found the link:


THE Police in Lagos yesterday killed six suspected kidnappers who kidnapped a Lebanese national five days ago in Victoria Island recovering the N30 million supposed ransom and rescued the Lebanese. The Lebanese whose identity was not disclosed was reported kidnapped in his office at Ozumba Mbadiwe Tuesday by the kidnappers.
The Lagos police commissioner, Marvel Akpoyibo, said to be in Abuja during the period of abduction had to come to Lagos to mobilise his men for the rescue operation.

Speaking about the plot that led to the kidnappers’ arrest, the CP said one Muhamed Sani, the manager of the Lebanese company took the ransom money to the shore of the sea, as they requested, and handed over to the kidnappers who came in a speed boat, and in the process the police swoop on them. The identity of the Lebanese was not disclosed.

“After they collected the money we tactically engaged them and rescued the captive. He was unhurt and during the battle we recovered the N30 million ransom. We then handed the money over to the manager,” the commissioner said, and reinstated the command’s resolve to ensure safety not only on land but also on the state’s water ways.

Akpoyibo warned hoodlums, in their own interest, not to come to Lagos to carry out their act, stressing: “We will not leave any stone unturned to ensure that Lagos displays zero tolerance for crime.”

In response, the manager of the Lebanese company, expressed gratefulness on behalf of the company. “We are grateful for the effort put up by the Lagos State police command to rescue our staff. We are ever ready to support the command and others to carry out their duties,” he said. He called on other police commands to emulate Lagos.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/content/view/32243/42/

I think each state should have their own police force.

link?

The ousted governor of Ekiti State, Segun Oni (PDP), in a bid to draw support for the state's governorship re-run election on April 25, 2009, is giving away bundles of Naira notes along with recharge cards to residents in Oye-Ekiti in Ekiti State.


http://www.234next.com/csp/cms/sites/Next/Home/5396318-146/Ex-Governor_Segun_Oni_distributes_money_and.csp

Dis Guy:

hmmm Politics is not ABC unfortunately performing in one stae and having no influence nationnwide; thats the problem with AC and Fashola


Bukola will win in a nationwide election, fashola wll win 98-2% in lagos and ogun


who do i choose? hard to tell


farming is not abc, nigerian banks dont have patience for long term farming on this scale, plus what do you get when port operations are slow, machines are being imported,
not developed products markets etc etc

Its more than just banks and just machines. If you are not using the money what u told the bank you are going to do then i think the banks have a right to make noise, Read this article


http://www.tellng.com/specialreportdisplay.asp?id=88

Background:

UNLIKE some democracies where elections are defined by issues of national significance, godfatherism or political sponsorship, have remained a factor in build up to polls in Nigeria. Students of history may not find this phenomenon in the early days of partisan politics, as some argued that pre-independent and 1965 general elections, were devoid of it, despite the shortcomings of the era. Political sponsorship has been entrenched in the polity.

As former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s image loomed large in the nation, in the last dispensation, so was godfatherism in the thirty six states of the federation.

That explains why Nigeria appears to epitomise the dangers inherent in democratic experiments.

Instructively, the concept of godfatherism, originated from Christendom. Godparents are obtainable in some Christian doctrines, as they assist biological parents in defining the morality of a child.

This phenomenon in Nigerian politics, however, involves imposition and sponsoring of candidates to elective positions.

Such practice, indirectly entrusts the control of political process to godfathers, who introduce morbid brand of politics.


It is believed that most of Nigeria’s elected leaders acquired their positions through this system. The brazen abuse of power at all levels of government in the last dispensation, is not largely unconnected with the effects of godfatherism.

The effects left its toll on the nation’s political environments.

Anambra and Oyo, states were brought to their knees by the devastations of godfatherism, as Chris Uba and late Lamidu Adedibu exercised overbearing influence over their political godsons.

And as 2011 elections approaches, tongues are wagging if the godfathers will go back to the trenches. Already emerging trends from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, suggest that the last may not be heard of the phenomenon.

PDP governors, were reported to have suggested that out going governors have the sole responsibility of choosing their successors. This development however, may not go down well with some godfathers across the states, who may be grooming people to succeed the siting governors.

Therefore, if the governors are allowed to have their way, with such proposal, it may likely trigger off battle of wits with some godfathers.

Commenting on the likely role of godfatherism as 2011 draws nigh, former governor of Anambra State, Dr Chris Ngige dismissed its possibility.

He maintained that the likelihood of godfathers taking the lead, especially in Anambra State, was minimal, noting that they (godfathers) don’t stand a chance.

According to him, “I have told you that Anambra elections in 2010 is part of the electoral reforms of President Yar’Adua. We want him to implement the electoral reforms and by doing so, Nigerians will take him serious. The godfathers won’t have a role if all the reforms take place. We have beheaded the godfathers in Anambra State long ago.”

He further added that “as far as elections in Anambra State is concerned, the godfathers don’t stand any chance.”

But for the National Publicity of the Action Congress, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the ruling PDP is a place where internal regulations of the party are breached.

On internal democracy in the the Action Congress, AC, Mohammed, explained that the party would maintain a level playing ground.

On PDP governors’ stance to ensure second term governors have a free hand in choosing their successors, while first term governors are given automatic ticket, he said “if the PDP as a party, without breaching its internal regulations, decide that second term governors are given the opportunity of choosing whoever their successors would be and if first term governors, who have performed below average are given automatic tickets, I don’t think that should bother Nigerians. I don’t see anything wrong if that is done within their party. The PDP is good at breaching its constitution. But if that is done, it is a retrogressive step in the party. It is not a good development.”

On the role of godfathers, “well, I can only talk of my party. We will maintain a level playing ground. But in PDP, the role of godfathers will come to fore, if they carry out their plans.”

Flashpoints of godfatherism

Oyo

Until his demise, late strongman of Ibadan politics, Chief Lamidi Adedibu wielded so much power in Oyo politics that he ruled like a demi god.

As a matter of fact, his words were laws. Now that Adedibu is no more, the incumbent governor, Chief Adebayo Alao-Akala will have to fight the battle of his life to survive.

Though, he has the incumbency factor working for him, all may not be uhuru in the days ahead.


Ogun

In the Gateway state, the internal contradiction within the PDP and undue struggle for the soul of the state by the former President Olusegun Obasanjo and the governor, Otunba Gbenga Daniel are threatening the unity of the party. This is coming after a recent effort at fence mending failed . Vanguard gathered that the party may soon hit the rock as a result of who succeeds the incumbent come 2011.

Sources said while the governor is favourable to A Yewa/Awori candidacy, the former President is staunchly averse to an Awori becoming the governor of the state. We gathered also that the governor who is apparently not bothered about the support of the former president has vowed to go ahead with his plans to have a Yewa as his successor. Investigations revealed that Mr. Kayode Samuel (former Vanguard staff) and aide to the governor who is a Yewa man is the choice of the governor. The governor was said to have also positioned one Dr. Adeleke Otegbola, a veterinary doctor and his Special Adviser on Special duties. Sources squealed that the governor reposes so much confidence in both men that he believes he would still call the shots even after May 2011.

Reports indicated that the former president’s interest was not particularly averse to a Yewa or an Awori, but a candidate handed down by Daniel. He wants to have his own choice by virtue of being the most senior member of the party in the state. We also gathered the former president who many see as unforgiving, intends to deal with Daniel after leaving office in May 2011 and the best way to achieve that, sources said, is by fostering someone who will readily take orders from him.

The Obasanjo/Daniel wrangling has its root in the struggle for the political control of Ogun State Peoples Democratic Party . Things got awry at a recent meeting in Ibadan convened to settle the rift where Daniel allegedly walked out on the ex-President. A supposed peace was brokered between them after which Daniel visited him on Oct 1, 2008 and fed him with cakes, but observers say this is mere cosmetics as the issue is more complex than eating of cakes on Independence Day.

Enugu

In the coal rich state, Governor Sullivan Chime holds the ace but political pundits posit that the looming image of his predecessor, Senator Chimaroke Nnamani will come to play in the 2011 polls.

Though, out of office, Nnamani, as it has been observed, still has a role to play as far as who gets what in Enugu State.

Chime, who is also gunning for a second shot to the Enugu Government House, may not have a good rapport with his predecessor, owing to some clash of interests.

Sources close to both men reveal that 2011 will be a clash of titans in the State.

Rivers

The oil rich state is not left out in the scheme of things.

Governor Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi, having emerged governor from the blues, will have to contend with some powerful forces, who are bent on truncating his administration at all cost.

The likes of his predecessor, Sir Peter Odili; one time Minister of Transportation, Dr Abiye Sekibo and Sir Celestine Omehia are at Amaechi’s jugular.

Though, Ameachi has one thing going for him, he has support from prominent leaders in Rivers State, he still has to battle these powerful elements, who would do everything possible to thwart his return to Brick House, Port Harcourt.

Lagos

The Centre of Excellence remains a perculiar state.

Since 1999, the Alliance for Democracy, AD, which has transformed into AC continues to have a firm grip of the state.

This, perhaps, is as a result of the doggedness of the immediate past governor of the state, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu who withstood the incursion by the almighty Peoples Democracy Party, PDP, led by former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

Tinubu unarguably remains a force to reckon with as far as the politics of Lagos is concerned.

The lone-ranger, as he (Tinubu) was fondly called, from 2003 to 2007 gave the PDP a chase for their money during his tenure.

Even after he left Alausa Round House, he is believed to still holds the ace in Lagos politics.

Though, opposition parties have continually vowed to wrest power from AC, pundits are of the view that it remains a tall dream.

As 2011 gains momentum, Tinubu has a vital role to play.

Edo

No doubt, Mr Fix it and the Iyasere of Uromi land, Chief Anthony Anenih remains “the Leader”, as far as Edo politics is concerned. Anenih has a firm grip on the state politics.

In spite of the looming image of former chairman of the Board of Trustees, Chief Tony Anenih the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, perhaps has an herculean task of upstaging the incumbent governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole.


Anambra

Next year’s gubernatorial polls in the state will prove to be somewhat interesting.

At the last count, gladiators, who have indicated interest include: Dr Andy Uba, Prof Charles Soludo (yet to declare), Dr Chris Ngige, Emeka Etiaba and of course, the incumbent governor, Mr Peter Obi.

As events unfold in the State, new alliances will be formed while old ones may crumble owing to vested interests.The various gladiators will use all in their arsenals to outwit one another.


http://www.vanguardngr.com/content/view/32115/48/

i dont know who wins.
I might have said Saraki but, holes have started showing
like the farming program that saraki had with those Zimbabwe farmers is already having problems, banks say company is not making money, they are not paying loans, etc

And fashola is not running and might not win

Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos state has lashed out at his antagonists, who always criticise his policy on collapsed building, describing them as dangerous people who did not want the state to progress.



Speaking at the site of the collapsed four-storey building at Idi-Araba, Mushin, yesterday, the governor lamented that these people always accuse him of not caring for the people when he takes decisions meant to help the people. “This incident is avoidable if we play by the rule and we will continue to insist even though some dangerous people say we are uncaring. I wish they are here now to come and give us back the lives that we have lost.

“When we insist that people must follow the law, some people will want to gamble with people’s lives on the political altar and say we don’t have human face, where is their human face now? Who can give lives to the dead bodies? These are avoidable deaths and we should start as leaders of the country to stop gambling with lives,” he stated. Fashola was pained that many people died in the collapsed building and sympathized with the bereaved, promising that the state government would foot the burial expenses of the deceased. The governor ordered that death certificates should be issued to the families of the bereaved immediately so that they could give their beloved ones befitting burial.

“This is really tragic, and a painful thing to come by and take away the dead bodies from the building. There are deaths that can be avoided and this is why we always insist that people must obtain building permits and this is why we go out day and night monitoring buildings that are defective and asking people to get out of them so that they can be brought down and rebuilt. “We don’t want to take over these properties, but we know they are unsafe. I am appealing to all property owners in the state to know that buildings have a fixed life span and if your building shows signs of crack, write to us and we will give you permit to rebuild,” he said.

The governor added that buildings were meant to protect and not to destroy lives, saying that pragmatic approach must be taken to stem the tide of collapsed buildings in the state. “Any defective building should be reported to me or the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development,” he stated, saying that government would swing into action immediately such cases are reported. However, 56 people were rescued from the collapsed building while 10 were confirmed dead, according to the statistics released by the state government. The four-storey building collapsed on Tuesday, leaving many people trapped in the rubble until rescue operation led to many being saved, while some died in the process. The incident is one of the many buildings that have collapsed in the state, in the last few years, leading to the death of hundreds of people.

http://thepmnews.com/2009/03/27/my-antagonists-are-dangerous

After securing over N20 billion loan from Nigerian banks, and also investing several billions of naira to build the country’s first private airport terminal building, the management of Bi-Courtney Aviation Services Limited, operators of the Murtala Muhammed Airport Terminal Two (MMA2), is struggling to recoup its investment due to the unwillingness of airlines to pay their dues, P.M.NEWS investigation has revealed.

The terminal building, an architectural masterpiece, was set up on a Build, Operate and Transfer (BOT) basis. Under the Private-Public Partnership (PPP) arrangement, the terminal building will be operated by Bi-Courtney for 36 years before it is handed over to the Federal Government of Nigeria. During the period, Dr. Wale Babalakin’s company is expected to recoup its investment and make profit.

But PM.NEWS checks, this week, show that the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) is colluding with some airlines to frustrate the project. The project, P.M.NEWS can reveal, may fail if nothing urgent is done. Last Friday, Bi-Courtney held a stakeholders’ meeting with airlines operating from MMA2. The meeting, presided over by Alex Van-Elk, Managing director of Bi-Courtney, was attended by representatives of all the airlines with the exception of Aero Contractor and Afrijet airlines.

A source at the meeting disclosed that it was deadlocked. The source said that during the meeting, Van-Elk informed the airlines of his plans to increase the Passenger Service Charge (PSC) which was promptly rejected by the airlines’ chiefs. Any passenger traveling from MMA2 pays N350 as passenger service charge to the airport operators. The money, P.M.NEWS discovered, is directly included in the ticket fare and remitted to the airline. But investigations have revealed that the airlines do not always remit the money to MMA2, as almost all of them are indebted to the airport operators.


Also affecting MMA2 is the presence of the General Aviation Terminal (GAT). It was discovered that under the concession agreement the federal government entered with Bi-Courtney, no other terminal building can be operated by FAAN at the Lagos local airport. But this agreement has been violated by FAAN officials who unofficially claim that they are obeying an order from above. The presence of GAT is affecting operations at MMA2, as more airlines are not attracted by some incentives.


P.M.NEWS authoritavely gathered that Bi-Courtney intends to increase its PSC from N350 to N1,000 in the next few months, to recoup its investment. It is also intending to create a separate office for PSC at the airport. The non remittance of PSC to MMA2 and the GAT terminal building that operate illegally is likely to affect the relationship between Bi-Courtney and the Nigerian banks. The Minister of Aviation, Mr. Babatunde Omotoba, recently disclosed that international airports in the country would be concessioned. But with FAAN frustrating the only private terminal operator in the business, other investors are likely to be scared away.

http://thepmnews.com/2009/03/25/mma2-faces-cash-crunch

A well known mad woman on Isuti Road, Egan, in Ikotun Igando Local Council Development Area (LCDA) of Alimosho Local Government, Lagos state, known as Iya Joe, has been delivered of a baby boy. The father of the baby is said to be a puff puff seller, Kenneth Kolawole.

On Sunday, 22 March, when the female residents noticed that Iya Joe was in labour, they rushed to inform the immediate past Vice Chairman of the Community Development Association (CDA), Isuti Road, Egan, Alhaji Ayoola Mustapha, who later reported the case to the police. “At first, not knowing who impregnated the mad woman, our dilemma was where to keep mother and child after delivery. We planned to inform law enforcement agents. But when she delivered, we informed the monarch of Egan, who prayed and gave us a bottle of schnapps before we reported the case to the police.”

“Fortunately, when the police asked her if she could identify the man who impregnated her, Iya Joe replied in the affirmative. She spoke intelligently, narrating how she bit Kolawole, the puff-puff seller, the first time he came for sex. But he later became a regular guest. Police went after the puff-puff seller and arrested his elder brother, who lives in the same building with him, before Kolawole showed up. The scar of the bite was noticeable in his arm, as Iya Joe described it and he eventually accepted responsibility. Since Monday, this week, both mother and child have moved into Kolawole’s house at 8, Aworise Street, Isuti Road, Egan.



The following conversation ensued between Kolawole and P.M.NEWS:

Q: What’s your name, where do you come from?
A: My name is Kenneth Kolawole. My father was popularly known as ‘Oba-bi-Olorun ko si’ (No King as God). I come from Auchi in Edo State.



Q: What do you do for a living? Do you intend to marry Iya Joe after you impregnated her?
A: I must tell you the truth, for I know that if I lie it could lead to my death. I cannot marry Iya Joe. I know she is older than me. I am 26 years. She will be about 40.
When I take my ‘thing’ and drink, my body becomes strong before I meet her. While doing it, I never thought it will result in pregnancy and a child. I sell puff puff but because I don’t make much money from it, I sometimes work as a labourer whenever I can get any work.



Q: Now, what happens on Sunday? Do you have any plan to give the baby a name?
A: I cannot say what the naming ceremony on Sunday will be like. My pastor and church members are angry with me. They said I impregnated a mad woman. But the boy has already been named Sunday Kenneth at the Egan Health Centre, where he was attended to during the week. P.M.NEWS called his attention to the baby’s birth certificate which stated that his surname is Akinola. But Kolawole said it was a mistake by the writer as his surname is Kolawole.

Speaking with our reporter, Iya Joe, who has not shown any sign of mental illness since she gave birth to the baby, told the reporter that her name is Lola Abayomi. She said she is from Ilu Tuntun, in Ikale area of Ondo state, adding that her son, Joe and her other children are with their father in Ondo state. A reliable source in the area told P.M.NEWS that Iya Joe has other five children. She was running a private school in the area about five or six years ago, and that her former husband may have abandoned her because of the mental illness.

From Isuti Road, Egan to Igando and Lagos State University, Ojo, Iya Joe, before she delivered her baby, would wear her rags, carry loads of tins and other rubbish and walk several kilometres along the busy LASU-Isheri expressway. Though she has shown no signs of mental imbalance since last Sunday, neighbours have nonetheless kept surveillance on her and do not leave her alone with the baby.


http://thepmnews.com/2009/03/25/mad-woman-delivers-baby-boy-for-puff-puff-seller

Living up to his name, eight-month-old Divine Emmanuel was destined to survive after a four-storey building collapsed yesterday, at 44, Ojerinde Street, Idi-Araba, Lagos.

For 12 hours, he was under the rubble of the collapsed building before he was eventually rescued. His mother, Loveth Emmanuel, was in the sitting room playing with him when the building collapsed. She was said to have shouted herself hoarse calling for help until 3 a.m., today, when workers heard her voice and rescued her and her baby.

However, Loveth’s mother, who was in the toilet at the time of the incident, was not so lucky as she was knocked out by heavy bricks. She is now lying dead at the Mushin General Hospital. Another unlucky occupant of the house was a man identified as Ego, who lost his three children to the disaster. [/b]Another occupant of the house, who sells roasted plantain in front of the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Idi-Araba, identified as Iya Oniboli, was also unlucky as she lost four of her children to the mishap.
[b]
P.M.NEWS investigations, this morning, revealed that more than four bodies were recovered from the rubble. Ten bodies have so far been recovered from the rubble of the collapsed building. Most of the occupants of the building, described as a mini barracks by neighbours because of its large number of occupants, said the majority of them were rescued yesterday, hours after the building crashed.

Investigations at the scene, this morning, revealed that some occupants of the building were still trapped in the building. Some of them were said to have phoned their neighbours and relatives to seek for help. Investigations revealed that tenants of the collapsed building had a feeling that the building could collapse any moment. One of the tenants, Kenneth Ogbegbe, who claimed to be the first tenant of the house in 2000, said there were signs all over the place that the building would collapse any time.

“If you touched the wall, it was giving way; the building was vibrating and whenever we told Alhaja (the landlady) about it, she would accuse us of destroying the house and ask us to pack out,” the distraught tenant, who was not at home when the incident happened, told P.M.NEWS. He dispelled rumours that three floors were added to the building recently. “Nothing was added to the building. That was how we met the building when we packed in there in 2000 and we were the first tenants,” he explained.

Another tenant, Chukwuemeka, said they (tenants) had noticed that the building was shaking some weeks back and had been trying to get alternative accommodation before it collapsed yesterday. He called on governor Babatunde Fashola to seize the land on which the house was built because the landlady refused to heed the advice of her tenants over the state of the building. [/b]Rescue efforts were still going on at the site of the collapsed building as at the time of filing this report.

[b]The state Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Mr. Francisco Abosede and Hon. Olatunde Babatunde Adepitan, Chairman, Mushin Local Government, were at the scene of the incident this morning. The commissioner urged the rescue team, which comprises the official of LASEMA, LASEPA, NEMA and the area boys, to continue the search until the last person is taken out of the rubble. In his speech, Adepitan attributed the collapse to substandard materials used in constructing the building.

He, however, stated that, after what had happened, the local government would start going round to ensure that every building being constructed in his local government would be properly monitored and supervised to ensure that substandard materials are not used. As at the time of filing this report, rescue work was still going on at the scene of the incident.


http://thepmnews.com/2009/03/25/collapsed-building-baby-survives-man-loses-3-children

All the king's horses and all the king's men, Lagos residents, have no fear as the state governor has a plan to put Lagos back together again. The government's frenzied demolition exercise gathered pace again in the past week as Shogunro Estate, Ogba, was pulled down by bulldozers.

The estate was marked for demolition last September, and residents received compensation. Structures in the estate were already constituting a threat to human lives before the decision to act. Some had started sinking, others were tilting to a side.

The demolition of the estate is the latest in a long list of structures that have come tumbling down as Babatunde Fashola continues on his mission to transform Lagos into a cosmopolitan city like Paris, New York, or London.

While some applaud the government's efforts, others bemoan their loss, as homes and stores get reduced to rubble.

Unaffected by the myriad of opinions, the bulldozer, like some kind of crusading angel of death, carries on.

The demolition exercise, which intensified late last year, has not spared any part of the city. From Oshodi to the high brow Ikoyi, both illegal structures and those constructed on drainage channels have fallen victim.

In the first quarter of last year, Iganmu and Yaba markets were the first to go. By June of the same year, four blocks of 24 flats each were mowed down in the SSS Estate on James George Street, Ikoyi, because officials believed the buildings were in danger of collapsing.

In July, more houses were demolished in Idimu and Ejigbo suburbs because they were sitting on Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation's pipelines. November saw the demolition of almost 150 houses at Ayobo, another suburb; they were not built to government developmental specifications. Hotel Bobby in Onipanu, Iponri, Obalende, and Iyana Ipaja have also not been spared.

It was early in January this year, soon after the holiday season, that bulldozers made one of their strongest impressions yet by sweeping through the famous Oshodi.

It was a sign of things to come. Aswani, Ketu, Ijesha, Okota, Mushin have all had a dose of government's bitter pill. And just on Thursday, Pen Cinema, Iju road, Agege, went down. Even, Lamb's blood on door posts would be too late for traders at Sabo, Ikorodu, and Ikotun markets, as government has already issued notices to traders to vacate the premises.

In Victoria Island, the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) building on Ahmadu Bello Way, NEPA House on NEPA Close, and more buildings along Festival Road, Bishop Aboyade Cole Street, Balarabe Musa Crescent, and Ademola Adetokunbo Street are on the list for demolition. The state is removing these structures because they were built on drainage paths.

Although it seems that these demolitions are bitter pills to swallow, the state's plan is to improve the lives of residents of the city. The demolition is necessary in order to give birth to improved markets, decongested and cleaner roads, and new constructions like the planned upgrade of the four-lane Lagos-Badagry Expressway to a ten-lane freeway with a light rail track and a motorcycle route.

Who would have thought that flowers would one day adorn the Oshodi landscape? We'll find out as soon as the state's beautification work there is completed. Lagosians can bid their fears bye-bye. The future, which looks beautiful despite all the rubble, is here.

http://www.234next.com/csp/cms/sites/Next/Home/2252178-147/Illegal_buildings_have_a_great_fall.csp

I was just wondering how is the Tinapa business & leisure project doing? some say its doing well and some say its a complete failure.

Does anyone with Knowledge know how the project is doing?

here is the link:

http://www.thisdayonline.com/nview.php?id=138801

ABOUT 5,000 workers of three companies were thrown out of office on Monday when the Lagos State Environment Protection Agency sealed off their premises for not complying with the state environmental law.


The companies included[b], WAHUM Company Limited, a manufacturing company at Adeniyi Jones in Ikeja; Positive Packaging Company in Ilupeju and Habib Global Venture at Igando Road[/b].


The head of Ecological and Conservation Department, (LASEPA), Mrs. Grace Yaya, who led the team that shut the companies, said that the companies had been served notice to clean up their environment, but they had refused.


According to a statement from the agency, a copy of which was made available to the Nigerian Tribune, WAHUM Company Limited allegedly violated the law by discharging untreated effluent indiscriminately into the public drains, silting of drainages outside the company premises, non-functional effluent treatment plants and stagnant drainage.


The agency also faulted Positive Packaging Company for poor management of adhesive waste and poor solid waste management, while Habib Venture was closed down for operating illegal tank firm.

http://www.tribune.com.ng/24032009/news/

I think there is a bigger picture here. some men are using this children as a business, making them to go out and beg and collecting the money from them. The government should take this issue seriously.

Becomrrich:

if fashola rezone ikoyi and make all house to have 5 level , there is no need for destroying people home. see that ikoyi is too large and it is taken most of the island in Lagos island. If fashola can turn it to commercial area there is no need to build Eko altantic.

He said, “The 26-kilometre Fourth Mainland Bridge will commence from Langbasa in Lekki, Eti-Osa Local Government Area and will link Victoria Island to Ipakodo, a Lagos suburb in the Ikorodu Local Government Area.

RichyBlacK:

So, why isn't Fashola compensating Jubril Ibrahim?

Because 31 years ago it was illegal and today it still illegal. In the U.S he might be compensated, but i do not see it Nigeria's constitution.

And compensating him will send the wrong message. That if you build an illegal structure today, two days time if the government wants to destroy it you will be compensated. That will just encourage more Lagosians to go that route, which is what the state government is trying to stop.

**osisi:

The problem with Nigeria is lawlessness
From top to bottom.
Like Richie pointed out,where was the govt when Maroko residents pitched their tent there?
Where was the govt when Pa Ibrahim started his "forknizing" business at that spot in 1978?

Well the government is here now. Those Maroko residents are going to be moving too, the government is currently building state housing (i am sure some people will complain about that too.)

In regards to  America's constitution  the man might deserve compensation even if its illegal, because he has owned it for 30+ years. But the same cannot be said in regards to Nigeria's constitution

RichyBlacK:


A clear conflation of the definite and the probable. The definite reality is that Jubril Ibrahim has been illegally dispossessed of his, until recently, legal source of income. The probable reality is that Jubril Ibrahim will be forced to take up arms.

It is revealing that in your world the probable event are more important, more relevant, than the definite. Had the wicked system in Nigeria that rewards criminals that steal billions, but punish poor people for stealing twenty naira was not supported by the numerous sycophants in Nigeria, Jubril Ibrahim would have been compensated for his loss. Even in the developed societies that we aim to be like, in our bid to develop Lagos, those who suffer from these kinds of losses are always compensated. Even people who lose their jobs or are unemployed are compensated. Have you ever asked yourself why?

It is well known, except to those too drunk from sipping the cruel rum that ensures the illegal treatment of their fellow human beings, that depriving a person of a legitimate means of livelihood considerably increases his/her likelihood of seeking illegitimate means of survival. Hence, the welfare systems in all the developed nations, from America, to Japan, to the UK and to the economic strongholds of mainland Europe. In Nigeria, however, we learn by reading only the odd pages of the book, ignoring the even pages! We want to develop Lagos, we copy a lot from developed nations, yet we conveniently forget to copy aspects of these development programs that are meant to compensate those negatively affected by such development programs. Then, when the expected consequences come to play, we still attack and crucify the dispossessed.

Shame on Nigeria! Shame on Lagos State! For allowing this type of inhumanity! Shame on all those who excuse such injustice!

No, because they had legal jobs, in a legal company, approved by the government. And they had their salary deducted for unemployment. So they have a legal right to collect money from the government when they lose their jobs. Even in the countries that you are talking about, the taxpayers complain that government is taking their money to feed and help people who are living off the government. That is why when you ready about British government buying a woman of 5 kids, a 5 bedroom house, taxpayers are up in arms.

agabaI23:

Which taxpayers? how many people pay tax in nigeria?

In Lagos more and more people are paying their taxes. The state government is going after people who are not, and more people are willing to pay becasue they are seeing what the state government is doing. After OBJ Withheld federal funds for Lagos, Tinubu stepped up tax payment in the state to get revenue and Fashola has gone further in implementing it. Companies, stores, markets are getting closed for not paying taxes.

You are right there is still a lot who don't pay.

udezue:

That man was also paying taxes. Besides the useless government allowed it to happen. If they put  a stop the 1st time they wouldn't have the issue now.

What tax? People occupying illegal structure's like this man do not pay taxes, rent, electricity (which they tap from transformers the state govt put there for residence of that area), that is why the government does not have to compensate them beyond what is already doing. Fashola has already created micro financing facility for people to get free training for stuff like hair dressing, etc. and provide them with funds to start business.  I do not think the government can go beyond that with taxpayers money.

I think thats what the lagos state government is trying to do, put a stop to it, before it gets out of hand. I know its too late, but better late than never.

Before you know we would start seeing mechanic shops on third mainland bridge.

**osisi:

Yes the govt should have provided them with legal structures and charged them rent for it.
That's what soceity ought to do
The country has the money to do so
You don't go demolish peoples sources of livelihood just like that.
There's something like low cost housing
low cost stores are not unheard of.

The government is already providing low cost stores, a N400,000 store is not bad . It is also providing financing by covering half the cost with taxpayers money while the bank covers the other half. But in Nigeria that is not enough, they want it for Free.

People's lives are also affected because of the illegal structure.

**osisi:

On that thread about Fashola demolishing peoples sources of livelihood,I said this.
He'll push people into illegal acts and now Pa Ibrahim is threatening to pick up arms.
I know Fashola has the best intentions but he should have provided alternatives before the demolition.
What's this husband and father of 7 expected to do?
no unemployment pay out
no social security
no council flats or homeless shelter
no food stamps and Govt help

I do feel for him.
He and several others have been treated very unfairly in a bid to clean up Lagos.
Should we trample on the low income wage earners just because we can?
This is very very sad.
He could have been any of our parents or even us.

People say government should provide alternative.

I agree with that but, the problem is most of them cannot afford it. That is why most of them were using free illegal structures that lead to drainage problem, traffic, a dirty environment, outbreak of diseases etc.

The only alternative the government can provide is free Shops. If that is the case more people from other states will be coming to Lagos for their free shops. And I do not think the Lagos government can afford to provide free shops.

yarodin:

Yes all of you laugh long and hard because you are not in his situation. 

You are right its not something to laugh about. But, after 31 years he has not saved enough money to move from the "illegal" place he has been using. I am sure he is one of those men, who was spending his money foolishly chasing girls. I wonder if his wife or children even got any of the money.

Lagos state governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola(SAN), on Sunday, undertook an inspection of the drainage channels in Victoria Island, appealing to the elites to stop the abuse of the various collector drains in the area.



Governor Fashola, who said this in an interview with newsmen, after the inspection, added that the illustrious forerunners who established Victoria Island had their foresight shown in the fact that they ensured that the land in the area was reclaimed and provided with collector drains which prevented flooding. The governor noted with regret that although the people who built Victoria Island did a thorough job designing all the canals and collector drains to ensure free flow of water, the elites who came to reside there abused the canals and collector drains, causing the areas to flood.

Said he: “Our elites must realize that this kind of lifestyle is not sustainable. The collector drains cannot be diverted to different purposes. There will be no threat of flooding to Victoria Island if the elites do what they are supposed to do.” Governor Fashola visited and inspected the collector drains on Ozumba Mbadiwe Road, where he was briefed by the Commissioner for the Environment, Dr Muiz Banire, on efforts to expand the drain.

He also inspected the Itirin Canal near UAC properties, where structures have been built without leaving the mandatory 15 metres setback, as most of the structures have used what should serve as setbacks as boys’ quarters. Governor Fashola also inspected the collector drain on Ligali Ayorinde Street and  Fabak Close whose flow had been impeded by the blockage of the drain by massive structures which have also prevented clearing of the drains.

While at Kayode Akingbade Close, governor Fashola was shown round the various massive barriers and structures which have been constructed on the collector drains, thus making it virtually impossible for access to be gained to the various points. On Oko Awo Street, the governor and his team inspected the canal which already has an uncompleted structure on it as well as several food sellers lined up along the canal corridor.

Governor Babatunde Fashola also visited Louis Solomon Close, where he inspected a private structure which had a full building and a swimming pool constructed on the collector drain. “What we are seeing here today, from Aboyade Cole to Prince Akingbade Close to Karimu Kotun even up to Solomon Close and Ahmed Onibudo, is that people have simply abused the canals and drains,” the governor lamented, pointing out that because of the abuse, the collector drains which are supposed to discharge into the canals are receiving water from the canal.

The governor, who noted that the whole canal has been diverted into the collector drain in Akingbade Close, declared, “I think our elite must realize that this kind of lifestyle is certainly not sustainable”, adding that if the government must deal with the flood, people must move their fences and remove the structures they have put on the canal so that the canals can be cleared.

On whether the structures built on the canals would be demolished, governor Fashola said: “We have a job to do. All of those structures were not built in compliance with the law . We will reach out to them. Fortunately, Victoria Island and Ikoyi have very strong residents association. We will reach out to them and show them what the problem is. Quite a number of them know what the problem is. We hope they will cooperate with us”.

[b]The governor, however, said if the residents fail to cooperate with the government, “If the flood comes, they will not have the moral right to complain. We are ready to do the job. We hope we will have their cooperation to do what is right”. He said, in places like Aboyade Cole Street, so much had built up encroaching on setbacks and that it would not be economically wise to bring the structures down, adding that “probably, we have to re-adjust the fences. People have to lose a few metres here and there in order to allow water to flow freely. If we do this, I believe we can reach a sensible compromise. Victoria Island should not flood if people did not abuse the canals and collector drains built for it,” he said.[/b]

Speaking on the approaching rainy season, governor Fashola called on Lagosians to begin to clean up the drains in their areas in order to allow for free flow of rain water and minimize the effect of flooding. “Whether you are in Alimosho, whether you are in Idi Araba, Ajegunle, Mushin or Lekki, begin to clean the drains,” the governor advised. He also called on the local governments to double up their efforts in managing the drainage channels that are in their jurisdiction.

The governor also called on motorists to begin to carry out proper maintenance of their vehicles. To check and ensure that all the parts are in order so as to minimize breakdown, which, according to him, constitute much of the hold-ups on the state’s roads, especially during the rainy season. “It is not the  governor and it is not the government alone. Everybody has a role to play and if we all play our roles well, this will be the best rainy season that we will ever have in this state, the governor said.

http://thepmnews.com/2009/03/23/stop-abuse-of-collector-drain-channels-fashola-urges-elites

Typical example of money miss road. Why would you build your swiming pool on collectors drain, the same people will be blaming government for flooding

The global economic recession that has hit the banks and drained the purse of some super rich men across the globe has eaten deep into the daily income of street beggars in Lagos state, P.M.NEWS can authoritatively reveal.

Investigations across the nooks and crannies of the state revealed that since the global meltdown started a couple of months ago, beggars on Lagos streets have been finding it difficult to survive. Some of them like Mallam Mohammed Baba, Mallam Ado Na Ahamdu, Abdullai Gambo, Sefiat, Barna, said they are also groaning, as their purses have grown lean.

A large number of the beggars, who reside at the Destitute Camp, Oko-Oba, Ebute-Metta, Lagos, complained bitterly that the number of muslims, especially those who usually give them the obligatory Zakat on Fridays, has dropped, while the number of christians who give them alms on Sundays, has also dropped sharply.

Speaking with P.M.NEWS, the secretary of the camp, Mallam Mohammed Baba, said: ”This is definitely not the best of times for us here at the camp. No more free movement on the streets to beg for alms; no more supply of water, electricity and healthcare at the camp. Only last week, some of us were arrested on the streets and we had to pay roughly N40,000 to bail them.”

Chairman of the destitute camp, Mallam Ado Na Ahmadu, also appealed to governor Babatunde Raji Fashola to assist the inmates at the camp or allow them to beg on the streets for survival. “Twelve year ago, we were moved here by the former military administrator of the state, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa, who was always giving us money for our upkeep. Fashola should allow us to beg on the streets if he cannot feed us. He should leave us alone to beg,” he said.

Speaking on behalf of the blind men and women at the camp, the Serikin Mogaji, Lagos state, Alhaji Abdul Amid, appealed to the government to stop arresting them while begging on the roads. ”They should leave us alone. We can not go back to our states alone,” he added. The general complain by all the beggars spoken to, in all the places visited by P.M.NEWS, is that of lean purses. At Obalende, a woman, who simply identified herself as Sefinat, described street begging as a lucrative business.

”I came from Maiduguri. Two of my children also beg for alms. Last year, I made as much as N2,000 daily but since last month I have been making less than N1,000. In my village, I am a proud owner of a hut,” she stated. At Ojuelegba, a physically-disabled young man on a wheelchair, who refused to disclose his name, vowed not to quit begging.

“I come here everyday from Alagbado Crossing, in Ogun state. Sympathisers going to their places of work usually drop money for me. I realise between N2,000 and N3,000 daily. Out of this, I will settle my aide with N600 or N800. But, since last month, my income has dropped. It has dwindled to between N1,500 and N1,000 daily,” he revealed.

http://thepmnews.com/2009/03/23/global-meltdown-hits-lagos

This is the problem with this beggars, they come from other states expect the government to help them, what about their own state government.

“Where do they want me to go or what do they want me to do now? I cannot be an ‘agbero’ at my age. Well, the only option left for me is to go into armed robbery.”

Those were the words of Alhaji Jubril Ibrahim, a vulcanizer at 53, Warehouse Road, Apapa, whose shed was demolished to pave way for a beautification project in the area, when he visited P.M.NEWS. Alhaji Ibrahim told P.M.NEWS that he had been occupying the demolished shed since 1978 when he finished his apprenticeship.

He warned that if his shed is not replaced or if he is prevented from operating in the area, ”the only option left for me is to pick up arms.” The frustrated man, who looked totally dejected, said those doing the beautification work should have the feelings of the people at heart. The man, who claimed to be a father of seven, said: “It is from this job that I feed myself, my wife and seven children and now that I have been sent packing, how am I going to feed the children.

“I cannot go to motor park and become an ‘agbero.’ I will become an armed robber, that is the only alternative I have now.” When told of the implications of what he was saying, he blurted out defiantly: “I will become an armed robber and start robbing people and if I am caught and killed, I am okay. By sending me away from my work place, they have already killed me. So, I don’t care. I will take to robbery, that is what is left for me to do.”

He also disclosed that he prefers to lose his wife to another man than lose his job. “If anyone takes my wife, I will happily forsake her. But my job is very important to me. Anybody that takes my job has already killed me. Taking away my job is taking away my means of livelihood,” he added. Alhaji Ibrahim, who claimed to be a member of the Action Congress in Ward B, Apapa Local Government Area, appealed to the state governor, Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola, to intervene in his plight, so as to enable him change his decision.

http://thepmnews.com/2009/03/23/i-am-going-into-armed-robbery-%E2%80%94frustrated-vulcaniser-tells-fashola#comments

He should have thought about all this before having 7 kids.
Go ahead Fashola, under bridges were not built for motor packs, or mechanic shops

I think he is trying in the IPP stuff, for example the biggest water plants in lagos that is only working 5-6 hrs a day due to shortage of power supply will be run by an IPP   which will increase it to 20 hrs a day. So we will see, i guess

http://www.ngrguardiannews.com/metro/article01/indexn2_html?pdate=230309&ptitle=Raising%20hopes%20for%20thirsty%20Lagosians


"Currently, the Adiyan-Iju Water Works produces 115 million gallons daily (MGD), but can only pump 30 percent for public consumption as a result of irregular power supply.

That is a situation that warranted the establishment of dedicated power project. "After the completion of the power project, water would be pumped for at least, 20 hours daily, instead of the current four or six hours.

The IPP project has a design capacity of 12.15 mega watts and is expected to be completed by May, 2009."

^^^
I dont think Tinubu wanted it to be part of the National Grind. The Federal Government took it for Lagos state, mostly becasue Obasanjo was hell bent on making things hard for Tinubu.

The crazy part of all this is the federal government deducts money from lagos states' monthly federal allocation to maintain the power plant it is not getting much MW from.

A seven-page letter from the Nigerian Agricultural Co-operative and Rural Development Bank (NACRDB) was dropped in the office of Abba Ruma, the minister of agriculture and water resources on December 18, 2008. The letter, Re: Agricbank Facility to Kwazimbo Enterprises, was signed by Babale Girei, managing director of the bank. It was dated December 16, 2008.

Girei explained to the minister why a loan facility of N650 million was given to the Zimbabwean farmers the Kwara State government introduced to the bank and why the bank was keen on recovering its money from the state government. The bank director told the minister that the loan was given to Kwazimba Enterprises in May 2006 for expansion of its maize farms. The loan was to provide an additional 1600 hectares of maize farm to an existing 2400 hectares. Each of the 13 farmers was to manage about 308 hectares of maize.

The loan had a tenor of three years, which would expire in April this year, with a one-year moratorium on principal and interest. As at the time of approval, the interest was 14.5 per cent, but reduced to eight per cent in line with federal government directives. The loan was guaranteed by the Kwara State government through an Irrevocable Standing Payment Order (ISPO), which meant that in the event of default by the farmers, the money would be deducted from the state’s statutory allocations.

The magazine has gathered that after securing the loan, the farmers diverted it into another venture. Instead of expanding its maize production, the money went into silage production to feed diary cattle. Thus the bank’s expectation that the money would be repaid from proceeds of maize sale was dashed. The farmers have not been able to repay the loan.

As of October 2008, the amount due for repayment was N628 million, but Kwazimba Enterprises only managed to pay a meagre N122 million. More disturbing, according to Girei, is the fact that the N122 million paid back from the loan was paid by the  Kwara State government on behalf of the company, a development interpreted to mean that the company was not in a position to repay the loan.

“The implication of this massive default is that the company has failed to live up to its obligations to the bank. We have written several demand notes and appeal letters to the company and the Kwara State government as the guarantor of the loan but to no avail,” the letter stated.

Girei said further that the promise by the state government to back the loan with ISPO was a key factor the bank considered in granting the loan. “We request to invoke the ISPO in line with the loan agreement, the state government should make good its promise and direct immediate deduction from its monthly allocations. The loan was for maize production and the proposed repayment was two installments. Only a paltry sum of N122 million had been paid so far. In view of poor repayment and the huge amount in default, the bank cannot afford to entertain any further rescheduling. We therefore recommend invocation of the ISPO for deduction of the debt from Kwara State government statutory allocation,” he said in the letter.

Sources at the agriculture ministry told the magazine that Girei’s letter was a response to an earlier letter written to the minister by the Shonga farmers. The letter, signed by Alan Jack, the managing director of Kwazimba Enterprises, and dated November 18, 2008, requested for another moratorium of 18 months and a rescheduling of the loan.

Jack stated that they were asking for a rescheduling of the loan because all the 13 farmers had been linked to Shonga Farm Holdings (SFH) and received their funding from the consortium of shareholding banks. He said funding through the shareholding banks had taken longer than expected, and had led to a situation where farmers’ individual projects were running behind schedule.

The letter concludes: “We the farmers would not like the state to have to pay these debts through its ISPO, as the project is a wholly owned Private Partnership. We have the full backing of Kwara State in our endeavours.”

At the time the farmers took the agric bank loan, they had also taken N720 million from the Intercontinental bank. That is yet to be repaid, too.

Some top officials of the agric ministry and the agric bank, who spoke to the magazine, said the farmers’ letter was a ploy by Governor Bukola Saraki to dodge repayment of the loan through the ISPO and turn it into a bad debt. “No bank would give a foreigner such a loan without adequate security. But the Kwara State government said they brought the farmers and guaranteed the loan,” one of them said. 

The Zimbabwean farmers’ project in Shonga is a collaborative venture between the state government and 13 Zimbabwean farmers who were dispossessed of their farmlands in Zimbabwe. The state government said it invited the farmers in order to boost agricultural production in the state and transform the existing subsistence farming system into modern, large-scale, commercial farming. The 13 farmers came together and registered under the name of Kwazimba enterprises, which has now transmuted into Shonga Farm Holdings.

On paper, it is a fascinating business with the three components of modern farming-crop, poultry and dairy production. It was conceived to have beneficial spin-off effects on national food security. In addition, it promised to take out of the job market over 4,000 Nigerians. But since 2004 when the Saraki administration signed a collaborative agricultural agreement with the farmers, the project has been swathed in controversy. Critics, especially members of the opposition parties in Kwara State, have derided the project, saying it was a devise to siphon state money out of the country.

The performance of the project so far seems to lend credence to the allegations of critics. In the agreement signed between it and the farmers in 2004, the state was to give each of the farmers a loan of N35 million and also guarantee a private sector loan of another N35 million for each of them. Altogether, the state was expected to give the farmers a whopping sum of N1,05 billion (one billion and fifty million naira) to take off. But the money was expected to be paid back to the state, according to the agreement with the farmers, over a period of three years.

But four years after take-off, the farmers have not only failed to pay back the money given to them by the state, they are also asking for more. Governor Saraki has come under severe criticism for the seeming failure of the project. Critics say the produce of the Shonga farms is not available in local markets, and they wonder where they are being exported.

The development has forced Saraki to explore other ways of raising money for the farmers without further depleting the lean resources of the state. It had also become difficult for Saraki to persuade any bank to lend the farmers money since they had no collateral and had defaulted in payment of earlier loans. But as the chief executive of a state, he was able to get five banks to come together to jointly finance the project with the state guaranteeing the funds through an ISPO. The five commercial banks are: GTB, Intercontinental Bank, UBA, Finbank and Unity Bank. Sources said the five banks have invested nearly N1.5 billion in the Shonga farm as of January this year.

As a result of the farmers’ inability to pay back monies given by the state, the government quickly pre-empted critics by saying it has converted the funds into equity in the business. The government says the Shonga farm is a private business, and government has decided to convert the loan it gave the farmers into shares in Shonga Farm Holdings.

Gana Yissa, commissioner for agriculture, in an interview with the magazine confirmed that the loans given to the farmers had been converted into equity for the state. He said the state hence had 15 per cent stake in the farm. He also debunked the allegation that the farm project had become a financial burden on the state. “The state government has shifted the burden to the banks. There is no burden on the state. The 15 per cent equity is just what we have now, and the state is not going to give another kobo. The farmers will definitely pay back the loans they took from the banks. That was why we involved the banks in it,” he told the magazine.

But when asked why the farmers have not paid the loan taken from Agric bank, contrary to agreement reached with the bank, Yissa said he was not aware the loan had not been paid. “I remember the farmers took a loan of N650 million from the bank. But the information I have is that a substantial part of the loan had been paid. That is the information available to me,” he said. The commissioner could also not give an answer when asked to state how much the Kwara State government had invested in the Shonga farm. “I am not in a position to give you the figures,” he said. How then did the state government come about the 15 per cent shares in the farm?

But one of Saraki’s critics said Yissa’s explanation that the financial burden of the farm had been shifted to the banks was simplistic. Iyiola Oyedepo, a former commissioner for agriculture in the state, said the government could not say it was no longer financially responsible for the farmers when the state guaranteed all the loans they took by pledging an ISPO. He said the state government went to the state house of assembly to get an ISPO to the banks in order for them to release money to the farms.

Oyedepo, a lawyer, has been a vocal critic of the farm project, describing it at public fora as “a fraud.” He said the farmers came to the state without any form of capital to set up a farm business in Shonga, stressing that the government had to do everything for the farmers, including paying compensation on land acquired by private businessmen. He said in law, land could only be acquired for overriding public interest. Oyedepo did not see how the farm project constituted overriding public interest. “The whole arrangement is a fraud. If a foreign investor is coming to any country, they ought to come with their capital. This would include their resources and skill. But I know that these people did not come to Kwara with any capital. Anything you find in Shonga farm today was paid for by the state government. It is like Julius Berger coming to Nigeria and asking the federal government to buy all the equipment it would need! That is why I say the arrangement is a fraud, and the truth would become clear when Bukola Saraki vacates power.”

Oyedepo has written a 90-page book on the Zimbabwean farmers’ project in Kwara State. The book is a critique of the project. He alleged that the peasant farmers in Shonga were forcefully driven out of their land to satisfy the foreign farmers. He said the state government had not been fair to the local farmers who could have performed far better if given half the support the government gave the foreign farmers.

Yissa told the magazine that critics of the Saraki administration have deliberately shut their eyes from seeing the “good things” the farm has done to the state. He said mass production of crops was going on in the farm and over 4,000 people from the state had been employed in the farm. In addition, he said the farm had attracted infrastructure into Shonga. “But more importantly, the Shonga project has shown that given the right environment, Nigeria can produce agricultural yields that are world class. It has also put the state on the world agricultural map and many states in the country today want to replicate the Kwara example.” 

Yissa’s optimistic views on the farm project appeared to be the popular view among top government officials. There has not been any dissenting view from the government.

Shonga, the location of the farms, is a distance of about 120 kilometers from Ilorin, the Kwara State capital. It is a huge expanse of arable land parcelled out to the 13 white farmers, with each owning 1,000 hectares. For proper demarcation, the farms are marked from Farm 1 to Farm 13. The magazine gathered that the farms originally belonged to 33 local farming communities. But now the farms are on lease to the whites for 25 years. The lease is renewable.

Recently, when the magazine visited the farms, there were no green vegetation of crops, only wild plants and dry grasses. A tractor workshop was also seen in one of the farms. The magazine counted five tractors and at least a dozen other farm machinery on the farms. All the machines were idle when the magazine visited. Mohammed Yahya, a local staff of the agriculture ministry attached to the farm said the reason was because the farmers had finished harvesting and were only waiting for the next farming season. He said planting on the farms was rain-fed as there was no irrigation system in place yet.

He said the irrigation contract for the farms had been awarded, adding that the project would be completed by next year. He said until the irrigation system was in place, the farmers would not be able to do all-year farming. Water from the River Niger is just 500 metres away from the farm site.

At Farm 9, where the only dairy factory is located, the magazine spoke with the farmer running the place. Paul Retzcaff said he set up the factory in April last year due to pressure from Governor Saraki. He said the factory currently relied on the Gersy cows imported from South Africa. He brought 800 of them last year for the dairy to take off. According to him, Gersy breed produces higher volume of milk than other breeds.

Retzcaff, who also spoke on behalf of his 12 colleagues, explained why the farmers have so far been unable to repay the loans they took. He said they had to contend with delays in importation of raw materials and some of their machinery, which made it difficult for them to meet set target.

He said, “You know we have delays in importation of some raw materials and some machinery. Some of them are delayed at the Lagos port. This kind of thing increases the cost of operations but the banks don’t want to hear this. Their concern is that we gave you what you asked for, so why are you asking for more instead of repaying us. We are just asking the banks to give us a little more money, just a fraction of what they’ve given us before.”

He commended Governor Saraki, who he said made it a lot easier for them to start farming in the state by giving them all they needed for take off. He said the state did the roads, cleared the farmland and built accommodation for them. He said the state also gave them money to start business, but added that the money was given as loan. He said they would repay the loans they took from banks as soon as they started making profit. Asked when that would be, he said in the next few years.

Getting the people of Shonga community to talk on the farm project was a difficult assignment. There appears to be an unwritten law that forbids the people from speaking about the project. Those approached asked the reporter to go to the emir’s palace for the opinion of the community. Haliru Yahyah, the emir of Shonga, was said to be out of town when the magazine visited his palace.

But Mohammed Yahyah, the emir’s younger brother who spoke to the magazine, said the farm project was a blessing to his people. He said the farm had improved the economy of the community and some of the local people employed in the farm got remuneration as high as N1.2 million in a year. He said no farmer had made that kind of money before in the community. “Now people can buy their own motorcycle and build their own houses. GSM has also come to our town because of the white farmers. We have a well-equipped clinic and good road. Our people are happy because of the white farmers.” If the locals are happy, are the banks happy? But, more importantly, has the objective been achieved?

http://www.tellng.com/specialreportdisplay.asp?id=88

There was story done about this farmers a few months back on Al-Jazeera

Lagos State Government on Thursday took over the four jetties released by the federal authorities, with the one at Oworonsoki inspected by Governor Babatunde Fashola.

The other jetties released to boost the plan in Lagos for water transportation include those on the Marina on Lagos Island, in Ijora, and Ajegunle.

The release of the jetties was the outcome of consultations by the committee President Umaru Yar'Adua set up to find amicable solution to various contentious issues between Abuja and Lagos.

A joint statement signed by committee co-Chairmen, Yayale Ahmed, (who is the Secretary to the Government of the Federation), and Olasupo Sasore, Lagos Commissioner for Justice and Attorney General, also gave the state government the go ahead to acquire the properties on Lekki-Ikoyi Link Bridge Right of Way.

The state government wants to build the bridge to relieve traffic on Lekki Highway and Victoria Island.


The statement said the properties, whose owners will be entitled to compensation, include number 16 Ruxton Road, 15, 38, and 40 Alexander Avenue, Ikoyi.


The Old Broad Street Prison will also be handed over to the state government, which will, in turn, assist the Federal Government in developing another prison in the long term.


Also on Thursday, Fashola commissioned the Simpson Transfer Loading Station on Lagos Island, and restated the commitment of his administration to fulfilling all electoral promises .


The loading station, which has the capacity for storing and treating a minimum 600 tonnes of waste per day and 1000 tonnes of waste at full capacity, is the first of such stations to be located across the state to compact waste into smaller volumes for easier evacuation to dumpsites with fewer trucks.


Fashola said with the other plans lined up by his administration, the state is inching towards its appellation as the Centre of Excellence in terms of cleanliness.


He disclosed that he has also directed that civil works should commence immediately at Marini Transfer Loading Station in Oshodi, after which Ogombo Transfer Loading Station would be built.

http://allafrica.com/stories/200903200298.html