Metro
Lagos Begins Demolition of Burnt Building at Balogun Market
The Lagos State Government has commenced the demolition of the five-storey building that was razed at the Balogun Market on the Lagos Island on Tuesday.
The demolition began after Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu had visited the scene to commiserate with traders, who lost goods worth millions of naira to the inferno, which raged for about 23 hours.
According to the governor, the incident has brought to the fore the need for a total regeneration of the Lagos Island to prevent occurrences that can endanger the lives of the people.
According to him, the government will hold meetings with the owners of abandoned high-rise buildings in the area to fashion out better uses for such properties.
Sanwo-Olu said the government would conduct integrity test on all buildings in the Central Business District of the Lagos Island and revisit the master plan for the regeneration of the area.
Sanwo-Olu stated, “This fire incident presents discussion for a complete regeneration of the Lagos Island. Here, we have a lot of buildings as old as a century. Now is the time to look into the master plan for a complete regeneration of the entire area. All families must support our move to start the regeneration.
“We also have abandoned high-rise buildings on the island and we have done an audit of all these buildings. We need to have conversation with the owners on how we can put the abandoned properties to better use.
“There are a lot of traders, who wish to take their wares off the road and occupy these abandoned buildings. We need to talk to the owners and reach an agreement with them on a scheme that will make traders use the abandoned properties.
“I have summoned an emergency meeting with all local government chairmen. We cannot condone the reckless approach in which shops are allocated to people in a manner that is not coordinated. When problems arise, they come back to the state government. We will not fold our arms and wait for disasters like this to be repeated.”
The General Manager, Lagos Building Control Agency, Abiola Kosegbe, said the building suffered partial collapse, adding that the demolition had to be undertaken to avert disaster.
Kosegbe stated, “We had to do the needful; the fire is still raging and it is difficult for our officials to go too close. The inferno prevented us from doing all the necessary things.
“A part of the burning building has partially collapsed; everywhere in the building is still hot, so LASBCA, in conjunction with the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency had to go into the building, systematically bringing it down so that it will not cause other problems.”
The General Manager, LASEMA, Oluwafemi Oke-Osanyintolu, said, “We are pulling it down for reconstruction and we will also subject the surrounding buildings to a structural test. The policeman, who was rescued from the rubble of the collapsed portion of the building, has died.”
The acting Head, Lagos State Fire Service, Margaret Adeseye, said the fire raged for 23 hours, adding that it started on the second floor, where the generators were kept.
“The building in the Balogun Market suffered a partial collapse on Tuesday around 9pm during the course of extinguishing the fire. The challenge that we had was that the area had narrow roads and the human population affected accessibility to the building. We finally extinguished the fire before the governor came around 10am on Wednesday,” she stated.
The Punch
The Minister of Police Affairs, Senator Ibrahim Gaidam, has inaugurated an 11-man Committee to conduct a thorough investigation and review of the decisions on dismissal and suspension of Cadets by the Disciplinary Committee of the Police Academy, Wudil, Kano.
A statement by the Deputy Director (Information & Public Relations), Mr. Bolaji Kazeem, and made available to National Association of Online Security News Publishers (NAOSNP), reveal that the committee which had the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Police Affairs as Chairman comprises representatives of the Police Service Commission (PSC), Nigeria Police Force (NPF); DIG of the Zone; Director, Reform Coordination and Service Improvement; Director, Police Service Department; Legal Department; Federal Civil Service Commission.
Others are the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation; Registrar POLAC and Director, Human Resources Management – Member/Secretary were inaugurated at the Headquarters of the Ministry in Abuja.
The Minister pointed out that a thorough investigation and review of the decisions must be conducted following passionate appeals received from some students and parents/guardians of the affected students.
Gaidam revealed that the Disciplinary Committee of Police Academy, Wudil, Kano after various investigations and consideration, unanimously recommended the suspension and discharge of some cadets who were found guilty of committing various infractions in the school including smoking Indian hemp, drinking alcohol, damaging property among others.
In his words, “The recent incidents that have brought us to this moment are a cause for concern, but they also present an opportunity for reflection and improvement. We must approach this investigation with diligence, fairness, and an unwavering commitment to the truth”.
He noted that the objective is not only to address the specific cases at hand but also to reinforce the standards of conduct that define our academy and the values we hold dear and commitment to uphold the integrity and excellence of our esteemed institution—the Nigeria Police Academy.
According to him, “The Nigeria Police Academy stands as a beacon of hope and a pillar of our nation’s security framework. It is here that we mold the future leaders of our police force. However, we are acutely aware that the challenges we face are significant. We cannot afford to allow this credible institution to be turned into a breeding ground for criminals, drug addicts, troublemakers, and law-breakers. Our mission is clear: to produce well-disciplined, thoroughly trained, and professional police officers who not only understand the law but embody it in their actions”.
The Minister charged the committee to be mindful of the broader implications of their work as the integrity of our academy reflects on the entire policing system in Nigeria. It is our duty to ensure that every cadet who walks through these halls emerges not only as a law enforcement officer but as a paragon of virtue and professionalism. Gaidam stressed.
Earlier, the Permanent Secretary/Chairman of the Committee, Mr. Yusuf Abubakar Argungu stated that the Ministry received an avalanche of appeals and requests for the review of the decisions of the Nigeria Police Academy, and the Minister directed for the constitution of a committee to look into the matter for fairness and justice before the approval of the Ministry
Leading payment services bank, MoneyMaster Payment Service Bank (MMPSB) continues to delight its existing customers with various freebies for every transaction.
The bank recently announced the launch of a new 100MB data offer for new customers. The initiative aims to encourage people with little or no access to banking services to set up their own mobile wallets using the bank’s USSD banking platform. The promotion is available to Glo customers using the bank’s USSD bank code, *995#.
A few weeks ago, MoneyMaster introduced a 10 percent data bonus on top-ups of 1,000 naira and above for existing and new customers on the Glo network. The offer was rated as one of the best offers in the country in terms of the amount of data offered. Data purchases are valid for 30 days, and any unused data can be rolled over to your next plan.
Commenting on the data offer, Julius Arhebun, head of agency banking at MoneyMaster, said: “as a payment service bank, one of our core mandates is to promote financial inclusion. This offer builds on the various financial education we have been providing online and across our various customer touchpoints.
“With this new 100MB offer, we want to encourage Nigerians in the unbanked and underbanked pools to be financially included by having at least a mobile wallet. The account number of this mobile wallet is derived from their mobile number, and can be easily recalled,” he noted.
MoneyMaster PSB is a leading provider of innovative digital financial products and services that transform lives and contribute to sustainable living. With a mission to deepen financial inclusion, MoneyMaster has been instrumental in providing financial technology services to bridge the gap between the banked, unbanked and underbanked.
Leading real estate and property firm, Adron Homes and Properties, has announced the postponement of the earlier advertised seventh edition of the Adron Homes Games, with the theme Fit to be the Biggest.
The postponement, according to a statement signed by the Group’s Managing Director, Adenike Ajobo, and made available to Pointblank.ng, is as a result security concerns as the company prioritizes the security of its staff, attendees and participants.
Recall that the sports fiesta, originally billed to take place on November 29 and 30, 2024, was scheduled to hold at the Lekan Salami Stadium in Ibadan.
Read the statement in full:
POSTPONEMENT OF ADRON GAMES 2024
Adron Homes wishes to announce the cancellation of the much-anticipated Adron Games 2024.
This decision, was made in the best interest of all participants, stakeholders, and the broader community. The postponement is necessitated by heightened security concerns in certain regions that could potentially jeopardize the safety of staff, attendees and participants.
As an organization that is committed to the well-being of its staffs, partners and everyone involved, priority is designated to safety and security above all else. Also, the organization is taking this opportunity to rethink and restructure its sporting initiatives to ensure public inclusivity
and as part of efforts to enhance and expand the impact of its wellness programs, the Adron Games will evolve into a broader, more inclusive sporting initiative.
This transformation will foster collaboration, unity, and healthy competition among a wider array of participants, and will embody the same spirit of excellence, teamwork, and wellness that the Adron Games has championed over the years.
We deeply regret any inconvenience this decision may cause and hereby extend our heartfelt gratitude to our valued staff, participants, partners, ambassadors and supporters for their understanding and continued trust in Adron Homes.
Adron Homes remains committed to inspiring excellence and fostering community engagement through corporate wellness initiatives such as Adron Games at all times.
