News
LERSA urges AMCON to recognize property titles, Stop inflicting heartache on residents
BY: Sandra Ani
The Lekki Estates Residents and Stakeholders Association (LERSA), the umbrella body of Residents Associations of over 77 gated Estates from 1004 Estate area down to Epe, have added their voice to the clamours of Residents and Property Owners in Lekki, Lagos urging the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) to act responsibly and uphold the tenets of justice and equity in its overall conduct.
In a press statement signed by Olorogun James O. Emadoye and Gbemi Adelekan, President and Secretary respectively, LERSA condemned the inhuman treatment of homeowners who are still being thrown out of their homes in Victory Park Estate and Goshen Beach Estate and other Estates in Lekki by Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) with the use of heavily armed policemen and a group of fiercely looking unidentified armed men. Several families have been forced out of their homes with mothers and children left out in the heavy down pour of rain with little or no notice at mid-day when most Residents were out for work.
It also urged AMCON to recognize the property of home & land owners in Victory Park, Goshen Beach Estates and other developments in Lekki, who purchased their properties without any encumbrances known to law titles, and to stop inflicting unnecessary heartache and hardship on the innocent owners and residents.
LERSA reiterated the fact that residents and property owners in the affected Estates bought into gated Estate Schemes like most estate development Schemes in the Lekki axis of Lagos State.
These properties are widely publicized, and in the case of GOSHEN Beach Estate, the sale was a joint venture between the developer and Lagos State Development & Property Corporation thus giving comfort and confidence to would be subscribers/buyers that they are credible and the titles are free from any encumbrance. It is appalling and devastating to buy into a State Government sanctioned transaction only to have homes and life sustaining facilities like sewage treatment, borehole and recreation area forcibly sealed up almost twenty years after purchase.
In view of the current circumstances of some of our Estates with AMCON, it is the opinion of LERSA that the right and equitable thing for AMCON, which is a Government Agency to do, is to go after the assets of Developers who are the loan defaulters and not prey on soft targets that are innocent citizens, who are bona fide purchasers for value, without notice of any encumbrances known to law.
The enabling law establishing AMCON stipulates that AMCON Receiver Managers shall take over receivership of properties of judgement debtors subject to existing encumbrances.
It would be recalled that residents and property owners of Victory Park Estate and Goshen Beach Estate who bought their lands and built their homes in the Estates, have suddenly become soft targets of AMCON for the recovery of bad debts.
The affected residents and property owners who are members of LERSA are the owners of their properties and have duly paid for by them and therefore have no relationship whatsoever with AMCON.
The statement noted that any banker who accepts common estate facilities such as waterworks, road network, general service infrastructure and so on as collateral for loan will need to re-examine his/her qualifications as a banker.
The statement further described as shocking the current situation whereby AMCON has appointed a receiver for properties, which has been bought and paid for, by individual Nigeria citizens rather than go after the judgment debtor.
LERSA described as appalling the fact that AMCON only came after innocent citizens, as soft targets, after the demise of the developer who is their banks customers. It noted that its members within the affected Estates properly acquired and paid for fully for their properties without any caveat and or encumbrances.
It decried the use of brute force with the help of unidentified armed men to invade, intimidate and force out; law abiding citizens from their homes by any Government Agency, insisting that such despicable conduct should be strongly condemned and not be allowed to thrive in our democracy.
LERSA therefore called on President Mohammadu Buhari, the Vice President Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, the Governor of Lagos State, His Excellency Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, the Chairman of AMCON Mr Muiz Banire and the Managing Director of AMCON, Lawan Kuru to intervene in the matters of Victory Park Estate, Goshen Estate and any other Estates in Lekki and ensure that innocent Nigerians are not deprived of their homes and properties.
The Enugu State government has inaugurated a steering committee to eliminate Gender-Based Violence, GBV, in the state, declaring zero tolerance for the social malaise.
The inauguration took place at the Government House Enugu.
The panel, which is chaired by the Commissioner for Children, Gender Affairs and Social Development, Mrs. Ngozi Enih, draws its membership from the Nigeria Police Force, Ministry of Agriculture and Agro Industrialisation, Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Chieftaincy Affairs, Ministry of Human Development and Poverty Reduction, Ministry of Trade, Investment and Industry, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education as well as the Civil Society.
Inaugurating the panel known as the Steering Committee for Strengthening Institutional and Community Responses to End Gender-Based Violence/Domestication of Enugu State Gender Policy using the Oputa Panel approach, Governor Peter Mbah restated his administration’s commitment to not bringing perpetrators of GBV to book, but also putting in place proactive measures – activities, infrastructure, and systems in place to prevent them.
Mbah, who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, said, “We take gender-based violence seriously. We have zero tolerance for it, and in Enugu State, we are ready to go the extra mile to deal with it.
“If you notice, the government has selected people that are very committed to this goal. This is not an activity where we just want to check-off the list. We will track this. We will monitor this, and we will have quarterly engagements on the successes that this particular committee has achieved in terms of reference that we are going to send.
“We will tighten those terms of reference indicators, so that we monitor what we are doing both in terms of cost input and the value added. It’s very important to us. Many people will be involved – civil society, the police and various ministries.”
He however, said that the effort was to protect everyone, men and women alike, as GBV was not restricted to any gender.
“The whole idea is to hold people responsible that are involved in matters relating to gender violence and deter people that by culture or by association get involved in that, protect women, protect our children, and in the case of violence against men, protect our men because most times we misconstrue gender violence to mean women, but it can also be men too.
“We encourage our men to speak out and to make sure they understand that the policy that Enugu State is soon going to domesticate is for everyone, and not only for the female gender,” he stated.
In her remark, Mrs. Enih, explained that the Oputa Panel approach was inspired by the need to cover all local peculiarities in domesticating the policy on GBV, restarting government’s confidence in the members of the panel.
“The approach we are going to use is the Oputa Panel approach, and in the Oputa Panel approach, we are going to tour the 17 Local Government Areas to get firsthand information about what our people are going through because policy is meant for the people, and a policy should suit the people.
“Again, every community has its peculiar problems, so that’s why the government decided that if we have to domesticate the gender policy, we have to hear from the people who own the policy and know the changes that they desire to see. That is the reason we are using this approach.
“The committee members are to also serve as judges. As we gather this information from our people, we will come back to tailor it in a way to suit the people of Enugu State, and then our policy is ready.
“We want the people to know that there is a gender policy for them. I can assure you that when the people are aware that there is such a policy, they will seek for the enforcement of that policy. So, this is not going to be one of those policies that will just lie on the shelf,” she said.
Digital solutions provider, Globacom, has congratulated Christians in Nigeria on this year’s Easter celebration, and urged them to emulate the noble qualities of Jesus Christ.
The company, in a goodwill message to the Christian faithful in the country, lauded their perseverance through the Lenten period which preceded Easter. It enjoined them to always promote the ideals of selflessness, love and peace among all as a way of demonstrating the virtues of the exemplary life of Jesus Christ.
“Peace, love and sacrifice are the central message of Easter. Christ offered himself in atonement for the sins of the world and he lived a life which made Him an eternal symbol of peace and goodwill for mankind”, Globacom added.
The company enjoined all Nigerians to share in the lessons of promoting selflessness, a necessary ingredient in the growth and development of every society. It also enjoined all Nigerians to join hands to make Nigeria a better place for all.
Easter is celebrated yearly at the end of the Lenten season of fasting and prayer considered as a ritual of purification for the Christian faithful. It also precedes the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ on Good Friday and His eventual resurrection on Easter Sunday.
The company assured its customers of seamless voice, data and Short Messaging Service (SMS) during and after the Easter celebrations, while urging them to avail themselves of the various data and voice offerings on the network.
The Guild of Private Broadcast Managers has extended its heartfelt congratulations to the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) as it celebrates its 70th Anniversary.
In a congratulatory message signed by the Guild’s National President, Ambassador Patrick Uzoyi-Peters, JP MNGRM, the guild described the milestone as a testament to the NUJ’s unwavering commitment to upholding press freedom, journalistic integrity, and the advancement of democracy in Nigeria.
“For seven decades, the NUJ has played a pivotal role in shaping the media landscape, advocating for the rights and welfare of journalists, and ensuring that the voice of the people remains strong and unyielding. Your resilience, professionalism, and dedication to ethical journalism have been instrumental in fostering transparency, accountability, and national development”.
Celebrating this historic achievement, the Guild’s President, Uzoyi-Peters recognized the sacrifices and contributions of journalists across the nation who work tirelessly to inform, educate, and empower society.
The Guild reiterated it commitment towards collaborating with the NUJ in promoting responsible journalism and strengthening the media industry for the greater good.
While wishing the NUJ continued success, growth, and greater impact in the years ahead, President Uzoyi-Peters prayed that the anniversary serve as a renewed call to uphold the principles of truth, fairness, and press freedom in our collective pursuit of a more informed and just society.
“His Death Leaves a Huge Void”, Gov Mbah Mourns Music Icon, Ejeagha
Nigeria’s First Lady Oluremi Tinubu Bags Ugosimba Chieftaincy Title in Enugu
From Bomb Blast to Praise: Maureen J’s Miracle Song
LASG Acquires New Outboard Engines For Optimum Boat Performance
Elon Musk builds Hotel in Mars, Sets to launch soon at $5million per night – Photos
