BIG STORY

Sanwo-Olu Orders Demolition Of Three Buildings On Banana Island

Published

1 year ago

April 22, 2023

Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the Governor of Lagos State, has ordered the demolition of three two-storey buildings in Banana Island following the collapse of a seven-storey building in the area.

Sanwo-Olu gave the order on Saturday during his visit to the site of the collapsed seven-storey building and inspection of other infrastructure around the Island.

At 310 Close, he ordered the demolition of the two-storey building because it was an illegal structure, without approval.

Also at 306 Close, the governor ordered the removal of two-storey buildings adjacent to each other because they were constructed under the powerline and underwater.

While speaking at the site of the collapsed seven-storey building, he blamed the unfortunate incident on the irresponsibility of the developers and some of the citizens that just wanted to make quick money.

Sanwo-Olu also blamed the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing and National Inland Waterways Authority, for allegedly granting an extension of the line of Banana Island.

According to him, the incident shows that the Lagos State building officers are not alive to their responsibilities, and officers found culpable will also be sanctioned.

“We are at the site of the last unfortunate building collapse in Banana Island Lagos. As it has been reported before now, there has been a lot of investigation that is going on right now and you can see that they are still clearing the rubbles at the site.

“We have given the order to stop work, not only at this site but also in all of the construction sites in Banana Island.

“I think that the exercise we are doing today is not really just about this location. You have all seen the extent of what I will call an unapproved extension into the water, at the back of each of the land that is abutting water.

“You can see that the original line for Banana Island is even not where we are. It’s the way in front there and you can see that there are several extensions that have been granted by both the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing and NIWA.

“These are the two federal agencies that have been culpable for those extensions.

“From what I have been told all of the four buildings at the back have never even applied for approvals. The illegality is real and so that is why we are going around other properties in Banana Island.

“Excuses have been given that they don’t have access and this is not acceptable. This is a total recklessness of all of the developers and we will make a strong point out of this place and all-around Banana Island and in other developments that we have,” he said.

The governor said that an external seven-member committee had been set up with two weeks mandate to independently ascertain what had gone wrong.

He said that the outcome of the committee would further strengthen the government to be able to come up with a robust work plan that could be enforced going forward.

“We have had to change staff here and there so that we can bring forward robust and very strong monitoring offices. But we believe that we are still far from it, we are still short on it, I must say.

‘“We will continue to do what we need to do to ensure that we keep the lives of our residents safe at all times,” Sanwo-Olu said.

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Related Topics:Big story lagos sanwo-olu

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BIG STORY

President Tinubu Submits Four Tax Reform Bills To National Assembly

Published

14 hours ago

October 3, 2024

PorscheClassy News

President Bola Tinubu has submitted four tax reform bills to the National Assembly for their consideration.

In a letter presented during the plenary sessions by Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, on Thursday, the President outlined that the bills align with his administration’s goals.

The proposed legislation includes the Nigeria Tax Bill 2024, designed to establish a comprehensive fiscal framework for regulating taxes.

The Tax Administration Bill aims to provide a clear legal structure for managing taxes in Nigeria, reducing disputes and improving efficiency.

Additionally, the Nigeria Revenue Service Establishment Bill seeks to repeal the Federal Inland Revenue Service Act and establish the Nigeria Revenue Service.

The Joint Revenue Board Establishment Bill proposes the creation of a tax tribunal and an ombudsman to handle tax-related issues.

Tinubu emphasized that these bills are intended to strengthen Nigeria’s fiscal institutions and support the broader development goals of his government.

Post Views: 53

BIG STORY

BREAKING: Court Bars VIO From Stopping, Impounding, Confiscating Vehicles

Published

14 hours ago

October 3, 2024

PorscheClassy News

A Federal High Court in Abuja has barred the Directorate of Road Traffic Services (VIO) from stopping vehicles, impounding or confiscating them, and imposing fines on motorists.

Justice Evelyn Maha issued the order in a judgment on fundamental rights enforcement suit FHC/ABJ/CS/1695/2023, filed by human rights activist Abubakar Marshal.

The judge upheld Marshal’s argument that “no law empowers respondents to stop, impound, confiscate, seize, or impose fines on motorists.”

Justice Maha declared that the respondents, under the control of the Minister of the FCT, are not empowered by any law to stop, impound, or confiscate vehicles or impose fines.

She issued an order restraining them from doing so, stating it’s “wrongful, oppressive, and unlawful.”

Additionally, Justice Maha made a perpetual injunction restraining the respondents from violating Nigerians’ rights to freedom of movement, presumption of innocence, and right to own property without lawful justification.

More to come…

Post Views: 171

BIG STORY

NELFUND Fixes BVN Verification Glitch, Urges Students To Reapply For Loans

Published

15 hours ago

October 3, 2024

PorscheClassy News

The Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) has announced the resolution of a technical issue that disrupted the BVN (Bank Verification Number) verification process for students applying for loans.

The issue, which began over the weekend and persisted through the public holiday, caused delays for many applicants.

In a statement posted on NELFUND’s official X (formerly Twitter) account on Wednesday, the organization confirmed that the issue had been fully resolved by Tuesday morning. NELFUND advised all affected students to log back into the portal, complete their BVN verification, and proceed with their loan applications.

“Dear Students,

“We have observed that many of you experienced issues with BVN verification while applying for the student loan over the last weekend, including the public holiday.

“We are pleased to inform you that the issue has been addressed and fully resolved as of yesterday morning.

“We kindly advise all affected students to log back into the portal, complete the BVN verification process, and proceed with your loan application,” the statement read in part.

NELFUND also expressed gratitude to students for their patience during the disruption and reassured them that the application process can now continue smoothly without further issues.

The revised Student Loan Act of 2024 was designed to eliminate financial barriers and make education more accessible to all Nigerian students, regardless of their economic background.

The Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) receives its primary funding from a 1% allocation of the total revenues collected by the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Nigerian Immigration Service, and Nigerian Customs Service through taxes, levies, and duties.

In August, President Bola Tinubu announced that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had transferred N50 billion in recovered funds to NELFUND, following his directive, to further strengthen the student loan program.

Students from across the country applied for the NELFUND loan, with the top 10 states having the highest number of applicants, in ascending order, being Taraba, Yobe, Adamawa, Oyo, Plateau, Kaduna, Katsina, Benue, Borno, and Kano, which ranks first.

Since the fund disbursement’s rollout, NELFUND has distributed N4.6 billion as tuition support to students in 59 approved tertiary institutions across the country.

This includes N2.5 billion disbursed in August and an additional N2.1 billion disbursed to students in 40 institutions earlier in September.

Furthermore, in August, NELFUND initiated the distribution of N20,000 monthly stipends to beneficiaries, with 20,371 students from six tertiary institutions successfully receiving their July payments.

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