Are Lekki Landlords Scaring Investors out of Lagos?

The desire for Nigeria to catch-up with the developed world is high among well meaning Nigerians and lovers of the African continent who point at the leading role expected of the country as the main reason for their craving.

Notable areas that Nigeria has a long way to go in catching-up with the world include infrastructure and urban development. These two elements are very important in attracting businesses and investors.

Urban development in Nigeria took the front burner under the civil administration of former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, whose patriotic zeal fired up one his chief helmsmen, Nair El-Rufai, then Minister of the Federal Capital Territory to take on violators of the capital territory’s master plan in combatant fashion. This was a brave decision as many beautiful houses were pulled down and many toes stepped on in the bid to get housing and other urban development to conform to the original master-plan of the Abuja FCT.
Interestingly radical El-Rufai demonstrated enough courage in attempting to stick to development plans laid out long before the administration that appointed him came to power. This saw many mansions as well as shanties, erected in violation of the FCT’s master-plan pulled down. Even very senior serving government officials were not spared the bulldozers under El-Rufai’s command. Nigerians loved this action Minister for enthroning the laws over men, no matter how highly placed. It remains one of the low points of the Jonathan administration that the reform El-Rufai started in the FCT has not been sustained.
It has to be said that while the El-Rufai reign lasted, the pain was severe but well meaning Nigerians commend the strength of character and vision shown by the radical Minister is taking sides with common good and constitutionality as against personal interests and self seeking individuals. Little wonder the man’s popularity soared in the process. Sadly, less than a decade after the exit of Chief Obasanjo and his super ministers, the FCT is gradually becoming defaced with no Minister showing strong enough resolve to abide by the master-plan.

Environmentalists are now taking solace in the drive by the Gov Babatunde Raji Fashola administration to position Lagos as a megacity. This drive is commendable because it has seen the visionary governor set up professional agencies like the Lagos State New Towns Development Agency to ensure the vision is achieved. El-Rufai and Fashola share the common character of championing the supremacy of the law over men, irrespective of social, religious, political or economic status. This has seen Lagos State become a reference point on discipline and rule of law in Nigeria’s democracy. The strong leadership disposition of Gov Fashola has seen opinion leaders from other states call on their governments to take a cue from him leadership.
This good reputation has come under several tests that Gov Fashola had passed. There is another test, though with news filtering out that few residents of Lekki Phase 1 estate have beaten their chests that the master-plan of the estate will not stand. Nigerians are wondering, who’s responsibility it is to plan estates as I understand that few powerful individuals have taken it upon themselves to confront and fight businesses that want to follow the master-plan of the estate in opening branches there to a standstill. This action points towards impunity, impudence and decadence, banes that Nigerians must fight and get rid of or face retrogression.
The late Moshood Abiola with all he represented and represents in Nigeria did not champion any class system that killed businesses or confined other citizens behind the walls or to a safe distance from his residence. He lived in a people’s area of Ikeja and all manners of businesses, so long as they were legal, existed close to his residence. His cherished and well respected family still lives there with common people and businesses as neighbours!

There is inherent danger in having a state government under Gov Fashola order the stoppage of certain commercial developments at Lekki Phase 1 estate upon the complaint of people who can boast of having the ears of those that matter! This could lead to impudence and decadence. Laws are made for men and when men feel they are above the law, it spells anarchy, mostly if they carry on as such. The drift of society towards anarchy is often gradual and Lagosians must watch out for those minded towards possessing the State under any guise as this might derail the ship of state.
If claims that some powerful individuals are using every means possible to stop businesses from going on with developments provided for in the master-plan of elite estates like the Lekki Phase 1 are true, it leads to a certain kind of fear that must be guarded against if the opinion of common people like my humble self is to be addressed to avoid setting an avoidable dangerous precedence. Should this handful of people succeed in altering the master-plan laid out by the LSNDA, it makes a statement that whoever does not like the master-plan of the estate of his/her residence can follow the footsteps of these fellows and alter it to suit personal motives. This is clearly avoidable.
The issue that comes to mind on this is: ‘Should the government bow to this pressure, stop the commercial developments at the Lekki Phase 1 estate, understood to include a filling station designed to international standards altering the master-plan in the process; would that not amount to changing the rules in the midst of the game?’ My simple mind tells me that the government should count on the impartiality and professionalism of its officers and reach proactive decisions should the need arise. Where one or two persons feel comfortable to coerce government into cancelling developmental projects that could benefit the masses in today’s Nigeria, it questions the integrity of leaders, professionalism of government officials and defines our quest for democracy!
I am not of the opinion that government agencies are infallible, what I stand by is that master-plans are strategic and corrections to strategic plans must be done cautiously not at the behest of persons who can be adjudged to be pursuing myopic or personal interests, rightly or wrongly. Government must at all times be seen as unbiased and protect rather than expose the weaker segments of the society. Today when governments and well meaning individuals are striving to attract investment and businesses to the country, does it not amount to some form of foolhardiness to see some people chase businesses away from Lagos with her reputation as the economic capital of Nigeria?
These issues are begging for answers and the business communities, not just Lagosians are watching to see the way the pendulum will swing. The master-plan of any estate is set out blindly, that is without any knowledge of who the owners or occupants would be and if it comes to a point of altering such a plan because certain people have bought into it or now live there, it spells doom. The ball is now in the courts of decision makers to send the right signals to all stakeholders by reaching a pro people and pro business decision on this.
Sopuru Uwadiegwu, A public affairs analyst, writes from Lekki, Lagos
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Good Girl Gone Bad! Khloe Kardashian & French Montana pose with guns

Khloe and boo French Montana have come under fire for posting photos of him wielding a gun while she drinks from a champagne bottle .They were on set of his music video shoot "They Don't Love You No More " in Miami, Florida on Sunday.
Her fans are saying he is already having a bad influence on her because this is so unlike her..]
Well, he's signed to Pdiddy's Bad Boy records and she may be trying to be like Kim who lived her life and still gets men to wife her...She has been a good girl all her life and still got heartbroken right...

Rihanna goes naked in sheer embellished dress she picks up Fashion Icon Award

Rihanna was honoured with the Fashion Icon Award at the Annual Council of Fashion Designers of America Awards yesterday,Monday.Rihanna who was awarded for taking fashion risks totally shocked in this embellished racy dress dripping in sawrovski crystals....

Rihanna's nakedness doesn't shock me but this is jaw dropping ..Just hope Chris Brown doesn't go running to her soon lol..

 

Duncan Mighty alleges Governor Amaechi owes him N50million:Says he is now called traitor by Friends/Entertainers

Dunacan Mighty is alleging he organised a show on behalf of Gov.Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State and hasn't been given his balance ..He says his colleagues who he brought for the show feel he is a traitor and collected money which he did not ....Read mail sent in..

CALL TO GOVERNOR AMAECHI TO PAY ME FOR SERVICES RENDERED TO HIM AND HIS GOVERNMENT. FRIENDS NOW CALL ME A TRAITOR/SABOTEUR.………DUNCAN MIGHTY

"It is on record that on the 30th of March 2011, I, Mr. Okechukwu Duncan Mighty single handedly organized a Celebrity Youth Endorsement Concert in Port Harcourt where I successfully endorsed over 18,000 youths who are eligible voters for the Governor Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi
During the organization of the event under the express approval of the Governor of Rivers State and his cabinet, he gave me the sum of Ten Million Naira through the then secretary to the state Govt. Senator Magnus Abe which totally went into the project. The Governor also gave me his word that the balance of Fifty Million Naira will be paid to me as soon as possible.

In pursuit of the said project, I thereafter raised funds through different sources including personal savings, loans and credit facilities, acquired operational vehicles and branded them for the project, procured several souvenirs, printed many publicity materials, paid for venues, engaged musicians from different parts of the country, undertook logistics such as flight/Accommodation/Transportation and welfare.



The event featured the following A List artistes, comedians and a collection of many Port Harcourt Artistes:

Wande Coal and the Mo. Hits Records crew

Flavour

Banky W

M.I

Ice Prince

Timaya

Stereo Man

Terry G

Jessy Jags

Dj Jimmyjatt

I go die

I go save

And lots more.

The project was concluded as scheduled and the results were achieved, but since then it has become almost impossible to have an audience with the Governor so as to get my balance.

I also visited the Government House on several occasions, and all efforts to get my money proved abortive.

However, the last straw that broke the camel's back was when the governor systematically started avoiding my calls and personal visits in a bid to deprive me of the balance of the money for a job which I successfully executed.

It is also on record that I have not charged the Rivers State Government a single dime of m y professional appearance fee, due to my personal reason/resolve to give back to the society which made me, starting from the government of Rivers State as a mark of honor and respect.
The rumor mills have it that the Governor of Rivers State has given me juicy contracts including all manner of flashy cars, but I stand here today to debunk such tales, because I have not received as much as a bicycle spoke from Governor Amaechi.

My love for the Ikwerre ethnic nationality, the Niger Delta project and the Nigerian dream has seen me working for virtually everything I own today because there is dignity in labour, hence I can never resort to cheap blackmail or character assassination of any person, group or association, therefore I stand to make this declaration that all I am asking for is the payment of my money, thus, this should not be seen as a political campaign of any sort.

Permit me to bring to your notice, the fact that many of his personal aids and security details have come to me severally, soliciting for financial assistance which I have usually offered them without any hesitation, not knowing that they all have the notion that their boss, Governor Amaechi has been favoring me through contracts, meanwhile this is not also true.

I have tried frantically on several occasions to meet with the Governor one on one so as to resolve this issue but all to no avail.

Most recently I was invited to a dinner between the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN) and the Governor of Rivers State. Immediately after my performance at the said event inside Government House I ran after the Governor to demand for my money in my usual way, but to my utmost bewilderment the Governor unequivocally told me point blank that I should remember that when we did that transaction he was still working with his former chief of staff, Hon. Nyesom Wike who is now the minister of state for education. This is exactly what prompted me to take this decision of writing this article in other to recover the money which I worked to earn.

This issue also led to the problem that transpired on Friday, the 23rd of May 2014 when I got to the Government House gate at 8am, one of the security details named Mr. Jude rudely ordered me to park my car outside the gate, a situation which led to a scuffle and heated argument between me and the said security officer, as a result of this I subsequently held a meeting with my staff on the way forward concerning this same issue after which we agreed that we should channel the ongoing matter through the Office of the Chief Press Secretary to the governor Mr David Iyofor. This we did and the cps after hearing the story promised to help contact the governor who happens to be his boss, but to my chagrin the chief press secretary rather stopped taking my calls up till this moment.

Prior to this time I have not played any event for the commissioners and other cabinet members due to the fact that they thought they couldn't afford to pay my appearance fee because I was the governors favorite hence will be unaffordable to them; a predicament that I have also managed to live with, while my friends, family members, staff and fans have all concluded that I have betrayed them by going behind to collect huge sums of money for events at the Government House without giving them their own. 

I have also not charged the rivers state government my usual professional appearance fee on events. The present chief of staff to Rivers State Government Mr Tony Okocha and Senator Magnus Abe are my witnesses on this.
meanwhile due to the multi-lingual nature of Rivers State as a result of different ethnicities, I decided to record a song which I titled PORT HARCOURT BOY where I mentioned the names of various prominent men who have made their mark at one point or the other; even people from other states who lived and conducted their businesses in Port Harcourt as a way of promoting and uniting the state.

Shortly afterwards the general public started saying that Governor Amaechi has been the one behind my career success claiming that he bought me all manner of flashy cars and pays me huge amount of money regularly, meanwhile since I finished the project for the governor he virtually declined paying me the outstanding balance as agreed upon our transaction.

It is also a known fact that before amnesty was given DUNCAN MIGHTY was the first artiste in the entire Niger Delta to embrace the creeks all over the country, using my music to promote peace in the region, encouraging the youths to shun cultism, youth restiveness and other social vices.
The entire entertainment industry within the Niger Delta region actually believed that I was constantly favored by the governor hence they all came to me in 2011 pleading with me to become the chapter president of performing musicians association of Nigeria (PMAN), a move I constantly rejected so that I can concentrate on my career.

All this while God has been my source of inspiration and survival; my pillar of strength and protection.
It was also rumored that I was appointed a member of river state carnival committee, and due to their secret nature of meeting and deliberating on carnival issues, my fellow artistes constantly accused me of not carrying them along, an accusation which I've always struggled to debunk till date.
Moreover, my passion for going all the way to contribute my quota to the development of the entertainment industry in the Niger Delta and Nigeria as a whole was born out of genuine interest, love and previous roles as a professional audio engineer who has worked for many international brands at different capacities.

More so, I need to clear the air on this issue which made a lot of artistes who I was owing some outstanding balance to call me a traitor, saboteur, saying that I have betrayed them by refusing to pay them when in the actual sense I have not received further payment from the Governor. Since I didn't want any further trouble arising from this issue, I had to pay them out of my pocket from my own funds.

Once more, I will like to state that this has nothing to do with party politics, I am seriously appealing to everyone who knows Governor Amaechi to tell him to pay me my money in the name of God

Finally! Chris Brown released from jail

Chris Brown has been released from jail .TMZ reports…He was meant  to spend 131 days, but has spent 108 days in total .The fact that he spent 116 days he spent in rehab, and another 59 days behind bars aided his release..
His assault trial will begin in a few months and his case over the bar fight with Drake has been dropped …
Can’t wait to see the new Chris Brown…Happy for him

"President Jonathan didn't believe girls were abducted"-Obasanjo

In an new interview with Bloomberg TV aired on Saturday,Former president Olusegun Obasanjo said President Jonathan didn't believe girls were really kidnapped..

“On the kidnapping or abduction, the President did not believe that those girls were abducted for almost 18 days. If the President got the information within 12 hours of the act and he reacted immediately, I believe those girls would have been rescued within 24 hours, maximum, 48 hours.Don’t forget, they are almost 300 girls. The logistics of moving them is something (delay the sect would have encountered). Unfortunately, the President had doubts; ‘Is this true? Is this a ploy by some people who don’t want me to be President again, who is doing this?’I think that was unfortunate aspect of the whole exercise or situation.”

On his alleged recent meeting with Boko Haram,he said.,..

People have forgotten that three years ago, I went to Maiduguri. That was when Boko Haram attacked the United Nations building in Abuja and they accepted responsibility.Then, I went to Abuja to meet security leaders, the Inspector-General of Police and the National Security Adviser to know what is their (Boko Haram’s) objectives. Do they have grievances? Can we reach out to them? The feeling I got was that ‘they are a bunch of riff-raff; just forget about them.I then went to the President and asked if I could take it upon myself for a fact-finding visit. I want to find out things. The President was gracious and said ‘I trust your judgment. You can do thatI could not do that without people leading me. There was a lawyer who knew most of them (insurgents) and their leaders. He acted as proxy to talk to them and talk to me. He communicated my arguments, my ideas and my questions to them.I reported to the two most important principals – the state governor and President at that time. I believe that if action had been taken at that time, as recommended, maybe we would have gotten to this stage.”

Christ Embassy Denies Marriage Breakup Between The Oyakhilomes

After the many Facebook posts suggesting all might not be well with the marriage of Christ Embassy Pastor, Chris Oyakhilome and his wife Pastor Anita, and few reports online, a pastor from the church denied this allegation to Punch on the phone saying it is far from the truth. According to the pastor identified as Pastor Mercy, simple said the reports are FASLE.

Another member also confided in them and said; “It is not true; it is a rumour. All these things are make-up stories.”

Still investigating, another member of the church however said there are issues but the Facebook reports are mere fallacies. “There are issues, yes, but the Facebook post is an absolute fallacy,” the member, who pleaded anonymity, said

16-Year Old Boy Murders Parents Because They Seized His IPhone

16 year old Vincent Parker pleaded guilty yesterday to murdering his parents Carol and Wayne Parker last December. The boy says that there was no specific fight that prompted the brutal MURDER. The sadistic killer told authorities, 'I just remember getting mad,' Parker told the court. 'It's all from my dad. All this stuff like my dad taking away my iPod and stuff.'

The story gets worse. Vincent was an only child being raised by his hard working parents Carol, 57, and father Wayne, 55, in their Norfolk, Virginia home. They did everything right - they lived in a good neighborhood, and helped Vincent become an honor roll student.

But he boy snapped one day . . . and turned into a moster. On December 19, 2013 Vincent left school early while his dad was still at work. He showed up at the family home and surprised his mother - by dousing her in pepper spray.

While the 57 year old woman was blinded and unable to defend herself, Vincent stabbed his mother in the eye, and then beat her with a crowbar and metal baseball bat 'until she stopped breathing'. A medical examiner noted 25 separate smashes and stabs on Mrs Parker's neck, face and head.

The animal then waited patiently over his dead mother's body until his father came in the house. He surprised his dad and hit him in the back of the head with a crowbar, smashing his skull. He then stabbed his father multiple times.

Luckily his father didn't die from the mortal wounds. He managed to call 9-1-1 and tell them what happened. When the ambulance arrived Carol had already died. Wayne survived a short time but died in the hospital.

Yesterday Vincent plead guilty to two counts of second degree murder. A psychological evaluation found him to be both 100% sane and intelligent. He was charged as an adult and will be sentenced in September.

How man who challenged Jos Suicide Bomber died in blast meant to kill 100 football fans(Photo)

Contrary to reports that only the bomber died in a failed attempt in Jos on Saturday,4 people actually lost their lives .That night, Over 400 football fans fans gathered to watch the EUFA Championship League match between Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid.Three people were confirmed dead on the spot in the blast while the fourth died on Sunday morning thus raising the death toll to four

According to Punch, One of the football lovers at the centre, Muhammed Ibrahim, said over 400 youths were watching the match when the incident happened.

“The viewing centre is large. Television sets were placed at various points and it was crowded and in fact, over 400 of us would have been killed had the bomber succeeded,”

Another witness, Alhaji Garba Ahmad, who said he lost his senior brother, Bello, in the blast, said the bomber had first attempted to enter the viewing centre but was prevented by a barricade erected along the road....He continued..

“He then turned back and tried to enter through a garage, but also encountered a wall between the centre and the garage,”

He added that in frustration, the bomber packed the car, a Honda Odyssey, in front of a house.

“When we saw the car, unusually packed in front of our house, my brother challenged him. He told my brother that his car had a fault and wanted to repair it. My brother then asked him to take the car away. Sensing something unusual I went inside and asked all the members of our family to leave the house. Just as my brother was persuading the man to leave our premises, he (the bomber) entered the car and immediately he started it. It exploded and killed my brother, his son and his friend.”

It was also gathered that the bomber had gone to the viewing centre earlier in the day.

An official of the National Emergency Management Agency, Mr. Mohammed Suleiman, told our correspondent that the agency received a distress call at about 9 pm on Saturday and immediately rushed to the scene to carry out a search and rescue operation. He said that three people died on the spot, while the body of the fourth person was discovered on Sunday morning.

Wizkid shows off bundle of $$$$ in Houston Strip club, gives haters the middle finger(Photo)

Wizkid was in Houston yesterday for a show with Banky,2face,Timaya.After the show, he hit the strip club with friends and showed off his cash with caption" Hello?!!! Can u hear me?",plus the middle finger for the haters..Lol

A female fan said she liked him better when he was sane and asked him to go back to the studio and sing better songs instead of ginger oh..lol