News
FHA BEGINS REHABILITATION OF FESTAC TOWN ROADS
The Management of Federal Housing Authority has commenced the rehabilitation of roads in Festac Town Lagos, starting from the 1st Avenue.
Inspecting the progress of work on Thursday 22nd August 2024, the Managing Director and Chief Executive, Hon Oyetunde Ojo said rehabilitation of the roads will be in phases, and expressed the willingness of the Authority to address the decay in the town.
According to Hon Ojo, “restoring the glory of Festac Town has gone beyond mere rhetorics, but will now be matched with visible actions”. He noted that Festac Town is more than just an estate in Nigeria but a national monument. He therefore stated that FHA would do everything it takes to restore the lost glory of the town.
Hon. Ojo however called on the residents to work with the Authority to achieve this. He called on allotees to cooperate with FHA by paying all their statutory fees, noting that the Authority needs to generate funds from its properties to operate since it is no longer in government appropriation.
The Federal Housing Authority Managing Director had earlier in a meeting with the Festac Town Residents Association (FTRA) solicited their cooperation with FHA to serve them better.
The Managing Director informed the FTRA members that FHA has no funding/budget/allocation from the Federal Government and that if the Authority is expected to live up to is obligations and functions, it needs money to work. This money he said can only be raised from the properties it has.
The FHA boss used the opportunity to explain the reasons and Management’s intentions behind the on going verification exercise in the Authority. This he said is to capture the most recent and accurate data of all property owners in the Authority’s data base since FHA has digitalised its operations.
He reiterated the management’s rejection of the old analogue system with the high risk of property information being left in paper/file format. This he noted is susceptible to fire, theft, misplacement and other negative factors.
Preventing this and for easy retrieval he said is the main essence of the verification and digitalisation exercise by the Authority.
The Managing Director ruled the fact that about 4000 residents in Festac are yet to offset the mortgages on their properties that had 30 years window of payment.
Hon encourages allotees to avail themselves of the opportunity of this nation wide verification exercise to update their record’s with FHA, noting that of the estimated 23,000 FHA approved properties in Festac, about 11,000 have done the verification, representing about 50%.l The Managing Director however, posited that FHA would only recognize thr verified properties after the exercise.
On the ongoing rehabilitation work going on, Hon Ojo said that the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd gates will be looked into starting with the demolition of the old 1st gate and
erection of a new morden structure, clearing of all illegal structures on that axis, fixing of solar street lights on the stretch of 1st Avenue, from the 1st gate to the junction of 11 road, clearing of the median and keeping it clean, and palliative repairs on the inward and outward roads of 1st gate.
The Managing Director also hinted on the repairs of the 3.2km stretch of 2nd Avenue, which will cost about 7 billion Naira. This he said FHA will try to influence through Federal Government, but that palliative jobs will be done to still keep it in use .
The FHA Chief Executive warned that he will be visiting 6th Avenue to carry out demolition exercise on properties that have been marked by the Authority, noting that some of the marked buildings are showing visible signs of integrity failure and are at the verge of collapsing.
He posited that if the owners decide to break them down themselves, they will still have their lands to their names, but if FHA is to demolish the houses, the owners will loose the land title.
By Israel Bulus, Kaduna
The APC Coordinators’ Forum has unanimously declared its total support for Governor Uba Sani’s continuity in office beyond 2027, citing his track record of good governance and impactful leadership within his first two years.
The forum made this declaration on Tuesday during a press briefing in Kaduna, where its Chairman, Mal. Nasiru Shehu (Excellency), highlighted the governor’s achievements.
Addressing Journalists, Shehu emphasized that Governor Uba Sani’s administration has significantly transformed Kaduna State, particularly in rural development, infrastructure, and security, reducing rural-urban migration and improving citizens’ quality of life.
Also, speaking on behalf of the 23 APC Local Government Coordinators, Danatus Adamu outlined some of the governor’s key accomplishments, including:
1. Road Construction – The administration has embarked on the construction of over 700 roads, with 22 roads already completed and commissioned, improving intra-state connectivity and boosting economic activities.
2. Agricultural Support – The government has distributed fertilizers and farming implements to cooperative societies across the state, enhancing agricultural productivity and food security for farmers.
3. Improved Security – Since assuming office, Governor Uba Sani has made remarkable progress in tackling insecurity. Today, farmers can safely return to their fields, and residents now enjoy improved security, with a reduced rate of kidnappings and attacks.
4. Education Reform – Understanding the financial burden on students and parents, the governor reduced tuition fees across all tertiary institutions in Kaduna State by 30%, making education more accessible to all.
5. Religious Harmony and Social Cohesion – His commitment to unity and inclusivity was demonstrated during the Ramadan Iftar, where he brought together people of different religious backgrounds, fostering peace and mutual respect in the state.
The forum also extended its appreciation to Hon. Abubakar Shehu Giwa, the Political Adviser to the Governor, for his dedication and tireless efforts in promoting the APC and the administration’s achievements across the state.
Additionally, the forum acknowledged the Director-General of the APC Campaign Council, Prof. Mohammed Sani Preth (Mamman Zazzau), for his steadfast support and unwavering commitment to the party’s success in Kaduna State.
In light of these achievements, the APC Coordinators’ Forum of Kaduna State formally declared a vote of confidence in Governor Uba Sani’s leadership. The group reaffirmed its full support for his re-election bid in 2027, believing that his continuity in office will further accelerate development in the state.
“Governor Uba Sani has demonstrated exceptional leadership, inclusivity, and a genuine commitment to the welfare of Kaduna residents. We strongly believe that his continued leadership beyond 2027 will bring even greater progress to our dear state,” Mal. Nasiru Shehu stated.
With growing support from political stakeholders and grassroots mobilizers, the APC Coordinators’ Forum vowed to intensify efforts in ensuring that Governor Uba Sani secures a second term, confident in his ability to sustain and expand the developmental strides witnessed under his administration.
The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has commenced investigation into the death of a female adult suspected to be a fatal train accident along Gwagwa-Idu rail line in Abuja.
Confirming the incident, the FCT Police spokesperson, SP Josephine Adeh, said the Command was “investigating a fatal train accident that claimed the life of an unidentified woman along the Gwagwa-Idu railway line.
“On March 24, 2025, at about 11:00am, FCT Police responded to a distress call reporting an unconscious female on the railway tracks behind Zeberced Company, Idu. Upon arrival, officers found a lifeless and disfigured female body, believed to have been struck by a train.
“The remains were evacuated to Kubwa General Hospital, where her death was confirmed. Efforts are ongoing to identify her and locate her relatives.”
Meanwhile, the FCT deputy commissioner of police in charge of operations, DCP Isyaku Sharu, has urged residents to exercise caution around railway lines and adhere to safety regulations.
He also called on anyone with useful information to contact the police on any of its emergencies line: 08032003913, 08028940883, 07057337653, or the Complaint Response Unit at 08107314192.
… Promises to follow due process
Insists petitioners failed to provide contact details
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said that the representatives of the petitioners seeking the racall of the suspended Senator representing Kogi Central senatorial district from the National Assembly, did not provide their contact address, telephone number(s) and e-mail address(es) in the covering letter accompanying their petition to the Commission.
INEC said the provision of contact address and telephone number are provided for in Clause 1(f) of its Regulations and Guidelines.
The commission said the address given was “Okene, Kogi State”, which is not a definite location for contacting the petitioners, insisting that only the telephone number of “the lead petitioner” is provided as against the numbers of all the other representatives of the petitioners.
INEC National Commissioner and chairman of Information and Voter Education Committee, Sam Olumekun, disclosed this at the end of the commission’s regular weekly meeting in Abuja on Tuesday.
He said the process of recall is enshrined in the 1999 Constitution, the Electoral Act 2022 as well as the Commission’s detailed Regulations and Guidelines for Recall 2024, available on its website, stressing that all petitions will be treated in strict compliance with the legal framework.
“The Commission held its regular weekly meeting today, Tuesday 25th March 2025. Among other issues, the meeting discussed the petition for the recall of the Senator representing Kogi Central Senatorial District.
“The process of recall is enshrined in the 1999 Constitution, the Electoral Act 2022 as well as the Commission’s detailed Regulations and Guidelines for Recall 2024, available on our website. All petitions will be treated in strict compliance with the legal framework.
“The petition from Kogi Central Senatorial District was accompanied by six bags of documents said to be signatures collected from over half of the 474,554 registered voters spread across 902 Polling Units in 57 Registration Areas (Wards) in the five Local Government Areas of Adavi, Ajaokuta, Ogori/Magongo, Okehi and Okene.
“The Commission’s immediate observation is that the representatives of the petitioners did not provide their contact address, telephone number(s) and e-mail address(es) in the covering letter forwarding the petition through which they can be contacted as provided in Clause 1(f) of our Regulations and Guidelines.
“The address given is “Okene, Kogi State”, which is not a definite location for contacting the petitioners. Only the telephone number of “the lead petitioner” is provided as against the numbers of all the other representatives of the petitioners,” Olumekun said.
The INEC Chief Spokesperson reiterated that the recall of a legislator is the prerogative of registered voters in a constituency who sign a petition indicating loss of confidence in the legislator representing them.
He said once the petition meets the requirements of submission, as contained in INEC’s regulations, the commission shall commence the verification of the signatures in each polling unit in an open process restricted to registered voters that signed the petition only.
“The petitioners and the member whose recall is sought shall be at liberty to nominate agents to observe the verification, while interested observers and the media will also be accredited. At each Polling Unit, signatories to the petition shall be verified using the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS).
“Consequently, if the petitioners fully comply with the requirements of Clause 1(f) of the Regulations and Guidelines regarding the submission of their petition, the Commission will announce the next steps in line with the extant laws, regulations and guidelines.
“In the absence of a definite contact address, the commission is making efforts to use other means to notify the representatives of the petitioners of the situation.
“The commission reassures the public that it will be guided by the legal framework for recall. The public should therefore discountenance any speculations and insinuations in the social media,” Olumekun added.