₦airaland Forum

Please help save a life. You may know someone who can assist; a journalist, medical practitioner, government official, etc. Please act so that Basit can live.

Food

Bump

Bump

By the way, do you know that the structures in the Aso Rock Villa are "illegal structures" and an example of disrespect for town planning laws?

In the Abuja master plan the Aso Rock area is meant to be a green area, while the president's residence is meant to be at Aguda House. I remember Nasir El-Rufai asking (with a smile on his face), "do we demolish the Villa?"

Cities like Abuja and Lagos should have separate air force bases where the presidential jet would take off and land.

No flight should take off if the destination airport would be closed due to VIP movement.

Citizens shouldn't have to go through this.

drzed: The amount of insults and abuses (of the personal, ethnic and religious kind) that is found on many NairaLand threads is astounding.

You moderators need to be proactive about this matter and not rely on people making reports.

Why is there no thread explaining the House Rules? Does NairaLand even have House Rules? If not, why not? I suggest you create some rules of discourse and expected decorum/etiquette - and make everyone bound by them. It is not enough for people to be reporting offensive posts. There are some threads in which almost every post contains an insult to a person, a religion or a tribe.

These insults and abuses can create/foster existing hatred and enmity among our people, apart from encouraging negative stereotypes.

Please do something about this.

Thank you.

Nairaland rules and regulations https://www.nairaland.com/1026/nairaland-forum-rules-regulations

nagoma: In a similar fashion to Dodan barracks Aso Rock villa is not a monumental edifice , but a sprawling complex of residential buildings, offices , meeting and conference rooms. A singlpile iCal picture of Aso rock villa will disappoint you.

Exactly! In fact, there are private houses at the Aso Rock Villa. Some of the houses have even been advertised for sale in the property section of Nairaland.

Reception room at Aso Rock Villa. This is where the president usually receives new/departing ambassadors and is also the venue of the presidential media chat.

In the picture below are President Goodluck Jonathan and the Ambassador of Sao Tome and Principe.

Picture courtesy of Nigeriafirst (State House Aso Rock website)

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).

I call this room the picture room. It is the main reception room at State House Marina. Pictures of all past Nigerian heads of state/heads of government are hung on the wall.

In the picture below you can see that, probably because Nigeria was still young, they had pictures of African heads of state on the wall. I can see Nasser and Haile Sellasie.

In the pic below: (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)

Ikoyi: 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. What is Dodan Barracks? So many people have asked me this question. 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).

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 come 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 come to renew their passport at the passport office across the road. 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.

In most capitals the major government buildings are usually in the same district as the residence of the head of state/head of government. I call these districts the districts of power.


Marina/Onikan: State House Marina is across the street (Cable Street) from Net Building. Beside it on Marina Street is Lagos House Marina, then Flag Staff House (current Lagos residence of the Chief of Army Staff and former residence of the Prime Minister), then across the street (Force Road) from that is the former residence of the Finance Minister. Behind State House Marina is Our Saviours (Anglican) Church, which used to be the State House chapel. Also behind State House Marina (but across the road) is Race Course/Tafawa Balewa Square, which was the venue of Independence Day parades. Beside Race Course is the former National Assembly Complex. This means that the National Assembly was just a short distance from the Prime Minister’s residence. On the other side of Race Course/Tafawa Balewa Square is Catholic Mission Street and across that street from Race Course is the Supreme Court.

Further up Marina Street is the old federal secretariat and the Cathedral Church of Christ (Anglican). Most of the ministries and departments that did not have offices at the secretariat had their offices along Broad Street.

State House compound contains a very large mansion (State House) and an administrative building behind it. The mansion is simply BEAUTIFUL, as are the grounds, which is a large garden with statues, ornamental lights, etc. Unlike other state houses, there are no Coats of Arms on the masts above the gate, but a large coat of arms is carved into the front of the building. The front gate faces the Marina, while the side gate is directly opposite Net Building. My favourite room is the “picture room” (more on that later).

Save Basit!

Please save a life today. 18 months old Basit Olaniran Aremu has a hole in his heart and needs your help. He needs 3 million naira for an operation to correct the defect. His mother, Kafayat Aremu, is a tailor. His father abandoned them when they discovered that Basit has a heart defect. Basit’s mother resides at Eleyele Lane off Massey Children’s Hospital, Ita-Faaji, Lagos and can be reached on 08023662182. Basit is currently a patient at Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH). The name of the consultant in charge of Basit’s case is Dr Okoromah (Cardiac Peadiatrician, Ward D3, LUTH). Basit has an account that people can pay into – GTBank 0113977595.

Please help Basit in any way you can. No amount is too small and you can help even if you don’t have money. You can help by creating awareness, so that the message gets to others who can also help. You can help by giving advice; you can help with your prayers.

I run a charity called Random Acts of Kindness ( https://www.nairaland.com/898681/random-acts-kindness-africa-save#11057130 ). At RAK, we usually do not get involved with anything that has to do with cash donations, but we’ve decided to make an exception in Basit’s case because his life is at stake. I encourage you to verify the information above and save a life.

Save Basit!

Please save a life today. 18 months old Basit Olaniran Aremu has a hole in his heart and needs your help. He needs 3 million naira for an operation to correct the defect. His mother, Kafayat Aremu, is a tailor. His father abandoned them when they discovered that Basit has a heart defect. Basit’s mother resides at Eleyele Lane off Massey Children’s Hospital, Ita-Faaji, Lagos and can be reached on 08023662182. Basit is currently a patient at Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH). The name of the consultant in charge of Basit’s case is Dr Okoromah (Cardiac Peadiatrician, Ward D3, LUTH). Basit has an account that people can pay into – GTBank 0113977595.

Please help Basit in any way you can. No amount is too small and you can help even if you don’t have money. You can help by creating awareness, so that the message gets to others who can also help. You can help by giving advice; you can help with your prayers.

I run a charity called Random Acts of Kindness. At RAK, we usually do not get involved with anything that has to do with cash donations, but we’ve decided to make an exception in Basit’s case because his life is at stake. I encourage you to verify the information above and save a life.

Save Basit!

Please save a life today. 18 months old Basit Olaniran Aremu has a hole in his heart and needs your help. He needs 3 million naira for an operation to correct the defect. His mother, Kafayat Aremu, is a tailor. His father abandoned them when they discovered that Basit has a heart defect. Basit’s mother resides at Eleyele Lane off Massey Children’s Hospital, Ita-Faaji, Lagos and can be reached on 08023662182. Basit is currently a patient at Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH). The name of the consultant in charge of Basit’s case is Dr Okoromah (Cardiac Peadiatrician, Ward D3, LUTH). He has an account that people can pay into – GTBank 0113977595.

Please help Basit in any way you can. No amount is too small and you can help even if you don’t have money. You can help by creating awareness, so that the message gets to others who can also help. You can help by giving advice; you can help with your prayers.

I run a charity called Random Acts of Kindness. At RAK, we usually do not get involved with anything that has to do with cash donations, but we’ve decided to make an exception in Basit’s case because his life is at stake. I encourage you to verify the information above and save a life.

Good job! Keep it up.

Ben Bruce and Tony Uranta were waiting to board that plane. A FAAN official saw them and told them not to board because DANA has had issues with the poor condition of the plane. Read here https://www.nairaland.com/958557/faan-official-saved-me-ben

FAAN official saved me, Ben Bruce – Uranta

By TEMITOPE OGUNBANKE 07/06/2012 03:42:00

The Executive Secretary of the National Summit Group (NSG), Mr. Tony Uranta, yesterday revealed that an official of the Federal Authority Airports of Nigeria (FAAN) saved him and the Chairman of Silverbird Group, Mr. Ben Murray-Bruce, from the Sunday plane crash by prevailing on him (Uranta) to abandon his flight with Dana Air, on issues bordering on poor condition of the crashed aircraft.

Speaking to a group of journalists in Lagos yesterday on his escape from the ill-fated crash, Uranta, the Secretary of United Niger Delta Energy Development Security Strategy (UNDEDSS), said he would have boarded the crashed aircraft if he had failed to listen to the advice and warning of the FAAN official, who was truthful to him about the state of the crashed aircraft.

His words: “On Sunday, I was booked to leave on that ill-fated flight. I got to the airport and a delay was announced. Blessedly for me, a FAAN staff at the airport, who saw me in the lounge came to me to advise me not to wait for that flight because Dana Air flight have been a bit unsteady in the last three days then.

“He said the delay problem was due to the fact that most of the planes were developing fault and that they were carrying out emergency repairs on them at every airport they landed. He had no inclination of a possibility of a crash; he was just talking of how I will be delayed if I waited.

“The man did not say the plane will crash, he only said that; ‘Due to its antecedent and the fact that their planes have been showing signs of bad servicing, there would most probably be a delay longer than the one that has been announced.

http://nationalmirroronline.net/news/41674.html

Food

Bump

Another Okija: Henry Nwosu....

MKO Abiola was a criminal and we shouldn't celebrate criminals wether they won an election or not...

Its funny how history always seems to forget the honest Igbo man...

1994 Daewoo Racer for sale. Click here https://www.nairaland.com/999730/sale-1994-daewoo-racer

Bump

Bump

Bump

Bump