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Traders protest alleged plan to demolish complex in Lagos Computer Village

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Traders at the Police Officers Wives Association (POWA) shopping complex in Computer Village, Ikeja, Lagos have condemned an alleged plan to demolish the complex.

According to the traders who deal in computer and information technology gadgets at phases I and II of the complex, the wife of the Inspector-General of Police, Elizabeth Egbetokun, purportedly gave the directive for the demolition of the property.

Speaking to journalists on Monday, the chairman of the Computer Dealers Association, Tayo Shittu, said there are 300 shops in the complex with over 1000 traders paying rent for more than 20 years.

The landladies, according to Mr Shittu, include wives and widows of retired and serving police officers who are the original allottees of the properties.

He added that some of the tenants pay between N300,000 and N400,000 yearly and have also been responsible for paying taxes imposed on the property by the Lagos State Government, including the Land Use Charge.

The traders appealed to the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, and the IGP, Kayode Egbetokun, and the state House of Assembly to intervene.

More lamentations
According to the former chairman of the Computer Dealers Association, Trust Tobechukwu, a developer identified as Achieving Greatness Properties, sent a letter informing them to leave the complex as a demolition would take place.

“We have written to the Inspector General of Police’s wife through our lawyer but we are yet to get any response from her. They should consider the occupants of the shops because this is our source of livelihood,” Mr Tobechukwu said.

One of the traders who spoke with PREMIUM TIMES, Chimaeze Iwuji, said they received a letter from the developer that they had 30 days to move out for the demolition of the buildings.

“We told them to give us a proper letter from the appropriate authorities, they said no. From all indications, it involves a developer and one or two people from POWA to demolish this place,” Mr Iwuji observed.

Reason for proposed demolition

In a petition against the developer and the national leader of POWA, dated 7 December and directed to the IGP through the Legal Hub Partnership, the traders claim that the demolition plan was proposed by Achieving Greatness Limited to the National President of POWA and the National Market Leader.

They noted that the proposal was premised on the fact that the POWA Phase I and II are dilapidated, defaced, and distressed and have been recommended for demolition by the Lagos State Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development and Lagos State Building Control Agency.

In her comments, the Iya Oloja of Computer Village, Abisola Azeez, dismissed the reason cited for the proposed demolition as just an excuse to displace the over 1,000 traders in the complex.

Mrs Azeez expressed hope that they could come to terms with the national leaders of POWA and resolve the issues amicably.

“My shop has been here since 1999. POWA always gives us issues here and we have our respective landladies. The traders are responsible for all the maintenance and development of the plaza. They want to dislodge us and bring in new people,” Mrs Azeez said.

“The plaza is a one-storey building and it does not have any structural defect. If they need an increase in payment or if there are issues we need to resolve, they should tell us so we can resolve everything.”

The traders said RFI Integ. Services, a geotechnical engineering company, conducted a non-destructive structural integrity test on the buildings and certified it fit.

However, when PREMIUM TIMES contacted the liaison officer for POWA, an official, Omoh Oziegbe, confirmed the development but refused to speak on it.

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Rivers crisis: Tinubu meets Wike, Fubara, Ogoni leaders, others

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President Bola Tinubu is currently meeting with Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT Nyesom Wike, at the State House Abuja.

Some Ogoniland leaders from four Local government areas of the state are also in the meeting.

Although the details of the meeting cannot be ascertained at the moment, it may not be unconnected to the political crisis plaguing the state since late 2023.

Reports has it that Fubara and Wike have been engaged in supremacy battle.

Some of the Ogoniland leaders sighted at the Council Chamber of the State House include Senators Lee Maeba, Magnus Abe, Olaka Nwogu, Victor Giadom, Kenneth Kobani, Monsignor Pius Kii, Leedom Mitee, Senators Bennett Birabi, Barry Mpigi, Kenneth Kobani, and Prof. B. Fakae, among others.

Also in attendance are the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, Minister of Information and National Orientation, Idris Mohammed, Minister of Regional Development, Abubakar Momoh, Minister of Environment, Balarabe Abbas, and the Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, Mele Kyari.

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Court grants El-Rufai’s allies accused of fraud bail

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A Federal High Court sitting in Kaduna has granted bail to four individuals, (including Jimi Lawal, a senior advisor to former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai), who were arraigned on fraud and money laundering charges.

The defendants, who were arraigned by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, were accused of diverting N64.8 million in three tranches to the bank account of Solar Life Nigeria Limited, where Lawal was believed to be the sole signatory.

The other defendants are Lawal Adebisi, a former Senior Special Adviser to El-Rufai; Umar Waziri, the former Accountant-General of Kaduna State; and Yusuf Inuwa, a former aide to the former Governor.

To secure their bail, the defendants must provide two sureties with N50 million each, who must have landed property in Kaduna with verified Certificates of Occupancy.

Additionally, they must deposit their International Passports, National Passports, Green passports, and official passports, if any, with the Deputy Chief Registrar of the Federal High Court in Kaduna.

Speaking to journalists shortly after the court sitting on Tuesday, Counsel to the defendants, Johnson Usman, SAN, expressed optimism that they would meet the bail conditions soon, allowing them to be released from prison remand.

“The Court however ordered that, pending the perfection of their bail condition, they should be remanded in prison custody and we hope the perfection would be done in a jiffy, possibly tomorrow.

“The defendants were asked to provide two sureties, with some of N50 million in a like sum. That, the sureties must have landed properly in Kaduna and the CofO must be verified by the Registrar of the Court.

“We are hopeful that the defendants will meet the bail conditions as soon as possible, and they will be released from prison custody,” Usman said.

PUNCH Online reports that ICPC had alleged that the defendants conspired to divert the N64.8 million, which was sent in three tranches to the bank account of Solar Life Nigeria Limited.

According to the ICPC, the suit filed at the Federal High Court, Kaduna Judicial Division, the Commission was accusing Lawal of conniving with the two other accused persons to have diverted the total sum of N64.800 million.

“The money was sent in three tranches of N10 million, N47.840 million, and N7.320 million to the bank account of Solar Life Nigeria Limited where Mr Lawal is believed to be the sole signatory.”

The defendants have denied the allegations, and their counsel has promised to prove their innocence in court.

The case has been adjourned to March 26 and 27, 2025, for trial.

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Globacom CEO Ahmad Farroukh resigns after one month amid governance challenges

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Ahmad Farroukh, who was appointed CEO of Nigerian telecom giant Globacom in October 2024, resigned after just one month in the role, multiple sources close to the matter confirmed. While Globacom has not issued an official statement or communicated the resignation internally, several industry insiders suggest the decision was linked to significant challenges within the company’s organisational structure.

A mid-level manager at Globacom, speaking on the condition of anonymity, speculated Farroukh’s departure was tied to problems with the organisational setup. A top-level executive at the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) who asked not to be named confirmed Farroukh’s exit but declined to share specifics.

Globacom did not respond to multiple requests for comments.

Farroukh’s abrupt resignation highlights significant internal challenges at the company, which has long been criticised for its centralised decision-making process. According to a former Globacom executive, the company’s founder, Mike Adenuga, is key to most decisions within the company. Adenuga has managed the telecom giant alongside his other business interests, including oil and gas, financial services, and real estate, with minimal structural separation between his other ventures and Globacom’s operations.

This approach has historically worked for the company but may have presented obstacles for Farroukh, whose experience at more structured organizations like MTN and Airtel might have led him to expect a different level of operational autonomy.

Farroukh’s departure also comes when Globacom is facing heightened regulatory scrutiny. In late 2024, the NCC’s sector audit revealed that over 40 million subscribers were not properly registered with their National Identification Numbers (NIN), violating government regulations. This led to a significant loss of market share, with Globacom’s share of the Nigerian mobile market shrinking by approximately 60%, leaving it with just 12%.

Globacom has also faced ongoing cybersecurity issues, including a high-profile hack in 2023 that exposed the personal data of millions of its subscribers. These issues may have created an environment where Farroukh’s leadership efforts could not make a meaningful impact quickly.

“A CEO leaving in one month is unprecedented in the industry. The NCC can investigate the reason for his exit. The commission can seek an explanation from the CEO, who is not obligated to respond, or from the company because this is about corporate governance, which the NCC Act covers,” said Ayoola Oke, a former Special Adviser to the former Executive Vice-Chairman of NCC, Ernest Ndukwe.

Globacom’s leadership void following Farroukh’s departure will raise questions about the company’s ability to navigate its ongoing internal challenges and regain its competitive edge. Without significant structural changes, it is unclear how Globacom can address the organizational weaknesses that led to Farroukh’s exit.

 

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