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A very honest and selfless leader

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Where?

Agidigbo FM Owner, Oriyomi Hamzat Currently Hospitalised After Death Of 35 Children At Ibadan Festive Party

SaharaReporters on Wednesday broke the news about how tragedy struck at the Islamic High School in Bashorun, Ibadan when a stampede occurred during a children's Christmas party.

The owner of Agidigbo FM, a prominent private radio station, Mr Oriyomi Hamzat is currently at the hospital, sources at the media house told SaharaReporters on Thursday.

Inside sources from Agidigbo FM told SaharaReporters that Mr Hamzat expressed shock after he witnessed the deaths of some of the children during the ill-fated festive party organised at the Islamic High School in Bashorun, Ibadan.

The media entrepreneur was hurriedly rushed to a nearby hospital for prompt medical attention.

SaharaReporters on Wednesday broke the news about how tragedy struck at the Islamic High School in Bashorun, Ibadan when a stampede occurred during a children's Christmas party.

Queen Naomi Silekunola Ogunwusi, the former wife of the Ooni of Ife, was a key organiser of the tragic children's festive party.

Additionally, Agidigbo 88.7 FM, owned by Oriyomi Hamzat, had actively promoted the event in the days leading up to the devastating incident.

The Oyo State government had confirmed that no fewer than 35 children lost their lives during the tragedy while the police, in a statement by SP Osifeso Adewale, said that 35 children had been confirmed dead so far with six others critically injured.

The police had also confirmed the arrest of Prophetess Naomi Silekunola, the estranged wife of the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, and seven others behind ill-fated event.

Sources said Mr Hamzat is yet to recover since Wednesday morning after what happened at the children’s party.

“He(Mr Hamzat) was truly at the event. But when the stampede started and children were collapsing, he could not withstand that ugly scene. So he also fell and he is currently at the hospital,” a source privy to the incident told SaharaReporters.

EFCC arraigns bankers for ‘selling N500k’ mint notes in Enugu


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The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Enugu zone, says it has arraigned two bankers for allegedly selling mint naira notes (valued at N500,000) to customers.

In a statement on X on Tuesday, the EFCC said the bankers, Ekpe Okoronkwo and Umeonuoha Onyinye, staff of one of the new generation banks.

The commission said the bankers were arraigned before Mohammed Umar, the presiding judge of a federal high court in Enugu state, on December 12.

According to the EFCC, the defendants were arrested on November 15, 2024, following actionable intelligence linking them to the sale of naira mints in the state metropolis.

The anti-graft agency said the defendants (arrested at their workplace located at 18 Okpara Avenue, Enugu) allegedly sold N500,000 mints in N200 denominations, to a customer identified as Husseini Ibrahim.

“That you, Ekpe Anayaoha Okoronkwo and Umeonuoha Onyinye, sometime in October 2024 at Enugu, Enugu state, within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court of Nigeria, did sell a total sum of Five Hundred Thousand Naira (N500,000.00) mints in Two Hundred Naira Notes (N200) denominations, issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria to one Husseini Ibrahim and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 21 (4) of the Central Bank of Nigeria Act, 2007 and punishable under Section 21 (1) of the same Act,” the one count charge reads.

According to the statement, while Okoronkwo pleaded guilty to the charge, Onyinye pleaded not guilty.

In his response, Rotimi Ajobiewe, counsel and chief superintendent of the EFCC, asked the court for a short date to review the case regarding the first defendant.

“In respect of the second defendant, we pray for a date for trial to enable the prosecution to prove its case,” Ajobiewe said.

However, counsel to the second defendant, C. N. Agama prayed the court to remand Onyinye at the EFCC custody, pending the hearing of the bail application.

After listening to the prayers of the counsels, Umar adjourned the matter to January 15, 2025, for Onyinye’s bail application hearing and the conviction and sentencing of Okoronkwo.

Concerns raised over 2 aircraft smuggled from Nigeria to Iran


The international community has raised concerns over a controversial aircraft which was recently smuggled from Nigeria to Iran. The two Nigeri­an registered aircraft were smuggled to Mahran Air by Azman Air.

BusinessDay’s findings show that these aircraft were sold without the knowledge of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, (NCAA). Michael Achimugu, the Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, NCAA, said that the regulatory agency was planning to write the Civil Aviation Authority of the Islamic Republic of Iran (CAA.IRI), for clarity on the status of the two aircraft.

Achimugu also said that NCAA would write Azman Air to investigate the alleged turning off of the transponder of the aircraft, but said it didn’t “happen in our jurisdic­tion.” He said that the agency was not aware of the sale of any aircraft, insisting that the aeroplanes had not been deregistered in Nigeria.

The controversial air­craft are Airbus A340-600 with the registration num­ber: 5N-AAM and Boeing 737-300 with the registra­tion number: 5N-YSM. The two aircraft, A340- 600 and B737-300 are presently stored in Teram Imam Khomeini (IKA) and Tehran and Mehrabad (THR), Iran, respectively, and sold to the Iranian air­line in violation of inter­national sanctions against Iran.

According to foreign media, the Middle East Forum Observer stated that Azman Air is one example of the many companies involved in Mahan Air’s recent sanction evasion operations in Africa.

According to the platform, Macka Invest in Gambia and PT Asia Global Airlines from Indonesia also have helped Mahan Air and other Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-linked Iranian airlines to acquire aeroplanes, registering them in countries like the Republic of Congo, Burundi, Burkina Faso, Nigeria, and Gambia before smuggling them into Iran.

By imposing sanctions on these companies, the U.S. Department of the Treasury can also impede the Iranian aviation smuggling networks.

“The A340-642 series is the largest of the Airbus A340 variants, with a capacity of 308 passengers. The use of Rolls Royce Trent 556-61 engines makes it easier for Mahan Air to maintain these aircraft, compared to the smaller A340 variants powered by American-made General Electric CFM56-5C4 engines.

“This ease of maintenance is a key factor driving Mahan Air’s e#orts to acquire more of these aircraft through Nigeria.The Nigeria example highlights how the U.S. intelligence community must better monitor aircraft movements in African countries, particularly in the sub-Saharan region, to identify planes that Iran may seek as part of its sanctions evasion operation,” the media platform stated.

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Northern Nigeria Has Been Left Behind, Emir Sanusi II Laments


The 16th Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, has lamented the Northern Nigeria’s failure to capitalise on its vast population for development, urging stakeholders to prioritise investments in education and agriculture to uplift the region.

Speaking as the guest speaker at the 50th anniversary of the visit of the founder of Faidha Tijjaniyya in West Africa, Sheikh Ibrahim Nyass, in Jos, Plateau State, the monarch noted that a significant population from the region practise subsistence farming and lacked access to modern agricultural technologies. He stressed the urgent need for the North to modernise its agricultural practices and improve educational standards, adding that the “North must wake up.”

In a lecture titled ‘The Imperative of Harmonious Coexistence in a Multi-Ethnic and Multi-Religious Setting’, the Emir drew on historical examples of peacebuilding, recalling the visit of the renowned Senegalese Islamic scholar Sheikh Ibrahim Nyass to Nigeria 50 years ago to promote peaceful coexistence between Muslims and non-Muslims in the then Benue-Plateau State.

Emir Sanusi II noted that his grandfather, late Emir Muhammadu Sanusi I, received Sheikh Nyass with the approval of the then Benue-Plateau Governor, J. D. Gomwalk, a gesture that emphasised tolerance.

The Kano Emir, therefore, called on Muslims in Plateau State to complement the governor’s efforts in promoting sustainable peace and development.

Purge yourself of bad eggs, Olanipekun counsels judiciary

Former President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Wole Olanipekun (SAN)
A former president of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Chief Wole Olanipekun, has called on the judiciary to maintain its integrity by purging itself of bad eggs.

Olanipekun, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), made the call in Ibadan on Monday at the opening of the Law Week and 70th Anniversary Celebration of the NBA, Ibadan Branch.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports the programme is entitled “Law, Legal Practice and Development.”

The legal expert urged the bar and bench to identify the bad and corrupt ones, bring them to justice, and flush them out of the system lest they rubbish other good practitioners.

He called on the judiciary stakeholders to join the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, to sanitise the entire judiciary system.

Olanipekun enjoined the bar to stop all means of attacking judges, especially in the media.

According to him, the bench should also ensure temperate language for the legal practitioners, always acting nobly, whether in court or not, and behaving honourably with their colleagues.

“Do not engage in strife, blackmail, mudslinging, campaigns of calumny, treachery, or any attempt to pull anyone down.

“If the forbears of this branch had engaged themselves in mudslinging, war of attrition, among other vices, Ibadan bar would not be where it is today.

“Life in the country will become solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short without law playing its proper role,” he said.

He says the Ibadan branch has excelled in the legal profession by every imaginable matrix.

“In terms of the quality and content of its products, it towers high among the community of NBA branches in Nigeria.

“It is, actually, the leader, leading with exemplary virtues while others follow.

“In the next 30 years, when you will be celebrating your centenary anniversary, your grass shall remain green as you continue to blossom,” Olanipekun said.

Meanwhile, the Oyo State Deputy Governor, Mr Bayo Lawal, urged the lawyers to maintain good conduct to project the profession better.

“Let us always remember that caution is recommended in this profession; we must not blackmail one another because it’s never found as part of the profession,” he said.

The chairman, NBA, Ibadan Branch, Mr Ibrahim Lawal, said the week-long anniversary celebrations, which began on Friday, would feature a series of exciting activities.

“The mobilisation of fantastic resources, men, and materials holds the promise of exciting moments throughout the celebrations.

“The culminating effect will be the setting of a veritable landmark in the history of the NBA branches in the entire country,” Lawal said.

Also, Mr Mutalubi Ojo (SAN), Chairman, Law Week and 70th Anniversary Planning Committee, described the Ibadan branch as the foremost bar association with several landmark achievements.

“So, we have every cause to roll out the drums to celebrate our success stories.

“It’s a week of loaded and star-studded programmes that will better the country in all aspects,” Ojo said.

yarimo:
Donating stolen money from labour party

Keyamo defends Winners’ Chapel airstrip, says license won’t be revoked

Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr Festus Keyamo has insisted that the license given to Living Faith Church, otherwise known as Winners’ Chapel, will not be withdrawn.

In October, the House of Representatives demanded the withdrawal of licenses granted to the church, other private individuals and organisations to safeguard national security.


Keyamo, however, argued that the church has not violated any rules, and stressed that the church adhered to all legal processes before the airstrip was approved.

He spoke on This Morning, an Arise Television programme.

His words: “You can’t single out an individual in a country like this when you have given the same right to so many people and say withdraw that particular one. On what basis?

“The people have not breached any terms upon which we gave them the license. If you single them out, the constitution says you should not discriminate against any Nigerian. They are following the rules.

“It took me one year to approve that airstrip because we went through so many processes. By law, I said the minister would approve. That is what the law says. And it came to me. I looked at all the processes. I approved.

“You cannot take off from any private airstrip in Nigeria and fly outside the country. This is not possible. You must first land at an international airport. You will be well-processed and checked before you fly out. If you are flying in, you must first land at an international airport. You will be processed before you fly to your private airstrip.”

Nigeria Doesn't Need Mercenaries Or Foreign Boots To Fight Terrorists; We Just Need Modern Equipment — Defence Chief, Musa

He revealed that the Nigerian military had started assembling its own Armoured Personnel Carriers (APC).

The Chief of Defence Staff, Gen Christopher Musa, has told the President Bola Tinubu-led government to provide the military with modern equipment and weapons to fight the growing insurgency in the country.

Musa said this on Friday during an interview on Arise News Channel, while ruling out the need for mercenaries to support the Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN) in the fight against criminal groups in the country.

He revealed that the Nigerian military had started assembling its own Armoured Personnel Carriers (APC).

He also pointed out that Nigeria was stabilising the West Africa sub-region and the Sahel, as it had always done.

The CDS said, “We don’t need mercenary fighters, we don’t need any foreign boot on our soil and that was why it was not even being thought out. We don’t have a foreign military base in Nigeria. We have the capacity to wage the war, we are training together.

“All we need is to get the equipment that we are fighting with. The ongoing war has also helped us to build the capacity to also produce our own armaments.

“I just came in from Jaji this morning, we are now producing and assembling our own armoured personnel carrier (APC), before we start full production.

“We believe that if we are able to get these things right, we would be able to do the right thing. We don’t need external help. Remember that we stabilised Liberia, Sierra Leone, and other west African nations, so we can still do same thing here”.

Musa stated that the Armed Forces of Nigeria had become a beacon of hope for Nigerians and that the military would continue to promote democracy in the country.

Musa stated that no military officers in Nigeria were interested in a coup, and that the country was working hard to restore democracy in Guinea, Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger.

“We are better in a democratic setting, so we want to sustain it,” he said.

Musa noted that the military was rising to the occasion, stressing that though the nation’s armed forces are trained in conventional warfare, they have adjusted to the asymmetric nature of insurgency tactics.

“We are used to fighting countries, but now we have to deal with enemy within and that becomes very difficult because the enemy understands that we are subjected to human rights and other international legal instruments governing armed conflict,” he said.

2027: North angry, ‘ll look for alternatives if Tinubu doesn’t get it right – Yerima, AYCF

The President of the Arewa Youth Consultative Forum (AYCF), Alhaji Shettima Yerima in this interview with Saturday Vanguard shares his insights on the perceived northern opposition to the tax reforms bill, highlighting the shortcomings in the government’s approach to the bill, the importance of proper consultation, and the need for transparency to gain public support.

He also addresses the broader dissatisfaction in the north, reflecting on the high expectations from the Tinubu-led government, emphasising the need to address insecurity and economic hardship to win back the trust of the northern populace.

Yerima also criticises some state governors for their lack of creativity and initiative in generating revenue within their states, but rely heavily on federal allocations, preferring to share federal funds with their cronies rather than investing in their states’ development. He argues that decentralizing the federal structure would force states to become more productive and self-sufficient, ultimately benefiting the entire country. Excerpts:

Why the Northern Opposition to the Tax Reforms Bills? What are your fears?

The tax reform bills depend on how individuals or certain interests perceive them. But for us, the government could have done better. The idea was fine, drawing inferences from the situation in the country. Even if we are doing fine, no country ignores taxation.

This is one major area where they can generate funds for development. The presentation was one of the problems. The managers of the bills did not do well, which is why you see the reactions coming from the north as if the region is anti-tax reforms. No. They brought the issue and politicised it, making it seem anti-north. The government can still do well by consulting, which is the first thing they should have done. Go through the National Assembly, and the elected representatives will now go back to their various constituencies to meet with their people.

This way, the bill will enjoy the deserved legitimacy. I am happy that, at the end of the day, there is an understanding between the executive arm of government and the lawmakers. The lawmakers have also agreed to go back to their constituencies for further consultation. There are only a few grey areas I think they will amend and pass the bill. Certainly, the trouble it generated was unnecessary.

What are the grey areas in your view that you will consider for amendment?

For me, I am looking at the VAT area, and I also know there are bigger areas. But the opinion of the people supersedes my interest. So, it is important they let it get down to the people, and they will look at it thoroughly and let all stakeholders make inputs before it is passed at the National Assembly.

The North, having voted massively for President Tinubu and now opposing a major government decision like this, shows there is dissatisfaction among the people. Is there any regret supporting the Bola Tinubu Presidency?

In some quarters, there are certain regrets by the northern region. Don’t forget the eight years of Buhari’s administration brought nothing to the north. So, the expectation was so high that Tinubu knew where the problem lay, and someone like me who had worked with him and took him as a role model believed that he knew so much about the problems of this country and would approach the issues not as a military man but as a democrat and would be able to proffer solutions to them. But the people are disappointed because they are not getting what they expected of him.

In fairness to him, the situation was very bad. Everybody knew that whoever succeeded Buhari would go through a very rough path to succeed. We never expected that after eight years of rubbish, Tinubu would perform a miracle in two years. Yes, there are expected reforms, and without kids, we may not get the result immediately, but what is expected from the government is that whatever policy you are bringing, there must be a cushioning effect so that people would not unnecessarily suffer.

People have suffered enough. If he had done it that way, nobody would have accused Tinubu of ill-intention to balkanise the country or govern against any section of the country. He is very exposed and not a local champion. But sometimes, it is one thing to come up with a policy, but the implementation might not go well with the people.

The North is angry with the government, but the government still has another opportunity in less than two years to turn things around. So, some of us are not in a hurry to conclude that Tinubu might not be of any good to the north. We know the journey is rough. Let us give him some benefit of the doubt and encourage him.

If he doesn’t do anything that will positively impact the lives of the people, some of us can gang up against him and put our vote where we know we can get better treatment. We will sit down with all stakeholders, arrive at a conclusion, and look for alternatives. Right now, it is too early to conclude that Tinubu has failed.

What exactly are you looking at to pacify the frayed nerves of the region about some of his policies?

What I think he should do immediately is address the insecurity. I must first commend the efforts of the military. They are being stretched so much by this challenge of insecurity with inadequate manpower. I must commend the Service Chiefs and the Minister, Bello Metawalle, for boosting the morale of the men among other support.

The government should give them more support so that they can deliver on their mandate. On the economy, they need to look inward and find a way to put in place more palliatives that will get to the people and reduce the hardship on the common people. If Tinubu can win more on security and achieve peace in the troubled areas and go further to reduce the hardship on people, then he would have won the hearts of the northerners.

The north does not hate Tinubu or oppose him; it is just certain government policies making life more miserable for people, and it is expected that two years down the line, things will change for the better. But if this pain continues, you can be rest assured that it will not augur well. I believe in him, I still have faith in him, and I believe he can still turn things around. Again, one of the areas for the government to show sanity is by bringing all those who have stolen Nigeria dry to book. I am not comfortable with the government’s fight against corruption.

Some of those in the last administration who squandered our resources still gallivant around brazenly, and for the government to show sanity in the system, some of them need to be arrested and put in the cooler to pay for their sins. Some of them were nowhere a few years back, but today they own trillions of naira. This is one of the areas I am not comfortable with the government.

Amidst all of these, don’t you think the state governors need to be more creative in tackling some of these issues, particularly the economy and social security?

You have hit the nail on the head. Some of these highlighted issues are not the fault of the President. The question is, what are the governors doing with all the funds and allocations coming from the federal government to the states? Nobody is looking at that area. How have they alleviated poverty in their own way and in real economic terms? I can confidently tell you that some of these governors are sponsors of those bad elements in the National Assembly who oppose the Tax Reform bills. Some of them failed to harness some of the resources in their various states for the betterment of their people. They have nothing to bring to the table.

They only enjoy collecting the federal allocation to share with their cronies and make their girlfriends travel worldwide. They are so lazy and lack ideas. Some states that collect several billions of naira from the centre are not creative enough to even internally generate N1 billion from their states. That is why I am one of those advocating for the decentralization of the federal structure. The moment we decentralize the system, everybody will go back to their various states and harness their potential and resources and become productive. This current system will never see the light of day. If we continue under this arrangement, where people will sit and wait for federal allocation without being productive and in turn bring something to the centre, we will continue to have problems.

This is what the founding fathers envisioned. That was why the likes of Sardauna and Awolowo got it right. Why should we borrow a system from America if it is not beneficial? It is crazy. This central government must be decentralized. States must be made viable, and the governors must be productive. Some of them are lazy. Those governors are our problems.

Where is that money going? What did they use it for? We must begin to ask questions. This is why these Tax Reform bills must fly, but they must adjust the grey areas. Every state must begin to harness its resources and pay a percentage to the centre. The government, in their magnanimity, has made it clear that the money will be distributed to all tiers of government.

The state will take 50%, the local government will take 35%, and the centre will take 15%. What is wrong with that? If you don’t sow, you won’t reap. Why will the monkey continue to work and the bamboo continues to chop? I heard somebody talk about Lagos. That state has come a long way. We have seen how Lagos generates its resources. Today, without federal allocation, states like Lagos and Rivers can sustain themselves. What is wrong with our state governors doing the same to sustain themselves? Some of them, even when the federal government gives them allocation, still find it difficult to pay salaries. How can such a state survive and sustain itself?

Do you see the state governors giving a nod to this arrangement, drawing from their opposition to local government autonomy?

Yes, I agree, it will be difficult to fly, but we will continue to advocate for it until God gives us a rugged President and God-fearing lawmakers who will call their bluff and do the right thing. It will come in such a way that the governors will not be conscious of it until it is passed. Thank God for local government autonomy. We are getting there now, and we will get there.

Phrank Shaibu, the spokesman for the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the 2023 elections, Atiku Abubakar, has asked those criticising the United Kingdom’s Conservative Party leader, Kemi Badenoch, to embark on a moment of introspection.

Specifically, Shaibu urged Vice President Kashim Shettima to find something useful to do rather than concentrating on Badenoch.

PUNCH Online reports that Badenoch had in 2010 sought the support of the Nigerian community in the United Kingdom in her bid to win a seat in the British parliament.

A campaign document which has been making the rounds on social media showed that during her campaign for Dulwich and West Norwood, she reached out to Nigerians while highlighting her roots.

In a message to her Nigerian supporters, she particularly pledged to uplift the image of the country through her position in the British political system.

However, in the race to succeed the former British Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, in 2022, Badenoch had accused Nigerian politicians of using public funds for their private matters.

Also, at the Conservative Party conference, Badenoch claimed that her upbringing in Nigeria was overshadowed by fear and insecurity in a country plagued by corruption.

In one of her interviews with the British media after becoming the Conservative party leader, Badenoch said she did not want the UK to experience what made her flee Nigeria.

Badenoch of disparaging her country of origin, Nigeria, after she emerged as the UK’s Conservative Party leader.

The vice president stated that she had the right to express her opinions but could not diminish the country’s value.

Shettima proposed that Badenoch might “remove the Kemi from her name” if she did not feel pride in her “nation of origin.”

In response, Badenoch reaffirmed that she stood by her words, stating that he is not a Public Relations representative for Nigeria.

However, in a post on his X page on Saturday, Shaibu said that despite bearing the name Kemi, it does not automatically make the UK lawmaker a Nigerian.

He asked the vice president to find something useful to do with his time instead of berating Badenoch.

He wrote: “Those criticizing @KemiBadenoch should pause for a moment of introspection. The mere fact that her name is Kemi or that she has Yoruba roots does not automatically render her Nigerian.

“After all, Arsenal’s Gabriel Jesus @gabrieljesus9 is not the son of God. @officialSKSM should find something useful to do with his time.”

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FG directs houses, land owners in Lagos to pay ground rents

The Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Mr Ahmed Dangiwa, on Friday, urged owners of Federal Government-owned lands and houses in Lagos State to remit their ground rent to the government’s coffer.

Dangiwa said this during a stakeholder-citizen engagement on land administration and a physical assessment of Banana Island, Osborne Phase One and Two, Park View/Foreshore Estates, and shorelines.

He said that the ministry planned to optimise its revenue collections by ensuring that all the occupiers of Federal Government assets pay their ground rent to enable it to improve on the facilities.

According to him, while the Federal Government is committed to renovating, safeguarding, and optimising the value of its assets nationwide, it will also enforce strict compliance with its land and estates administration laws.

Dangiwa said that the Ministry of Housing, under the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu, had resolved to restore order in federal land and asset management.

“The Ministry is resolved to ensure strict adherence to the provisions of the law regarding the control and administration of its assets to maintain order,” he said.

The minister directed the estate associations to stay within their limits, noting that they have the right to collect facility management fees based on agreement with the occupants of the estates.

He warned that whatever the occupants agreed to pay should be used to maintain the estates in terms of electricity, roads, and all other facilities they use in the estate.

“This is known to be the facility management fees, which all estates usually charge in order to maintain the estate, but they should not go beyond that to collecting ground rent from the occupants.

“The ground rent is meant for the federal government.

“If they are collecting it on our behalf, they should remit it fully; otherwise, we are going to engage our own staff to do it or engage consultants to do so on our behalf,” he said.

On the need for collaboration between the ministry and the Lagos state government in resolving land disputes, the minister said that both parties had agreed to form a joint committee.

He said that the committee was expected to resolve longstanding land issues and foster a coordinated approach to land administration across the state.

He said that the federal and Lagos state governments were in talks to harmonise payment of tax on its assets and land administration to address double taxation on owners of the Federal Government estates and lands.

"We are one government, and it is vital that we work as partners to ensure effective administration of Federal Government assets.

“Proper coordination will prevent exploitation by third parties and ensure compliance with the law,” he said.

Dangiwa said that the stakeholder engagement on land administration provided an opportunity to share insights and contribute to the Federal Government’s strategy for sustainable urban development.

He also said that the interactive session was a critical step toward improving land administration in Lagos and delivering on the ministry’s promise of affordable housing and urban development for all Nigerians.

He said the ministry was ready to address the myriad challenges affecting the estate and landowners, having understood their needs, concerns, and areas for improvement.

The minister expressed concern over the poor condition of federal assets and uncompleted housing projects, vowing to expedite their renovation, upgrade, and completion.

“We have resolved to optimise these facilities and put them to good use so that they can provide value to the government and Nigerians.

“Our aim is to fast-track the completion of housing projects to increase the stock of affordable housing for Nigerians in Lagos,” he said.

According to him, plans are underway to transform the Ministry of Housing field offices into modern, functional workspaces to boost staff productivity and enhance operational efficiency in Lagos.

Addressing irregular developments along the Lagos shoreline, Dangiwa reiterated the Federal Government’s authority over shoreline titles.

He warned developers who failed to comply with legal requirements of appropriate sanction.

“To curb these practices, the ministry issued a one-month ultimatum for all developers on shorelines to regularise their papers or risk having their properties revoked and demolished.

“We have observed numerous haphazard developments along the shoreline, where people have reclaimed and built on land without proper clearance or authorisation. This is unacceptable,” Dangiwa said.

The Nigerian Armed Forces on Thursday retired 656 senior non-commissioned officers, who have served for 35 years.

The retirees were celebrated in a colourful ceremony at the Nigerian Armed Forces Resettlement Centre, Oshodi, following a six-month demilitarisation training programme designed to prepare them for civilian life.

The retirees included 535 personnel from the Nigerian Army, 86 from the Nigerian Navy, 35 from the Nigerian Air Force, and two from the Defence Intelligence Agency.

The Chief of the Air Staff, Air Vice Marshal Hasan Abubakar, paid tribute to the retirees, acknowledging their invaluable contributions to the country’s peace and security.

“This training has equipped you with the knowledge and skills needed to transition seamlessly into civil life as resourceful managers, entrepreneurs, and contributors to national development,” Abubakar said.

Quoting the popular military saying, “Soja come, soja go, but barracks remain,” he reflected on the resilience of the armed forces and the enduring legacy of its members.

“The discipline, courage, and commitment that defined your careers will inspire future generations. As you move into civilian life, I urge you to uphold these values, becoming role models and ambassadors of the military profession in your communities,” he added.

The Air Chief encouraged the retirees to embrace the new chapter with confidence, reminding them that their training and experiences would ensure a successful transition.

NAFRC Commandant, Air Vice Marshal Mamman, highlighted the centre’s role in preparing retiring officers for life after service.

“NAFRC has trained over 51,000 personnel, providing them with self-reliant and managerial skills to excel in civilian life,” Mamman said.

He urged the retirees to face the future with optimism.

“Do not fear the future. With the discipline and skills you have acquired, along with faith, you will enjoy a bright and prosperous future filled with long life, good health, and success,” Abubakar said.