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Real Estate: FCT Loses N800bn Annually To Fraudulent Developers – National Assembly

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The illegal activities of developers in Abuja, including scamming unsuspecting subscribers and cheating the government out of revenue have been condemned by the House of Representatives’ ad hoc committee investigating the operations of real estate developers in the Federal Capital Territory.

According to the committee, the Federal Capital Territory is losing N800bn annually to the sharp practices by the real estate developers.

The Chairman of the committee, Blessing Onuh, raised the issue in Abuja on Monday at the opening of a two-day workshop on the operations of real estate developers in the FCT.

Onuh said the committee made the discoveries in its preliminary investigation.

She said, “This is necessitated from the hundreds of petitions submitted to this committee by the teeming members of the public who have been short-changed by dubious developers operating freely in the industry.

“A pathetic case is the case of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, which paid over N4.2bn to a developer since 2019 and has yet to get even one house delivered to its staff (members)…and there are thousands of similar cases.”

Onuh said the committee hoped to discuss consumer protection laws relating to the real estate sector.

The lawmaker said the committee, within the short period of time it commended the probe, had found out that the level of impunity by developers across the sector was unprecedented.

She said, “To discuss the economy of the real estate industry, we shall clearly articulate the value chain in this multi-trillion naira industry and identify why the FCT has not been getting its fair share from the trillion-naira transactions that have been consummated in the industry since the revolution.

“This committee’s preliminary findings indicated that the FCT has been losing an estimated N800bn annually in revenues accruable to it from the real estate sector.”

Onuh added, “Take, for example, a house or land is sold for N500m; the lawyer gets his legal fees, the agent gets his brokerage fee, the bank gets its transaction charges but the government gets nothing if the transaction is not presented for registration.

“And this kind of transactions go on in volumes every day unregulated, leaving the government with the perennial struggles of meeting up its responsibility of providing decent welfare for its staff and providing modern amenities to its people.

“Many of these transactions are done in cash, making the industry a safe haven for money laundering and illicit financial flows.”

BIG STORY

Court Sentence FCMB Branch Manager To 121 Years In Prison For Embezzling N112million From Customer’s Account In Anambra

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One of FCMB’s employees was sentenced to prison for fraud and embezzlement, which was the worst shock of the year for the prestigious financial organisation in Nigeria.

Mr. Nwachukwu Placidus, the bank manager at First City Monument Bank FCMB, Onitsha, Anambra State, was sentenced to 121 years in prison by Justice S. Odili at the Anambra State High Court in Onitsha, Anambra State, for embezzling N112 million from a customer’s fixed deposit account.

A former manager of the First City Monument Bank branch in Onitsha was found guilty and sentenced to 121 years in prison for stealing N112,100,000 in fixed deposit money from a customer for personal use.

The honourable justices delivered the verdict that resulted in this outcome. This is tantamount to a breach of trust by the former manager which has attracted a huge jail term.

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Lagos Government Intensifies Effort To Arrest Dolphin Underbridge Illegal Landlord

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The Lagos State Government has launched a manhunt for the individual who gave the apartments to tenants under the Ikoyi bridge after 36 illegal residents of the Dolphin underbridge bridge were apprehended.

It further revealed that during the clearance operation, the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps (LAGESC), the ministry’s enforcement unit, arrested no fewer than 36 renters.

Tokunbo Wahab, the commissioner for the environment and water resources, revealed this on Friday at a briefing for reporters regarding the government’s actions through the ministry during the previous year.

He said: “Just about 24 hours ago, the operatives carried out an operation that unearthed a major illegal housing settlement constructed under the Dolphin Bridge Ikoyi.

“An unbelievable 80 rooms partitioned 10×10 and 10×12 and a container used for different illegal activities was also discovered.

“All the structures have been dismantled and a total of 36 miscreants who lived under the were arrested while efforts are being intensified to arrest the ring leaders who rented out the underbridge apartments which also add electricity supply,” it added.

The state government had earlier dislodged tenants under Dolphins Estate Bridge, who paid N250, 000 annually to yet to be identified landlords.

The tenants, who were dislodged in the process were discovered during an enforcement exercise by officials of the state government during demolition of illegal structures.

He added that the enforcement team of Lagos State’s Ministry of Environment and Water Resources had successfully removed all structures, including a container utilised for various illegal activities, from beneath the Dolphin Estate Bridge.

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Olubadan: New Twist As Ladoja, Kingmakers Disagree On Settlement Terms

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The enthronement of Oba Owolabi Olakulehin, the 43rd Olubadan of Ibadanland, took a new turn yesterday when the Otun Olubadan, High Chief Rashidi Ladoja, the former governor of Oyo State, and other kingmakers couldn’t agree on the terms of settlement that would have made the enthronement process easier.

While entertaining Mogajis in Ibadanland led by Chief Asimiyu Ariori in his Bodija residence, Ladoja indicated his willingness to drop the lawsuit he had brought against Olubadan-in-Council members, provided that both sides agreed to sign the settlement conditions as they were written.

He said: “Myself and other members of Olubadan-in-Council have been sitting together and talking. We have accepted to withdrawal the case.

“I heard that they have started signing the agreement. After all of them have signed, I will also sign my own aspect, and the next day, we will file for withdrawal of the case from court.

However, other members of Olubadan-in-Council who are defendants in the suit have argued that there is no need for signing of any terms of settlement paper, as they have already abided by the 1957 declaration.

A meeting held yesterday at Olubadan palace, Oja’ba was attended by Osi Balogun, Oba Lateef Gbadamosi Adebimpe; Asipa Olubadan, Oba Abiodun Kola-Daisi; Asipa Balogun, Kola Adegbola; Ekerin Balogun, Oba John Isioye-Dada and Ekaarun Olubadan, Oba Adebayo Akande.

The Otun Olubadan, High Chief Rashidi Ladoja; Osi Olubadan, Oba Eddy Oyewole; Otun Balogun Oba Tajudeen Ajibola; Ekerin Olubadan, Oba Hamidu Ajibade Salaudeen and Ekaarun Balogun, Oba Abiodun Azeeez were absent.

Oba Adebimpe, speaking on behalf of other members of the council in attendance at the meeting, said event had overtaken the terms of reference as contained in the agreement paper, hence no need to sign it.

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