Latest news with #Lagosians
Zawya
22-04-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Nigeria: Lagos to NIESV, others support drive to reduce rent burden
Lagos State Government has charged the leadership of the Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers (NIEVS), Real Estate Developers Association of Nigeria (REDAN) and Association of Estate Agents in Nigeria (AEAN) to support the drive to reduce rent burden on residents. Besides, the state government urged them to shun the prevalent illegal fees in real estate business. They were also urged to stem the rate at which agents across the real estate value chain engaged in competition of fees in real estate transactions. The state authority pointed out that the introduction of illegal fees such as caution fee, inspection fee, finders fee and others represented professional harmful practice affecting tenants and put the integrity of the practitioners and property owners at stake. These were the feedbacks the estate surveyors, developers and estate agents got when they were invited to a stakeholders meeting jointly chaired by the Commissioner for Housing, Moruf Akinderu- Fatai and Barr. Barakat Odunuga – Bakare, the Special Adviser to the Governor of Lagos State on Housing, at the weekend. The session is a continuation of the strategic engagement to curb arbitrary rent charges, demand for high agent fees and promotion of sanity in real estate business in Lagos state. The state government through the Commissioner and the Special Adviser challenged the association to protect the integrity of the real estate business with a support for joint effort of all stakeholders for full enforcement and compliance with the real estate transaction laws of Lagos State. Akinderu-Fatai explained that the aim of engaging all stakeholders was to strengthen the working relationship between the state government and the professional bodies for the benefit of Lagosians. ''Lagos State Government is concerned about the challenges faced by families in securing and retaining rental accommodation in the state with unpleasant rent increment and illegal estate transaction charges,' he said. The commissioner reiterated the plan of the Lagos State Government to encourage and promote monthly and quarterly rent payment in the State in line with the tenancy law. He said that the state government is aware of the increase in demand for housing but that the government would no longer tolerate and allow the extortion of accommodation seekers with unwholesome practices. 'I want to assure you that the state government under the leadership of Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu is compassionate and will leave no stone unturned to ensure sanity in real estate business in the state,' Akinderu-Fatai said. Barakat Odunuga-Bakare stated that ''there are existing state laws such as 2015 Tenancy Law and LASRERA Law which specify a percentage of chargeable fees of not more than 10 percent on real estate transaction. She also reminded the stakeholders of the responsibilities of the Lagos State Real Estate Regulatory Authority (LASRERA) as established by the law to register, regulate and monitor real estate business in Lagos State. Odunuga-Bakare also urged the stakeholders to cooperate with the State government to ease the conditions under which Lagosians secure accommodation. Responding, Chairman, Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers (NIEVS) Lagos Branch, Gbenga Ismail; Chairman, Lagos chapter of Real Estate Developers Association of Nigeria (REDAN), Dr. Kolawole Tony; and and Dr. Adeniyi Tinubu of the Association of Estate Agent in Nigeria (AEAN) jointly expressed their readiness to forge a workable alliance with the state government to solve high rent cost and excessive charges. The professional bodies will also join the state government in promoting advocacy, public enlightenment as well as sensitization programmes on the best practices in real estate transactions. The meeting further resolved to convey another stakeholder's forum to be attended by representatives of all practitioners in real estate business, including the Nigerian Bar Association for a holistic buy-in of every sector for the benefit of Lagosians. Copyright © 2022 Nigerian Tribune Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (
BBC News
03-04-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Wetin cause traffic wey lead to standstill for Lagos Island axis and wetin to expect next
Lagos state Govnor Babajide Sanwo-Olu don apologise to di state residents after one ogbonge traffic gridlock wey cause standstill for di Island area of di state on Wednesday enter Thursday morning. Thousands of motorists and commuters bin dey stranded for road on Wednesday, wit some spending hours before reaching dia destination while some no even reach till di next day. Some pipo hala say e take dem almost eight hours to reach dia destination on Wednesday night while some choose to tanda for dia work place. While many more take to social media to rant about dia experience. Wetin cause di traffic Dis mata start for April 1st wen di Federal Controller of Works for Lagos, Olukorede Kesha announce a temporary closure of di Independence Bridge wey dey Marina and say di bridge go dey closed until May 2025 for urgent repairs. Di closure bin affect traffic from Ahmadu Bello Way and Adeola Odeku towards Marina, Eko Bridge, and Onikan by Zone 2. Although di Lagos Ministry of Transportation come put out statement on top di closure wit alternative routes wey pipo fit pass on Wednesday but e no do anytin to stop di terrible hold up for di road. As a result, di Nigerian Minister of Works and Housing, David Umahi don greenlight for di re-opening of di road to stop di disaster. But pipo dey wonder how e go dey possible as dem don already comot di asphalt from di bridge road. Lagos State Govnor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Thursday visit di site of di bridge and apologise to Lagosinas for wetin dem take dia eye see as di goment bin dey run di urgent fix for di bridge. E say di fix na necessity to "avoid future disaster wey bin dey wait to happun". Oga Sanwo-Olu say "wetin happun here be say Messrs Buildwell, get contract wey dem don sign ova three years ago to protect di integrity of di independence bridge. Indepence bridge na one of di oldest bidges for di kontri. If you check am na almost 80 to 90 years old". E add say wetin happun be say di part of di bridge wey connect Victoria Island and Marina don dey under heavy threat. So wetin next for Lagos commuters? Even wit di Work minister statement, di situation on ground no be like sometin wey goment fit just open like dat. As at now, na to follow wetin di Lagos State Traffic Management Authority tok wey be to find alternative routes. Oga Sanwo-Olu remind Lagosians say dem bin face dis kain tin bifor and dem don pass am. E say wetin go happun be say more Lastma officers go dey road. "We dey call dem from oda parts of di city so dem go dey around here. "We go do like we do for November, December wey dem work late, to very early hours of di morning to make sure say pipo fit go home safely." Dis no be di first time wey bridge or road repairs dey cause serious traffic disruption for Nigeria commercial capital, Lagos. For February 2021, di authorities for Lagos bin confirm say dem go finally open di Third Mainland bridge afta ova six months of closure wit partial opening. Wen dem close am for July 25 2020, na only one lane motorists bin dey use on di bridge while repair work dey go on. Dem change some joints, lay some concrete and do patching work among oda engineering work on di bridge. For November 2023, Lagos goment close some parts of di Third Mainland Bridge sake of say dem wan do some repairs. Anytime dis closures happen, e dey cause serious traffic wey dey lead to serious stress as well as a loss of man hours, time and revenue .
BBC News
28-02-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Latest on Lagos state house of assembly crisis and wetin law tok on impeachment of a speaker
Di kasala wey dey rock di Lagos House of Assembly no be like say e go end anytime soon as e enter anoda level on Thursday, 27 February wen di impeached speaker Mudashiru Obasa bin return to di assembly wit entourage of unidentified men and declare imself as di substantive speaker, days afta dem remove am from di position. Reports say e seize control of di office of di Speaker and hold wetin dem fit describe as plenary session wit four lawmakers wey dey loyal to am. Oda lawmakers wey dey present for di 40-member assembly bin boycott di session. Na on 13 January, majority of di lawmakers of di Lagos state assembly vote to remove di speaker, Mudashiru Obasa ova allegations of gross misconduct, poor leadership, mismanagement of funds and corruption. Di majority of di lawmakers come elect and swear in Madam Mojisola Meranda as di new Speaker. However, di impeached Speaker don maintain say im removal no hold water and e dey illegal as lawmakers no follow constitution to remove am, and e declare say im remain di legitimate speaker of di house. "I don resume and I still remain di Speaker of di Assembly," Oga Obasa tell tori pipo for di Assembly complex on Thursday. "Nobody remove me. Impeachment or removal na democratic and constitutional, but if you wan do am, you get to follow due process. We get rules for dis house and house rules wey all state assemblies for di south-west dey follow, but dem no follow am," e tok. Also, for one interview wit Channels TV on Thursday, Obasa claim say madam Meranda don agree to resign as di Speaker during one peace meeting wey leaders of di party for di state arrange. "One meeting hold for Marina wia we get in attendance all di party leaders and all di members [of Lagos Assembly] and openly Meranda herself tok say she don step down and she don resign." Although, Ms Meranda neva react to dis latest tok about her resignation, but one interview she get wit tori pipo on Friday, 28 February, show say she still be di speaker of di assembly. 'Obasa action na invasion' - Mojisola Meranda Meanwhile, di speaker of di assembly don react to Obasa action, she tell tori pipo say "Invasion and breaking into my office na big one." Madam speaker also torchlight on di issue of her security details wey tori pipo report say dem withdraw from her. "I get three or four policemen whereas my normal convoy on my team consist of 12 policemen, four DSS and two anti-bomb. But as I get am dis morning I no get dat," she tok. Earlier, di Lagos state assembly for dia reaction condemn Obasa action. "Di Lagos State House of Assembly wish to bring to di attention of Lagosians, Nigerians and di global community one incident wey occur on Thursday, wey involve one unsanctioned attempt to convene a plenary session by di former speaker, Hon. Mudashiru Obasa, plus three members," tok-tok pesin for di house, Steve Ogundipe tok for statement. Di statement add say di rules wey govern plenary sessions of di house dey clear. Valid sitting, require say dem go don send formal notice to all members, di presence of a quorum, an approved agenda, plus di mace – wey be essential symbol of legislative authority. But dis meeting lack dis requirements. "Dem no meet any of dis procedural requirements during di purported sitting, as only five out of di 40 members dey present, and dat render di sitting unconstitutional and without legislative effect." How di crisis for di Lagos state assembly take start Na on 13 January, majority of di lawmakers of di Lagos state assembly vote to remove di speaker, Mudashiru Obasa ova allegations of gross misconduct, poor leadership, mismanagement of funds and corruption. Di majority of di lawmakers come elect and swear in Madam Mojisola Meranda as di new Speaker. Afta majority of di lawmakers elect her as speaker, Madam Meranda bin visit di state Govnor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and di Governing Advisory Council, one body wey dey recognised as di topmost group for di Lagos All Progressives Congress (APC) to seek dia blessings. Dem elect di new speaker wen Oga Obasa dey out of di kontri, wey e tok say dey wrong. E say di house bin dey on recess, and dem move motion to adjourn sitting to 18 February, wen di impeachment occur. "We adjourn properly, so if time reach to reconvene, e get to go through di majority leader, di clerk and di speaker and according to di rule, na only di speaker fit reconvene. So if you no follow dat, e no mata di forgery you dey try to perpetrate," Obasa tok for one recent Channels TV interview. However, since e return, na one crisis or di oda. Di first time na wen some alleged security officials lock di assembly for several hours and dem no let sitting hold. Dis mata make di speaker cry. Den, di most recent na wen Obasa storm di assembly and preside ova di plenary as speaker wit four lawmakers present. Oga Obasa don tok several times say im no get issues wit im removal but wit di process wey dem take remove am, e say due process no dey followed. However, di issue of di legality of im removal dey for court. Court adjourn case wey Obasa file against di assembly to March Di Lagos High Court wey sit for Ikeja on Friday, 28 February rule say make all members of di Assembly dey joined as parties for di suit wey di impeached speaker file. Justice Yetunde Pinheiro also adjourn di case to 7 March to hear all pending applications for di mata. Obasa bin drag di assembly go court ova wetin e call unlawful removal. Di lawsuit, wey e file for February also name di current Speaker, Lasbat Mojisola Meranda, as di defendant. For di application wey dem date 12 February, wey im lawyer Afolabi Fashanu SAN file, di plaintiff bin claim say 36 lawmakers bin remove am from im position on 13 January wen e dey out of di kontri. Obasa application dey based on nine grounds, wey focus on di interpretation of various sections of di Constitution of di Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), and di Rules and Standing Orders of di Lagos State House of Assembly. Di plaintiff dey challenge di constitutionality of di Lagos State House of Assembly to sit and carry out proceedings during recess without di Speaker convening di House or delegating authority to someone else to do so. Wetin di constitution tok about di removal of a speaker? Section 92 of di Constitution of di Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999, as amended, create di offices of di "Speaker and Deputy Speaker of a House of Assembly wey members of di house go elect from among themselves." Section 92 (2)c state say di speaker or di deputy go vacate im seat "if e dey removed from office by a resolution of di House of Assembly by di votes of not less dan two-third majority of di members of di house." Ogbonge legal practitioner Deji Adeyanju wey follow BBC Pidgin tok shed more light on wetin di constitution tok and di standing order of di Lagos state house of assembly. Adeyanju explain say according to di constitution, di removal of a speaker na internal process, dis one mean say, na members of di house fit decide to remove di speaker, and na 2/3rd of di members fit comot di speaker. Di constitution no also tok di offence wey fit warrant members to vote for di removal of di speaker. E add say, di Lagos assembly dey operate on standing order wey tok how speaker or im deputy fit dey removed. Firstly, bifor dem comot speaker, lawmakers wey wan remove am for don present am wit formal notice or motion. Under di house rules, dem also dey give notice period. Although di notice period, no dey mandatory, na for members to prepare for debate, and di time for di notice na at di discretion of those wey dey call for di removal. Also, dem go give di speaker opportunity to defend any accuse against am. Adeyanju add say wetin di constitution tok na say members of di house must reach a resolution to impeach di speaker, and na two-thrid of di members of di house fit vote for di removal of di speaker or im deputy. Speaker or deputy speaker need to dey di house bifor dem impeach dem? One major concern to Obasa na di fact say di impeachment happun for im absence. "If you wan do anything, do am well. Dem remove me becos I dey out of di kontri. Lagos na special place; we no fit belittle di state. "Wen dem remove former speaker, Rt. Hon Jokotola Pelumi, e dey for di assembly, and we no invite policemen. Wen dem remove my sister, former deputy speaker of di house, Hon. Adefunmilayo Tejuosho, we no invite di police," di embattled lawmaker tok. Adeyanju say di constitution dey silent on if di speaker need to dey present for di plenary during im removal. E tok again say wetin di constitution state na two-third majority of di members of di house fit initiate di impeachment process of a speaker. Although, di lawmakers tok say dem give Obasa di notice, however, Obasa tok say di house dey on recess wen dem impeach am, but di standing order no give room for recess, Adeyanju add. Dis no be di first time, speaker of di house of assembly go dey removed. For January 2024, Ogun State House of Assembly bin impeach Speaker Kunle Oluomo. Na 18 out of di 36 members of di state Assembly bin vote for di impeachment for dia plenary session on Tuesday. Dem impeach Oluomo for alleged embezzlement of funds, high handedness and oda type offences like dat.
