SANWO-OLU ORDERS PROBE INTO ALLEGED LAND SCAM BY REVOLUTION PLUS PROPERTY COMPANY

 

Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has directed Lagos State Real Estate Regulatory Authority-LASRERA to commence an investigation into a viral video clip made by one Mr Kayode Oladipo about 20 plots of lands he supposedly bought in 2017 from a Property Company, RevolutionPlus without any physical allocation of the said plots.

Following the Governor’s directive, the Lagos State Commissioner for Housing, Hon. Moruf Akinderu-Fatai, Special Adviser to Lagos State Governor on Housing, Barr.Barakat Odunuga-Bakare and Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Housing, Engr. Gbolahan Toriola, on Friday, invited the Management of RevolutionPlus Limited who was led the company’s Chief Executive Officer/Managing Director, Dr.Bamidele Onalaja, for fact-finding.

The information gathering process by the top government officials, according to the Commissioner for Housing will help find lasting solutions to frequent reports of fraudulent practices in the State’s real Sector and thus protect the interest of investors and investees in the Real Estate business transactions in Lagos State. 

Special Adviser to Lagos State Governor on Housing, Barr.Barakat Odunuga-Bakare recalled that before the viral video made by Mr Kayode Oladipo, there had been some concerns raised by members of the public about the conduct of RevolutionPlus Property Limited to some of its subscribers.

The members of the investigation team reiterated the resolve of the State government to investigate the allegation against RevolutionPlus Limited in line with LASRERA Law 2022.

According to them, LASRERA Law 2022 empowers the agency to investigate petitions and complaints from members of the public to protect and promote sanity as well as boost further investors' confidence both at home and foreign investments for the sector in Lagos State. 

The CEO/MD of the real estate company, Dr.Bamidele Onalaja, affirmed that Mr. Kayode Oladipo (complainant) subscribed for 20 (Twenty) plots of land from RevolutionPlus Property Limited at Dallas Court, Lekki and Royalty Gardens, Ajah, in Lagos State. 

Dr. Onalaja explained that 2 (two) out of the original 20 plots were fully paid for by the client, while the necessary documentation has been completed and handed over to him.

He added that the remaining 18 (eighteen) plots of those land have not been fully paid by Mr. Kayode Oladipo as he flouted the payment agreement on the contract.

He said that property NOT fully paid for with its associated costs will not be processed based on contract conditions because, in case of non-compliance, the company policy requires the relocation of such subscriber to another site upon completion of payment or refund of the deposited sum less 40%( forty percent).

He noted that having defaulted in his payment pattern, RevolutionPlus Property Limited relocated him to another land site at Amazon Estate, Epe, which he declined while the option of refunding the sum advanced was also rejected by Mr Kayode Oladipo, the complainant.

Onalaja said that the company has finalized the allocation of 5 (five) plots to Mr. Kayode Oladipo at Amazon Estate based on the payment made with necessary documents forwarded to him. 

The CEO of RevolutionPlus Property Limited also added that Mr Kayode Oladipo did not make a payment of N40,000,000.00 (Forty Million to the company as claimed in the viral video, urging members of the public to disregard his claims as untrue and misleading.

However, in the course of the committee’s investigation, Mr Kayode Oladipo who was contacted on the phone, maintained that he paid the deposit sum of N18,606,000.00 (Eighteen Million, Six Hundred and Six Thousand Naira to RevolutionPlus Property Limited in 2017. 

He said that along the line, he lost his job and couldn't continue with the payment as he initially agreed.

He confirmed that he declined the option of relocation to Amazon Estate, Epe in Lagos State, and wants the State Government to compel RevolutionPlus Property Limited to allocate his subscribed plots of land to him.

The Investigation Committee explained to Mr. Kayode Oladipo that having defaulted in his payment arrangement, the real estate company has the right to offer the option of relocation to another site equivalent to money paid or the option of refund of the amount paid less 40% as stipulated in the agreed contract of sales by both parties. 

It should be noted that after the deliberations by the investigation team, Mr Kayode Oladipo (Complainant) has agreed to accept the allocation of (5) plots of land at Amazon Estate, Epe of Lagos State which is equivalent to the present value of his payment.

Adeoti Sobowale 

Deputy Director, Public Affairs 

LASRERA 

21st January, 2024.

Lagos State Real Estate Regulatory Authority - Lasrera 

#lagos

Lagos Assembly Begins Probe Of Ambode Over Purchase Of Buses Worth N45 Billion

AgegePulse Magazine

The Lagos State House Assembly on Tuesday during plenary set-up a committee to investigate the purchase of 820 buses by the administration of former governor Akinwunmi Ambode of the state.

The House stated that it was important to investigate the purchase of the 820 buses out of the 5,000 buses proposed by former governor Akinwunmi Ambode for mass transit in the state, but which was purchased despite objection by the House of Assembly.

In a motion titled; Lagos State House of Assembly Motion Number 2, Hon. Gbolahan Yishawu (Eti Osa 2), explained that the House noted that at the Executive/ Legislative parley held at Golden Tulip in FESTAC in September 2017, Ambode informed the lawmakers that 5,000 buses would be bought by the state government.

He stated that the executive proposed to spend N17 billion to purchase the buses in the 2017 budget, but that this was not approved by the Assembly.

"In the 2018 and 2019 budgets, the state government proposed N24 Billion and N7 Billion respectively, but these were not approved.

"The state government still went ahead to import 820 buses at N7 Billion, and out of them 520 are still awaiting clearance at the ports,"  he said.

He added that the House was worried that 520 buses were still awaiting clearance from the bonded warehouse and the Port, waiting to be cleared, and that they were purchased with taxpayers' money without approval.

Hon. Yishawu then submitted that the House should set up an adhoc committee to investigate all the issues relating to the purchase of the buses.

He also stated that the House should investigate the cost of the purchase of the buses and other issues surrounding the purchase to prevent a re-occurence.

"The state government requested waivers for the importation of the buses and it was not granted.

'The value of the buses were overrated. Some of the buses are still in the ports and they are attracting demurrage.

"N45 Billion would be spent on the total purchase of the buses and we need to prevent such an occurrence in the future," he added.

Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa said in his submission that the House needed to prevent waste because the expenditure had been done.

According to him, "the vehicles are in the ports and they have been there for almost a year.

"The state will continue to suffer if we allow the buses to stay in the ports.

"We should be the regulators of transporters, the state should not operate the buses.

"How much are we giving the buses out should be addressed. We should get the buses to the roads and safe the state from further wastes," he said.

The House subsequently set up a committee headed by Hon. Fatal Mojeed (Ibeju Lekki 1) to look into the matter and report to the House in due course.

Members of the committee, according to the Speaker included Hon. Gbolahan Yishawu, Hon. Bisi Yusuff (Alimosho 1), Hon. Olanrewaju Afinni (Lagos Island 2), Hon. Rasheed Makinde (Ifako Ijaiye 2), Hon. Yinka Ogundimu (Agege 2), Hon. Mojisola Miranda (Apapa 1) and others.

The Speaker directed the committee to invite the Accountant General of the state, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Transport, and others that were involved in the purchase to state what they knew about the purchase.

He also told them to invite the current Commissioner for Finance, the Managing Director of LAMATA and others.

In his contribution, Hon. Yinka Ogundimu (Agege 2) stated that the House needed to investigate every transaction that had to do with the procurement of the buses.

He added that It would become a bad precedent if the House didn't do anything about the matter.

"A huge amount of money still needed to be paid on the purchase of these buses. Whoever has erred should be brought to book," he said.

Also speaking, Hon. Rasheed Makinde stated that it was obvious that the last administration did a lot of misdeed in awarding contracts.

Makinde stressed that some of these included Vision Scape and the proposed fourth mainland bridge.

"The House rejected the proposal on the buses, yet they went on to spend N45 Billion on the project.

"Since we did not approve the contract expenditure is null and void, so the money should be refunded.

"The Account General of the State, Procurement Officer and the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Transportation must be called to speak on the matter," he said.

In his view, Hon. Rotimi Olowo (Shomolu 1) stressed that the provision of the 1999 Constitution in Section 120 has been flouted with the purchase.

"They told us that they wanted to start a pilot project, yet they went ahead with the project.

"Can we still wait for the vehicles to be in the port and attract demurrage.

"The incumbent Governor of the state should ask for waivers from the Federal Government so that we could retrieve the vehicles from the ports," he said.

The House subsequently went on a break until further notice as the members would be embarking on a lot of programmes such as training programmes outside the country, while it would town Hall meetings across the 40 constituencies on September 10, 2019 amongst others.

Osinbajo orders IGP to re-organise SARS

...Aks NHRC to probe rights violation
Olalekan Adetayo, Abuja

The Acting President, Yemi Osinbajo, on Tuesday directed the Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, to immediately begin the overhaul of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad.

He has also directed the National Human Rights Commission to set up a panel to probe allegations of rights abuse by the Police unit.

The Senior Special Assistant to the Acting President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Laolu Akande, disclosed this in a statement made available to journalists.

Akande said the Acting President’s directive was based on persistent complaints being made by members of the public against the SARS.



He said Osinbajo also directed the Police IG to ensure that any unit that will emerge from the overhaul is intelligence-driven and restricted to the prevention and detection of crimes.

The statement read, “Following persistent complaints and reports on the activities of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad that border on allegations of human rights violations, Acting President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, has directed the Inspector General of Police to, with immediate effect, overhaul the management and activities of SARS and ensure that any unit that will emerge from the process will be intelligence-driven and restricted to the prevention and detection of armed robbery and kidnapping, and apprehension of offenders linked to the stated offences, and nothing more.

“The Acting President has also directed the IGP to ensure that all operatives in the emerging unit conduct their operations in strict adherence to the rule of law and with due regard to International Human Rights Law and the constitutionally guaranteed rights of suspects.


“The operatives should also bear proper identification anytime they are on duty.

Punch