₦airaland Forum

Abdul Adam56: Police collect there own share,for 30 minute operation u didn't burst in?Nd now u people started arrestin innocent citizen,heartless women.

Written by  Oluwole Ige-Osogbo Thursday, 20 December 2012

BARELY five days to Christmas, heavily armed robbers, on Wednesday, stormed a a new generation bank in Ikirun township, headquarters of Ifelodun Local Government Area of Osun State, killing at least two unidentified persons, while about five individuals sustained varied degrees of injury.

Our correspondent authoritatively gathered that the hoodlums, who laid siege to the bank, operated unhindered for about 30 minutes, as the security agents attached to the bank could not repel them.

Sources informed the Nigerian Tribune that the armed robbers, numbering about six, stormed the Ikirun branch of the bank at about 4.00p.m when the bank was rounding off its financial transactions for the day and were able to make away with undisclosed sums of cash.

The development, which caused pandemonium around the area where the bank is located, forced many people to scamper to safety, with a view to avoiding being hit by stray bullets of the armed robbers.

Another source added that after scaring the customers waiting to make withdrawals from the ATM away, they subsequently gained entry into the banking hall, where they allegedly carted away undisclosed sums of money.

A top officer of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), who declined to disclose his identity, told our correspondent that they had to divert  drivers plying the Ikirun-Inisha road so that they would not run into the scene of the robbery.

When contacted, the  Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) of the Osun State police command,  Mrs Folashade Odoro, confirmed the incident to newsmen, but said they were still waiting for reports on the actual number of victims of the robbery, saying the state command of the police had deployed police officers to the town to calm the situation.

omojesu123: how far

onyewec3: Bigotory........ if fashola happens to be in imo,he can't do more than what he had done in lagos.both state aint the same.....okonjo is a miniister and not governor....soludo was a CBN govnor and not a state governor so dere jurisdiction aint d same..hope dis help bigots like you

omojesu123: 4uk islam,4uk muslims.,4uk 72 virgins,4uk prophet mohamed aka Gay prophet

demitola: U ar nt living in d State of Osun. Ar u? I guess not

alj harem: Ok I am a native of lagos and proud to claim that statement. jk jk Vanity

solomon111: Pls,can we have a sub-forum,where military issues,hardwares,operations,strategies,of different countries including Nigeria can be discussed.
Prompt attention would be appreciated.

jack4u: Time registered: December 13, 2012

jack4u: u dey craze na rumour way I hear so I decide to pass the message abi I never try!

liberty300: This year alone, seven or more companies opened in anambra state. These other projects are just getting set to be opened/commissioned by next year....I hope nigerians see the effort anambra is making and be happy for the state

hassymo5: i just hope and pray dis makes front page!!!

achi4u: good for you people!,remeber to carry us all along.

19/11/2012
40 private developers lose estates to Ogun new town scheme

A FRESH plan has been launched by the Ogun State government to reorder private estate developments along the Mowe-Ofada-Papalanto and its environs into a new town development scheme as a means to pre-empt the growing incidents of haphazard development of structures and inappropriate planning within the corridor.

Under the proposed scheme, the State’s Land Bureau has began an acquisition of some of the landed property within the axis owned by individuals, communities corporate organisations and private developer to actualize its New Town Project.

Essentially, the government has acquired lands stretching from Odeda, Ifo, Mowe, Ofada and Papalanto axis up to Abeokuta Exchange, where over 40 developers have their estates. The land size was put at about 37 hectares.

Close on the heels of the on-going scheme, several property developers have launched estate developments along the affected areas, while some have started infrastructural works; others only have their signposts to show for years of marketing the projects. Most of the estates are sold under the site and services scheme.

Expectedly, ripples of the effect on the proposed new town scheme would be felt by prospective homeowners, especially those who have committed their life savings on the procurement of plots in affected estates.

But the Special Adviser to Ogun State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, on Land Matters, Mrs. Ronke Sokefun, who also doubled as the Director General (DG), Land Bureau, said the process is “to avoid the kind of haphazard development being witnessed along the Lagos-Shagamu expressway, with their attendant environmental and security challenges,

According to her, government embarked on the new town project in the Papalanto axis, ostensibly to harmonise the existing infrastructure and correct to anomalies therein there would be the need for ratification exercise to know the affected estates and those to be incorporated into the scheme while compensation would be paid to those whose property would need to give way, “provided they have the necessary documents.”

On the allegation of neglect by Riverview estate residents against Ogun State Government, especially on the non-provision of the needed infrastructure, despite paying charges for the provision of certain facilities, such as drainage and roads, the DG said government has many things seeking its attention than the issues at the estates.

But relying on what she called “the original plan”, she said that Ogun government, right from inception of the state has no plan to sell that portion of land for development purposes, because the terrain is water plane.

Her words: “Since 1999, when Ogun Property and Investment Corporation (OPIC), was created, it has never sold that portion of land to anybody.  The two-kilometre Right of Way (RoA) has been under its control and not until 2003-2007 that Isheri Riverview was sold. This is purely a water plane. So, where would government get billions of Naira to develop water lodged area when many places are calling for attention?”

Meanwhile, the Ogun state government has fulfilled its promise to adequately compensate owners of properties to be demolished in the course of constructing a six lane road as it pays the sum of N88.07million to 69 individuals whose property are to be affected by the expansion of the Agbeloba axis of Abeokuta. In a statement by the press Officer of the Bureau of Lands, Mrs. Toluwalope Kowo, handing over the cheques to the claimants, the deputy director of lands, Mr. Isaac Akogun, said that the present administration in the state followed the normal laid down procedures of non-demolition until the compensation was paid.

He said that the yardstick used by the bureau to authenticate whom to be compensated included Certificate of Ownership (CofO), survey and building plan of the properties, noting that government contracted the valuation of the properties to a consultant on property value and payment was based on his verification and final submission.

Mr. Akogun remarked that physical development was part of beautification and urban renewal, adding that after the initial discomfort, residents would benefit in the long run from the infrastructures.

He enjoined residents to always cooperate with government, urging that were necessary, owners of property that could disturb infrastructural growth should surrender them for overall public good, particularly now that that government is paying compensation promptly.

Speaking shortly after collecting his cheque, one of the claimants, Chairman, Ansarudeen Mosque, Agbeloba, Alhaji Moshood Opebiyi appreciated the government for matching his words with action, saying that it had once again displayed its commitment to the welfare of the people.

Speaking in the same vein, another claimant Alhaji Silifat Oke, said the present administration in the state had always displayed its passion for the people, the gesture deserved commendation from all and sundry. Another claimant, Alhaji Usman Adebiyi said he was overwhelmed with governors gesture of coming personally to appeal to them before the commencement of the demolition, pointing out that the money paid by government would help him and others to embark on projects that would ensure their well being.
http://www.ngrguardiannews.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=105163:40-private-developers-lose-estates-to-ogun-new-town-scheme&catid=25:property&Itemid=655

Urban development: Ogun plans 37,000-hectare new town

The Ogun State Government has earmarked 37,000 hectares of land for the development of a new town that will straddle the Papalanto axis in Obafemi Owode Local Government all the way to Ifo in Ifo Local Government area.

The new town, which will be part of the Lagos Mega City, will take off from the left hand side of the Papalanto road where Nestle Nigeria Plc has its factory off the Abeokuta-Shagamu dual carriageway and will traverse Mowe, Ofada, Loburo and Ifo communities, among others.

However, the news may not be too pleasant to private developers, who have acquired hundreds of hectares of land in the area, especially around Papalanto, but the government has promised that those with genuine papers have nothing to fear

According to the Special Adviser to the Governor on Land Matters and Director-General, Bureau of Lands and Survey, Mrs. Ronke Sokefun, those with valid documents will be paid compensation, while the government will excise existing settlements in order for the indigenes to maintain their heritage.

Sokefun, who spoke in an interview with our correspondent on Wednesday, said in order to facilitate the establishment of the modern city that would be a model in physical planning and infrastructure, the state government had acquired 1.5 kilometre of land from the centre of the Papalanto road on the left hand side.

The immediate past administration in the state had caused a stir when it announced the acquisition of the area on the excuse that the private developers, who flocked to the area due to the availability of relatively cheap land, had not sufficiently commenced developments.

The Real Estate Developers Association of Nigeria cried foul and made spirited appeals to the government for a reconsideration of its action, while the villagers too protested the acquisition.

Eventually, a committee was set up to review the acquisition and verify all documents possessed by the developers so that billions of naira already committed to the axis would not go down the drain.

Sokefun said the Governor Ibikunle Amosun administration “has kick-started the new town development and we are about to do the master plan.”

Speaking on the Isheri-Shagamu interchange, off the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, the special adviser said buyers of land in the area should do proper investigation before committing their resources because the state government had acquired two-kilometre breadth of land on either side of the expressway for the Ogun Property and Investment Corporation since 1994.

However, she said the affected villagers ganged up against the government and started selling large parcels of land to members of the public.

“That is why there is uncontrolled development in the area. However, we put our feet down and that is why there is a semblance of order in the axis now,” Sokefun said.

She, however, said that despite the various abuses, the Amosun administration had not taken land from anybody apart from those recommended by the judicial panel of enquiry set up by the governor to look into land administration in the state immediately he assumed office.

The special adviser said a lot of people that rushed to acquire land in the state did so for speculative reasons without adding any value to the land, with about seven agencies of government involved in the allocation of land to different classes of people.

Having met a sordid land administration process on ground, she said her first task was to undertake a holistic reform of the entire system that resulted in the reassessment of operations.

Sokefun said, “When I came in, I saw a report by the International Finance Corporation ranking Ogun State as the 36th on the ease of doing business index in the country, and one of the complaints was the timeline for land transactions.

“To correct this, we set out to automate our processes, but we had to first review our old policies. We carried out a basic process review through a consultant, Aviazon Consulting. The review involved reengineering and a lot of interviews; the firm worked for about six months and generated a workflow covering different areas of land transactions.”

She also said the bureau had commenced the use of the Electronic Data Management System to store vital land information on a central server that would be accessible from connected computers.

“When I came in, everything was 100 per cent manual. Files containing vital land information from the Western Region era were strewn on shelves. We have brought in special scanners and servers to capture records. We have been able to index those files now,” she said.

The next stage, according to her, is the Geographic Information System that will provide up-to-date satellite imageries for the entire state to aid planning, adding that the border communities would have images of 50cm, while others would have 80cm.

“Where we are going is for people to stay in their offices or homes and log on to our website and complete their land transactions. Computers are already installed in our search rooms and people can conduct their searches themselves after paying a token; we don’t want any exploitation,” Sokefun said.

http://www.punchng.com/business/homes-property/urban-development-ogun-plans-37000-hectare-new-town/

RankStatePPP GDP (2010;
in millios
of USD)

1Lagos StateUS$33,679(been the former FCT,)
2Rivers StateUS$21,073(Oil)
3Delta StateUS$16,749(Oil)
4Oyo StateUS$16,121(Productivity & Industrialization)
5Imo StateUS$14,212(Oil)
6Kano StateUS$12,393(instrialization)
7Edo StateUS$11,888(Oil)
-FCT, Abuja. US$11,448(FG's Special consideration)
8Akwa Ibom StateUS$11,179(Oil)
9Ogun StateUS$10,470(industrialization & productivity)

shymexx: Ibadan is like at least 5 times the size of most of the cities in Southern Nigeria - and I doubt the monthly pay from the FG can actually turn the city around(regardless of corruption), due to its size... Personally, I think they need to look inwards to generate funds - to put the city where it actually belongs...

Prof Corruption: Ibadan has always been underrated. A good governor can re-position the largest city South of Sahara in a term.

"Of the top 20 cities that McKinsey has identified as growth hot spots for companies targeting young, entry level consumers, Lagos and Ibadan, two key cities in the Southwest of Nigeria are included in the list,

Published on December 14, 2012 by

The national chairman of Afenifere Renewal Group, ARG, Mr Olawale Oshun, has said that development, especially among the Yoruba people is a must, not negotiable and an irreducible minimum, describing regional integration as a philosophy, system and structure that reflect and shape the strategies of governments of Western Nigeria.

Oshun said this in a speech he delivered at the 2nd Annual Nigerian Independence Lecture of the Afenifere Renewal Group, ARG, USA Chapter/ Diaspora Conference on Western Nigeria Integration, held in Detroit, Michigan, recently.

He said the subject under consideration is the planned integration of the economic activities and development considerations of all Yoruba speaking states in Nigeria, which carries with it, the intent to quicken its rate of growth, by deepening their infrastructure facility and capacity and re-awaken the healthy and positive competitive spirit that hitherto characterised the relationship of the federating regions in the country prior to military usurpation of 1966.

He added that Western Region under Obafemi Awolowo, the Eastern Region under Nnamdi Azikiwe and the Northern Region under Ahmadu Bello competed favourably, a situation which relatively brought about development to their people, which could have effectively been built upon.

“For Western Nigeria and Yoruba people, integration is a philosophy, system and structure that reflect and shape the strategies of our governments. Integration acts as a spur to greater efficiency, productivity and competitiveness. I need to emphasise though, that integration is not an end in itself, rather, it is a process to support developmental growth strategies, greater social equality and democratisation.

“We will integrate to ensure good governance as the leadership of the states will be expected to be more effective, more competitive and better equipped. We will integrate to allow for the establishment of common sets of development indicators. Development, especially among the Yoruba people is a must, not negotiable and is an irreducible minimum,” he noted.

The Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, chieftain further said,”Why would we compromise on a good road network from Oyo to Akure? Why would we even debate the need for a child in Ado to be guaranteed the same quality and standard of education when his/her parents relocate to Osogbo? Why would there be an issue if I am assured that if I am ill in Ijebu-Igbo, I am assured of good primary and secondary health care I would have accessed if I stopped over in Epe? Why can’t I be comfortable in the knowledge that my older relatives in Abeokuta have a good welfare and social care packages, same that I would access if I retire in Lagos? These form the spirit of integration, these are its heart and soul.

Dipo Famakinwa while giving an overview of the strategy roadmap of the Development Agenda For Western Nigeria, DAWN, said it provides the leeway to harness in a coordinated manner, current efforts being made at creating and re-defining a new development process that would leapfrog the economies of the Western Region of Nigeria, and improve the well-being of the people.

“Across the region, and happily with no exception, there are big games and big results locally. The process and character of governance are already being re-engineered. The people are being put at the centre of development. The Awolowo development paradigm is active and alive.

“Indeed, one can say that the great march is afoot. Elements of constructive and competitive communalism are already showing up. For the first time in a long time, we can see great strides being made at the state levels to re-enact strong and virtuous leadership character, create the environment for peace and security, improve the social sector, especially education and health, create employment, develop physical infrastructure, enhance the logistics apparatuses for trade and commerce, change the face of our cities with a view to making them purveyors of urban commerce and investment, improve the environment for meaningful rural enterprise, refocus the youth, and re-channel creative energies. Of course also, there are landmark initiatives in agriculture and tourism development, and if current efforts are sustained, the Region will not be the same again,” he intoned.

Famakinwa said the nature of the Nigerian federalism, which in every practical manifestation is unitary and heavily centralised, makes development possibilities far- fetched, adding that Nigerians need to sit together to re-examine and resolve the national question once and for all, and this, he said, is a sine-qua-non for peace, progress and prosperity.

“We are certainly not maximising the latent resources, including the human talent that abound liberally within the region, and we cannot continue to put the lives and well-being of about 40 million people in jeopardy, under an illusory envelope that does not serve us, and that we, as a people, have continually opposed as an imposition.

“We believe that regional autonomy would allow us to better define our own development priorities, and harness our resources the best way we choose. Incidentally, this is at a time the world is looking in the direction of Africa for agriculture and nutrition, and for other commercial possibilities that the fast-urbanising Africa presents. Africa is being reckoned as the new frontier, and the opportunities beckon.

"Of the top 20 cities that McKinsey has identified as growth hot spots for companies targeting young, entry level consumers, Lagos and Ibadan, two key cities in the Southwest of Nigeria are included in the list, which also has urban centres such as Dar es Salaam, Tanzania;  Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso; Kampala, Uganda and Lusaka, Zambia. There is, therefore, before us, the urgency to prepare the  region for global competitiveness,” he averred.

He said that DAWN which encapsulates the regional integration agenda of the Southwest, offers a response to many of the challenges, and also create the concerted and consolidated strategy for marching forward as a region with obvious strategic assets, historical advantages and communal affiliations, which need to be urgently harnessed.

“The Agenda itself is constructed around well-defined pillars of development to pursue clear attainment targets in economic development, social and human development, infrastructure development, as well as building inclusive institutions for political and economic governance. Regional actions centred around the pillars of development will promote collaborative efforts in developing a unified cultural core, rebuilding our collective sense of purpose, branding Western Nigeria as a distinct and progressive sphere of opportunities built around result-oriented framework of actions, launching an agricultural revolution roadmap; building regional competitiveness around innovation, science and technology, developing education to be able to deliver quality human capital, skilled workforce, including technical and vocational as well as specialised capacity in science, technology and engineering; launching series of vigorous youth development programmes to arrest the looming demographic time bomb, leveraging Diaspora power maximally, harnessing positive migration, and guarding against damaging proclivities from within and outside.

“DAWN is not a secessionist agenda, but an unapologetic federalist-oriented case for regional development,” he said.