26/04/23

Shina J.O

The Nigerian government has expressed deep concern over the dire humanitarian situation in Sudan and empathize with the entire civilian population in the country, including the Nigerian students.

In a joint statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and
Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, the Ministers noted with concern that some of these students are trying to find their way to contiguous borders of either Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia or Chad on their own.

The statement adds that in line with the directive,
the National Emergency
Management Agency (NEMA), National Commission for Refugees, Migrants
and Internally Displaced Persons is working very closely with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Nigerian Missions in the countries bordering Sudan to immediately evacuate the students and other affected Nigerian
citizens.

The Ministers, therefore, urge parents to advise their wards that while
concerted efforts are being made to evacuate them, they students should endeavour to remain calm and maintain constant communication with officials of the
Nigerian Embassy in Sudan.

They can reach the
Embassy Officials on the following telephone numbers, +2348035866773,
+249961956284, +2348063636862, +249961956274, +2349066663493.

Furthermore, they are also advised to guard against undertaking the treacherous
journey to the borders on their own, in view of the dangers involved.

The ministers emphasise that concrete plans are
underway, to deploy, very shortly, air transport to evacuate all stranded Nigerian
citizens through the identified safe transit areas back home to Nigeria in safety and dignity.

SHINA.J.O

25/04/23

The ceasefire in Sudan so far appears to be holding after taking effect at midnight on Monday.

It is at least the third suspension of fighting since violence erupted this month, but the others did not hold.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the 72-hour pause in fighting had been agreed between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) after 48 hours of negotiations

Both sides in the conflict independently announced their involvement in the ceasefire.

UN Secretary General António Guterres has warned the violence in Sudan risks, causing a “catastrophic conflagration” that could engulf the whole region and beyond.

Since the violence began, residents of the battle-scarred capital Khartoum have been told to stay inside, and food and water supplies have been running low.

The bombing has hit key infrastructure, like water pipes, meaning that some people have been forced to drink from the River Nile.

There will be hopes that the ceasefire will allow civilians to leave the city. Foreign governments will also hope it will allow for continued evacuations out of the country.

Countries have scrambled to evacuate their diplomats and civilians as fighting raged in central, densely populated parts of the capital.

Earlier on Monday, Blinken said that some convoys trying to move people out had encountered “robbery and looting.”

The US, he added, was looking at potentially resuming its diplomatic presence in Sudan, but he described the conditions there as “very challenging.”

Sudan is suffering an “internet blackout” with connectivity at 2% of ordinary levels, monitoring group NetBlocks said on Monday. In Khartoum, the internet has been down since Sunday night.

It is estimated that tens of thousands of people, including Sudanese citizens and those from neighbouring countries, have fled because of the unrest.

“We must all do everything within our power to pull Sudan back from the edge of the abyss … We stand with them at this terrible time,” Guterres said, adding that he had authorised temporary relocation of some UN personnel and families.

The Security Council has planned a meeting on Sudan this Tuesday.

25/04/23

SHINA J.O

Ahead of the May 29 inauguration, President-elect, Bola Tinubu on Monday return to Nigeria from France.

His plane landed at the Presidential Wing of Nnamdi Azikiwe international airport few minutes Past four accompanied by his wife Oluremi Tinubu.

Supporters of the President-elect had besieged the Airport to welcome him, singing and chatting his campaign slogan.

The president-elect had travelled out of Nigeria to France on March 21, a trip his campaign council said was meant for him to take a rest and plan ahead of his inauguration on May 29.

A statement by the APC presidential campaign council had in March noted that Tinubu travelled to France to rest and plan his transition programme after a very exhaustive campaign and election season.

25/04/23

PRESS RELEASE

When the 7-storey building collapsed at Banana Island, Ikoyi, Lagos on April 12, 2023, the holy month of Lent /Easter and Ramadan/Eid-El-Fitri seemed desecrated. However, for this incident to have occurred around this sacred period, an auspicious time to intensify the evangelism against building collapse and stir the conscience of those who are currently the domineering factor in the Nigerian Housing Sector is NOW!

Real estate and housing development have become an alternative booming business for investors following the collapse of the stock exchange and manufacturing in Nigeria. So many business oriented people, who possess nil training in building construction have flooded the nation’s construction sphere with little respect for professionalism and due process.

When there are no eligibility criteria, requirements or qualifications that restrict admission into a sensitive and critical sector, the consequence will endanger the much cherished live and property. And in ‘all comers affair’ , where professional advice is hardly adhered to as profiteering is elevated above safety, compromise becomes the order of the day.

This abnormal and unacceptable situation became a concern to those of us in the built environment professional services. Town Planners, (Land) Surveyors, Architects, Engineers, Quantity Surveyors, Builders, and Estate Surveyors & Valuers came together to form a coalition named Building Collapse Prevention Guild (BCPG) in 2011. Of course, the membership was huge and well spread across different localities and reticulated into various cell formations.

The ubiquitousness of our members was to augment the low capacity of the government staff at monitoring the massive expanse of developed and rapidly developing built environment. The huge BCPG network enabled information on substandard building construction works and distressed buildings get to the notice of the relevant government staff. The system was result-oriented, effective, and still subsisted in a unity of purpose.

When people are passionate about a cause, performance in a voluntary service becomes remarkable. What could have motivated BCPG members into doing a work that lacked material gains? In this global village, every news of building collapse causes an incalculable damage to the reputation of the Nigerian built environment professional. He or she is regarded as inferior in the eye of foreign counterparts.

The price being paid by the Nigerian construction professionals is high in image damaging due to the activities of quacks. Hence, the earlier the menace of building collapse is put to rest, the better for the practitioners in the Nigerian building industry. The spirit of giving back to the industry/society, where we earn our income, in order to uplift our professional image is a form of social responsibility that we naturally align with. Hence, we shall continue to expend our personal resources to fight causes of building collapse. 12 years of collective, relentless and consistent service to humanity! Despite series of disappointment and discouragement, we cannot afford to give up. There is no man – made problem that defies solution.

The size of developers has become enormous, thereby overwhelming the government monitoring apparatus. 90% of developers do not belong to the association and quite a number of them are very influential. The culture of inducement being promoted by many developers has encouraged compromise in the circles of government officials.

In the light of the foregoing, we hereby appeal to developers to abide by the building regulations and engage the appropriate professionals in the pre-construction, construction and post- construction stages of building. They should consider the risk involved in building construction more than the gains.

Developers embarking on multi storey building construction should desist from direct labour method and engage the services of reputable construction companies. It is a clever way of mortgaging risk. Saving cost at the expense of human life could result in huge financial losses, chorusing the foolhardiness of penny wise pound foolish.

We equally appeal to the government to lessen the burden on developers by reducing the high development fees and taxation. Expensive preliminary costs incurred in building plan approval etc tempt developers to cut corners / cheat.

Greed is the major weakness of most developers. We pray to God to help them overcome this evil spirit.

Investment in the housing sector is a pertinent developmental contribution that provides appreciable returns . However, investment in buildings that will not stand the test of time, endangering the life of occupants is an investment in futility. Every developer should endeavour to deliver a building with the heart and intention of occupying it by himself or herself.

Any developer that is in doubt of the stability or quality of building(s) already constructed by him or her should have the courage to contact us for remedy. Keeping quiet might spell imponderable disaster for many.

It is pertinent to seize this opportunity to remind those handling building projects for their relations and friends in the diaspora to bear in mind that God has a way of rewarding sincere people that do not engage in the diversion of project fund to the detriment of building production quality.

Morality and ethics can help raise the bar for our entire building industry.

Those who invest rightly are considered wise developers. May the developers in this clime become wise and lessen the fears of incessant building collapse.

May the Almighty God double your blessing as you build conscientiously.

Amen.

Tpl. Sulaimon Yusuf,
National President.

QS. Adenike Ayanda,
Honorary General Secretary.

April 23, 2023.

24/04/23

PRESS RELEASE

SAUDI BOUND WIDOWER, DIVORCEE ARRESTED AT LAGOS AIRPORT WITH 14.4KG COCAINE
AS NDLEA INTERCEPTS ILLICIT DRUGS IN WEDDING GOWN; NABS 400-LEVEL VARSITY STUDENT IN BAYELSA, CRIPPLE IN EDO, AN EX-CONVICT IN ADAMAWA, NOTORIOUS DEALER IN ONDO; SEIZES 1.2 TONS OF SKUNK IN KADUNA.

A widower, Ariyibi Ahmed Olaseinde and a divorcee, Akanbi Silifat Tunrayo who were going for lesser hajj in Saudi Arabia have been arrested by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA Ikeja Lagos for attempting to export 14.4 kilograms of cocaine concealed in lace and ankara fabrics.

The spokesman of the NDLEA, Femi Babafemi said Ariyibi was intercepted on Thursday 20th April at the screening point of MMIA Terminal 2 during outward clearance of Qatar Airways passengers travelling from Lagos via Doha to Medina, Saudi Arabia.

When his carry-on bag was checked, four sets of white lace material with linings of substance that tested positive for Cocaine weighing 11.50kg were discovered.

The suspect who claimed to be a widower and an advertising practitioner said his original plan was to ingest the drugs but had to change his mind after failed attempts to swallow bitter cola, which he was using to practice the process.
He is expected to be paid One Million, Eight Hundred Thousand Naira (N1,800,000) upon successful delivery of the consignment in Medina, Saudi Arabia.

The previous day, Wednesday 19th April, NDLEA officers at the Terminal 2 of the airport also arrested Mrs. Silifat Tunrayo Akanbi with 2.90kg cocaine during outward clearance of Qatar Airways passengers from Lagos via Doha to Jedda, Saudi Arabia.

A search of her hand luggage led to the discovery of six sheets of cocaine weighing 2.90kg concealed in ankara fabrics.
Preliminary investigation revealed that the suspect is a divorcee and a trader who used to hawk cloths around Awoyaya area of Ajah, Lagos.

Based on information in her statement, a follow-up operation that lasted through the night into the early hours of Thursday 20th April was carried out, during which the person who recruited her, Alhaji Adebayo Adeola Wasiu was arrested at No 28, Olateju Street, Mushin, Lagos. Adebayo is the managing director of B&T Travel Agency.
In the same vein, NDLEA officers attached to courier companies have intercepted two drug consignments consisting of ecstasy and skunk going to United Arab Emirate. While the pills of ecstasy were concealed in a gold colour wedding gown, the skunk was hidden in a microcontroller.
This is even as a 400-level Marine Engineering student at the Niger Delta University, Amassoma, Bayelsa state, Kelvin Ogenedoro has been arrested for dealing in 600 grams of skunk. He was nabbed at the university’s gate in a follow-up operation following the interception of the consignment in a commercial bus along Tombia-Amassoma road.
In Adamawa state, a notorious drug dealer, Sunday Ishaku Emzor (aka Lalas) who was convicted and sentenced to 15 years imprisonment in 2010 for drug offences, was on Thursday 20th April arrested for drug dealing. He was arrested at Hayin Gada, Imburu Numan LGA where he went to supply 1.650kg of cannabis to an undercover operative. His Yellow Press Cub motorcycle used for supplying illicit drugs and cash of N78,120 suspected to be proceed of the illegal business were recovered from him at the point of arrest.
On the same day in Kaduna, operatives acting on credible intelligence intercepted a truck conveying 110 bags and 200 compressed blocks of cannabis sativa weighing 1.223 tons (1,223kg) in Zaria while the truck driver, Adekunle Olanrewaju, 32, and his assistant, Tunde Jamiu, 20, were arrested.

In Edo State, a 42-year-old cripple, Lucky Aigberenmolen trading in illicit drugs on his wheelchair was arrested in a raid of drug joints in parts of the state. While Lucky was nabbed at Ekpoma, Esan West LGA with 1.3kg of Cannabis Sativa and 10 litres of Monkey Tail, another suspect, Mary David,46, was arrested at Ugbegun, Esan Central LGA with four litres of Monkey Tail and Osagiede Stephanie, 19, at Ekpoma, with various quantities of Colorado, Methamphetamine, and Molly. A 50kg cannabis stored in a bush ready for distribution was also recovered in Irrua area of the state.

While two suspects: Adeshina Olalekan and Christopher Joel, were arrested at Lektop hotel, Igbeba, Ijebu Ode, Ogun State, with 39 litres of Skuchies, as well as various quantities of tramadol, and rophynol, operatives in Imo State intercepted a female suspect, Ijeoma Anyiam Loreza, 40, at Orogwe, Owerri North with 70 blocks of Cannabis Sativa weighing 30kg.

A notorious drug dealer in Okitipupa area of Ondo state, Mathew Obateru, 42, has also been taken into custody after different quantities of Cocaine, Heroin, Methamphetamine, Colorado and Loud were recovered from him. In Taraba, a suspect, Mohammed Usman was arrested on Monday 17th April in connection with the seizure of 10,009 pills of tramadol.

24/04/23

BENEDICTA T.D

Another building under construction has collapsed again in Lagos amid thunder strike that followed the heavy rain of Sunday.

The latest building collapse is coming seventy two hours after the a seven storey building collapsed in Banana Island area of Lagos state where one body was recovered under the rumble.

All the workers at the site of the collapsed building were said to have embarked on Sallah holiday as no casualty was recorded.
Meanwhile,officials of the Building Control Agency in a swift reaction have sealed the collapsed building to allow for further investigation into the incident.

24/04/23

BENEDICTA T.D

A civil society organisation under the auspices of Natural Justice has expressed worries that despite the Nigerian Meteorological Agency NIMET early warning that this year’s flooding will be more devastating than that of twenty twenty two, Government at all levels were yet to take proactive steps to prevent Human, economic and environmental catastrophe.

This was made known during a media training on reporting the environment and climate emergency through climate justice lens in port Harcourt .

Despite the devastating effects of last year’s flooding that led to over one point nine million persons displaced , property worth millions of naira destroyed and over six hundred persons losing their lives,many seem to have forgotten so soon

It is against this backdrop that civil society organization Natural justice expresses worries that despite the early warning about the devastating effects of this year’s flooding predicted by NIMET ,it appears no proactive steps have been taken by government to mitigate the impacts of climate change.

The organisation called on government at all levels to as a matter of urgency declare a state of emergency on environmental issues especially in the Niger Delta region .

It further observed that the impacts of climate change were threats to life and the environment therefore, it was important for all hands to be deck to arrest the emergency situation and begin to address the issues.

23/04/23

Shina J. O

The US military has evacuated American diplomats and their families from Khartoum.

All U.S. government personnel and a small number of diplomatic personnel from other countries were evacuated in the operation, which removed fewer than 100 people,

Three Chinook helicopters landed near the US embassy to collect them.

Reports from Washington say the operation lasted was “fast and clean.”

President Joe Biden, in a statement, said, “This tragic violence in Sudan has already cost the lives of hundreds of innocent civilians, it’s unconscionable, and it must stop.”

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken also in a statement that “all U.S. personnel and their dependents” have been safely evacuated and that the U.S. will continue to assist Americans in Sudan in planning for their own safety.

The French Ministry of Foreign Affairs has also announced it was beginning to evacuate its citizens and diplomatic staff from the country.

Meanwhile, Nigerian Students in Khartoum, the capital of sudan, are appealing to the Nigerian government to evacuate them as they live in fears following the ravagng war between the military and the paramilitary forces.

Nigeria students are calling on the Federal Government to come to their rescue as the situation in Khartoum is becoming unbearable as basic amenities are no longer accessible.

Fierce violence erupted last week in Khartoum between two opposing armies.

The power struggle between Sudan’s regular army and a paramilitary force called the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has seen heavy bombardment in the capital city, with hundreds killed and thousands more injured.