coastal development? Is it not part of your ministry’s work?

    The masterplan has designated various uses along the coastal lines with setback regulations.The Regional Masterplan department in the Ministry in preparation for these coastal development prepares setbacks to be observed in various waterbodies, such as canals, oceans, lagoons, and streams. We specify the areas and limits to be developed to avoid disaster. The Ministry of Waterfront and Infrastructure is in charge of coastal development.

    What are you doing about the over 100 slum settlements?

    We have an agency, the Lagos State Urban Renewal Agency (LASURA), which  regenerates and turns them into better settlements. So, we have the template for these slums to regenerate them so that we have a city that is not only efficient, but also effective and aesthetically fascinating. We have a plan for each of them, but you will agree with me that you cannot do everything thing at the same time considering the cost. Regeneration of slums costs a lot of money- you have to demolish houses and for a democratic government, where you demolish house, you are expected to pay compensation. I must say this administration is putting a human face to its compensation payments because we are not strictly adhering to law of compensation payment. If you go by the law strictly, there are categories of people that are really not qualified to be compensated because they don’t have anything to show that their building or structure was approved by the government. But because this is a democratic government that is very passionate about her people, that is why Governor Akinwunmi Ambode ensures that we  compensate everybody, including those without permit or approval to build.

    So, is regeneration or development about demolition?

    It is not all about demolition. But if you look at what is happening, then there are instances where this becomes inevitable. First, building regulations have some specifics – in terms of spacing,  creating right of way for other users, the conveniences, and structures. So, if you want to regenerate blighted portions in the slums, there is no way you won’t remove certain things and replace them. In some of these slums, you may not even get a space to build a hospital. But I can tell you that we are eliminating some of these inadequacies as we are upgrading our settlement. For your information, you know that under the Land Use Act, there is differentiation between land in an urban and rural areas.