Makoko

Aunty Ayo Girls Comprehensive Secondary School, Keffi Street, Ikoyi, Lagos.


Picture taken October 2009. The school P.T.A wrote the government a letter complaining about the situation, but they only got a specification of what type of furniture to provide, and with what material.

Thankfully, by February 2010, some parents were able to provide desks & chairs for their kids. Since the desks/chairs are designed for 2 kids each, about 80% of the kids now have desks & chairs.

New classroom block at Agidingbi Grammer School, Lagos.

[img]http://m.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=487020532789&id=746307789&set=a.477132567789.282412.746307789&refid=17[/img]

naptu2: Makoko

Rather jarring, moving from pictures of opulence and breathtaking beauty to those of shocking sqaulor and poverty. Sadly, this juxtaposition is the story of Nigeria: wealth and poverty, side by side

Kings College Lagos.

St Gregory's College Lagos

Atlantic Hall (Secondary School), Lagos

British International School, Lekki, Lagos.

I was going to apologise for assaulting your eyes with poor quality photographs in this section, but I later realised that I had deleted the pictures. They were poor quality photos of State House (Ribadu Road gate), Dodan Barracks (Keffi Street) gate and front view of State House Marina.

State House Marina

State House Marina (1905)
www.nairaland.com/attachments/698997_State20House20Marina201905_jpg185786d4ebc0ea1a78b56f30c76b26e6

State House Marina was the residence of heads of state of Nigeria before 1967. It is a mansion in a compound. If you take a walk down Marina Street, heading towards Ikoyi, you would come across State House Marina (across the road from NET Building), then Lagos House Marina (residence of the Lagos State Governor), then Flag Staff House (Lagos residence of the Chief of Army Staff, it used to be the Prime Ministers residence, I.e. Balewa was kidnapped from that house), and then, across the road is the former residence of the finance minister (where Okotie Eboh was kidnapped).

The public had greater access to State House Marina in the colonial era and during the First Republic. In the colonial era it was where legislative council meetings and agricultural shows were held, as well as “multi-racial” ladies’ champagne lunches in aid of charitable public health efforts in town.

State House Marina (1910s)

www.nairaland.com/attachments/755713_State20House20Marina201910s_jpg2634d1ca544e3b11982c2672528d3f6a

It was also the venue of meetings between Nigerian leaders and the British in the run up to Nigeria's independence. It was at one of such meetings that Chief Mbazuluike Amaechi (A.K.A the boy is good) saved the life of Nnamdi Azikiwe. According to Chief Amaechi

It started in 1957, during one of the series of conferences agitating for independence. A meeting was to hold at the residence of the British Governor of Nigeria, Sir James Robertson at Marina in Lagos. The leaders of the three main political parties in the country then were to come with their delegation for one of the sessions of the conference.

The Sardauna of Sokoto was the first to arrive with his team. He drove in. Awolowo was second to arrive with his team. He drove in. Then I was in the NCNC team, and we were going with Zik. Zik was riding in his official station wagon vehicle. Then there was a very large crowd outside the gate of the Government House, Marina. And as Zik’s driver was trying to drive into the gate, a big stone landed at the side glass of the car, shattered the glass and we were wondering what happened.

Then I was driving with Fred Anyiam in my car and we all stopped for him (Zik) to go in first and then we followed. Then I noticed that a young man emerged from the crowd pulled a long sharp double-edged dagger under the lapel of his suit. He dashed forward to stab Zik on the chest. So I said to Fred Anyiam this is assassination, this is assassination. Then I jumped out of my car and charged at the man. And then the white police officer there looked the other way while this was happening. He didn’t feel any concern. As the man raised his hand to stab Zik, because his driver had stopped, I held the man by the hands. We were struggling and he wounded me on my finger and tummy. And as we were struggling the police looked unconcerned. Then I raised an Igbo war cry: Igbo nozikwa eba, Igbo nozikwa eba (where are the Igbo? Where are the Igbo?). So one Inspector Chukwuma from Eziowere in Anambra State dashed out and with a long baton he knocked the man on the head and elbow. The dagger fell on the ground. He stepped on the dagger. Then I shouted to Zik’s driver to keep driving. Then Sam drove in and they shut the gate and then arrested the man.

I was taken to the general hospital in Lagos because it was nearby and they treated me there. One Dr Ofili, an Igbo lady doctor, attended to me.
At one political rally, Zik relayed what happened. He narrated how my timely action saved his life and said, “the boy was really good.”

State House Marina circa 1950

www.nairaland.com/attachments/719151_State20House20Marina20circa201950_jpg
www.nairaland.com/attachments/719151_State20House20Marina20circa201950_jpg8a3a5f043b1310fe5cb98231613b3b5d

Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa (Prime Minister of Nigeria), Princess Alexandria (representative of Queen Elizabeth II) & Sir James Robertson (Governor General of Nigeria) @ State House Marina. Behind them are Tafawa Balewa’s ministers (including Chief Festus Okotie-Eboh, Alhaji Muhammadu Ribadu, Otunba T.O.S Benson & Raymond Njoku).

www.nairaland.com/attachments/719138_State20House20Marina_jpg7dd630a6ee8d6690448d857fe6824bca



Security was increased around State House Marina when Major General Johnson Thomas Umanakwe Aguiyi-Ironsi became head of state. He was scared that either northern soldiers or soldiers loyal to Ifeajuna and Nzeogwu would try to assasinate him so he surrounded State House with military arms and armaments including artillery guns. It was rumoured that every night he would walk across the Marina and board a navy ship, where he would spend the night and return to State House in the morning.

(Seated in front) Major General J.T.U Aguiyi-Ironsi (Supreme Commander/Head of State). (Seated behind L-R) Major Hassan Usman Katsina (Governor Northern Region), Colonel Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu (Governor Eastern Region), Major David Ejoor (Governor Mid-Western Region), Commodore J.E. Akinwale Wey (Chief of Staff, Navy) & Colonel Yakubu Gowon (Chief of Staff, Army)

www.nairaland.com/attachments/724399_State20House20Marina_jpg7dd630a6ee8d6690448d857fe6824bca

In the tense atmosphere leading up to the civil war, Major General Yakubu Gowon felt that State House Marina was not safe enough for the Head of State and Supreme Commander. He therefore mandated Joseph Garba and Murtala Mohammed to find a suitable residence for the Head of State. The Presidency was thus moved to State House Ribadu Road, Ikoyi (A.K.A Dodan Barracks).

Although the Presidency moved to Ikoyi, State House Marina continued to host state occassions. President Jimmy Carter stayed at State House Marina when he paid a state visit to Nigeria in April 1978. General Buhari received the world champions Golden Eaglets at State House Marina in 1985. President Babangida held welcome ceremonies at State House Marina for King Juan Carlos and Queen Sophia of Spain, Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher of the UK, President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe and Prince Charles and Princess Diana of the UK. He also held a reception at State House Marina for Wole Soyinka, at which Soyinka was bestowed with a national award, in 1986 after Soyinka won the Nobel Prize.

I fell in love with State House Marina when I was in nursery and primary school. We drove past the house everyday on our way to and from school. At that time, you could drive down Marina Street, right in front of State House. That section of Marina Street was first cordoned off after the fire at Net Building in 1983. It was later reopened in the late 1980s.

That section of Marina Street was cordoned off for the second time after General Sani Abacha refused to move from Flag Staff House when he was made Minister of Defence in 1990.

General Abacha lived at Flag Staff House, 1 Glover Road, Ikoyi (the official residence of the Chief of Army Staff) when he was Chief of Army Staff. He refused to vacate the house when he was elevated to the position of Minister of Defence. Lieutenant General Salihu Ibrahim, the new Chief of Army Staff, protested to President Babangida about General Abacha's refusal to vacate Flag Staff House. President Babangida (who was wary of Abacha's growing influence due to his "heroic deeds" during the Orkar Coup) decided to get a new Flag Staff House for his army chief. He chose the former prime minister's residence at Marina. That section of Marina Street was subsequently cordoned off.

Why did Abacha refuse to vacate 1 Glover Road Ikoyi (which was subsequently renamed Defence House)? An SSS operative told me that Abacha had gotten marabout from Senegal and Mali, who performed rituals at 1 Glover Road Ikoyi. They dressed a cow in the uniform of a general and buried it in the grounds of 1 Glover Road. They told General Abacha that he would be safe as long as that cow remained buried there. I didn't believe the SSS operative at first, but I finally believed him after a DMI operative told me something similar in 1993 when Abacha became head of state.

Abacha continued to stay at 1 Glover Road Ikoyi even after he became Head of State in 1993. I asked a DMI operative why Abacha had not moved into Aso Rock. He replied that they were "preparing Aso Rock". He said they had flown in marabout from Senegal (he actually told me the name of the marabout, but I can't remember it) to "purify Aso Rock" in case General Babangida or Ernest Shonekan "left something there". He said a live cow, dressed in the uniform of a general, was buried at Aso Rock Villa. The marabout told Abacha that nobody would be able to remove him from power as long as the cow is buried in the grounds of Aso Rock.

In 1999 it was alleged that General Abacha sold 1 Glover Road Ikoyi to himself (I don't know if this is true).

Ernest Shonekan, Sani Abacha, Abdulsalam Abubakar, Olusegun Obasanjo and Umaru Musa Yar'Adua did not really make use of State House Marina (although a condelence register was opened at State House Marina when Stella Obasanjo died). During this period security was lax at Marina. The compound was guarded by legionaires of the Nigerian Legion and sometimes, one or two mobile policemen.

President Jonathan and Prime Minister Cameron @ State House Marina


www.nairaland.com/attachments/719134_Jonathan20Cameron204020Marina_jpgea455fc38461c023a0af02eee2386069


www.nairaland.com/attachments/719135_Jonathan20Cameron204020State20House20Marina_jpg6f1bcad570b4537c245a67450f4dc0ab


www.nairaland.com/attachments/719135_Jonathan20Cameron204020State20House20Marina_jpg6f1bcad570b4537c245a67450f4dc0ab


It appears that President Jonathan really likes State House Marina. He held the "Nigeria at 50 business dinner" at State House Marina and received the UK's Prime Minister David Cameron there. It was also reported that first lady, Dame Patience Jonathan was at State House Marina on the day the Dana plane crashed. One unfortunate consequence of this is that the government is increasing security around State House Marina and ruining the aesthetic beauty of the place. State House Marina has a very low perimeter fence. They've just erected a barbed wire fence above that There are also mobile police units stationed outside State House.

State House Marina (pictures taken on August 4th, 2012)

The pink and white mansion is State House, while the grey and yellow building is an administrative building. The rest of the compound consists of a large garden with beautiful sculptures. The church pictured here is Our Saviour's (Anglican Church) which is directly behind State House. It used to be the State House chapel.


[img]https://www.nairaland.com/attachments/777670_IMG01023-20120804-1556_jpg0872661059f1ba9a250b82eb1aae8b50[/img]


[img]https://www.nairaland.com/attachments/777671_IMG01024-20120804-1557_jpge9024a15e6af4f27e6ab9bb01c15ddc1[/img]


[img]https://www.nairaland.com/attachments/777672_IMG01025-20120804-1557_jpg83310533701b9685d1aade0b32a56907[/img]


[img]https://www.nairaland.com/attachments/777673_IMG01027-20120804-1558_jpg49895d6589ddbebe32b474aa599f0531[/img]


[img]https://www.nairaland.com/attachments/777674_IMG01029-20120804-1558_jpg31b5afaaf34b35b34fe9301e3c99c884[/img]

[img]https://www.nairaland.com/attachments/777675_IMG01028-20120804-1558_jpg79571e9f0ab8dde8c7c4ec19b5afa65e[/img]


[img]https://www.nairaland.com/attachments/777676_IMG01026-20120804-1557_jpgd782fc191d01b10fad02b90defa1ac35[/img]


[img]https://www.nairaland.com/attachments/777677_IMG01030-20120804-1558_jpg511356b1c3bddc6f104bff0359f204e3[/img]


[img]https://www.nairaland.com/attachments/777679_IMG01019-20120804-1555_jpg0635e7289d9db2d835bff7c3046dd7a5[/img]


[img]https://www.nairaland.com/attachments/777680_IMG01021-20120804-1556_jpg3725bbe4967ab701b9ecb904ffd7db4d[/img]


[img]https://www.nairaland.com/attachments/777681_IMG01022-20120804-1556_jpg5b3c5bb5cdd24479b6273ba7e3646eb0[/img]


[img]https://www.nairaland.com/attachments/777682_IMG01031-20120804-1600_jpgca2e4ff1ec7a881e88f0e02fa3938680[/img]

Dodan Barracks

www.nairaland.com/attachments/719140_Dodan20Barracks20Keffi20Street_jpgc3d3e375059bece82f84e877d7ee2f3a
Dodan Army Barracks


State House Ribadu Road used to be the official residence of the minister of defence (Mallam Ribadu). It is beside the Federal Guards (Dodan) Barracks.

However, General Gowon felt that State House Marina was not safe/did not offer enough security for the Head of State/Supreme Commander. He therefore mandated Joseph Garba to find a suitable residence for him.

Joe Garba decided that State House Ribadu Road would be a suitable residence. Parts of Ribadu Road were blocked off (Ribadu Road used to link Awolowo Road to Ikoyi Road) and the compound expanded. The name was changed to State House Dodan Barracks (although it is not located in Dodan Barracks). Dodan is the name of a place in Burma where Nigerian soldiers died while making a last stand.


The seat of power shifted from Lagos Island to Ikoyi Island in 1967, although quite a few government buildings, such as the Supreme Court, remained on Lagos Island. The Presidency moved to State House Ribadu Road, otherwise known as Dodan Barracks.

I've often been asked what is Dodan Barracks. Sometimes, I read in the media, or hear people say that this place or that place is Dodan Barracks and I’d think to myself, “that’s not Dodan Barracks”. So I’ll start with all the places that are called “Dodan Barracks”.

1)State House Ribadu Road: A portion of Ribadu Road was fenced off (which I think is one of the causes of traffic jams on Awolowo Road) and the State House complex was expanded. The complex comprises of the Council Chambers (which is the place that was often shown on the news), the president’s residence, the president’s office, Nnamdi Azikiwe Press Centre (built in 1989/1990), SSS offices, apartments for some of the workers, bunkers, etc. It has 3 gates, the front gate on Ribadu Road, the side gate on Obalende Road and the back gate on Ikoyi Road. I’ve always seen those gates as an iconic symbol of Nigeria/State House. The gates have a mast over them with the Nigerian Coat of Arms on the mast (I LOVE those masts). Unfortunately the Coat of Arms is no longer above the Ikoyi Road gate. State House Marina and State House Dodan Barracks have the same style of gates, a huge metal gate (I’m not sure if it’s brown or grey). I can understand how the unilag students feel, because I felt awful when the Obasanjo regime (1999-2007) replaced that gate at the Ribadu Road entrance with an awful white gate.

In the 1980’s you could barely see the Ribadu Road gate before 8am because of the powerful, blinding lights there. There were always soldiers in the trees. The Ikoyi Road gate was the favourite gate of coupists. That gate is vertically opposite the radio station, so coupists like Orkar in 1990, could seize armoured cars from the radio station and attack state house through that gate, or like Babangida in 1975 and Dogonyaro in 1985, could use armoured vehicles from State House to secure the radio station. State House has several lawns (where the helicopter usually lands).

In the 1970s and 80s guests of the president usually used the Ribadu Road gate to enter or exit State House. The president used the Obalende Road gate to enter/exit State House when he is travelling without any other dignitories. The only president I saw using the Ikoyi Road gate was General Babangida, who used the gate when he was going to receive Prince Charles and Princess Diana in 1990.

2) Dodan (Army) Barracks: Dodan Barracks is divided into two sections (either side of the Obalende Road driveway into State House). The Keffi Street section (pictured above) has offices (with five gates along Keffi Street) that are usually used for the commander, an engineering unit, a clinic/hospital, etc. Behind the offices is a large parade ground. This parade ground is usually converted to a prayer ground on Fridays and Muslim holidays. In the past, top government officials, wealthy muslims and others came from far and wide to pray with the head of state. Since 1999 the Lagos State Governor (Tinubu/Fashola) has prayed here every Muslim holiday. I remember that Orkar’s coup took place on a Sunday and the next Wednesday and Thursday were muslim holidays. Although people turned up on Wednesday to pray at the parade ground, they were thoroughly searched by security operatives and they prayed in front of tanks and artillery guns.

There are barracks (living quarters) to the left and right of the parade ground. There is a very high wall, topped with a shiny metal fence, separating Dodan Barracks from State House Ribadu Road. There is a very narrow road that runs beside Dodan Barracks. It leads to mammy market/Obalende market, where wives of soldiers and policemen earn a living. There is a very narrow gate that leads from the parade ground to mammy market. There are some stalls at the edge of the parade ground, very close to that gate. Across State House driveway/Obalende Road is the other section of Dodan Barracks. This is largely composed of Barracks (living quarters) for the soldiers. It also has the Army Children’s School, protestant and catholic churches and a mosque. The main gate of this section is on Obalende Road, but there’s also a small side gate on Ikoyi Road.

The driveway into State House was a no go area in the past. There were no soldiers there, or security features, just that people never went there. It was a very strange thing. There were no signs saying forbidden zone or anything like that, but the place was just barren. That’s why I was shocked when I saw boys playing football on the driveway in 2002.

The Ikoyi Road entrance was also used as a car park by people who came to renew their passport at the passport office across the road (between 1999-2011). Boko Haram has put paid to all of that (thankfully). The driveway is now gated and soldiers are stationed on Ikoyi Road to prevent people from parking their cars beside Dodan Barracks/State House.

3) Officers Mess: On the junction of Ribadu Road/Okotie-Eboh Road is the army officer’s mess. It is just before the cul-de-sac that leads to State House gate and it shares a wall with State House. Although it is not part of State House or Dodan Barracks, it is often called Dodan Barracks and indeed it is mentioned in the Wikipedia article about Dodan Barracks.

The Officers Mess was often used as a banquet hall by Heads of State. It was the headquarters of the January 15th 1966 coup plotters. Remi Fani-Kayode was rescued from this compound by loyal soldiers and the acting minister of defence, Alhaji Ibrahim Tako Galladima, who lived at state house, which, at the time, was the residence of the minister of defence. Weddings and other social events are held in the hall and on the grounds of the army officer’s mess.


4) Mopol 2: The mobile police barracks is across the mammy market road from Dodan Barracks. It is home to the mopol 2 and mopol 22 police squadrons. It is often mistaken for Dodan Barracks. Some of the presidential police guard stayed at mopol 2 when the president lived at State House Ribadu Road.

During the Shagari era, a lot of equipment was purchased for the police and mopol 2 was home to Saxon Armoured Cars, truck mounted hot water cannons, etc. There is sometimes friction between wives of policemen and wives of soldiers at the mammy market.

5) There were other facilities across South-West Ikoyi that were named “Dodan Barracks”. These include the State House Fire Service (Ribadu Road), Police Service Commission (Okotie-Eboh Road), etc. My favourite was the Conference Visitor’s Unit (CVU). If you can imagine a presidential garage or State House garage, then you’ve got an idea of CVU. It had Shagari’s long wheel base limousines, the Mercedes 500SEL the Pope used when he came to Nigeria in 1982, some of Babangida’s (1991) V-Booth stretch limousines, etc.

Of course, the Federal Secretariat, Ikoyi Road, was across the road from State House.

Dodan Barracks was often the scene of violent coups. The 1976 and 1990 coups were particularly violent, while the 1983 and 1985 coups were relatively peaceful. I'll never forget the '83 and '90 coups as long as I live.


The walkway at State House Dodan Barracks (close to the council chamber).
In the picture below: (L-R) Vice Admiral Michael Adelanwa (Chief of Naval Staff), Major General Shehu Musa Yar’Adua (Chief of Staff, Supreme Headquarters), Lieutenant General Olusegun Obasanjo (Head of State & Commander in Chief), Lieutenant General Theophilus Yakubu Danjuma (Chief of Army Staff), Air Vice Marshall John Yisa Doko (Chief of Air Staff) and Alhaji Muhammed Dikko Yusuf (Inspector General of Police).
www.nairaland.com/attachments/724401_Dodan20Barracks20walkway_jpge3725f78486c589c8f7fa59461f0e7a4


www.nairaland.com/attachments/827864_dodan20barracks_jpge14c8a4d92966fe32b140b6cf5b1d06f
Entrance to State House Dodan Barracks (Ribadu Road).

(L-R) John Pepper Clark, Chinua Achebe & Wole Soyinka @ Dodan Barracks to plead for the life of (soldier & poet) Major General Mamman Vatsa.

You'll notice the burglar proof features at the top of the wall. They are currently adding those features to the wall of State House Marina, thereby ruining its aesthetic beauty

Akinola Aguda House
www.nairaland.com/attachments/717090_Akinola20Aguda20House_jpgefedb3be2ee391f3323bf242c55142e9

Akinola Aguda House was the Abuja residence of the president between circa 1981-1991 (Justice Akinola Aguda was the chairman of the committee that selected Abuja as the new federal capital). President Shehu Shagari was at Aguda Lodge when Muhammadu Buhari staged his coup (Shagari said he went to Abuja for some peace and quiet/get away from politicians so that he could work on his budget speech).


In 1991, President Babangida moved the seat of government to Abuja and moved in to house 5 at the newly built Presidential Complex, Abuja (Aso Rock Villa).

Aguda House is sometimes used as the President's guest house (Queen Elizabeth stayed there when she visited Nigeria) and sometimes as the vice president's residence.

In the Abuja masterplan, Aguda House is meant to be the residence of the president. The area on which the Aso Rock Villa was built is meant to be a green area (therefore the Aso Rock Villa is an illegal structure).

Aso Rock Villa

Council Chamber, State House The Aso Rock Villa
www.nairaland.com/attachments/717057_council20chambers202_jpgeceaae9197f5bd37fda73eff3df9854b

Aso Rock Presidential Villa is the Nigerian Presidential Complex which houses the residence and office of the Nigerian President. It is variously called Aso Villa, The Villa, Aso Rock and State House.

The Aso Villa is located in the three arms zone in the Central Business District of Abuja. The National Assembly Complex and the Nigerian Supreme Court are also located in the three arms zone.

The Presidential Villa is built on the valley of the geographical feature, Aso rock. The villa is named after this geographical outcrop, Aso rock.

Aso Villa was built in 1991 when the capital of Nigeria was moved from Lagos to Abuja. Since 1991 Aso Villa has had the following occupants Ibrahim Babangida, Sani Abacha, Abdulsalam Abubakar, Olusegun Obasanjo, Umaru Musa Yar’ adua and the current President of Nigeria, Goodluck Ebele Jonathan.

Just like Dodan Barracks, The Aso Rock Villa is a complex that contains the Council Chamber, the President's office, the Vice President's office, the President's residence, the banquet hall, press centre, SSS offices, etc.

Council Chamber, State House The Aso Rock Villa
www.nairaland.com/attachments/717056_Council20Chambers_jpg722e7e84b4bda1aa26cfb0e701f72691

The walkway at State House The Aso Rock Villa.

www.nairaland.com/attachments/717058_outside20council20chambers_jpg087f01308603ccd5469c7f7103e37b9f

Aso Rock Villa (walkway, car park, council chambers).
www.nairaland.com/attachments/721645_Aso20Rock_jpgb0b630e8a9a121ac7158b03a78cb8576

Aso Rock Villa grounds.
[img]https://www.nairaland.com/attachments/721646_Aso-rock_jpgc8fc7900ac8eaccea315dc02638b6578[/img]

Tony Elumelu and Tony Blair walking down the walk way at State House, The Aso Rock Villa.
www.nairaland.com/attachments/829716_tony20walking20down20the20walk20way_jpg25a523aa48233bcb7a425956990d6283

President Olusegun Obasanjo and US first lady Laura Bush @ State House, The Aso Rock Villa.

www.nairaland.com/attachments/717048_Segun20and20Laura204020Aso20Rock_jpgb22deac23290f4e3508796e3a7748603

www.nairaland.com/attachments/717049_Segun20and20Laura20again_jpg278bfeb5759cebecb538f73434c6989f

Indian Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, inspects the guard of honour at the car park, State House, The Aso Rock Villa.
www.nairaland.com/attachments/828699_Manmohan20Singh20guard_jpgcc695c679f08a073ee88b68529c20245

President Yar'Adua, Prime Minister Singh and their wives at the entrance to the Council Chamber.
www.nairaland.com/attachments/828700_singh_jpg153bcab529e52500c4796f460c52f1b8


51st Independence Day Celebration @ The Aso Rock Villa.
www.nairaland.com/attachments/750403_51st20Nigerian20Independence20Day_jpgeb68c8945f4756dc3c20c4a24eb3ddb8

[img]https://www.nairaland.com/attachments/750404_51st-Nigerian-Independence-Day-celebration_jpged666b199b33537021a0913c8538b10b[/img]


President's office, State House, The Aso Rock Villa, Abuja.
www.nairaland.com/attachments/717066_presidents20office_jpg7755dc21014ab0050cc2dadc7511967d

www.nairaland.com/attachments/828488_a20goodluck_jpge031f6d2d91f5873b39442b9dae4f432

Council Chamber, State House, The Aso Rock Villa
www.nairaland.com/attachments/722384_Council20Chambers_jpg722e7e84b4bda1aa26cfb0e701f72691

www.nairaland.com/attachments/717075_Council20Chambers20aso20rock_jpgf655d63e09b057fbb6417ff7ddf3b4bb


Ministers are sworn in @ the Council Chamber, State House, The Aso Rock Villa.
www.nairaland.com/attachments/828701_council20chamber_jpgfab1317b33fa500ed8fad2a888ff0619

The Lobby @ the Council Chambers, Aso Rock Villa.

Former heads of state (l-r) Ernest Shonekan, Muhamadu Buhari, Yakubu Gowon, Olusegun Obasanjo, Shehu Shagari, Ibrahim Babangida and Abdulsalam Abubakar

www.nairaland.com/attachments/827650_aso20rock_jpg1579f42bb4b47edda1d51f01e87f44f6


President Jonathan with Christine Lagarde (IMF Managing Director) @ the lobby of the Council Chamber, State House, The Aso Rock Villa.
www.nairaland.com/attachments/828692_aso20rock20lobby_jpg06dfe736c3e3cedfc642a1351abe1b44

President Jonathan with Bill Gates (Microsoft founder) @ the lobby of the Council Chamber, State House, The Aso Rock Villa.
www.nairaland.com/attachments/865660_Bill20Gates_jpg27f93551b42804611737d95ebe74005e

President Jonathan and labour leaders at the Aso Rock Press Centre.
www.nairaland.com/attachments/828693_aso20rock20press20centre_jpg8cd279750346b1a58f163ab61f62cbce


President Jonathan receives John Mikel Obi @ the president's residence, State House, The Aso Rock Villa.

www.nairaland.com/attachments/828705_a20mikel202_jpg0212bb45e50bef53a362996e2b0e8cf4

www.nairaland.com/attachments/828706_a20mikel_jpga9609913913671f81f8327779bd03489

Birthday @ State House, The Aso Rock Villa
[img]https://www.nairaland.com/attachments/828709_BIRTHDAY-2-CUTTING_jpga64565cd8604ab342196016f71622200[/img]

Aso Rock Banquet Hall. The banquet hall was built in 2002/2003 in preparation for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) 2003.
www.nairaland.com/attachments/829481_banquet20hall_jpgc688afe215b8d3e657b3b85f82244600

State House, The Aso Rock Villa gate
www.nairaland.com/attachments/717082_Gate_jpg7448a699179f30b34a2f626c254d1e32

Good work naptu2.

GenBuhari: Good work naptu2.

Thanks

I never knew Bill Gates was short..."And The Geek shall inherit the earth!". Lol

I was actually expecting something more majestic... Aso Villa seems so... Ordinary... but even at that, the perks of Office motivate these people to sit tight they assume the rein of power. They don't want to leave. Either they 'want to hear from God' before they leave, or people come to 'beg them' to remain in power.

Pfft, this country is a joke.

Lagos House Marina
www.nairaland.com/attachments/719132_Lagos20House20Marina_jpgc2b730b9bbef592af0902aebbf73090f
(The residence of the Lagos State Governor. It should not be confused with State House Marina, which belongs to the Federal Government).

Lagos Island was the capital of both Nigeria and the Lagos Federal Capital Territory until 1967.

The main Federal Government buildings such as the Supreme Court, State House Marina, the Court of Appeal, the Federal Secretariat, the National Assembly, Prime Minister's residence, federal ministries, etc were located on Lagos Island (primarily the Marina and Onikan areas).

The main Lagos City buildings such as the City Hall (which served as the Lagos secretariat and home of the Lagos City Council), Lagos House Marina, Lagos High Court, etc were also located on Lagos Island.

After 1976 Federal Government offices were gradually moved to Ikoyi Island. The presidency was moved to Dodan Barracks, new Federal Secretariat buildings were built on Ikoyi Road and many federal ministries and parastatals had their headquarters in either Ikoyi or Victoria Island. Top government functionaries such as the vice president, chief justice of the federation, ministers, service chiefs, etc also had their residences in Ikoyi.

Similarly, Lagos House Marina was the residence of governors, administrators and ministers of Lagos (Musa Yar'Adua and Governor Mobolaji Johnson lived there). However, after the capital was moved to Ikeja the governor took up residence in Ikeja GRA (I believe the residence was on Adeniyi Jones).

Governors Lateef Jakande, Gbolahan Mudasiru, Mike Akhigbe, Raji Rasaki, Michael Otedola, Raji Rasaki, Olagunsoye Oyinlola and Mohammed Buba Marwa lived in Ikeja GRA. In 1987 Governor Mike Okhai Akhigbe started construction of a new Lagos house at Alausa. The complex was meant to be the new residence and office of the governor. All this while, the governor's office was the Round House at Alausa (I can't believe that I don't have a picture of Round House).

In the late 1990s, Governor Buba Marwa's motorcade suffered a bomb attack. A policeman died and several others were injured. The governor subsequently decided that State House, GRA Ikeja was not secure enough for him (State House, GRA Ikeja is by the road side). He sought permission from the Head of State, General Sani Abacha, to move to Lagos House Marina, since Lagos House Marina was beside Flag Staff House Marina (the residence of the Chief of Army Staff, which is usually like a fortress) and the section of Marina Street in front of Lagos House had already been cordoned off. General Abacha granted his request. Since then, governors Marwa, Tinubu and Fashola have lived at Lagos House Marina.

In 2007 Lagos House Alausa was commissioned (20 years after Governor Akhigbe started the project). The commissioning ceremony was part of the farewell activities of the Tinubu Administration. The governor's office was moved from the Round House to Lagos House Alausa. The Round House became the new office of the Lagos State Deputy Governor. However, Governor Fashola moved into Lagos House Marina instead of moving into Lagos House Alausa.

Lagos House Marina
www.nairaland.com/attachments/827667_Lagos20House20Marina_jpgc2b730b9bbef592af0902aebbf73090f

www.nairaland.com/attachments/827668_Lagos20House20Ikeja2_jpg598556756d26a04dd2a8970b37c8632d

Lagos House, Alausa
www.nairaland.com/attachments/827674_Lagos20House20Ikeja_jpg809a8ee7de5a376c19478c27128af465

Coups, motorcades and general craziness.

1983. A poor family had saved up to buy a turkey for christmas/new year. There was a curfew because of the coup. At night the turkey flew the coop. Family members where stopped from chasing after the turkey by heavily armed soldiers. Before the family members could explain their predicament to the soldiers, the turkey had escaped. I saw it fly into the night sky. That was when I knew that turkeys could fly.

---

My mum hated soldiers and guns. She had a meeting at State House Ribadu Road. She got to the (Ribadu Road) gate. "Hey you, stop there!!!". She told the driver to stop. The soldiers searched the car. They asked her who she wanted to see. She told them. They asked her if she had an appointment. She said yes. They allowed her proceed.

Within sight of the gate there was another one. "Hey you, stop there!!!". They stopped again. The soldiers searched the car. Asked her who she wanted to see and whether she had an appointment. She answered all their questions. They allowed her to proceed.

Then the third one. "Hey you, stop there!!!". They asked the same questions and she answered them. This time they called her host on the intercom and he came out to show her the way to his office. She told him, "I am never coming here again. All future meetings should be held at my office".

---

My mum was ill. She was admitted at the hospital opposite Ribadu Road. It was a few months after a coup. She heard noises at night, so she went to the window to see what was happening. There were soldiers everywhere! They had taken over the petrol station.

The next morning she discharged herself from the hospital. The Philipino doctor asked her what the matter was. She told him what she had seen the previous night. "O, you'll get used to it. We've gotten used to it", he said. She said "I don't mind coming here everyday, but I'm not spending another night here".

---

Longest motorcade.
Sometime in 1989 it was announced that President Babangida would pay a state visit to Sokoto State.

I started hearing the sirens around 10 o'clock that night. They lasted for over an hour. It was a cacaphony of every type of siren that existed in Nigeria at the time. Of course, there was the (roughly 3 minutes) pause when the limo passed by. From Ribadu Road, down Awolowo Road up to Third Mainland Bridge it was wa-wu-wa-wu! Wau-wau-wau!

The second longest motorcade was President Shagari's motorcade when he was returning to Dodan Barracks after seeing of Pope John Paul in 1982. This was around 7pm.

The motorcade I'll never forget is Buhari's motorcade. I was so taken in by the armoured fighting vehicles, that I didn't even notice his Santana.

The most paranoid was Babangida (a lot of people think that it was Abacha, but it was actually Babangida). You were not allowed to cross the road after the little "road closed" motorcade had passed. You were also not allowed to move when the motorcade was passing by.

---

The helicopters.
Shagari and Buhari used the helicopters (convoy of 2 helicopters). The approach way to Dodan Barracks ran right over my house. Buhari's helicopter was particularly noisy.

Babangida didn't use the helicopter (rumour was that he was scared it would be shot down). The only exception was circa 1987 when the navy staged exercises (war games) off the coast of Lagos. He used the helicopter to fly from Dodan Barracks to NNS Aradu (the flagship) from where he observed the exercises.

Shonekan, Abacha and Abdulsalam also didn't use the helicopters (they hardly came to Dodan Barracks).

However, Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan often used the helicopter (this time the approach way was over Ikoyi Cemetary).

---

I was woken up in the middle of the night. I was still dazed by sleep when I stepped out of the house. I got to the porch...then I saw it.

A huge fireball in the night sky. It flew right over me. I thought this was it! The world was coming to an end. I was finally fully awake. That's when I heard the explosions for the first time.

There was a huge fire at the bicycle repair shop 500 metres down the road. The shop was owned by a kindly old man. It contained many gas cylinders. Apparently, the fire had made the shop so hot that a cylinder had exploded. The head was severed off from the rest of the cylinder and it flew all the way and landed in the middle of my compound. That was the fireball I saw in the night sky.

Soldiers came from Dodan Barracks to find out what was going on. They thought there was an attack! Lots of cylinders were exploding.

The fire service came, but the firemen were too scared to go into the compound. Youths from the area took the hoses from them and went into the compound. Then water finished.

Mobile policemen from Mopol 2 brought their truck mounted hot water cannon. It was the mobile policemen who finally put out the fire.

---

That dreadful day, April 22nd 1990. There was a lull in the fighting during the afternoon. Two soldiers came across a hausa man riding a bicycle. They stopped him and asked him why he should be enjoying himself, riding a bicycle, while they were suffering. They ordered him to carry the bicycle and run down the street.

There was a tank at the Obalende end of the road. A J5 bus was approaching from the other end of the road (near SSS headquarters). The tank's turret turned and the main cannon discharged. It blew the bus apart.

---

I was surprised that we didn't have more restrictions and security measures in place on Ikoyi Road. State House Ribadu Road, Radio Nigeria/Voice of Nigeria and Dodan (Army) Barracks all had gates on that road. If you went to the end of the road and took two turns, you would get to Flag Staff House (1 Golver Road, Ikoyi). The only place on Ikoyi Road with visible security during the 1980s was Radio Nigeria. There were armoured fighting vehicles and a main battle tank on the premises. There was also a sentry with a gem
neral purpose machine gun behind bags of sand at the Radio Nigeria gate.

All of that changed after the Orkar Coup in 1990. There was a curfew on Ikoyi Road from 7pm to 7am (1990-1998). Roadblocks were set up at both ends of the road and a sentry position was erected at State House.

I had warned my friends to stop going down that road in the evenings, but they wouldn't listen. It was about 3 minutes to 7pm and my friends were heading from North-West Ikoyi to Obalende on okadas. They passed the first road block without any incident. They were stopped at the second road block, taken back to the beginning of the road and told to kneel down. They were then asked to walk to Obalende on their knees.

Oshie Gas Flare, Niger Delta.


Dagogo Joel's arm was burned by the Oshie gas flare when he was a child. The flare--lit since early 70s and adjacent to Joel's home village of Akaraolu -- occasionally spews out flaming liquids on the countryside, and burned Joel's arm while he was fishing with his father.

"Oil farming" in the Niger-Delta


That's not water, it's crude oil.

Marina in 1899
www.nairaland.com/attachments/697267_Marina20in201899_jpg0226e03da57969a9c3cdf94d5bad44ce

Marina

(Shout out to my homeboy Seyi Charles George)

State House Marina is the white (actually pink) mansion beside Net Building (Net Building is the tallest building in West Africa).

The controversial Sunborn Yatch Hotel

Oriental Hotel Lekki

Federal Palace Hotel, Victoria Island.

Sheraton Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos

What makes the Yatch Hotel controversial?

Eko Hotel

naptu2: "Oil farming" in the Niger-Delta


That's not water, it's crude oil.

Jesus. Jesus!!!

And what the freck is the govt doing about this outrage??

Ishilove: What makes the Yatch Hotel controversial?

1) There were rumours initially that the yatch was bought with Lagos State funds.

2) It emerged that the yatch was bought by some investors in conjunction with Diamond Bank.

3) A dispute arose between the investors and Diamond Bank. (The dispute halted the operations of the hotel. Previously some events had been held at the hotel restaurant/bar).

4) The case went to court.

5) Lagos State Government felt that the abandoned and rusting yatch was an eyesore and decided to tow it out of Lagos.

6) One of the parties got a court order to stop Lagos State from towing it out of Lagos.

Four Points Hotel by Sheraton, Lekki Lagos.

Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja.