Connect with us


BIG STORY

Tinubu Didn’t Finance My Lekki Home, I Sold Houses, Land, Took Loan, Pa Adebanjo Replies Bisi Akande

Published

on

Leader of the Pan-Yoruba socio-cultural organization, Afenifere, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, has given an account of how he built his house located at Ayo Adebanjo Close, Off Adebayo Doherty Street, Lekki Phase 1, Lagos State.

A former Interim Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Chief Bisi Akande, in his book, ‘My Participations’, claimed that Adebanjo pestered Bola Tinubu to build the Lekki house for him.

Adebanjo, however, denied the allegation in a press statement on Thursday, calling Akande a “fool”. The Afenifere leader claimed that he sold houses and land to build his Lekki house.

He also noted that he took a loan from a bank to complete the house.

While giving an account of how the properties were sold, Adebanjo said one of the lands sold was given to him by the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo.

He clarified that Tinubu didn’t finance his Lekki house, instead, Adebanjo alleged that Tinubu built a house for Akande.

The statement read, “About a week ago, last Thursday, December 7 to be exact, at the presentation of the book, ‘MY PARTICIPATION’, by Chief Bisi Akande, it was said that Chief Bisi Akande stated in the book that I brought pressure on Bola Tinubu to build a house for me.

“But since Bola Tinubu himself was present at the presentation, I expect him within a few days to refute such a malicious falsehood about me emanating from his Man Friday.

“I hold this view because Bola Tinubu just some three years ago on the occasion of the presentation of my autobiography, ‘SAYING IT AS IT IS’, that for my incorruptibility and strength of character, he, Bola Tinubu, would not have been Governor of Lagos State in 1999. What then could he be demanding from me after his two-term governorship to make me pressurise him to build a house for me when I did not get a naira from him before he became the governor?

“There has been a lot of pressure on me not to react to Chief Bisi Akande’s tantrums; he is a neophyte, a beneficiary of a struggle he never took part in. I have been urged to keep to the adage not to ‘Answer a fool lest you reduce yourself to his level’, but there is also an adage that says, ‘Answer a fool lest he thinks he is wise’. A lot has been said in the press and the social media to demolish tantrums.

“But I owe a duty to myself and to put the record straight for posterity about the big lie that Bola Tinubu built my house in Lekki for me. I, therefore, deny categorically that my house at Lekki was built with my resources through the sale of three developed properties, loan from GTBank and the sale of undeveloped landed property given (to) me by my late leader, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, of the blessed memory.

“The details are as follows: A 4-bedroom duplex with 2-bedroom flat enclosed with two undeveloped plots at Plot 4, Block 14 Nuru Oniwo Street, Aguda Surulere, Lagos State; this is where I was living before moving to Lekki. The house was inaugurated in 1972 by Chief Obafemi Awolowo. A wing of the duplex was once occupied by a staff of the security outfit then known as ‘Special Branch’ headed then by the late Alhaji M.D. Yussuf who later became Inspector General of Police when General Olusegun Obasanjo was the Head of State.

“It was later occupied by one of the wives of Chief Pius Akinyelure, who often visited his wife there in the company with Senator Bola Tinubu. The gate of this property was forced open by (Sani) Abacha security forces when NADECO was holding a send-off party for American ambassador, Walter Carrington, in my house. I took the Federal Government to court for damages and I was awarded N1million which has not been paid till today by the Federal Government. Mr. Olisa Agbakoba, SAN, was my counsel.

“The house was sold to St Baths Anglican Church, Aguda, Surulere. Two storey building at Odedola Street, Surulere, Lagos State. I bought it through an estate agent by the name Mr. Shiwoniku who has relocated to the UK; he has a brother who is a legal practitioner in Abuja. The house was sold to a Ghanaian by the name Mr Akappo.

“He is still alive and he lives in one of the flats in the building. Four storey buildings with a warehouse on the ground floor and six flats on top. It was inaugurated by Chief Awolowo in 1977. I inherited the plot of 45’X100’ from my mother, Salamotu Anomo-Adebanjo, who built a bungalow on it.

“She bought the land when I was in primary school in 1940 from one Pa. Idowu Onitiri for £20, which she paid by installment of £10, £7, £3. His son Akanbi Onitiri, executed the conveyance for me without extra payment after showing him the purchase receipts from his father, when I was developing it in 1976. Akanbi Onitiri is the father of Sumbo Onitiri, a well-known estate surveyor in Lagos. The building was sold to a woman through an estate agent. I then took a loan from GTBank to complete the house in Lekki where I am living now.

“When the interest on the loan became unbearable, I was compelled to sell the undeveloped land given to me by Chief Awolowo in Dide-Olu Estate in Maroko, Victoria Island. One Mr. Ade Otusanya, a friend of my son, Femi Ayo-Adebanjo, bought the land. The contractor who built my Lekki house is Engr. Hakeem Sulaiman, Senior Partner of Messrs HA associates. The electrical and mechanical contractor is Engr. Tokunbo Oshokoya, Senior Partner of Messrs Oshea Projects. The architect is Mr. Deji Johnson. The Quantity Surveyor is the late Otunba T.B. Adebayo.

“The Lekki property, the house in my village, Isanya Ogbo, and three-bedroom flat in a townhouse at Omorinre Street in Lekki are the properties I have in the whole world.”

BIG STORY

JUST IN: Nigerian Lawmakers Propose Creation Of 31 Additional States [SEE FULL LIST]

Published

on

Nigeria’s House of Representatives Committee on Constitution Review on Thursday proposed the creation of 31 new states in the country.

If the proposal is approved, Nigeria will have 67 sub-national governments, as the current number of states stands at 36, including the Federal Capital Territory.

The proposal for new states was presented in a letter read during Thursday’s plenary session by the Deputy Speaker, Benjamin Kalu, who presided over the session in the absence of the Speaker, Mr. Tajudeen Abbas.

The letter read in part, “The committee proposes the creation of 31 new states. As amended, this section outlines specific requirements that must be fulfilled to initiate the process of state creation, which include the following:

“1. New state and boundaries

“An act of the National Assembly for the purpose of creating a new state shall only be passed if it requires support by at least the third majority of members.

“The House of Representatives, the House of Assembly in respect of the area, and the Local Government Council in respect of the area are received by the National Assembly.

“Local government advocates for the creation of additional local government areas are only reminded that Section 8 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended, applies to this process.

“Specifically, in accordance with Section 8 (3) of the Constitution, the outcome of the votes of the State Houses of Assembly in the referendum must be forwarded to the National Assembly for fulfillment of state,” the proposal partly reads.

According to the proposal, the new states include Okun, Okura, and Confluence States from Kogi; Benue Ala and Apa States from Benue; FCT State; Amana State from Adamawa; Katagum from Bauchi and Savannah States from Borno and Muri State from Taraba.

Others include New Kaduna and Gujarat from Kaduna State; Tiga and Ari from Kano; Kainji from Kebbi State; Etiti and Orashi as the 6th state in the South East; Adada from Enugu; and Orlu and Aba from the South East.

Also included are Ogoja from Cross River State, Warri from Delta, Ori and Obolo from Rivers, Torumbe from Ondo, Ibadan from Oyo, Lagoon from Lagos, Ogun, Ijebu from Ogun State, and Oke Ogun/Ijesha from Oyo/Ogun/Osun States.

Continue Reading

BIG STORY

El-Rufai Lacks Capacity To Unsettle Tinubu, He Can’t Even Win Senatorial Seat — Daniel Bwala

Published

on

Daniel Bwala, special adviser to the president on policy communication, asserts that Nasir el-Rufai, the former governor of Kaduna, lacks the capacity to “unsettle” President Bola Tinubu.

Bwala made this statement on Thursday during an interview with TVC News. He emphasized that Tinubu is not losing sleep over el-Rufai’s continuous criticisms of his administration.

Background

El-Rufai has been targeting some members of the Tinubu administration.

The former minister of the federal capital territory (FCT) recently criticized the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) for “straying away from its core values,” mentioning that he no longer recognizes his political party.

Bwala had questioned el-Rufai if his stance on the APC would have been different had he been a member of Tinubu’s cabinet.

In response to Bwala’s comments, el-Rufai stated that he would not hesitate to criticize the party, even if he were given a position in the Tinubu administration.

‘On His Own, El-Rufai Is Unelectable’

When asked if the presidency was anxious about el-Rufai’s remarks and the regrouping of opposition politicians, the spokesperson confirmed that Tinubu is not concerned with the opposition’s movements.

Bwala emphasized that the president’s approach has always been one of reconciliation.

“Who is jittery? The political opponents have no direction. There is no organized political party in Nigeria other than APC. Almost all opposition parties are trying to find their way,” Bwala stated.

“I don’t attack because I see that the position of Mr. President is that of reconciliation. In his 18 months in office, he has never reacted to anybody. He has never been seen being combative or aggressive against anybody.”

The presidential spokesperson acknowledged el-Rufai’s dilemma, adding that the former governor cannot accomplish his goals by joining the opposition.

According to Bwala, el-Rufai only becomes a significant political figure when he aligns with a “solid revolutionary” leader.

“El-Rufai, as he said, is still in APC. You treat him like a brother. I know his grandstanding. I know he is facing challenges finding a path,” he stated.

“If you leave a governing party, which you have influence over, and think that you can undertake a mission, you need to have a working platform to do that.”

“He does not have the capacity to make the president unsettled. No opposition party, even if combined, can make the president unsettled.”

“Let me tell you something about my elder brother, el-Rufai, and whether we should be worried.”

“There is a dynamic around el-Rufai. El-Rufai needed a solid revolutionary person to thrive. On his own, el-Rufai may not win the senate.”

“He won governorship because of the Buhari factor and got re-elected because of the Buhari factor. If you leave him now to go and run for senate in Kaduna, he would not win.”

Continue Reading

BIG STORY

Importers To Pay More As Customs Introduces 4% FOB Levy

Published

on

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has announced that it will enforce a 4 percent charge on the “free-on-board” (FOB) value of imports.

“FOB” refers to the arrangement where the seller is responsible for delivering the goods to the port of departure, clearing them for export, and loading the goods onto the vessel. Once the goods are on the vessel, the risk transfers from the seller to the buyer, who then assumes responsibility for all subsequent costs.

In a statement released on Wednesday, Abdullahi Maiwada, NCS national public relations officer, confirmed that the directive is in line with the provisions of the “Nigeria Customs Service Act” (NCSA) 2023.

“In line with the provisions of Section 18 (1) of NCSA 2023, the NCS is implementing a 4 percent charge on the “Free On-Board” (FOB) value of imports,” Maiwada stated.

“The FOB charge, which is calculated based on the value of imported goods, including the cost of goods and transportation expenses incurred up to the port of loading, is essential for driving the effective operation of the service.”

“Furthermore, the NCS acknowledges concerns raised by stakeholders over the continued collection of the 1 percent “Comprehensive Import Supervision Scheme” (CISS) fee.”

“It is a regulatory charge imposed for funding Nigeria’s Destination Inspection Scheme alongside the 4 percent FOB charge.”

“As a responsive government agency, the service wishes to assure the general public that extensive consultation is ongoing with the federal ministry of finance to address all agitations raised by our esteemed stakeholders.”

Maiwada urged all stakeholders to comply with the directive, which was conceived after thorough consultation with relevant stakeholders and organizations.

“All stakeholders are urged to support this legally binding initiative,” he emphasized.

“As the measures introduced in alignment with the NCSA 2023 reflect a balanced approach born out of extensive consultations with industry players, importers, and regulatory bodies.”

He also acknowledged the valuable contribution of stakeholders in shaping and actualizing the NCSA 2023.

“Their insights, expertise, and unwavering commitment have been instrumental in ensuring a robust legal framework that enhances efficiency, promotes innovation, and strengthens transparency in customs operations,” he added.

The customs official reiterated that under the leadership of Adewale Adeniyi, the comptroller-general, the service remains dedicated to transparency, fair trade practices, and efficient revenue management.

Continue Reading



 

Join Us On Facebook

Most Popular