The Nation Newspaper

Tag: residents

  • Residents of 14 flats in Mushin thrown out without notice

    Residents of 14 flats in Mushin thrown out without notice

     •‘This is annoying, illegal’ •Owner: we followed due process

    The twin three-storey buildings stand out on Palm Avenue, Mushin, Lagos. Houses 73/75 are opposite the Mushin Local Government secretariat; they contain 14 flats, a warehouse, offices and shops.

    There is a school – New Vine International Schools – behind the buildings.

    Yesterday, the occupants were thrown out by policemen from Zone D and Olosan Police Station in Mushin, waving a court order.

    The properties of some who were not around were flung out; others still  had theirs locked in their apartments with no access to them.

    The buildings painted in brown and cream, The Nation learnt, has been a subject of litigation for over 60 years.

    Among the occupants are a newly married couple who moved in barely a month ago; a nursing mother whose daughter is about a month old; a warehouse owner, printing press and a school proprietor.

    Also, the buildings house LG Electronics shop, Starcomms, DSTV, Visafone offices, a Cocacola mini depot, a mini-mart and the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) House of Glory parish.

    The sheriff spray-painted the court order number and date of eviction on various parts of the building. It reads: “ID/331/76 POSSESSION TAKEN TODAY 23/06/15 BY COURT ORDER.”

    The occupants were seen struggling to get trucks and vehicles to move their belongings.

    No fewer than 10 trucks were seen taken away the properties.

    The distraught occupants wailed and rained abuses on the sheriff.

    They said they were not informed.

    New Vine International Schools’ pupils who were billed to write examinations could not do so. Pupils, who were in school before the eviction, were sent home.

    The Proprietor, Mr Augustine Ekezie, who was informed of the incident by the head teacher quickly sent text messages to the pupils’ parents and guardians. He urged them not to allow their kids to come to school, apologising for the inconvenience.

    Ekezie promised to intimate them of plans to relocate the school.

    He told The Nation that he is making arrangement with a nearby church to take the school there.

    Ekezie described the incident as unfortunate, saying: “It was like a dream because we had our regular school activities yesterday (Monday) and then suddenly on our way here today (Tuesday), the Head Teacher called me that policemen were at the school premises and wanted to lock the premises, saying that everybody should vacate the building because it is going to be occupied by a new owner.

     

    “I hurried down to find everything just as he said. Next thing was to put a call through to the landlady whom I had just paid rent to few days ago, her number was not reachable and I also sent someone to her but she was nowhere to be found. The pupils had to go back home after I sent a text message to their parents informing them about our next step. The next step I am taking now is to beg a church nearby to allow me put my stuff in their building for the moment before I could fix myself up.”

    A parent, who asked not to be named, said she was surprised when she called “to come and carry my children; it is not fair; where do they expect them to go, where do they expect them to carry their load to.”

    The nursing mother told The Nation that her husband was on his way, saying the whole scenario was annoying and shocking.

    “We just moved in not up to two months and we paid six months rent. I just had my baby a month ago. Sincerely, I don’t know what to do now,” the mother of three said.

    The printer, Mr Joseph Ude said the police swooped on them as if they were criminals.

    Ude said: “You should have seen the number of police that came here with guns and asked that everyone should evacuate this place. They said the place, based on a court ruling, has been awarded to a new owner. You can see peoples’ properties scattered everywhere.

    “I have a printing machine that cannot be lifted except you use crane and there are three of them in there and they said I have to renegotiate with the owner as the case may be. The main problem here is how I would move my machine and I personally feel that things ought not to be this way, they should have given us notification either by pasting it on the wall, or creating awareness that a new owner is taking possession and at what time, so that we would know what to do about it.

    “The whole thing is just too embarrassing; in this democratic era when the government is not military, these people (policemen) just came and took the laws into their hands, as if we are not citizens, it is not fair. Even if the court had given an order that the new owner should come and take over, they should have passed the information across, no they did not, they just came to evict us.”

    Another occupant, Mr Fatai Idowu, hurriedly took a flight from Abuja when he learnt that his properties have been thrown out on the road.

    “I am a resident of this house, my landlady is Mrs Olusoga; I have been living in this house for over 10 years.  There was a similar occurrence in 2005 and the landlady was able to settle the issue and she still maintained the ownership; I paid N400,000. I was in Abuja when I was informed that policemen and some boys came to evict people here. They said they came from the court, so the first thing I did was to put a call to the landlady, up till now, she has not shown up.

    “I called my wife who was at the shop to go to the house only to see my things on the street. The Olusoga family said they have handed the house over to the Oteniya family in 2005 and they (Oteniya) authorised us with receipts. We still continued to pay to the new owners.

    “What hurts is that I had to take the next available flight from Abuja to Lagos because I don’t know where to take my belongings to, they are just out here on the streets, this is very annoying because we were not duly notified. I want to implore Lagos State Governor Akinwunmi Ambode to intervene in this matter. We can’t just allow this lawless action to go unpunished.”

    The plaintiff, Mr Bamgboye, who said the houses are his fathers, claimed that he went through all legal processes before evicting the occupants.

    The case, he said, had been on for years.

    “As law abiding families, we went through all legal processes and you are seeing the effects today. I don’t trust the other families because my father bought this land. If I had giving them notification by 2pm yesterday the other families would have gone to court to get an injunction preventing me from evicting the occupants. That is why it was impossible to give them a notice. I gave them a fair treatment by also asking the supervisors of the church to notify their members that they are occupying the place illegally and if the church were just, they should have pre-informed the other occupants of the court judgement,” he said.

     

     

  • Residents seek repair of collapsed bridge

    Residents of Idi-Kanga area of Ibadan North East Local Government Area of Oyo State have urged government to quickly re-build the bridge linking the area with Iwo Road to ease the frustration of motorists and residents.

    Most part of the decrepit bridge has been washed off by erosion, thereby cutting off the community from others.

    The Vice-President of Youth Advance Movement (YAM) in the community, Mr. Biodun Ale, who inspected the collapsed bridge with his members, pleaded with the state and local governments to repair the bridge.

    “Government must quickly fix the bridge to alleviate the suffering of motorists and residents who have to spend more time on alternative routes to get to their destinations,” Ale said.

     

  • Residents protest to Assembly over killings

    Residents of Taniolodo Community Development Association in Mushin Local Government Area of Lagos, yesterday staged a peaceful protest to the Lagos State House of Assembly (LAHA) over spates of killings by hoodlums in the area.The protesters alleged that the insecurity in the area had led to the death of several innocent people, forcing the residents to continue to live in fear.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that some of the protesters carried placards with inscriptions that read: “Governor Ambode, we need protection”; “Enough of these killings in Jibowu Community”; and “Save our innocent children.”

    Others include: “This terror is too much for our innocent children”; “We are tired of premature death”; and “We are tired of living in perpetual fear.’’

    The Chairman of the CDA, Alhaji Akeem Taniolodo, told NAN that several of the citizens residing there had relocated elsewhere because of fear of attack by the hoodlums.

    Taniolodo said, “Our lives are in danger and we can no longer sleep with our eyes closed.

    “We have written several letters to the police with no effect, as at now, lots of residents have left the place to other areas to seek refuge.

    “We want the lawmakers to save our lives and property, it is unbearable now.”

    Another resident, Mr Abiodun Lesi, who spoke on behalf of other residents, corroborated Taniolodo’s submission.

    Lesi said: “We are seeking the intervention of the Lagos Assembly to come to our aid to put a stop to the killings of innocent souls.”

    He said the areas mostly affected include: Taniolodo, Ogidi, Lawani, Ojelade, Kadiri and Adewusi areas of Jibowu.

    Addressing the protesters, LAHA Deputy Speaker Mr Wasiu Eshinokun, said the House would take appropriate steps to solve the problem.

    “We share in your concern, we assure you that we will pass your grievance to the appropriate quarter,” Eshinlokun said.

     

  • Show more concern for environment, Ambode urges residents

    Show more concern for environment, Ambode urges residents

    LAGOS State Governor Akinwunmi Ambode has urged the public to work towards attaining sustainable environment.

    He spoke during the World Environment Day (WED) with the theme: “Seven billion dreams. One planet. Consume with care.”

    The governor noted that the new perspective of the world is that ecology and economics are two sides of the same coin, adding that it is impossible to continue to do business at the expense of nature without compromising the sustainability of its resources.

    “If the environment is not in harmony with our ambition, then we must change our ambition to be in perfect harmony with the environment. This is the wisdom we require to live peacefully on earth. We recognise the fact that mother earth can survive without us but we cannot survive without her,” he said.

    The governor enjoined Lagosians to rise up and save the environment so that people can enjoy healthy and sustainable life on the planet, adding that the alteration in the environment was affecting the wellbeing of people every single moment.

    He said: “To solve the problems of the environment, everyone on earth must act; it is not the government business, it is not some people’s business, it is everybody’s business. It is one world, one environment; the problems of the environment transcends boundary. An error by one is a serious concern for all.”

    Ambode noted that this year’s theme was instructive because it is about resource efficiency and sustainable consumption, especially with the world’s population estimated at over seven billion.

    “The food we eat, the materials we use for diverse purposes, our shelter and many more are all from this same planet. It is evident that we are consuming more than the planet can sustainably provide. It is only reasonable for us to ensure that we do it with care and conserve,” the governor urged.

    Permanent Secretary Office of Environmental Services, Hakeem Ogunbambi,  said the state government had prioritised the environment through policies and programmes such as the institutionalisation of tree planting exercise with over five million trees planted to date, landscaping and beautification of open spaces, international summit on climate change, launching of climate change clubs in Lagos schools, improved waste management, renewable energy, drainage construction and waste water management.

    The World Environment Day is celebrated on June 5 yearly. It was celebrated for the first time in 1973 with “Only one earth” as theme.

  • Relocate from low-line water beds, LASG advises residents

    The Lagos State government has advised residents living in the low line (flood plains) areas to relocate as water table rises due to high intensity of rainfall

    To this end, the state government has  advised residents along low line areas and other coast lines, such as Ajegunle, Owode-Onirin axis, Owode-Elelede, Kuramo beach, Alpha beach, Okun-mapo, Okun Ajah, Mende-Maryland, Ijora-Badia and Iwaya among others to be extremely careful,  saying they may need to vacate their residences temporarily once they notice gradual accumulation of rising water.

    The Permanent Secretary, Office of Drainage Services, Ayodeji Adenekan, who stated this,  said this has become necessary as the state is not prepared to lose any life during the rainy period, saying they should move to higher grounds. The advice also comes on the heels of the increasing water level of the Lagos lagoon and the adjoining rivers, since the rains started in March.

    According to Adenekan, the effect of this has been that there has been a back-flow into adjoining low-line areas which has led to the inability of the various channels and drains to discharge water into the lagoons and rivers. He said Lagos, being a coastal state, is susceptible to flash floods anytime there is heavy downpour and that residents of low line areas are especially prone to the back flow effect.

    “People living in low line areas are vulnerable to flooding because the low line areas are natural flood plains which ought not to be converted to residential abodes. “However, we expect the water to recede with time”, he said, adding that primary and secondary channels in the state were being maintained and dredged to contain flood related challenges that may occur in the state.

    As the intensity of the rain increases, Adenekan assured that the state government would continue to intensify its mid rain cleaning and maintenance programme and promised not to relent until the zero tolerance target to flooding is attained in the state.

    He advised Lagosians not to panic whenever they experience accumulated water concentrated in some parts of the roads and highways, assuring that the accumulated water will recede in no time.

    ‘People living in low line areas are vulnerable to flooding because the low line areas are natural flood plains which ought not to be converted to residential abodes. However, we expect the water to recede with time’

  • Residents: we live in fear of ‘area boys’

    Residents: we live in fear of ‘area boys’

    Many live and trade in the neighbourhood because it is close to Onipanu bus-stop on Ikorodu Road. Now, they are contemplating moving out because of the fear of hoodlums. Kayode Street in Onipanu has lost its attraction to them.

    Shop owners claim that they are the easiest preys whenever hoodlums clash in the area and neighbouring streets, killing and maiming.

    The Nation gathered yesterday that not a few traders and tenants have relocated,  while those still there are living in fear.

    “Just about 10 days ago, around 8pm, I was attending to a customer when I heard gunshots as people ran for dear lives. Before I could demand to know what was happening, I saw four armed young men in my shop. Despite the fact that I was used to such an experience there, I was terrified to the marrow. ‘Where is our money?’ One of them hollered. They collected all the money I had made that day – about N180,000 – and left for other shops.

    “My passionate plea to them to have mercy on me because I’m a widow and retired teacher meant nothing to them. Their bloodshot eyes were threatening as the offensive odour of marijuana was all over them. I have suffered such attacks thrice in the past one year. Now, I am on the look-out for safer areas where I can enjoy some measure of peace,” said a woman who sells babies’ wares.

    A young male trader did not agree to speak with this reporter until he was assured that his name, business and address would not be mentioned.

    His reason: “Those boys are deadly. If they identify me, they will kill me or in the least, send me away from here after looting my shop again.”

    The trader, who said he could not quantify how much he lost to previous attacks, added: “The attack of last week did not catch me unawares as I got alerted on phone when they started their trouble from the Mushin Toll Gate. I wasted no time in packing my things. I had left my shop when they reached there. I was watching them from the Mobil Filling Station at the Ikorodu Road end of the street.

    “What baffles me is that they always have free reign whenever they swoop on us as there is usually no policeman to come to our rescue. We are in serious mess here. I just hope the police can appreciate the magnitude of our plight and do something about the matter. Nobody is safe here at nightfall – even during the day!”

    Another trader, who said she just came around to spend a few hours, told The Nation that she no longer opens her shop beyond 7pm for fear of such attacks.

    She added: “Just three days ago, a man was shot dead near us here by members of a rival group. He was left to bleed to death as no one wanted to be caught in the web of the crisis.”

  • Jubilation in Abuja community as The Nation report fetches residents potable water

    Jubilation in Abuja community as The Nation report fetches residents potable water

    For the people of Passali 2 community in Kuje area council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), it was a dream come true. The Rotary Club of Asokoro brightened up their faces by sinking a borehole for them.

    The community has been without potable water for several years and their cries to successive governments had yielded no result. The Nation had in a report published on March 7, 2015 drew attention to the plight of the community and several others within the FCT which had to drink water from wells and ponds despite government claim of providing water for several communities.

    Before Monday, June 1, 2015, residents of the largely agrarian community were forced to drink from a small pond which they had to share with cattle and other animals. They also washed their clothes and had their baths in the stream. The situation of the residents was so pathetic that the head of the community, Joseph Makerri was quoted as saying, “We drink from the river, and the river is not good. You will find it difficult to wash or bath with the water we drink. We are farmers and there is no other source of water in the community that we can drink from. We do not care to boil the water before drinking, though some people have been digging wells”.

    The Nation report entitled “We Struggle with Cows to Get Drinking Water” however caught the attention of Rotary Club of Asokoro who found it hard to believe that there are communities in the FCT whose residents still drink water from the pond in the 21st Century.

    The President of the club, Barrister Ogechukwu Ochuba, told The Nation that it appeared strange to members of the club that there are still communities in the FCT whose residents drink water from ponds. Fulfilled that during her tenure as President of sRotary Club of Asokoro, the club could put a smile on the faces of the people of the community, she said: “One of the projects that our club, Rotary Club of Asokoro, set out to do this Rotary year is to provide potable water to an under-served community, especially a community that does not have water. So, we had to carry out a need assessment and started looking for the best place to do this project.

    “We had a place in mind, which was a carry-over from another Rotary year. But by the time we got to them, we noticed that they had already been provided with potable water. Even though they still had one, they felt that it would be good if they had another water point.

    “So, we felt that since we have this one chance to do this project somewhere, it is better if we go to a place where they don’t have potable water at all. We started carrying out research and we found this community, Passeli 2, in Kuje Area Council. It was very strange to find that there is a community in the FCT whose residents actually drink from a pond. I had to search for the meanings of pond, stream and river. What we saw there cannot be called a river, so I call it a pond.

    “We were very worried about that and we decided that this is the place where we will carry out this project. That was basically how it started.

    “Today, thank God, they now have potable water and the villagers are very happy about it, especially the women, because they were the ones who had to be going to the pond to get water and find ways of purifying it. As a matter of fact, we found that they actually drink this water the way it is. You would not believe it, but they actually drink the water like that, and that exposes them generally to sicknesses and diseases.

    “Water and sanitation is actually one of the six areas of focus of Rotary, and the prevention of diseases. Thankfully, we think we have been able to avert that for that community.”

    Expectedly, the people of Passeli 2 were initially suspicious of the real intention of members of the club when they first visited. They thought that they were from the government. Barrister Ochuba told The Nation that “the reaction from the people was quite interesting. Initially, they were very skeptical about our mission to their village and where we were coming from. So, we had to “We painstakingly explained to them that we are a non-governmental organisation (NGO) and that we have identified a need in their community and have come to contribute our little quota to addressing that need. We had a grant from our District, Rotary Club District 9125. We applied for a grant from the district and got it. After our needs assessment, we came to the conclusion that what they need in that community would be a motorised borehole.”

    Some members of the community who spoke with our correspondent expressed gratitude to the Rotary Club for remembering them.

    A resident, who identified himself as Aminu Isah, said: “This is a big relief for us. As you can see, the government forgets about us. They come here to campaign during elections, promising things they have not been able to do. But these people who don’t even know us have come to put smiles on our faces. At least we can now drink quality water like other communities, and we will no longer have to struggle with cattle to get water to drink.”

    Another resident, Maimuna Mohammed, said: “I thank God that this borehole is here now. I will no longer have to go to the stream every day to fetch water for our daily needs. All we need now is to come here and get water.

    “However, I want to appeal to the government to remember us and give us another borehole so that this one will not be over-used. If it is over-used, it will break down easily and that is what we don’t want.

    “We are grateful to those people who remembered us and came to give us good water to drink. At least, this will reduce incidence of water borne diseases.”

    The predominantly Gbagyi community turned out in their numbers to appreciate the gesture at the commissioning of the borehole with rich cultural display. Members of the Rotary Club of Asokoro, who also visited the pond where the villagers get water to drink, have given back to the people one priced asset they will cherish for a long time.

    In the words of Yohana Musa, they will cherish the borehole for a long time, especially because the authorities of the Federal Capital Territory and the Kuje Area had done nothing to lessen their suffering.

  • Residents protest power outage

    Residents protest power outage

    The squabble between Ikeja Electric Distribution Company (IKEDC) and residents of Agege has deepened as no fewer than 5,000 of electricity consumers gathered at Orile Agege Recreation Centre to protest the company’s poor operation and over billing.

    They unanimously maintained a posture of stand of “no light, no pay”.

    The aggrieved residents had begun the protest against the company’s alleged fraudulent and none transparent attitude since February 23.

    The residents accused the IKEDC of lack of non-maintenance of electric transformers, poles and cables, coded meters, over-estimated billing system and nonchalant attitude of members of its staff towards residents.

    The residents also demanded proper maintenance of malfunction meters in the absence of prepaid ones.

    Speaking at the event, the President, Youth Alliance for Better Nigeria, who is also the coordinator, Mr. Moruf Niniola Adegoke, said the protest was to register their grievances and dissatisfaction about the epileptic power situation in the area. “It also is also meant to let the company know the extent of suffering which the residents are going through as a result of lack of power supply,” he said.

    He noted that the residents have become fed up with the poor service of the IKEDC, adding that it amounts to wickedness on the part of the company to force them to pay for electricity which they did not use.

    Continuing, he said: “The firm has failed to improve on its services to the consumers despite several meetings and agreements we have had.”

    As a result of the ugly situation which the residents are experiencing, they have unanimously agreed that the IKEDC should disconnect the entire Agege from among the areas it supplies electricity, saying it is unjustified for the company to supply electricity to some areas and leave others in darkness.

    Adegoke said the residents could no longer bear the suffering and smiling condition which IKEDC has subjected them to.

    He further said the aggrieved residents have decided not to pay for electricity bills until the company improved its services to the residents by providing them with prepaid meters.

    He said the company’s operations are becoming worse on daily basis, noting that some electric poles and wires that are damaged since March 9, due to rainstorm have never been restored. But what the company is after is money.

    “All that the residents want is to be supplied with the prepaid meters in order to put in check the non-transparency operation of the company’s members of staff,” Niniola said.

    One of the residents, Mrs. Funmi Jolade Ajayi, maintained that the company does not willing to distribute the prepaid meters because it will uncover their atrocities and non-transparency.

    She noted that the prepaid meters will not read if there is no light. This, she said, was the major reason the firm is not willing to distribute the meters.

    Another resident, Bishop Babatunde Olusanya urged the residents to keep praying for President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration to have the political will to fix the country’s power sector.company to force residents to pay for electricity which they did not use.

  • Residents deplore bad roads

    The state of roads in the four local government areas of Akoko in Ondo state has become a matter of concern to indigenes.

    Residents described the development as a serious set back to the socio-economic development of the area.

    A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC)in Arigidi-Akoko, John Ogunleye, said many indigenes living outside the state are uncomfortable with the situation.

    He said: Many of our sons and daughters have decided to stay away from home because of the unmotorable nature of roads in Akokoland.

    “They are not happy to come home and investors have stayed away”

    Ogunleye said the Ugbe-Simerin-Epinmi Road is the worst, noting that a toll gate was erected on a bridge illegally by touts, who collect between N50 and N200 depending on the size of the vehicles.

    He said the bridge was made of wood and posed a danger to users.

    The APC chieftain said the Oke-Agbe-Afin-Ese Road  contract was awarded 16 years ago.

    “It is still the same way. Only motorcyclists can ply the road and they charge  exhorbitant fares.

    ”Ajowa-Igasi-Eriti-Omuo-Oke-Ekiti is the worst as passengers trek with loads on their heads to the markets.

    “Ikare-Oke-Agbe-Omuo and Ikun-Ipe  are also calling for quick attention.

    “There can never be meaningful development without motorable roads,the government  should emulate Ekiti with good road network.”

  • Residents scoop fuel as tanker falls in Ibadan

    Residents scoop fuel as tanker falls in Ibadan

    Residents of Olodo community in Ibadan yesterday trooped out in their hundreds to scoop fuel at an accident scene.

    The driver of a fully loaded petrol tanker lost control of the vehicle near the Olodo garage.

    An eyewitness said the petrol tanker with registration number LAGOS AGL 479XP was coming from Lagos.

    Adisa Babatunde said the accident occurred as the tanker skidded off the road.

    “The driver lost control of the vehicle and could not stop it. It was difficult for him to manoeuvre as the trailer was heavy.

    “We thank God that he was able to divert the tanker without injuring anybody.”

    Another eyewitness, Kehinde Kazeem, said: “The tanker lost control as it was ascending the steep.

    “The driver did all he could to make sure no one got hurt. No life was lost.”

    Immediately the accident occurred, some residents brought out jerry cans to scoop  petrol.

    At the scene, some security agents controlled human and vehicular movement.

    Men of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, fire fighters and the police were battling to drive the fuel scoopers away.

    An NSCDC official, Adedapo George, said: “I have not seen the driver since we got here. Thankfully, there was no casualty.

    “We were able to curb the situation because we came in on time.That was around 9am. We can’t confirm to you if they had been scooping the petrol before our arrival.

    “We managed to stop them from going near the truck and made sure they stayed away.”

    The driver’s mate, Raimi Adegboye, said: “The driver has gone to the hospital, maybe, because of the shock he suffered.

    “We were driving from Lagos and were close to our destination when it happened.”