₦airaland Forum

@fxproperty

Even if you cannot get the pictures of the said property, you should state the price at least!

Happy Letting!

richcookie:
Well not to digress, I am looking through several real estate agents sent by some people in the know. I must confess some of the agents are acting like pure crooks b4 we do any deal.

Let me not talk before they say i am spoiling the names of some Agents and before they say i am a tyrant and long time descendant of Benito Mussolini because i am trying to expose the criminal ones from the good ones!

Thank you Rich for your timely statement. Nairaland will be ever grateful if you can link us to the crooked ones so they wont harm other people too!

Cheers!

Nick1:
What are your charges/fees? I hope there are no hidden fees Mr. Lawyer that fights omonile? On a more serious note; how far do you go in fighting omonile(s) and I hope you realized that many of them use voodoo. Do you employ voodoo tactics to counter their voodooism?

ROLF!

Nick thanks for your concern. Dont worry, i have my own special way of sorting them out and it has nothing to do with violence but intelligence and high dosage of education!

Am extremely meticulous in my work and those i have worked with both on Nairaland and off Nairaland will attest to that! Ask around!

Finally, i dont do voodoo or Voodooism because i have no cause to encounter such people and if i do, then i know how to get around it.

Thanks for your concern though! Much appreciated

initiate:
Thanks Mr Lawyer

please see this link

http://www.nairalist.com/lagos/housing/1829

Hi Initiate,

Well as i said earlier. Its only a property that i have done extensive search on that i can vouch for. I wont go out of my way now to vouch for or against Mainland Gardens because i havent done my own personal back ground check and if i endorse it and something goes wrong, i will be liable for Misrepresentation and if i do endorse it and something goes wrong, i can stand and defend my self!

I dont do my searches based on face value. I go very very deep into the core of the matter before i give out my search report. I will advise you to get more info and get back to me personally and we will take it up from there.

burafato:
Barrister,
For more than three month i been searching for a plot of land to buy
at Ajah environs, but all the one i got through agent were government
aquisition; the one that are within the private estate are too expensive(30m,25m,18m ).
What i don't understatnd is; within these government aquisition area (e.g part of thomas estate, badore, oke ira and Ogombo) there are beautifully finished duplexes own by individual yet in Alausa is under Government aquisition.
I had a chart with one of the land lord he told me there is what they call RATIFICATION from government.

I have seen one that i like ( 6m) but am afraid b/cos of Aquisition.

Is there anything like RATIFICATION?

Hi burafato

Hmm your question on Ratification is an article i am working on so i wont go much into details now till i am through with it for NL Consumption. But i will get back to you personally on it to explain it.

But as a Preview. Yes there are 2 types of Ratification in Property In Lagos. The family Ratification and Alausa Ratification and before you encounter a Ratification situation, you must have done something really Wrong by not doing due diligence on that Property and your going to pay heavily for that Mistake you made for not doing a search before you bought that property.

Cheers!

Hi Initiate,

Am sorry, i am not presently in the position to verify for or against Property Mart Ltd because this is the first time i am hearing of them and if i have more info about them and where they are located and their modus operandi, it will be easier for me to do due diligence and profer my humble advice on its authenticity!

Cheers

Pls,

Skyone refrain from profanities that are unecessary. If you have any contrary objections to the post, please state them in a more civil manner and not call others ole without any proof or justification!

@Scopido



You really must be a very bitter person in real life! I know your trying your best to make me exchange words with you so you can brag that you can argue too so therefore you are fit to go to lawschool!

I wont dignify your prescence and more especially, if you dislike me so much for posting the pics of Mowe/Ofada, you can counter that back by posting your own pics to disprove me! (Me thinks i have finally gotten an Obsessed Stalker because i have spoilt business for him personally and i hope it stays that way! Psycho! )

If your finding it hard to take pictures, tell us now so that we all contribute money for you to buy a $2 Camera Phone to snap something at least! Listening to all your drivel and codswallop about me is getting a little bit boring now, dont you think ?

P:S: Whenever i am ready to advertise a property for sale on Nairaland , i will show you the proper way its being done so you can learn from it! Until then, continue your Infernal dross to entertain us! NL Property is in need of a little Comedy!

Na die Abuja Land Owners de be that o! If common Governors consent Fees in Lagos mainland and to some extent in Lekki and Beyond never pass between N1,000 - N10,000 depending on the area and we dey complain, wetin Abuja People go come talk

I dont think it has being done in the right spirit. I heard the Minister of the FCT trying to justify the increment because of the need to ward away touts, but that isnt a valid reason. There are touts everywhere and its more of the Government's Duty to beef up security to ward away touts instead of laying the blame on the populace and making them suffer for the crimes of a few. Dont they know, this is even going to make more people patronize touts to short change the government?

To me the argument is just like saying Airlines have increased fares astronomically so as to ward of Terrorists from flying? Its just impractcable to me and Insensitive to buyers of land and Property in Abuja!

Thank You very Much for this piece of Information. We need more info like this to weed out people who want to give Nigerians a bad name and those that want to use the Property Forum to perpetuate their Fraudulent activites on Un suspecting People.

Please Nairalanders shine your eyes very Well and ask for references from people you do business with to guide you if you cant be there to follow up personally before you part with your money!

@Bigstuff

Very sorry to hear what happened but i hope Nairalanders will help to trace these people out and make sure your money is being refunded!

Okay let me break this down as swiftly as Possible.

I have refused to comment on this topic so as to give all parties involved a sense of belonging to criticize, comment, scream, support, argue for and provide evidence to contradict my posts, but so far so good, all i see and here is that i am biased in my research that i skipped some and added some to encourage some particular estates and put down some particular estates. 

I have recieved threats both real and imaginary via email and through phone calls from so many faceless people who i assume are either Investors, Estate Agents or Land Speculators trying to coerce me to retract my post, remove the pictures and endorse the Mowe/ Ofada Scheme. Well i have got news for you! You cannot shake my resolve with empty threats to scare me. You have to try harder than that because i am not moved.

The post is the simplest post i have done and all you need to do is argue in the affirmative to prove i was lying or being biased by posting pictures of the so called estates i skipped or doctored to give a dog a bad name.

We live in a democracy and it simply means that everybody has his or her say and Nairaland is no exception whether good or bad, vent out your anger, frustrations, joys, happiness etc.  For example one Minute Lukman 101 is Praising me for doing a good job by helping people avoid being scammed through land deals and with the same tongue in cheek manner accuses me of being biased .

So far so good, Lukman has done something way above any other Faceless Agent on Nairaland and beyond which is Post Pictures to counter my previous posts that nothing is being done in that place.

With this at least people can safely assume that Mainland Gardens in Up and Running and its left for subscribers to inquire more about it because they have a right to know more.

The rest who just come here to spew dross and drivels about how developed the place is and i am spoiling business should take a cue from Lukman here. Even though he criticized me thoroughly, my job as the Moderator on this Forum is not to take sides but to give people an opportunity to air their views. This is a forum where everybody has a right to say their mind and for posts and posters to be proved wrong. 

If you think your estate from a plethora of Estates there has been wrongly criticized, it is up to the Estate Owners to refute that allegation with all sorts of Evidence to back it up and allow willing, previous and future subscribers comment on the validity of it.

All i am concerned about is that for years, the Mystery of The Mowe/ ofada lands for sale has being so shrouded in secrecy. People have paid for lands, but they havent gotten the lands, they were promised lands within a specific time but it hasnt materialized for months even running into years, Agents are Marketing the place to be a replica of heaven but refuse to tell the prospective subscribers that it is a growing environment that requires patience and subscibers should be patient. Monies have exchanged hands but no head or tail about the paper trail of the money can be found. Nobody is telling the Subscribers the history of their property title but expect people to just pay. You promise them bore hole, good roads, light, etc but none can be found and you expect everything to be Business as Usual without people talking about it?

[s]Most of the people i am trying to protect here are people that are based abroad and in Nigeria that have no eyes and ears to know what is happening and how the property market operates and rely on only what the Estate Agents tell them[/s]. I am sure the Estate Agents themselves will do everything possible to do a thorough search before they buy any property whether in Zamfara or Ebonyi state but when it comes to the Estates of Mowe Ofada, its all hush hush! and Subscribers are on their own

If you can come out like Lukemon here  or H$L Broker etc to show evidence why people should deal with you, what then is the problem? Just provide evidence that your not among the dodgy ones and i trust Nairalanders will do the right thing to do business with you once they conclude their search. But dont expect me to start running from pillar to post to start endorsing one estate over the other one. Stop speaking in Vaccum and post pictures to tell people that Your Estate doesnt lie and you are a trustworthy Property company and stop using me as an excuse for your failures if any!

@Ogumoye

N.B
If I happen to be unsubscribed from this site,then memebrs and viewers  should assume it is a sponsored advert/research.

This is very uncalled for and i doubt if i as the moderator or the site Administrator  has ever Censored your posts or that of others on the property Forum. Despite all the criticisms and Insults i have recieved on this thread, have i deleted one post which sounds crass or rude to me? Its a discussion Blog and people are entitled to their Opinion. The Nairaland Moderating Rule are very clear and explicit and i havent seen anywhere it is written that dissenting views are to be deleted and banished. I will appreciate it if you retract that particular statement because nobody can buy me or rent me out to carry out a sinister situation when there is none for an advert.

I will advertise what is good for the common good of all and i will speak out when there is a problem!

@Every one else that feels disgruntled

And please one more time, Pocket your Phone or Email Threats. Its either they get deleted immediately in my box and won't be replied to or i hang up on you rudely ( Your Choice ^^^ Anyone works Fine for me) . If you got something to say, Pour out your venom and anger through your keyboard and don't punish my ears!

Cheers and Keep the fireworks coming and keep it simple and civil

@zynzyn

zynzyn:
Lawyer. You're doing a good job. A friend of mine had to COMPLETELY ABANDON the piece of land he had because of Omoniles. Imagine!

Eyah!

What a shame! At least in Future, he has a good friend in you he can rely on to sort out the land matters he might encounter next time!

Life goes on. We only learn from our past mistakes to provide a better future!

wwheelz:
@ Lawyer

When it comes to mortgaged properties, I assume the Bank's lawyers do a search and all that to make sure the property they are financing has no liens or ownership drama on it. Is this assumption correct?

If my assumption is correct, then it sounds like that might be one way of avoiding the omo onile and other potential wahala when buying property i.e get the Bank to finance a portion of the payment so that they can utilise their own lawyer too to ascertain real ownership.

The other concern would be what if the Bank goes ahead to finance based on their lawyers' recommendation and it is later found that the property in question is not free and clear. I'm guessing the Bank still goes ahead and demands their periodic mortgage payments anyway, never mind that their lawyer "missed" it.

What's your take on this?

Hmmm, Good Question:

Banks do search on properties that they hope to gain something from i.e extended loans and interests to their benefits and it pays them alot. In fact Most bank lawyers are not the lawyers who work in a bank. The bank lawyers outsource the search duties to private registered law firms to do the search on their behalf and its the report of that private search they use to work on the mortgage or loan details.

Now i have to confess that i dont know the intricacies involved when Banks decide to support mortgage institutions and how they verify a property is free from encumberances but what i know is that if a bank makes a mistake and doesnt do its search properly and there is a problem tomorrow, the bank is liable for beng negligent!

@scopido

Naturally, i have chosen not to reply or post any other comment apart from the opening post so as to see people's reactions and comments whether good or bad but i think i am compelled to come in at this juncture to rebut a post more especially that of Scopido who has taken it as a personal battle to attack me! On a normal day i will ignore it but i guess i have to sort it you out once and for all!

Lawyer
I believe if you are consulted to cary out a search and prepear a Deed of Assignment on behalf of a client that has concluded to buy acres of land in this axis for a purpose best known to him you will not hesitate to do it and charge your own fee.With all what is written here i believe its all branding,trying to sell oneself out to public

If you can read the title of the post very very well, its called :Pictures Dont Lie: The Real Mowe And Ofada Agents Wont Tell You About. What is the branding here? Pictures dont lie and if you had better pictures to reverse it and call me a liar, then your free to post them but so far so good, i dont see any pictures to change what i have posted. For Months you guys have advertised Mowe/ Ofada as Heaven on earth and your posts here on Nairaland can play testimony to that. A lot of people have called me trying to know what is happening there and why they havent been allocated lands that they paid for and i didnt know what to tell them.

I went there to do my own search for a client and produced the following search result which obviously nails a huge stake in the heads of Estate Agents of the Mowe/Ofada axis and their marketing Credibility.

Secondly, its on record on NL and loads of people who have contracted me to do a search for them, will tell you the way i operate. If they contract me to do a search on a property that will fetch me N1Billion Dollars commission and i discover any iota of defect in the property, i will not advise such a person to buy it and i will waive my commission away because i will never sacrifice someone's life because the person has placed his or her trust in Me. Maybe your used to selling lands and property at all costs to fetch your commsiion fees but be well lectured that i dont operate that way and loads of people can testify to that. If you and other agents propagating this Mowe/ Ofada Scheme Feel bitter and harbour Sour Grapes over my search Report, well that's your cup of tea! I owe no one any apology more especially when i see something that remotes looks like a fraud happening under my watch as a moderator on NL.

But the best time to buy is the period when it is still bush like those pictures you are showing.How many people can buy plot of land in Lekki Peninsular now for the price at which they sell 100 million to 150 million but the place was formally a water log bushy area before 10 years ago and the price was between 500 thousand to 1 million naira

Why dont you Agents tell the whole world that Mowe/ Ofada looks like a bush and encourage them to buy it like that instead of promoting falsehood with 3D stimulations and Bumper fliers telling everybody that these Estates look like heaven? All of a sudden you remember to state it expressly that it is the best time to buy since it is a bush like the pictures i am showing! I thought the pictures of these Estates that are being shown to the whole world is a replica of Lekki Phase 1? Are my own pictures now a determinant of the true state of things in Mowe/ Ofada? If i didnt take these pictures would you or any of the thousands of Mowe/ Ofada agents come out to rebut my pictures? Please i have had enough of your porkies and i say it the way i see it .

Even if the place is a bush now as far as a developer can show the good title document with good approved layout,i will advice anyone that care to go ahead with it,a room is not build in a day.

I challenge you personally and all the other Estates to state the good title documents they have openly? If your bold enough to spend Millions of Naira on Advertising 3D models for people to buy, why are they always so afraid to tell the world what title they originally got from that place? When did a letter of Offer become a good root of title? Until i went to Abeokuta personally to check that of Sherry View Estate, i didnt see any Marketer who was willing to divulge such a vital information that could make or mar a person's life. Do you know how stressful and difficult for me to get that Information about the title of Sherry View talkless of getting the Title documents of the other Estates that has'nt seen a cutlass to cut the thick forests there in the last 24 months? Once again, i challenge you openly to state the title of the ESTATE YOU MARKET PERSONALLY! If not, then i would consider the above statement of yours as a vapid statement with no basis.

I know of a man who bought land in Ofada almost 5 years ago for just 20,000 per acre with just a receipt and rough agreement letter from the family,he did not even cary out any search whether its an acquisition area or not.
Now the person is a lucky man,he has collected C of O on it and he just fenced the perimeter area,he is not selling.He has been approached to sell buy some land speculators in the axis for 600,000 per acre because of the C of O The person is thinking of having developing the place by himself before selling so he will sell at good money.You know he has secured good title so hold till he is ready to sell.

Bah! The story goes both ways too. I know a man who bought a land with just a recipet and rough letter agreement letter from the family,[b]he did not even carry out any search whether its an acquisition area or not [/b]. Now the person is a VERY UN-lucky man,he has NOT collected a C of O on it and he just COULD NOT fence the perimeter area BECAUSE HE BOUGHT FROM OMONILE AND WAS DEFRAUDED, he is not selling BECAUSE HE HAS NOTHING TO SELL!

Like i said your example goes two ways and in more cases than imagined, my own Example far outweighs yours ratio 10 to 1. If you doubt me Visit any Land Division High Court of your Choice In Nigeria more especially in the South West for more information.

Lawyer your advice is good but try and teach people on the one to buy not that they should not buy,if you don't know have anything to write about Ofada just mouth and let people that want buy.

My job is not to teach people on what to buy and what not to buy because i am not an estate agent and moreso ever, i dont have to lie and coerce people to buy things laced with fraudulent lies until they have been exposed. My job is to alert people on the dangers of being swindled by Omoniles and Dodgy estate agents so as to prevent them from falling into the traps that has become a scourge in Nigeria today! You might not be happy with my finding s or research but trust me, except you succeed in putting me down 6 feet under, i will continue to educate first time buyers and experienced buyers about the pitfalls that is in vogue in respect of sales of lands and properties in Nigeria and Mowe/Ofada is just the beginning!

Finally, if you took the time to read my first post well on this topic, i wasn't biased and i actually stated the 3 estates i saw that were building structures there and the ones that had occupants and even took the pictures of those ones which included Sherry View Estate, Golden Estate and Yotomi. I highlighted it in bold for the world world to know and if thats is not enough for you to see my level of objectivity in my report, then i dont know what else you want me to do. May be you would have prefered i came back with pictures showing that the whole Mowe/ Ofada looks like Aso rock so as to boost your chances of a hefty commission before you give me a thumb up for a job well done.

One more thing, there is no where in my post i told people not to buy lands in Mowe/ Ofada. I only stated the obvious lies that is circulating everywhere that Mowe/ Ofada is developed and looks like Heaven. If i havent been bombarded with 3D animations or bumper sticker fliers about how cool and swanky Mowe/ofada is, i wont have bothered to do the search. A lot of people have paid huge sums of money for those estates and are in Limbo now as to the next step they are to take based on Development. That is what i am bringing out here because Mowe/Ofada Estates are not straight forward Estates to deal with because what they promise is not what they deliver.

I have been running away from this question for the past one year since Nairalanders have been bugging me to state the process and requirements for registering an NGO. The basic reason is that its is very difficult to do and quite time consuming for the lawyer doing it and the clients really don’t appreciate the efforts and stress involved in registering one but recently i met a Nice Nairalander who encouraged me to not feel aggrieved by the acts of some but to continue assisting people so as to make Nigeria a more better place and much much closer to the desired information being craved by all.

So as usual in my usual simplistic and humour filled manner of explaining these things, i will attempt to explain the process of registering an NGO in Nigeria:

QUESTION: Lawyer what is a Non Government Organization (N.G.O) ?

ANSWER: Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) are organisations that are not part of government and do not exist to make a profit from the work of the organisation for the owners or members of the organisation. They exist to serve some public purpose rather than just serving the personal interests of the owners or members of the organisation.

They exist for the benefit of the general public or specific sections of the public. If members receive payment or benefits, it is only in the form of a reasonable salary and benefits in return for the work that is done as an employee of the organisation. Any profit that is produced is used by the organisation to make a greater impact in terms of their public purpose.

Examples include:

Wide group of organisations, from large charitable NGOs like Red Cross, Better Life for Rural Women etc down to small community organisations like sports, clubs or civics e.g. Lagos Country Club, Yoruba Tennis Club, Chess Players Association of Nigeria, Abakaliki Progressive Union Foundation etc

The definition of Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) covers all organisations that do not exist to make profits for owners or members. It does not cover private companies or even co-operatives or income generating projects that exist solely to produce benefits for members.

Most Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) have to rely on grants and donations from fundraising because Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) usually serve sections of the community that could not afford to pay the full cost of the service. NPOs do not usually choose their target groups according to who can pay for the service, but according to who needs the service most.

QUESTION: Okay, I understand what a NGO is and its aims and objectives but what are NGOs known as in Nigeria?

ANSWER: Under the Law more especially the Company Law in Nigeria, they are known as INCORPORATED TRUSTEES. These means that the Non-governmental organisation (NGO) formed is under the protection and guidance of a set of people called TRUSTEES and the Non-governmental organisation (NGO) assets and funds are placed squarely under the TRUST, confidence, reliance and dependence of the Trustees to carry out the aims and objectives of the Non-governmental organisation (NGO).

TRUSTEES are different from DIRECTORS OR SHAREHOLDERS in a company because unlike share holders in a company who will do anything to make sure their company derives a profit, Trustees are not entitled to make a profit from the Non-governmental organisation (NGOs) but rather to promote the welfare, aims and objectives  of the Non-governmental organisation (NGO) freely.

QUESTION: Lawyer are you sure that these trustees are not entitled to make profit because somebody i spoke to said my Church next door named “I GO HAMMER INTERNATIONAL CHURCH”    is registered as an Incorporated Trustee and they are making Mad Millions judging from the cars that park outside my house every Sunday. Are Churches also Incorporated Trustees and who can register Incorporated Trustees?

ANSWER: Very Funny Question! Yes ALL Churches and Mosques are Incorporated Trustees and the Pastors, Priests, Imams etc are the Trustees or part of the Trustees of the Churches or Mosques near you and they only survive due to the grants, tithes, benefits, welfare and donations pouring in every time. But it is a different thing all together when your talking about how the donations are being disbursed either to the welfare of the people or into private pockets to enrich the trustees themselves.

So that depends on the members of the Non-governmental organisation (NGO) to provide checks and balances on their Trustees.

I know so many people register Incorporated Trustees in Nigeria to open one Church or the other to make millions  ;Dand some genuinely register these Churches to Help people and promote God’s words, so it depends to be honest which Incorporated Trustee Church is helping people and which one is using the donations and tithes to enrich their pastors. Thats not my own call here to judge people!

Also the kinds of people that can register Incorporated Trustees include the following:

a. Person Bound together by religion, custom, kinship or nationality

b. Association established for religious, educational, literary, scientific, social development, sporting or charitable purpose 

c. Clubs, Cultural Associations, Foundations and Schools

Examples of  Popular NGOs include:

Nigeria Youth AIDS Program
Nigeria Youth Working Group on Environment & Development
Nigerian Association of University Women
Nigerian Environment Study/Action Team
Nigerian Institute of Public Relations Lagos state chapter
Nigerian Integrated Rural Accelerated Development Organisation (NIRADO)
Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC)
Nigerian Medical Association (NMA)
Nigerian Youth Action Rangers
Nigerian Youth Environmental Network
NISER
Obi/Akpor Patriotic League
Odua Peoples Congress
Ogoni Youth
Oil watch Africa
Olabisi Onabanjo University
OMEP World Organisation for Early Childhood Education
Omni Medical
Operation Happy Home
Organisation (ACHDO)-Formerly Mother and Child
Organization for the Advancement of African Women (ORGAAW)
Organization for the Dev of Sports & Youth
Orthodox Welfare Association
Etc

QUESTION: Okay i think i am beginning to Understand what   a Non-governmental organisation (NGO) or Incorporated Trustee is, but what are the advantages of Forming a Non-governmental organisation (NGO) or Incorporated Trustee legally or Illegally?

ANSWER: LWKMD (Laugh wan Kill me die)

Simple, do you mean apart from having Access to FREE Millions of NAIRA or DOLLARS pouring in through donations, aids, tithes, contributions, benefit, assistance, offerings, hand-outs etc that is 100% TAX FREE and almost Unaccounted for by the Members!!! LOL?

or

Do you mean apart from having access to all these Monies and you can be so unscrupulous to line up your pockets and introduce you to a better life aka the Nigerian Dream? LOL

Anyway apart from the above crooked and dodgy reasons Nigerians register NGOS, the advantage legally include:

a. It is a body Corporate i.e It has a right to sue and be sued

b. It has a Legal Personality i.e No one Man can claim it to be its own no matter the amount of Money a person donated. i.e despite the Billions invested by Bill Gates in the Bill gates Foundation, it doesn’t belong to him but he can be a major influencial Trustee amongst the board of Trustees

c. Perpetual Succession: It continues for life and even after the death of the major donors or board of Trustees, it continues with new Trustees taking over i.e if the Principal Pastor of  Church dies, the Church continues and a new successor and new board of Trustees take over.

d. Power to Hold Land: This is a Major factor in being a Non-governmental organisation (NGO) or Incorporated Trustee. The CAC is very particular about Non-governmental organisation (NGO) or Incorporated Trustees Having the capacity to own lands or buy lands for its operations immediately unless it won’t be registered
e . Capacity to own a Common Seal:

QUESTION: Okay i am ready to Register A Non-governmental organisation (NGO) or Incorporated Trustee! What are the requirements to register one then in Nigeria?

ANSWER: Okay, at this junction, get your pens and paper and cram it down: Before you contact your lawyer, get all these things down first:

a. Select 2 names of the Association i.e  Incorporated Trustee of I GO CHOP MONEY DIE FOUNDATION or Incorporated Trustees of Nairaland INITIATIVE! The CAC will choose one that is registerable or deny both of them in all its entirety. So choose Carefully.

It is very Important to select a Name that is unique and it must end with either the words Foundation, Trust, Organization, Association, Network, Initiative etc (Bottom line it must confirm with the practice that is common with Non-governmental organisation (NGOs)

b. Choose the aims and objectives of the proposed Incorporated Trustee normally minimum 3 i.e Sample :

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES:

A. To foster Unity, Peace and Love among its members, business men and general public

B. To create a condusive environment where members meet, interact and Discuss their problems, challenges and welfare.

C.To promote and encourage peaceful co existence and mutual benefits between members

c. Address of The Association

d. Names of the Trustees (They must be 2 or More)

e. 2 passport photographs for each of the Trustees

f. The personal residential addresses of each of the Trustees

g. Occupation of each of the Trustees

h. Tenure of each of the Trustees, the removal and filling of the vacancy of the Trustee

i    Auditor

j. Membership

k. Common Seal (The seal must be made in Metal that can be inprinted on and must be physically inspected at the CAC

L. List the Executive Members of the association i.e –President, secretary, Financial secretary,  auditors etc


QUESTION: Okay Lawyer, Now that i have gotten the Pre-Registration Requirements, what do i do next?

ANSWER: The next thing includes the Registration Process Proper which includes the following:

1. Procuring,  Conducting Name Search and Reserving your chosen NGO name (Normally takes 2 weeks or less)

2. Filling the Application forms after it has been purchased (Trust me, there are so many forms to fill and sign by all the trustees)

3.    Advertisment of the name of the NGO and objects of the NGO in 2 National Dailies and One local Newspaper circulating in an Area of the chosen Registered Office where the Association is based

e.g Guardian Papers and Punch Newpapers (National Newspapers)
Ikeja Report or Abuja Chronicle (Local Newspaper)

clearing stating the name of the Association and  Trustees and calling for Objections from the Public to the registration of the Association

d. Submission of the duly completed Typed Application form which should be accompanied by the following:

1. Availabity of name Search Report

2. A formal letter of Application to the CAC director General stating the reasons why you want to form the NGO and should be signed by either the Chairman, Secretary or the Applicatants Solicitor i.e yours truely

3. Copies and Proof of the Original Newspaper Publications

4. 2 Copies of the Applicants CONSTITUTION (This is the real wahala drafting a constitution). The Constitution must provide for the following:

a. AIMS

b. PROVISION FOR TRUSTEES IN THE GUIDELINES

c. CUSTODY OF THE COMMON SEAL

d. APPOINTMENT OF AUDITORS

e. PROVISIONS FOR MEETINGS

f. AMENDMENT CLAUSE

g. SPECIAL CLAUSE

5. Minutes of the Meeting where the Trustees were appointed having the list of Members Present and Absent and showing the voting pattern, signed by the Chairman and Secretary of the Board.

The Minutes must be on the letter headed Paper of the Association

6.Minutes of the meeting where the SPECIAL CLAUSE rules was adopted into the constitution of the Association, signed by the Secretary and Chairman showing the list of Members in attendance.

7. All Trustees Must attach 2 Passport sized Photographs and one of the passport must be attached to a declaration Form sworn to at the High court by each trustee. This form replaces the State Government Security Clearance)

8. Attach the copy of the court registry payment for the Trustee Declaration form

9. Trustees should sign against their names on the application forms, state their permanent residential addresses and state their occupations

10. Pay all the filing fees at once

QUESTION: Finally how much does it cost to Register an N.G.O?

ANSWER: It Basically costs above N150,000 and above to register an NGO with all the fees included. Personally, if i am drafting the Constitution, i always add something extra to that fee because of the time and stress involved. It takes days, sometimes weeks to get a perfect constitution without query and it is the most cumbersome thing involved minus drafting the Minutes of the Association.

So the price is not static. It depends on the lawyer and because the CAC knows registering an NGO is the fastest way to create Millionaires in Nigeria either legally or illegally, they have to increase their filing fees to chop their own now because you wont remember them and the lawyer tomorrow when your NGO hammers!
   
Ok i am tired of typing, I hope i have been able to answer most of your pressing NGO/INCORPORATED TRUSTEE registration questions in a very simple and understandable manner, To be continued someday!  Buzz me if you have any Questions, coments or queries on 07036681104 or Mail me at barrister_matto@yahoo.com for more info!

Cheers!

For a link to answers in registering a company in Nigeria, click below :

Frequently Asked Questions: A-Z Of Company Registration In Nigeria
https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-251915.0.html

Wow! A Million and one Replies since i posted this worrisome issue.

From the above, we can safely deduce the following:

95% of The Mowe/Ofada Land Mortgage Scheme to an extent is a SCAM. Why do i say Boldly it is a Scam? Because of the Following Reasons:

A.You will never discuss Mortgage Issues with anybody except your Banker, Lawyer, Accountant or Close Confidant:

Why then should you listen to a Half baked Estate Agent who doesnt know his left from Right about the Property he is hoodwinking you to buy to explain to you the Pros and Cons of Buying a Land on Mortgage and the intricacies Involved?

B. You want to buy a Land in Mowe/ Ofada and you dont know the Company that is offering to sell you the Land?:

You dont investigate their offices, know their staff, know what the current issue is on the ground, Know who the principal Staff members are and you are ready to buy a land because you were told to pay a down payment of N25,000 for 15 months so that you can become a Landlord?

Hmmm . . .  What makes you different from those that were scammed through Nonspectco, Wealth Solution, Ponzi or Madoff Schemes?

This Scam Business deals with Rumours and Rumours alone. Dem say, Dem say!

C. An Estate Agent is an Agent and Never the real Boss or Real Company you should be dealing with:

Its like a  Bank Marketer coming to Offer you the latest Products from their bank but you refuse to visit the bank to get more information and you part Money to that Marketer to be your Account Manager. When your Money disappears, who do you blame? The Marketer, The Bank or Your self? (I believe thats not so hard to Answer).

Bottom Line, Never Ever take a third party Agent's word for it unless you do your own Investigation and search to buy these lands. Most of the Agents dont even know the Address of the Real Estate Company they are Marketing for talkless of the Major Staffs? How can somebody who doesnt know the Architects involved, the Surveyors Involved, the team supposed to perfect your documents, be the one harrassing you to subscribe for a Property or Land based on Fliers and 3D Models that don't exist?   

D.  How many of you have personally Visited the land or sent an Independent search Investigator to Visit the proposed land?:

Those of you that bought it way back that are confused now, can you still locate the so-called land you were shown? Have they given you the survey plan of the Land you are supposed to have?

Every day the Agent only discusses payment plans with you but refuses to Tell you the title the Land or Lands have. They refuse to tell you whether it is gazetted or has a Certificate of Occupancy! They refuse to tell you the modus operandi of the legalities of the the property you are buying. How do you confirm the recipets , Documents and Contracts you were given emanated from the Real Estate Company itself? This is Nigeria! Forgery and Cloning is Damn too easy for us! Have you confirmed the source?

But then how can you blame them again! Because they are just Agents and were probably scammed by the Real Estate Company to coerce you to buy or subscribe to the lands in exchange for percentage Commission when they successfully hood wink you to buy it.

How many of you were totally coerced by the Agent to buy the Lands and these Agents pursuing you left right and centre to pay your first Subscription and promising you that your land will be ready immediately you finish paying up your subcsription fees, Shoving letters of Offers to you in your face to sign what you dont know the contents are all about without giving a property lawyer to review it etc  but the moment you pay some of it or all of the Money, Its you that will be pursuing the Agent for your Recipets, Documents, Trying to know when you will be allocated the land, the survey plan etc?

These are just one of the many scenarios you face for trusting the Agent to do your work for you.

Rule number one in the Real estate Business is that The Estate Agent works for the Seller and the Real Estate Company Alone and its his or her duty to coerce you to buy at all costs to get their commission. He is not your Friend, neither is he your  Independent Buying agent that looks out for your interests to advise you accordingly to buy or not to buy!

Left to him or Her you must buy at all costs whether its to your detriment or not and under the law, the Seller's Estate Agent is not bound to disclose any inherent defect, problems or wahala that comes with that land or property. [s]Its your duty to Investigate it and research it thoroughly 100% Before you Buy![/s] If you dont do that, you have your self to blame and Not the Estate Agent.

Finally according to my new research and reports, i got inside information that most of the Estates there are going under i.e bankrupt because they took loans to buy those Hectares of Land and spent a huge chunk on Advertising those Estates and procuring Machineries but since the Subscription has been slow coupled with the Recession, the Process of Foreclosure is looming terribly and the Directors of the Real Estate Companies are packing their bags to abandon the Project till new funds are injected. So if your land falls into those ones, well i am sorry, the only way to get your funds back partially is through the courts or to locate them and ask them what is going on and demand at all cost to either get your lands properly given to you and documented or for them to refund your money. Its left for you to know the status of your Land you bought from a host of these Billions of Proposed Estates that have only one House or Building they are using to Hood wink people!   

Cheers!

Comments are welcome!

QUESTION: Lawyer are you sure that these trustees are not entitled to make profit because somebody i spoke to said my Church next door named “I GO HAMMER INTERNATIONAL CHURCH” is registered as an Incorporated Trustee and they are making Mad Millions judging from the cars that park outside my house every Sunday. Are Churches also Incorporated Trustees and who can register Incorporated Trustees?

ANSWER: Very Funny Question! Yes ALL Churches and Mosques are Incorporated Trustees and the Pastors, Priests, Imams etc are the Trustees or part of the Trustees of the Churches or Mosques near you and they only survive due to the grants, tithes, benefits, welfare and donations pouring in every time. But it is a different thing all together when your talking about how the donations are being disbursed either to the welfare of the people or into private pockets to enrich the trustees themselves.

So that depends on the members of the Non-governmental organisation (NGO) to provide checks and balances on their Trustees.

I know so many people register Incorporated Trustees in Nigeria to open one Church or the other to make millions ;Dand some genuinely register these Churches to Help people and promote God’s words, so it depends to be honest which Incorporated Trustee Church is helping people and which one is using the donations and tithes to enrich their pastors. Thats not my own call here to judge people!

Also the kinds of people that can register Incorporated Trustees include the following:

a. Person Bound together by religion, custom, kinship or nationality

b. Association established for religious, educational, literary, scientific, social development, sporting or charitable purpose

c. Clubs, Cultural Associations, Foundations and Schools

Examples of Popular NGOs include:

Nigeria Youth AIDS Program
Nigeria Youth Working Group on Environment & Development
Nigerian Association of University Women
Nigerian Environment Study/Action Team
Nigerian Institute of Public Relations Lagos state chapter
Nigerian Integrated Rural Accelerated Development Organisation (NIRADO)
Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC)
Nigerian Medical Association (NMA)
Nigerian Youth Action Rangers
Nigerian Youth Environmental Network
NISER
Obi/Akpor Patriotic League
Odua Peoples Congress
Ogoni Youth
Oil watch Africa
Olabisi Onabanjo University
OMEP World Organisation for Early Childhood Education
Omni Medical
Operation Happy Home
Organisation (ACHDO)-Formerly Mother and Child
Organization for the Advancement of African Women (ORGAAW)
Organization for the Dev of Sports & Youth
Orthodox Welfare Association
Etc

I have been running away from this question for the past one year since Nairalanders have been bugging me to state the process and requirements for registering an NGO. The basic reason is that its is very difficult to do and quite time consuming for the lawyer doing it and the clients really don’t appreciate the efforts and stress involved in registering one but recently i met a Nice Nairalander who encouraged me to not feel aggrieved by the acts of some but to continue assisting people so as to make Nigeria a more better place and much much closer to the desired information being craved by all.

So as usual in my usual simplistic and humour filled manner of explaining these things, i will attempt to explain the process of registering an NGO in Nigeria:

QUESTION: Lawyer what is a Non Government Organization (N.G.O) ?

ANSWER: Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) are organisations that are not part of government and do not exist to make a profit from the work of the organisation for the owners or members of the organisation. They exist to serve some public purpose rather than just serving the personal interests of the owners or members of the organisation.

They exist for the benefit of the general public or specific sections of the public. If members receive payment or benefits, it is only in the form of a reasonable salary and benefits in return for the work that is done as an employee of the organisation. Any profit that is produced is used by the organisation to make a greater impact in terms of their public purpose.

Examples include:

Wide group of organisations, from large charitable NGOs like Red Cross, Better Life for Rural Women etc down to small community organisations like sports, clubs or civics e.g. Lagos Country Club, Yoruba Tennis Club, Chess Players Association of Nigeria, Abakaliki Progressive Union Foundation etc

The definition of Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) covers all organisations that do not exist to make profits for owners or members. It does not cover private companies or even co-operatives or income generating projects that exist solely to produce benefits for members.

Most Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) have to rely on grants and donations from fundraising because Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) usually serve sections of the community that could not afford to pay the full cost of the service. NPOs do not usually choose their target groups according to who can pay for the service, but according to who needs the service most.

QUESTION: Okay, I understand what a NGO is and its aims and objectives but what are NGOs known as in Nigeria?

ANSWER: Under the Law more especially the Company Law in Nigeria, they are known as INCORPORATED TRUSTEES. These means that the Non-governmental organisation (NGO) formed is under the protection and guidance of a set of people called TRUSTEES and the Non-governmental organisation (NGO) assets and funds are placed squarely under the TRUST, confidence, reliance and dependence of the Trustees to carry out the aims and objectives of the Non-governmental organisation (NGO).

TRUSTEES are different from DIRECTORS OR SHAREHOLDERS in a company because unlike share holders in a company who will do anything to make sure their company derives a profit, Trustees are not entitled to make a profit from the Non-governmental organisation (NGOs) but rather to promote the welfare, aims and objectives  of the Non-governmental organisation (NGO) freely.

maballack:
Please seun or monitor this should be at the begin of the business page, its very enlightning,

Thanks o! Mr Maballack! I concur too o!

Basically because people still call me at odd hours to ask me te procedure on how to register a company after i have broken it down so easily and simplistic for everyone!

So if they can put it up there, anyone who asks me will just be refered to that place once and for all!

Cheers

A view of Sherry View and Golden Masters Estates:

I wish i could get more pictures here but i was on a clandestine Mission to get these pictures because if these Estate Site Managers knew i was about to expose their Advertising Scam, i am not sure i would have gotten a single Picture to show you!

So all of you based outside Nigeria, stop asking me this question anymore about how Mowe/ Ofada looks like and what kind of development is there!

Its all here for you to make your own guess and decisions. Compare the Agent's Pictures and My Pictures!

The Choice is Ultimately Yours at the End!

Honestly Speaking, Having over 300 Proposed Estates on the same road and only a hand full have started any form of considerable work is just plain shameful because anyone that hasnt seen these pictures or hasnt been to that place will believe anything these Marketers tell you hook line and sinker and loads of People have thrown their money to these Undeveloped Estates and cannot fanthom the Head or Tail of the Property Anymore!

For Years, the Majority of People who are Looking to sell their Lands  or Property would Employ an Estate Agent to Ensure their best Interests are looked after, but its suprising that the buyer would still rest his hopes, beliefs and final conclusion on the Seller's Estate Agent without seeking Professional Land advice.

Most People would not consider buying a business without seeking advice from an Accountant or Trade Shares without a Stock Broker or Plan their Retirement without a Financial Advisor, Why therefore should buyers Risk Making a Wrong Decision and Wrong Choice when buying a Property or Land without seeking INDEPENDENT, IMPARTIAL ADVISE TO SEARCH PROPERLY AND FIND THAT PROPERTY OR LAND TO GIVE YOU A REST OF MIND FREE FROM WAHALA, OMONILE, FRAUDSTERS, SCHEMERS AND GOVERNMENT ACQUISITION all because the land is cheap in your eyes and you think its a good Investment!

I have got news for you Buyers! ONCE MONEY CHANGES HANDS TO THE SELLER OR HIS AGENTS OR OMONILES, Say Bye-Bye to your Millions and no matter how you enagage the Nigerian Army or the Police or the Law Courts, you will NEVER, EVER RECOVER THAT MONEY!       

Do the Right thing and Conduct your own Person Independent Search before you buy anything and if you can't do it because of Time Constraints or Job Constraints, Engage a Professional Independent Advisor to do it for you! Remember Its not How Long but How Well!

Shine your Eyes o!

This wasnt what was being advertised on T.V and Castle magazine as the next Lekki Phase One Scheme o!

Luckily, for the the Nairalander who wanted to buy a Plot in Sherryview, SherryView Estate has applied for a C/O and it has been published:

A classic Search Report to be valid goes thus like this:

A Piece of Land Situates along Papalanto/ Sagamu Road Kori Oja Village, Via Owode, Obafemi-Owode Local Government Area shown on survey Plan Number OG/1381/2008/10 OF 06/06/2008 with Survey BEACONS nos SC/OGY6780GR to SC/OGY6860GR all Inclusive. Having an Area 127.216 Hectares and granted by Family Chief Jimoh Biliaminu (Olori Ebi), Mr Alani Shittu ( Secretary) For Biliaminu Family OW/PL-

Applicants: City Planners property and Investment Limited

So next time somebody tries to hoodwink you to go all out to buy a Mowe/Ofada/Ibafo Land, Ask him about the status of the Estate and the Documents it has before you Part with your money and begin to chase them left right and centre asking them what happened to all the promises that was been fed to you!

Pictures Dont Lie!

This is Just a Sign Board Contest

The Funniest thing is that they are all on the same long stretch of Road along the Papalanto Sagamu axis i.e Approximately 45 Minutes to 1 Hour from the Lagos/ Ibadan Toll Gate! I wonder what makes one Estate Price More expensive than the other one because there is no visible development there apart from 2 or 3 from a bunch of 300 Estates or More!

Why the Marketers go out of thier way to Misrepresent these things baffle the hell out of Me! Only Sherry View, Golden Masters, To an Extent Golden Heritage and Yotimi Estates have done some considerable work there but that doesnt mean a whole lot of people stay there o!

Still More from the Real Mowe Ofada Ibafo so called developed Estates:

Anybody buying a land there should either buy those lands for LONG TERM INVESTMENT and not for immediate Movement. Apart from these 3 Estates that considerable development has occured i.e Golden Masters Estate, Yotomi Estate and Sherry View Estate, the rest are just Mere jungles over filled with bushes and trees.

I also went to the Ogun State Land Bureau in Abeokuta to perform a concrete search on some of those Estates and know whether they even have the right to market to sell them to the public and have the right certificates, you will be shocked to know that Most of them do not have a Certificate of Occupancy (C/O) from the Ogun State Government granting them the right to own those lands and sell to the public, which automatically means some of them are selling defective lands to unsuspecting people and you will have to cough out blood to procure your own C/O tomorrow from the Ogun State Government. I was even reliably told by a senior Official that The Ogun state Government, intends to swoop on that place soon to Verify and reclaim some of those Lands and Estate because they havent followed Due process in acquiring them for sale to People.