The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Trade Fair Complex

  • Lagos Trade Fair Complex not for sale, says BPE

    The Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) yesterday said that it has no intention to sell the Lagos International Trade Fair Complex (LITFC), rather, it said the Federal Government will concession the facility through a competitive transaction process.

    In a statement, its Head of Public Communication, Amina Tukur Othaman, said the Bureau’s attention was drawn to the closure of the complex by the Traders’ Associations operating in the complex and the protest by the said association over the purported sale of the complex.

    “For the avoidance of doubt, the Bureau states that the Federal Government, through the BPE, does not intend to sell the complex, rather,  the facility would be concessioned through a competitive transaction process.

    “It is for this reason that the government has procured the services of Messrs Feedback Infrastructure Services to advise on the way forward for the proposed concession. It is apt to inform the public that the Bureau on Friday, March 1, 2019, met with the entire Traders’ Associations to explain the essence of the planned Concession,” the statement explained.

    It would be recalled that the BPE had on August 23, 2017, placed caveat emptor in some national newspapers in the country wherein, it stated that the lease agreement that was hitherto executed by the government in favour of Aulic Nigeria Limited had been validly terminated and possession reverted to the governmrnt with effect from August 23, 2017.

    Members of the public were therefore warned that “any purported allotment, buying, selling, letting, leasing, charging, and subdivision, construction upon or dealings in connection with the said property and parcels of land in any other manner howsoever without the written permission of the FGN represented by the BPE is unlawful, illegal, fraudulent and amounts to trespass”.

    It further warned that any person(s) interfering with the said parcels of land “stand to lose their money as the FGN through the BPE will neither honour agreements, contracts or arrangements entered into with person(s) purporting to have authority to transact the property and or parcels of land whether in the manner described or in any other manner whatsoever nor will it re-imburse any monies paid in respect of such transaction”.

     

  • Businesswoman bolts with N20m

    A 45-year-old businesswoman, Precious Ofili, who allegedly defrauded a market association of N20 million, was on Thursday charged before an Apapa Magistrates’ Court, Lagos.

    Ofili, who resides in Apapa, pleaded not guilty to a three-count charge of conspiracy, stealing and obtaining money under false pretences.

    Police Prosecutor Tony Elibeh told the court that the accused committed the offences on March 6 at Article Market opposite Trade Fair Complex, Lagos.

    Elibeh alleged that the accused, who was the treasurer of the association, conspired with others now at large and obtained N20 million from members  on the pretext of lodging the money in the bank.

    He claimed that Ofili, who had no intention of keeping the money in the bank, invested it in her business.

    The prosecutor said when the association later demanded for its money, the accused gave flimsy excuses.

    When the association members got tired of Ofili’s excuses, they reported the case to the police and the accused was arrested, he said.

    The offences contravened Sections 285, 312 and 409 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015 (Revised).

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Section 285 prescribes three years imprisonment for stealing, while Section 312 stipulates a 15-year jail term for obtaining by false pretences.

    The Chief Magistrate, Mr Titus Abolarinwa, granted the accused bail in the sum of N5 million with two sureties in like sum.

    Abolarinwa also directed that the sureties must be gainfully employed and should show evidence of two years’ tax payment to the Lagos State Government.

    He adjourned the case until April 26 for mention.

     

  • ‘Ex boyfriend murdered my fiancée,’ businessman tells court

    ‘Ex boyfriend murdered my fiancée,’ businessman tells court

    A businessman, Uchechukwu Orji, yesterday told a Lagos High Court in Igbosere, that his fiancée, simply called ‘Ijeoma’, was allegedly murdered by her ex boyfriend, Ifeanyi Christian.

    Orji, who testified yesterday as the second prosecution witness in Christian’s trial before Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo, said Ijeoma, 26, was declared missing on January 12, 2013, but was found dead four days later.

    Christian, an apprentice spare parts trader at ASPAMDA, Trade Fair Complex, Ojo, Lagos is being prosecuted by the state for Ijeoma’s death.

    Led in evidence by State Counsel, Mrs A. A. Saromi, Orji said he was formally engaged to the deceased, who was a food vendor, and that they had made plans to get married.

    He said Ijeoma travelled to her home town in the east in December 2012, for the Christmas and New Year celebrations but visited him at his home in the Ojo area of Lagos, on her return on Friday, January 11, 2013.

    The witness testified that while they were discussing in his room, the deceased’s phone kept ringing but she ignored it and when he asked her who it was, “she said the caller was just a friend.”

    He said he insisted on knowing who it was and she eventually told him the caller was her ex boyfriend, Ifeanyi Christian, who was trying to renew their relationship.

    She also told him, the witness added, that Christian wanted her to come over to his house, but that he forbade her.

    Orji said he saw the deceased off to where she boarded a motorbike to her neighbourhood in Agboju, Ojo Local Government Area. He phoned her when she got to Alakija Bus Stop, near her home and also spoke to her elder sister, who she ran into at the bus stop.

    The witness said the following day, a Saturday, he called her number from about 4pm till about 7pm but there was no response. He decided to give her some time because he thought she was probably attending to customers at her shop.

    “At about 10pm, when I called her line again and didn’t get any response, I became very worried. I then called Ijeoma’s sister who told me that she was probably busy at work. The sister called me back to tell me that she had checked and couldn’t find her sister. We started searching for her that night and continued the search on Sunday morning to no avail,” he said.

    Orji said the next day the deceased’s friend named Joy, told him she met Ijeoma the day before while the deceased was on her way to return a bottle of acid which the defendant kept in her possession. Joy also told him that the defendant worked at a shop at ASPAMDA at the Trade Fair Complex, Ojo.

     

    “On Monday, I went straight to the place where she directed me and I met an elderly man, who told me to check Ifeanyi in the shop, but Ifeanyi wasn’t there. So, I went back to the man, and he gave me a seat and asked me to wait for Ifeanyi. He said the defendant was his apprentice and asked me if there was a problem and I said yes, there was a murder case,” the witness stated.

    Orji said when the defendant showed up at the market and was questioned about the deceased, he fled but was arrested by security officials at the complex and taken to FESTAC Police Station. He added that defendant later told them that Ijeoma was dead.

    Justice Taiwo adjourned the case till October 24, for continuation of trial and possible cross examination by defence counsel, Mr. T. A. Jiakpona.

     

  • Tyre importers decry multiple charges by agencies

    Tyre importers decry multiple charges by agencies

    Tyre Importers Union at the African Tyre Village, Trade Fair Complex, Lagos, on Wednesday decried multiple charges on imported tyres by the various agencies at the ports.

     

    The Vice-President of the union, Mr Okechukwu Ezeifeoma, expressed the displeasure in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.

     

    He said the “never-ending“ charges on their consignments by government agencies, especially the Customs was killing their business.

     

    The importer urged the Federal Government to intervene in the situation.

     

    “Honestly, we are not happy with the situation. How can we talk of a profitable business when all we hope to make is used to pay charges to this and that government agencies?

     

    “Even within Customs alone, they ask you to go to this section and pay; then pay on that desk and so on and by the time you finish payment, all your profit is gone.

     

    “We are calling on the government to intervene in the situation because if something is not done soon we might just be forced out of business, “ he told NAN.

     

    Ezeifeoma decried the influx of substandard tyres into the country, saying the situation was a threat to the economy as well as lives.

     

    He said importers at the village would collaborate with the relevant government agencies, especially the Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON) to ensure that only quality tyres were brought into the country.

     

    The importer commended SON for setting a target to rid the country of substandard goods within three months, adding that the nation stood to benefit immensely if the target was met.