The Lagos state government has revealed that it has earmarked 300 defective buildings for demolition before the end of the year.
Abiola Kosegbe, General Manager, Lagos State Building Control Agency, who spoke during an event themed ‘Prevention of building collapse: A collective responsibility’, said the state government marked the buildings for demolition after investigation that showed that they are depressed.
She, however, stated that recent statistics indicate that buildings collapse in the state has reduced tremendously.
According to her “Right now, we have a list of almost 300 suspected buildings. This is based on our own visual inspection.
“The initial thing we do is visual inspection. If we carry out visual inspection of your property and we believe that it appears distressed, that is the initial thing; it is not a scientific thing.
“Then, we will mark it and serve you the necessary services and tell you to go and conduct your non-destructive integrity test.
“Some will ignore and some will comply. When you comply and you have gone for your test, the next thing is to engage an engineer to do a complete structural assessment of your property and submit that report to us.
“If they have carried out their report and have been cleared, they can go on with their building.
“But on the other aspect, if it fails, we tell you immediately, this property needs to be removed. Then we take all the necessary steps to ensure that nobody files any legal matter against us.”
When I first came across the report of the love jamboree between the President of Nigeria, Muhammad Buhari, and the estranged Governor of Ebonyi State, David Umahi on the media space, I was smeared in the dew of guffaw. Why was I laughing?
I was laughing because, the two men who claim to be entangled by common love are actually not known to be two lovebirds, neither do they have respect for friendship. Though one could vouch for President Buhari in this regard, having brought close to the corridors of power his few friends, such cannot be said of the “Defector-General” of Ebonyi State, Engr David Umahi.
I am writing as someone who knows the Governor and a very critical student of his public lifestyle. I can be said to have graduated from this voyage of characteristical scholarship of him.
Engr David Umahi doesn’t have a known friend in his entire life and doesn’t keep friendship for that matter. He goes contractual about everything that he does. Whenever he’s in dire need of your services or assistance, he calls you in, either pays you or would trick you into seeing him as a genuine friend and when the result is achieved, he discards you and later denies having known you for the very first time in his life. Evidences abound.
Dave Umahi
In the buildup to the 2015 general elections, then, Engr David Umahi was deputy governor. His principal, the then Gov. Martin Elechi denied him an endorsement to succeed him as governor after telling him that he learnt he’s not a good with power, pointing out that he’s mercantile with power and obviously amorphous to opposition. Something later happened. Umahi befriended all the political actors in Ebonyi State and beyond. It was a superficial show of affection, or what could at best be described as political love affair.
The then president Goodluck Jonathan was one of such friends he made at the time. Others were: Patience Jonathan, Arthur Eze, Cletus Ibeto, Anyim Pius Anyim, Sam Egwu, Franklin Ogbuewu, Lawrence Nwuruku, Obinna Ogba, Fred Udeogu, Sylvanus Ngiji Ngele, Fidelis Nwankwo, Sonni Ogbuorji, Emmanuel Agboti, Emmanuel Onwe, etc.
These men are the top-notch political actors in Ebonyi State whom he befriended around 2014-15 when he justled for the guber ticket of the PDP in the state.
After winning the election, the friendship took a mysterious flight. I want to ask you who are reading this article, ‘have you ever heard that former president Jonathan Goodluck or his wife was in Ebonyi State since 2015 for an official function? Have you ever read Umahi eulogize the former president or his wife who was particularly hellbent on installing Umahi against the wishes of Ebonyi PDP and the then outgoing governor? His friendship with them was momentary. Once he achieved the purpose for which the friendship was established, he turned them political foes.
He instead wangled his way into the APC as a PDP governor. He abruptly forsook all of the men that made him who he is today politically.
He forsook Cletus Ibeto and Arthur Eze. He forsook Anyim Pius Anyim and Sam Egwu. He forsook Obinna Ogba and Franklin Ogbuewu. He forsook Sylvanus Ngiji Ngele and Fidelis Nwankwo. He forsook Lawrence Nwuruku and Emmanuel Agboti, etc. That’s the kind of friendship Engr David Umahi keeps.
Now, he has come up with another theatrical parlance: “President Buhari loves me and I love him, too”. This was exactly how he started it in 2014. But the difference is clear now: acquisition of presidential ticket is not as easy as that of gubernatorial ticket. People are now wiser. Those he used and dumped, but who are still very much relevant in the political space have got a lot of tales to tell about Umahi’s love stage show.
Many people are not going to fall victim of this decrepit or outdated political smokescreen. He has disappointed many who are still apparent in the business of politics in Ebonyi and at the national level. Maybe you are yet to hear that Osborne Umahi, his 22 year old first son has refused continuing marriage rites with the last child of president Buhari. His father has superimposed the mandate on him – success of which he thinks could lubricate the viability of his aspiration to get the APC’s presidential nomination come 2023.
The young boy is averse to such a mercantile connubial escapade. He’s presently enmeshed in a domestic battle of interest with his superlatively desperate father. And this is one of the driving forces of the fictive love that the governor has said to have with president Buhari.
And in the event that Gov. Umahi later loses the APC presidential ticket come 2023, would he still be in love with his soulmate, president Muhammad Buhari owing to his history of contractual and theatrical political love affair with the political class?
Nwoba wrote in from Amangwuru Village, Ekpelu, Ikwo LGA of Ebonyi State.
Secretary to the government of the federation, Boss Mustapha and wife have gone into self isolation, as some immediate family members tested positive to Covid 19.
This was contained in a statement he personally signed on Sunday in Abuja.
The SGF is the head of the federal government’s body saddled with the responsibility of managing the Covid-19 facts and figures, as well as distributing Palliatives.
The statement reads “I would like to inform the general public that some members of my household tested positive for COVID-19 yesterday evening.
“Although they are currently asymptomatic, they have been isolated, and are receiving care in one of the government treatment centres.
“My wife and I tested negative, but will remain in self-isolation and work from home according to protocols by the health authorities.
“I would like to remind all Nigerians that COVID-19 is real. As the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) announced last week, we are recording an increase in cases across several states.
“Please stay safe and protect yourself. Adhere to all public health and safety measures so that we do not lose the gains we have made in the fight against COVID-19.
“As a family, we covet your prayers.
“Please Take Responsibility for yourself and to protect our country!”
In Lagos, Governor Jide Sanwo-Olu, who isolated himself a couple of days ago because a close aide of his tested positive for COVID-19, has also been confirmed positive. It is not yet known if his wife, Ibijoke, a medical doctor, or any other member of his family or close aide tested positive.
Today, 14 December 2020, the Federick Neuman foundation will be awarding Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie the prestigious “African Freedom Prize” for 2020.
On her verified Facebook page, Adichie stated that the award will ”be presented digitally”. The event will be hosted by South African media personality Redi Tlhabi, with a special musical performance by Zolani Mahola.
“Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is the long-lost, undogmatic voice of liberal feminism in the 21st century. She represents the success and self-image of a new generation of African women writers who are increasingly making their voices heard on the world literary stage. In her fight for freedom and self-determination for women, Adichie contributes to the consolidation of liberal values and goals – not only in Africa but all over the world ”, explains Prof. Dr. Karl-Heinz Paqué, Chairperson of the Board of Directors of the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom, the jury’s decision.
In her award-winning works, Adichie relentlessly addresses the central social grievances and political challenges of our time. As one of the most important intellectual champions of women’s rights, she inspires people around the world in their pursuit of freedom. Works like Half of a Yellow Sun, Americana, Purple hibiscus, has won international acclaims and garnered literary prizes in recent times placing her among the prestigious circle of international authors.
“I very much appreciate the honor of The Africa Freedom Prize. It is always gratifying to be recognized, and particularly so in this case, to join the good company of others who share my commitment to our beloved continent.” Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie was born in 1977 as the fifth of six children in the Nigerian university town of Nsukka. At the age of 19, she moved to the United States to study communications and political science, where she graduated from Princeton University and Yale University. Today Adichie is one of the great voices in world literature. She has received numerous awards for her work, including the National Book Critics Circle Award and the International Hermann Hesse Prize. Her lectures “We should all be feminists” and “The danger of a single story” is among the most-watched TED talks. Adichie’s work is translated into 37 languages. She lives in Lagos and the USA.
With the Africa Freedom Prize, Sub-Saharan Africa Regional Office of the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom has been honoring outstanding personalities who provide decisive impulses for the development of liberal civil society in African countries every year since 2016. Previous winners are Mmusi Maimane, Bobi Wine, Gareth Cliff, and Hakainde Hichilem.
The death of General Olubunmi Irefin, of COVID 19 has steered controversy between his kinsmen in Ayetoro, Kwara state and the Nigerian Army.
The military authorities, on December 10, announced that General Irefin died from corona virus complications while attending the Chief of Army Staff, COAS annual conference in Abuja, the nation’s capital.
But the community where he hailed from said, they suspect a foul play in the death of their son, who had, two weeks before, attended the burial of his mother in the town.
According to a statement signed on behalf of the Ayetoro-Gbede Traditional Council and the Ayetoro Development Association on Saturday by Chief A.A. Aminu, his kinsmen said the death of their son must be interrogated to find out what actually killed him.
The statement read in part, “The sequence of events before the death of General Irefin and the main cause of his sudden death as propounded by the military authority, which they claimed was COVID-19 made the highest decision organs of Ayetoro-Gbede community namely, Ayetoro-Gbede Traditional Council and Ayetoro-Gbede Development Association to interrogate the main cause of his death as propounded by the military authority.
Burutai: Chief of Army Staff
“We should not forget that General Olubunmi Irefin was in Ayetoro Gbede two weeks ago for the burial ceremony of his late mother.
“During the brief period of his stay at home, he was full of life, and, observers of the eneral will agree that every movement of his, was with military precision.
“Suddenly, a signal came to him from Abuja to attend Chief of Army Staff Conference which started last Monday (December 7, 2020).
“We did not hear of his sickness until the sad news came to us yesterday, 10th December, 2020 that the General died of Covid -19; and the sudden rush for his burial tomorrow (Sunday) 12th December, 2020.
“The mouthpiece of Ayetoro-Gbede community namely, Ayetoro-Gbede Traditional Council and Ayetoro-Gbede Development Association were not happy with the military establishment over the reason it claimed was responsible for the death of General Olubunmi Irefin for the following reasons:
“If the incubation period of COVID-19 is two weeks after which the victim will start to show symptoms like high fever, severe headache etc, is that the case for late General Olubunmi Irefin?
“Even if the symptoms mentioned above manifest in the general, does it also kill it victim instantly?
“At an advance age of 80 years, the former Chief of Staff to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the late Abba Kyari, battled COVID-19 for weeks before he died.
“Common logic should tell us that General Irefin at younger age, even if it is true that he contracted COVID -19 should be able to battle it for a longer period of time.
“Except there is C0VID-20 which we doubt, COVID-19 does not kill its victims within three days.
“Why the sudden haste in the burial of the general by the military authority?
“Not until convincing answers are provided by the military authority for the above questions, the Ayetoro-Gbede community will not be happy with the military establishment over the reason they claimed was responsible for the death of our son, General Olu Irefin.”
Sagamu, in Ogun State, Nigeria is agog. The town is celebrating its son, Anthony Olasheni Joshua, World Boxing Heavyweight Champion, who successfully defended his title by defeating his Bulgarian Challenger, Kubrat Pulev.
Joshua knocked out his mandatory challenger, Pulev, by a knockout in the ninth round to retain his three world heavyweight championship belts — after a year away in a title defence.
The Nigerian regained his WBO and IBF titles in a rematch against Andy Ruiz Jr. last December in Saudi Arabia, after being stopped by the Mexican-American in an upset at Madison Square Garden that summer.
Joshua, born to Nigerian parents, beat the Bulgarian at the Wembley stadium Sunday morning, to hand Pulev his second defeat in his professional boxing career.
The first round saw both pugilists with lots of single punches, while none of them really managed to get anything special in, but Joshua had the snappier jab.
Unbelieveable scenes in the third round saw Pulev barely survive a huge AJ onslaught.
Although the Bulgarian came out for the third round more active than he was in the first two rounds, Joshua landed a one-two for the first meaningful shot of the round.
Then Joshua landed uppercut after uppercut to complement his overhand rights, and Pulev was left barely able to survive.
Joshua secured his 22nd knock-out against Pulev, bringing his bout records to 24-1, 22 KOs.
The 31-year-old uppercut was the story of this bout, because he worked the body and the head with jabs, but when the opportunity presented itself, Joshua destroyed Pulev — an amazingly tough man — with an uppercut to floor the Bulgarian in the ninth round.
Joshua landed a right hand flush on Pulev’s chin to win it, but the Bulgarian was barely in the room, having just got up from the first knockdown in the ninth round.
The world heavyweight champion put on a show at the Wembley Arena in London against the experienced Bulgarian to set up his clash with Tyson Fury in 2021.
“Less talk, more action,” Joshua said after the bout.
“I hope everyone was satisfied tonight. For me, I stuck to what I know best, boxing. You ask the crowd what they want to see!”
Joshua has also said he wants to fight his British compatriot Tyson Fury next.
“I’ve been chasing the belts since I started this. It’s not about the man; it’s about the belt and the legacy. If it’s Tyson Fury with the WBC belt, then let it be Tyson Fury!” he added.
President Muhammadu Buhari has made a shocking revelation, alleging that the Nigerian Elites are responsible for the numerous problems confronting the nation.
Buhari also added that the fast-growing young and dynamic population that feel alienated and disempowered are a threat to national stability.
The President made this statement at the graduation ceremony of 78 participants of the Senior Executive Course 42 of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS) on Saturday.
According to the President, his declaration was based on the premise that his administration set its sights on lifting 100 million people out of poverty over the next decade.
Buhari said the country has come a long way from the era in which the government was the principal actor in the economy, adding that the administration has come to recognise that prosperity and growth lie in unleashing the Nigerian genius for enterprise and industry that is domiciled in its private sector.
He said: “The role of the government is now primarily that of facilitators. The old dichotomies between the state and the market no longer apply. We recognised that the path to the future will be paved by consolidating the independence of these sectors.”
President Buhari, who was represented by Governor Simon Bako Lalong of Plateau State, said that was why the Government was building a new ethic of collaboration in which the public sector sees its role as enabling the private sector to perform optimally.
He said: “This is why we are building a new ethic of collaboration in which the public sector sees its role as enabling the private sector to perform optimally.
“Job creation and youth empowerment can be undertaken at scale by the private sector, but it requires government officials to encourage enterprise by promoting the ease of doing business. “For many Nigerian entrepreneurs, the government is perceived more as a hindrance than a help whether in terms of taxation, infrastructural deficits and the general lack of an enabling environment.”
According to him, while the administration will continue to pursue the course of digitization of governance processes, it is important to point out that neither laws nor technology can totally eliminate the role of discretion in bureaucracies.
He said as people of authority, a measure of discretion is inherent in official capacities.
“This too is part of your unique privilege. Your high station affords you the license to make choices based on your preferences and perceptions as well as to register dissent with directives that conflict with your values through official channels.
“This institution and this course in particular were established to enrich the exercise of official discretion with sound judgment and strategic discernment.
“The bureaucracies to which you belong will either rise or fall on how ably you wield your discretionary powers.”
President Muhammadu Buhari has sacked the Interim Management Committee of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, headed by Prof Kemebradikumo Pondei.
In Pondei place, President Buhari appointed Effiong Okon Akwa as the Interim Sole Administrator, NDDC.
Before his appointment, Akwa was the Acting Executive Director, Finance and Administration, of the NDDC, under the Professor Pondei-led Interim Management Committee (IMC).
In a statement, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, said Akwa would henceforth oversee the affairs of the Commission till the end of the ongoing forensic auditing of the interventionist agency.
He said, “President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the appointment of an interim administrator to oversee the affairs of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
“He is Mr Effiong Okon Akwa, the Ag. Executive Director, Finance and Administration of the Commission, who is to assume headship till completion of the forensic audit.
“Mr Akwa is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants and a Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Nigeria.
“The development became necessary as a result of a plethora of litigation and a restraining order issued recently against the Interim Management Committee of the NDDC by a Federal High Court in Abuja”, the statement said.
The Pondei-led NDDC has been enmeshed in financial misappropriation, and had been faced with stiff opposition by various categories of the oil-rich Niger Delta region’s stakeholders.
Various allegations, including financial impropriety, leveled against the IMC and its leadership, leading to a National Assembly probe and a short-lived faceoff between the federal lawmakers on one side and the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Obot Akpabio and the IMC on the other hand.
Former President Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has commiserated with the Nda-Isaiah family and the management of Leadership newspapers on the passing on of the founder and chairman of the Leadership Media Group, Mr. Sam Nda- Isaiah who died last Friday.
The former President in a condolence message to the family described the late Nda-Isaiah as an erudite journalist and columnist who deployed his creativity towards promoting peace, progress and unity.
Dr. Jonathan also noted that the late Publisher was deeply committed to public good, adding that he would be missed for his patriotism and incisive commentary on the state of our nation.
The former President said: “I commiserate with the Nda- Isaiah family, the Nigerian media, his political associates and all sympathisers on the demise of Sam Nda- Isaiah at the age of 58 after a brief illness.
“Sam Nda- Isaiah was a pharmacist, an erudite journalist, a columnist and a newspaper publisher who deployed his creativity and platforms to promote the peace, progress and unity of Nigeria.
As a politician, publisher and entrepreneur, he was a man of deep commitment to solving many of the challenges within our country.
“He will be missed by many members of our society, for his incisive commentary on the state of our nation and for his patriotism.
“I pray for consolation for members of his family and all affected by his death to take solace in the fact the late journalist lived an impactful life of service and he was an inspiration to many especially those within the media.”
Following the call for the restructuring of the nation from all quarters, the Presidency has said the fFederal Government will not be forced on the issue of restructuring because of secession threats.
Senior Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari, Garba Shehu, said in a statement that unpatriotic and inciting remarks in some quarters would not help in advancing the cause of those pushing for restructuring of Nigeria as President Muhammadu Buhari can’t be intimidated by such rhetorics of break up.
Shehu said the president will not be forced to take decisions that will endanger the lives of Nigerians.
Shehu, however, noted that the Government is willing to work with stakeholders and lawmakers in addressing the structural issues and impediment obstructing the growth of the country.
“The Presidency responds to the recurring threats to the corporate existence of the country with factions giving specific timelines for the President to do one thing or another or else, in their language, ‘the nation will break up’,” the statement read.
“This is to warn that such unpatriotic outbursts are both unhelpful and unwarranted as this government will not succumb to threats and take any decision out of pressure at a time when the nation’s full attention is needed to deal with the security challenges facing it at a time of the Covid-19 health crisis.
“This administration will not take any decision against the interests of 200 million Nigerians, who are the President’s first responsibility under the constitution, out of fear or threats especially in this hour of a health crisis.
“The President as an elected leader under this constitution will continue to work with patriotic Nigerians, through and in line with the Parliamentary processes to finding solutions to structural and other impediments to the growth and wellbeing of the nation and its people.”
