News

Abuja rent is determined by market forces-Wike

Published

2 months ago

September 15, 2024

Federal Capital Territory FCT Minister, Ezenwo Nyesom Wike, has explained the inability of government to force landlords in the territory to bring down the cost of rent, which he said is market-driven.

Noting that such an order could be counterproductive and limit investments in real estate, the minister said the immediate priority of his administration is to focus on other areas of human development that would benefit everyone and ultimately lead to a crash in the overall cost of living.

The minister spoke on Saturday when he inspected the Zeberced Quarry in Kubwa, Abuja, which he described as the largest in West Africa.

His words: “No government puts a cap as regards the cost of rent. It is the market forces. You are aware that everything has actually increased because of costs. The man who built the house didn’t build that he would not make profit at the end of the day. I don’t agree with people always complaining about rent increases, there are increases in everything today, so rent should not be singled out. Do you want us to make a law and say that a 2-bed room flat should not be more than N50,000 or N100,000, for example? I don’t think you are encouraging investors. That is not our major problem now”, he stated.

Speaking on his impression of the quarry, Wike said with what he saw on ground, the cost of construction ought not to be very expensive.

“I have not been here before, but I have taken the opportunity to look at the environment and see what they are doing. That shows that ordinarily, the cost of construction ought not to be very expensive, particularly in the FCT.

“Apart from equipment that is being imported, that is used for this quarry, the raw material is available here, and I wonder why contractors should be talking about cost of aggregates as if these are imported. These are not imported, they are made here.

“So I really want to encourage the company. It is really amazing that we have this type of manufacturing going on here. This is the same company that is trying to build the industrial park in Idu, and we are going to give them all the necessary support. Just yesterday, I sent out a letter to the Ministry of Finance to get some tax credit to enable them to carry out the other one-carrier way to make it a double carriage,” he stated.

News

Police save abduct£d 14-month-old baby from nanny

Published

57 minutes ago

November 16, 2024

Kayode Sanni-Arewa

By Kayode Sanni-Arewa

Operatives of the Edo State Police Command have successfully rescued a 14-month-old baby, Grace Osamagbe, who was abducted by her nanny, Rejoice Chukwu, in April.

Commissioner of Police Umoru Ozigi told newsmen on Saturday in Benin, that the Anti-Kidnapping and Cyber Crime Unit arrested Chukwu, 24, and her boyfriend, Destiny Uchechukwu, 28, in Uyo, Akwa-Ibom

According to Ozigi, the suspects abducted the child in Benin and collected a ransom of N160,000.

I lost my hands, girlfriend, dad’s landed properties survived depression; but I’m alive’0:00 / 0:00

“In spite of receiving the ransom, the suspects allegedly sold the baby for N500,000 to Doris Chiwendu in Owerri, Imo State.

“Following intense interrogation, police tracked down Chiwendu and another suspect, Jane Amaigbo, in Ubomiri, Imo State, and rescued the baby on November 9.”

The police commissioner explained that the suspects would soon be charged in court.

News

Ondo: Hoodlums attack INEC officials in Ogbagi Akoko, destr0y electoral materials, others

Published

2 hours ago

November 16, 2024

Naijablitznews

Some hoodlums have attacked and assaulted officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) at Polling Unit 19, Ward 6 Ogbagi in the Akoko area of Ondo State in the ongoing governorship election in the state.

According to a video posted on social media, the Presiding Officer (PO) of the polling unit said that the attackers destroyed all the electoral materials at the polling unit, stole their phones and purses, and physically assaulted them.

The Presiding Officer, who said that the attack happened shortly after a PDP agent at the polling unit was arrested by the police for tearing votes, said that her Assistant Presiding Officer 1 (APO 1) she identified as Bello Samuel, had been missing since they were attacked.

Narrating what happened, the Presiding Officer said, “As the process of the election was going on, a party agent from PDP tore a vote without my consent. I don’t know his name because he had not indicated his name.

“I was trying to address him but he asked me to do my work. In order to resolve the matter, the Kabiyesi of the community (community leader) came but he (the PDP) agent was trying to tear another vote when the officers (police) at the polling unit called the DPO for his arrest.

“They (police) asked me what I wanted and I said he should be removed or the polling unit should be canceled. Then, he was arrested and the election continued.

“Unaware, we discovered a gang of people parking the election materials and they beat us up – I and my APOs. Even till now, I haven’t seen my APO 1, Bello Samuel by name.

“Our phones have been stolen with our purses, and all the electoral materials have been destroyed except the BVAS which I escaped with.”

She said that before the hoodlums attacked them, “I called SPO and the officers called the DPO. After that, I know nothing preserved by grace.”

News

Just in: APC In Early Lead As INEC Uploads Ondo Election Results On IReV Portal

Published

2 hours ago

November 16, 2024

Naijablitznews

INEC has begun to upload Ondo Governorship Election Results to the IReV Portal.

Ondo State electorates have today voted who would govern the South-west state until 2028.

Those who contested in the election include: Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC); Social Democratic Party (SDP) candidate, Bamidele Akingboye; Labour Party’s (LP) Olusola Ebiseni, Zenith Labour Party’s (ZLP) Abbas Mimiko; and Hon Agboola Ajayi of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

SEE RESULTS:
Ondo governorship election INEC IReV portal results:

OGOGORO III: OPEN SPACE AT EDEMAS HOUSE OGOGORO

Ward: MAHIN 11
Lga: ILAJE

NNPP: 53
APC: 47
PDP: 1
LP: 0

OKENJO/OKEEJE CAMP/EDEBO /OSAFA 1 & 11, BESIDE AKADIRIS HOUSE

Ward: ISOWOPO II
Lga: AKOKO NORTH EAST

APC: 90
LP: 30
PDP: 25

L.A PRY SCH IGIRIKILE

Ward: APOI III
Lga: ESE-ODO

APC: 69
PDP: 64

ODOSI 1 & 11, COURT HALL AUGA

Ward: ISOWOPO II
Lga: AKOKO NORTH EAST