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38 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 28, 2020 editor@yahoo.com Supreme Court judgement on Imo State governorship election AS the recent judgement of the Supreme Court which sacked Governor Ihedioha of Imo State continues to generates comments from concerned Nigerians and Imolite, I humbly ask: How on earth did the Supreme Court judges arrive at the number of votes they allocated to Hope Uzodimma that pushed him from the fourth position he was after the election to become the ultimate winner? How did they arrive at the conclusion that the polling stations which INEC had rejected due to reasons which were made public after the election contained only APC votes? There is need for this matter to be interrogated properly to avoid creating voting apathy in Imo State and by extension the whole of Nigeria. Judiciary must save its image from the stain this controversial ruling has already caused Bazakey, 2348114219960 Launching of Amotekun and Northerners reaction It shows that the guilty are afraid because I can not understand why this noise about Yoruba leaders that chose to protect their own people. Had the Federal Government right from 1970 to date taken Nigerians unity serious, all this unnecessary fear will not be! The Federal Government should take security more paramount and unite the country. Romanus 08024209181 Appointment of EFCC boss Both the Customs comptroller general, Col. Hameed Ali (retd), and Ibrahim Magu, Ag Chairman of theEconomic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, deserve national honours! Mr President should send Magu’s name to the Senate for confirmation as a substantial chairman of the EFCC. Ali also deserves commendation from the President for the giant efforts in his fight against Nigeria’s economic saboteurs. Those two notable stars in this government are adding credibility and integrity to Buhari’s administration. Usman Hassan 2348131822223 Epileptic power supply and hike in electricity tariff The last upward electricity tariff review was in December 2015 and Nigerians were promised stable power supply whereas on the contrary Nigerians are in total darkness! In 2016 the National Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC had on various occasions introduced meter maintenance fees and fixed electricity charges ranging from N800 and above, yet we are experiencing very low power supply. Power supply has worsened from what it was in 2015 and the rot had eaten deeper into the sector. The inefficiencies in the electricity sector has hit an all time high. Data obtained from the Ministry of Power revealed that by December 2015, electricity supply stood at an average of 5,000 megawatts daily while today Nigeria is battling with 3,500 megawatts. Nigerians are paying heavily for darkness because most households hardly enjoy up to five hours of electricity daily. Enough of the hike in electricity tariff. Adekunle wrote from Lagos state Corruption and President Buhari’s administration President Muhammadu Buhari is incorruptible, but my fear, is that many of the people who claim to be his soul mates, especially in the APC, are in terms of commitment to fighting corruption not clean themselves. President Buhari requires wisdom to reshuffle his cabinet in this dispensation to separate the wheat from the chaff so that his administration could deliver the changes he promised Nigerians during his campaign to power. Indeed the opposition party wishes that he failed and his administration taken over by power drunk politicians and corrupt persons, but we pray their dream will never materialize and Nigeria will eventually be rescued and salvaged by the Buhari administration. Unless corruption is fought headlong, no m e a n i n g f u l development can take place in the country.. Anonymous writes in from Lagos State Inflation and state of the economy Inflation is something that every central bank including the Central Banks of Nigeria, CBN, and responsible government should be worried about and strive to manage and keep within reasonable and acceptable limits for the benefit of the economy and standard living of Nigerians. The masses are suffering due to poverty and inflation in Nigeria. Inflation can destabilise an economy, drive out foreign investors due to exchange rate, hurt our buying power and make it difficult for people to afford basic needs. When will the APC led government deliver all dividends of good governance they promised during 2015 elections to provide for the masses? President Buhari and the APC should please change their policies for the benefits of the masses because Nigerians are at the receiving ends, the economy is in shamble. A n o n y m o u s 08067557715 SAYINGS OF OUR ELDERS Challenges are what makes life interesting, overcoming them is what makes life meaningful From Onyeka Ruth Send us your Sayings of Our Elders. They must be African sayings or proverbs. Biblical or English proverbs are unacceptable. Address your sayings to: wwwsimade@yahoo.co.uk
As part of efforts to guarantee the safety of Nigerians and the need to arrest the spate of building collapse in the country, the federal government has said it would collaborate with building professionals in the country to uphold standard in the building industry. The Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, disclosed this during a meeting with the leaders of the Nigerian Institute of Building NIOB, in his office in Abuja. “The safety of all Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 28, 2020 — 39 Building collapse: FG partners building professionals to stop menace Nigerians is key to the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration and so we are not leaving any stone unturned to achieve this. As a Ministry that is saddled with the responsibility of ensuring internal security in Nigeria, our goal is to partner with relevant professional bodies and organisations to achieve our mandate”, Aregbesola said. Earlier, the National President of NIOB, Mr. Kunle Awobodu hinted that the institute had earmarked March 13, 2020 as Builders’ Day, adding that it was the day a five- storey building collapsed at No. 63, Massey Street, Lagos Island, killing over 20 people, who were mostly school children. According to Awobodu, “That sad and painful incident caused by substandard building construction, which has become a common practice in Nigeria should be a reminder to stakeholders in the building industry on the fatal implications of non compliance with appropriate building construction processes. “The Builders’ Day, which should be an annual event would commence this year 2020. It would be a nationwide sensitisation campaign against substandard building construction. NIOB has therefore sought for the support of the Ministry of Interior to realise this objective”. Aregbesola, postulating the philosophy of placing prevention above damage control or medicine after death, added that his Ministry would collaborate with the NIOB to train artisans in building and also to ensure standardisation of all materials being used in building construction so as to avert the frequent incidents of building collapse across the country, which he said had claimed the lives of many Nigerians. Ogbeni Aregbesola enjoined the institute to help provide building skills at the correctional centres where inmates could be engaged in more productive activities, as well as generating income for themselves and the country. The Minister noted that “Among the causes of massive unemployment and insecurity in Nigeria is the failure of people to recognise key primary service providers such as the building artisans, so we are addressing this trend as part of our efforts at removing all threats to the security of lives and property of the citizenry,” He called for training and retraining of artisans in the various fields towards national development. Stories by Kingsley Adegboye Lagos state government and First Investment Development Company FIDC, developer of Ilubirin housing project, weekend reaffirmed their vision for the future of Lagos with Ilubirin, a vibrant new waterside community under construction in Lagos Island. Ilubirin, as it is popularly called is a pioneering, mixed-use development that caters to aspiring professionals, couples and families with amenities such as schools, offices, shopping, medical, leisure facilities and Lagoon-adjoining Marina. The 29-hectare mixed use development that signals a new era in the lifestyle landscape of the city as an entrepreneurial, creative and cosmopolitan cohort which comes to the fore, is being constructed by Arbico PLC, with urban design by international firms such as GAPP Urban Designers and SAO- TA Architects. In his address at a press briefing on Ilubirin Foreshore Estate, Lagos state Commissioner for Housing, Moruf Akinderu-Fatai, who noted that the project is very dear to the state government, said “Despite a myriad of initial challenges and setbacks, I am pleased to inform you that FIDC, our partner, has lived up to our expectations, and even surpassed them in designing, developing and constructing a futuristic housing project that when finished, will be the envy of luxury property developers around the world. “Revolutionary in concept, visionary in design, and stunningly beautiful in implementation, Ilubirin Foreshore Estate is the flagship of our concept for an ultramodern metropolis which will stand head and shoulders above global capital cities as first among equals in accordance with our dream of a 21st century economy comparable to others all over the world. “At the heart of the partnership between us and FIDC is an unbreakable bond built on trust, openness and conformity to well laid-down international standards. Our partnership with FIDC is a standard Public-Private-Partnership- PPP with Lagos state providing the land and FIDC hav- Lagos, FIDC reaffirm commitment to Ilubirin housing project —As first apartments of phase 1 are set for delivery December 2020 ing sole authority for development, marketing and management of Ilubirin Foreshore Estate. “Of course, we have maintained overall oversight of the project, in order to ensure that the Ilubirin Foreshore Estate is developed in line with the Masterplan for Lagos State. I am aware that Infrastructure they say, is the bedrock of the economy of any nation. But in Nigeria, lack of adequate infrastructure and lack of maintenance of the existing ones has made life difficult for Nigerians. It is against this backdrop that built environment professionals in the country have constituted themselves into Nigeria Construction and Infrastructure Summit Group with the primary objective of organising construction and infrastructure summit to address this all important issue. At a press conference in Lagos last week to announce the proposed summit, Olumuyiwa Alade Ajibola, an engineer, and President, Association of Professional On-going Ilubirin housing project FIDC has an impeccable record in terms of Corporate Social Responsibility, CSR commitments”, Akinderu- Fatai stated. In his remarks, Martins Kearns who is the head of FIDC, noted that the overhead bridge that will link Ilubirin Foreshore Estate to Third Mainland bridge was originally not part of the project, adding that FIDC had also concluded environmental impact assessment of the area to ensure conducive environment of the community when the housing project has come to stay. Explaining that Ìlúbìrin will set a new agenda as a district offering superlative residences, restaurants, elegant retail, exemplary facilities for medical care, education and transport infrastructure, Kearns disclosed that the first units of residential apartments at Ìlúbìrin, slated for completion in the fourth quarter of 2020, will provide smartlyappointed and luxurious homes that represent unprecedented value for money. “The Premier Collection, designed by SAOTA Architects and ECAD Design Architects, will see 108 spacious apartments built across five blocks, consisting of 20 studio, 64 twobedroom and 24 three-bedroom apartments. The apartments are designed to cater to the city’s expanding set of aspiring professional and executive management residents. “Beyond the excellent value, refined design decisions and enviable specifications are expected to establish Ìlúbìrin’s first cache of residences as the most desirable set of homes in the city. As the population of Lagos increases – according to some estimates 21m people live in the city, and by 2050 the Nigerian capital is anticipated to triple in size. “Ìlúbìrin offers an optimistic vision for how the city can modernise. Pragmatic urban planning makes the waterside community easily navigable. Sharp-eyed security and maintenance staff ensure that the environment is safe and clean for inhabitants. “The Ilubirin site will incorporate residential apartments (244,742m2), retail (52,445m2), commercial (65,556m2), hospitality (24,474m2), community and school (10,489 m2), landscaped gardens and new green wetlands.”, Kearns said. Infrastructure deficit: Built environment professionals hold summit on way forward Bodies of Nigeria APBN, said a well developed infrastructure is not only essential for attracting foreign investment, it is vital for longterm growth and competitiveness of nations worldwide, adding that every aspect of life is facilitated by appropriate infrastructure. According to Ajibola who is a fellow of the Nigerian Society of Engineers, “Robust infrastructure helps to determine progress towards diversification of production, expansion of the economy, capacity to cope with population growth, reduction in poverty, improvement of environmental conditions. “The inadequacy of infrastructure in Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation, no doubt, is making life difficult for people. The perennial electricity shortages, housing problems, lack of proper water and sanitation infrastructure are making the living conditions of Nigerians uncomfortable. Nigeria loses N2.03tr - N3.05tr, and probably up to three out of every four micro businesses annually, as the overall economy stunts or even stagnates. “The rapidly increasing population puts additional strain on the already inadequate infrastructure, amid weak economy, low growth, food insecurity and unemployment. In view of this the case for rapid bridging of the infrastructure gap cannot be overemphasized. Delivering quality Infrastructure also requires the development and deployment of state – of – the - art technologies, with which we as country need to catch up, in this second decade of the twenty first century. “In view of the above, some distinguished professionals and key players in the country’s construction and infrastructure sectors have come together with this initiative to organize a broad based summit, and we have approached cognate government ministries, departments and agencies as well as a few private sector stakeholders for partnership. So far, positive responses have been received. “It is however our view that the private sector should be encouraged to participate more in the Infrastructure Delivery in the country. The summit therefore envisages the collaboration of both the private and the public sectors to generate the optimal approach to the bridging of the infrastructure deficit. Though the proposed summit has no date yet, Ajibola said “Our goal among others, is for the summit to ensure that we get more efficient infrastructure delivery strategies, that we get significantly better value for money through procurement, that we attract investors from across the globe to participate.
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