Metro
Home Owners Protest Against Alleged Exploitation by Estate Developer
Residents of Urban PrimeTwo Estate at Ogonbo road, Abraham Adesanya in Ajah, Lagos, have staged a peaceful protest against alleged exploitation and highhandedness by the management of Landwey Investment, the estate developer.
The residents came out en masse on Thursday around the environment to speak publicly against the action of the estate developer and seek for justice.
Mr Alfred Igoba, Vice-Chairman, Resident Association of Urban PrimeTwo Estate, said that the developers had cut off water supply for the residents for almost one week.
Igoba said that the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Landwey, Mr Wale Ayilara, had requested the home owners pay N10,000 monthly, totaling N120,000 yearly before they could have access to water.
He stated that they were surprised at such request, because they bought the water pump and were also paying for the electricity bill for the pumping of the water monthly.
According to him, they decided to negotiate with Landwey management since they claim that they own the borehole, to accept N5,000 monthly for their facility, while the residents use the balance to get the water treated for consumption because it was very bad.
Igoba explained that they also offered an alternative to Landwey, that they would pay the N10,000 on the condition that they would get the water treated for consumption, but the CEO allegedly refused to accept either of the offer.
“To our surprise, the company came and cut-off the water supply in the estate which comprises about 420 units, leaving families, most especially women and children, to suffer for water.
“ We went to Ogonbo Police Station to report the incident and the DPO called him to appear for resolution, but he declined.
“ On getting to the borehole facility now, we discovered that the developer has removed the water pump and disconnected the cables, so that we are unable to reconnect it,” he said.
According to him, the home owners have been patronising the services of water tank suppliers at a the cost of N10,000 daily for each trip.
“This has become too unbearable and discomforting for ever family living in the estate,” he said.
He said that the developer had not also provided electricity for the residents since October 2023 due to a damaged transformer.
He said the situation had forced the residents to resort to renting a transformer at N2 million monthly.
According to him, the action of Landwey management is against the agreement entered into at the purchase of the property.
Igoba said the agreement explicitly stated that the estate developer would provide not less than 22 hours electricity supply daily for the home owners through the Eko Electricity Distribution Company (IKEDC).
He said the home owners were paying IKEDC for the monthly power consumption through the developer.
“As at that time, IKEDC was charging us N74 per kilowatt and Landwey was charging us N150 per kilowatt because if there is no electricity supply, they would power the estate with generator.
“On Oct. 3, 2023, our old transformer got burnt and three days later Landwey brought another transformer, which also burnt due to a damaged cable by a company operating around the vicinity.
On service management of the estate, Igoba stated that Landwey in October 2023 wrote the residents that it could no longer manage the estate through its service manager, named Wey Facility.
He appealed to the Lagos State Government through the Lagos State Real Estate Regulatory Agency (LASRERA) and the judiciary to wade into the matter and deliver the home owners from the developers.
Reports says that home owners paid within the ranges of N55 million to purchase four bedrooms apartment in the estate, N38 million for three bedrooms and N27 million for two bedrooms apartment.
They also paid developmental levy of N1.5 million, electricity connections and other services, totalling about N5 million for facility in the estate at the point of purchase.
Reacting, An official of LandWey Investment Ltd., Ms Mabel Mayokun, in a statement made available to newsmen, explained why the estate residents’ water was disconnected.
Mayokun stated that the disconnection was due to the inability of the Residents Association Executives to settle utility bills.
She expressed worry that the dispute between the two parties threatened the harmony and operational efficiency of the community, adding that the estate’s residents had gotten increasingly concerned of the development.
“LandWey Investment Ltd., known for its significant contributions to the community and the development of UrbanPrime2 Estate, is dismayed over the actions of the executives.
“Our commitment has always been to the well-being of the residents and the prosperity of UrbanPrime2.
” It is regrettable that such tactics are being employed,” Mayokun said. (NAN)
The Federal Capital Territory Civil Service Commission has begun the regularisation of staff appointments in the FCT Administration and the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA).
The Head of the Civilo Service, Dr Udo Atang, said at the commencement of the exercise in Abuja on Wednesday, that the move was to ensure accurate data of all staff.
Atang described the regularisation as a “critical” exercise, which forms the bedrock of the new FCT Civil Service Commission (CSC).
He pointed out that all the staff were holding letters of appointments from various agencies, departments, area councils, and the defunct Ministry of FCT and FCDA among others.
The holders of these letters, he said, have been raising issues of discrimination based on letters of appointment.
According to him, the exercise and the gazette by the commission that will come thereafter, will give all staff a sense of identity.
“The essence of this regularisation is to ensure that staff are properly documented.
“You will now have letters that will now qualify you as a bonafide staff of the FCT Civil Service Commission.”
The head of service, who appealed for full cooperation of the workers, directed that a list of all staff on course, study leave, leave of absence and other related permissions be compiled and submitted.
He added that the list should be compiled with grade level, designation and record of service, including approvals.
Atang commended the FCT Minister, Mr Nyesom Wike, for his doggedness and commitment in implementing the provisions of the FCT CSC Act, 2018.
Noting Wike’s support and love for the FCT workers, the head of service urged the workers to reciprocate the minister’s uncommon gesture, by being dedicated and committed to their respective duties.
Also speaking, the Chairman, FCT CSC, Mr Emeka Ezeh, stressed that part of the responsibilities of the commission was in the appointment, promotion and discipline of all FCTA and FCDA workers.
Ezeh also stressed the need for the workers to be more committed in the discharge of their responsibilities. (NAN)
From Jude Dangwam, Jos
The Catholic Women Organization of Nigeria (CWON) has organized a trauma healing session for survivors of the Jos Saint Academy School collapse alongside parents who lost their children in the unfortunate incident.The National President of the organization, Dame Mary Gonzum noted that the effort was part of their psychosocial support and counseling services for victims of the school building collapse as a follow-up to the assessment of the condition of the victims during their visit.
Gonzum speaking during a one day trauma session held at the Secretariat of the Justice Development and Peace/Caritas Commission (JDPC) of the Catholic Archdiocese located along Zaria Road in Jos the Plateau State capital said the trauma healing session was in continuation of their intervention to students who experienced the building collapsed.”Today, a trauma healing session was flagged off with a seminar on how to go about handling the trauma that victims of the Saint Academy School Busa Buji in Jos are passing through.”We will later select those that are so traumatic and need help to continue with the process of healing because it is not something that will end in a day or two but will need sometime.”The surviving students who experienced the building collapsed, parents of the students are all here because some parents are so traumatic, we have one other woman that lost two children”This trauma became necessary because when we went visiting in the hospitals, we observed that some of them are really traumatic. Like the other boy, his mother said up till today he kept telling his mother that he is seeing dead bodies, and anybody he sees he will say is his classmate.”Some of the affected parents while sharing their encounters after the incident said they hardly sleep in the day or night time. Some manage to sleep for two hours and they’re awake, and from the little lectures we received today it is clear that there is a problem,” She noted.The President calls on the government to ensure that those saddled with the responsibility of approving, inspecting and supervising structures are meant to do their job with all diligence to avert future happenings again.Some of the affected parents including; Hasana Suleman Sale who lost two of her children recalled with pains the unfortunate development that claimed the lives of her two children. She expressed gratitude for the trauma healing session which she said came as a means of consolation and strength for her to overcome the trauma she is passing through.
The Catholic Church in Nigeria has welcomed the newly-appointed Apostolic to Nigeria, Archbishop Michael Francis Crotty.
Crotty, an Irish, was appointed by the Vatican.
He will oversee the propagation of the gospel of Jesus Christ through the church in Nigeria.
The position, an ambassadorial status, advances cohesion in the body of Christ.
In his welcome message for Crotty on Tuesday, the President of Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN), Archbishop Lucius Ugorji, said that the Church was glad to receive him.
The CBCN president, who is also the Archbishop of Owerri Catholic Archdiocese, said,” With joy and gratitude to God, I extend a hearty welcome to Archbishop Michael Francis Crotty on behalf of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria, clergy, religious and lay faithful in Nigeria.
“We are thankful to His Holiness, Pope Francis, for appointing Archbishop Michael Francis Crotty as the Apostolic Nuncio to Nigeria to build on the good works of his predecessor, Archbishop Antonio Filipazzi.
“His appointment is a testament to the strong spiritual bond between our countries,” he said.
He said that although Crotty was the first Apostolic Nuncio from Ireland to serve in Nigeria, many Irish missionaries had played significant roles in spreading the gospel in Nigeria.
“We appreciate Archbishop Crotty’s acceptance of serving in Nigeria and assure him of our full support and cooperation.
“We pray for a fruitful mission and a blessed tenure for our excellency,” he added. (NAN)
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