News
DUBAI PROPERTY SAGA: FG URGED TO REVIEW FOREIGN POLICY.
Following his recent outburst about the nasty experience he had while engaging in a business transactions with a Dubai-based company, THE FIRST GROUP, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, UAE, Mr. Jubril Sanusi, an Ibadan based engineer and business man, has called on federal government to review his foreign policy with a view to protecting Nigerian business men anywhere in the world.
Mr. Sanusi made this call against the backdrop of inhuman treatments which Nigerians in diaspora are being subjected to on daily basis not only in South-Africa but now in Dubai, UAE.
According to him, Dubai which is generally regarded as a tourists’ haven are being turned into nightmares for Nigerians business investors, the reason he attributed to the weak foreign policy of the government.
While speaking further on the development, Mr. Sanusi declared that Nigerian business men in Dubai, UAE, have been turned into a money making machine by some UAE citizens who have figured out that Nigerian business men in that country are like ‘orphans’ whose government care less about their predicaments adding that hardworking Nigerians who had attempted to invest in the country real estate’s business are loosing their hard earned money to some UAE fraudsters masquerading as real estate agents.
Shedding more light on the purported transaction, Mr. Sanusi stated that if not for his faith in the sanctity of judiciary, he would have been duped in a multimillion naira business transaction he had with THE FIRST GROUP located at 22nd Floor Tameem House, TECOM, Dubai, UAE and its sister company, TGF PROPERTY MANAGEMENT.
“ I was approached to buy an executive suit in the First Central Tecom, Dubai, United Arab Emirates from one Ahmad Al Abdullah AlAnsaari. I made some payment through a company, their representative, named TGF PROPERTY MANAGEMENT. The agreement was that the suite will not be totally handed over to me until I finish all the payment they requested for.
“Eventually, I made the final payment of 1,597,231United Arab Emirates Durham on the Seventh of May, 2013. I was expecting them to do final hand over of all the necessary document, they did not but instead stated that the suite will be managed by another company, The Forever Green Management LLC on my behalf.
“What i saw was that they started remitting some money to me which according to them is the proceeds from the suite. I was surprised because we never discussed this and moreover, how they came about the rents for the suite was not disclosed to me. All my plea to make them do the needful and acted based on the agreement we had fell on their deaf ears. This made me to hire an attorney who engaged them in a legal battle and eventually got them to release the “Title Deed”, the document which states my proof of ownership just August, last year (2016).
“Up till now, I am still yet to take the full possession of the suite but I am confident that with the faith in God and help of my attorney, I will totally hands off these people from the property. I am saying this because I don’t want other people to make the same mistake and should be more watchful and careful as regards the people they want to be doing business with.
In a bid to get the reaction of the company regarding the allegation made by Mr. Sanusi, our correspondent sent an email to Mr. Doaa Hussein Elzawawy, the company’s Owner Service Executive whose initial reaction was to inquire about our correspondent’s relationship with Mr. Sanusi but failed to reply the subsequent messages mailed to him as the time of publishing this story.
Mr Sanusi has, however, vowed that, through the legal means he has embarked upon, he would ensure that THE FIRST GROUP gives him the total possession of his acquired suite.
By Hazeez Kolawola.
News
Two-Thirds of Nigerians Can’t Afford Healthy Meals — NBS
A recent survey by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has highlighted the severe economic challenges faced by Nigerian households, revealing that two-thirds of the population struggle to afford healthy and nutritious meals. The survey, titled Nigeria General Household Survey – Panel (GHS-Panel) Wave 5 (2023/2024), underscores the worsening multidimensional poverty and the erosion of purchasing power due to the persistent rise in the cost of goods and services.
The report shows that approximately 63.8% of households have been forced to eat only a few kinds of food due to financial constraints. About 62.4% of respondents admitted worrying about food insufficiency, while 60.5% ate less than they thought they should. The situation has deteriorated significantly since the last survey, as the proportion of households expressing food insecurity concerns rose from 36.9% in the previous wave to 62.4% in the current one.
Power Outages and Access to Energy
The survey also sheds light on the nation’s energy crisis, revealing that Nigerian households experience an average of 6.7 power blackouts per week. While 82.2% of urban households have access to electricity, the figure drops to 40.4% in rural areas.
Cooking remains predominantly dependent on traditional methods, with 65% of households using three-stone stoves and 70.2% relying on firewood. However, the use of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) is reportedly increasing.
Sanitation and Asset Ownership
In terms of sanitation, the report highlights that many households still lack basic toilet facilities, relying on bushes or streets for waste disposal. Access to clean drinking water is often through tube wells or boreholes, reflecting a lack of formal infrastructure in many areas.
On asset ownership, the survey indicates a decline since 2018/19. While two-thirds of households own mobile phones, only 21.3% have internet access. Housing ownership remains significant, with 70.4% of households owning their homes—80.1% in rural areas compared to 49.1% in urban centers.
The NBS report provides a stark reminder of the challenges many Nigerians face daily, from food insecurity and power outages to inadequate sanitation and declining asset ownership. It calls for urgent policy interventions to address these critical issues and improve the living standards of the population.
News
Ford Trims Workforce: 4,000 Jobs to Go in Europe
US car giant Ford on Wednesday announced 4,000 more job cuts in Europe, mostly in Germany and Britain, in the latest blow to the continent’s beleaguered car industry.
“The company has incurred significant losses in recent years,” Ford said in a statement, blaming “the industry shift to electrified vehicles and new competition”.
The move will affect 2,900 jobs in Germany, 800 in the UK and 300 in western Europe by the end of 2027, a Ford spokesman told AFP.
“It is critical to take difficult but decisive action to ensure Ford’s future competitiveness in Europe,” said Dave Johnston, Ford’s European vice-president in the statement.
The company also said it was adjusting the production of its Explorer and Capri models, resulting in reduced hours at its Cologne plant in the first quarter of 2025.
Europe’s car industry has been plunged into crisis by high manufacturing costs, a stuttering switch to electric vehicles and increased competition in key market China.
Germany’s Volkswagen has been among those hardest hit, announcing in September that it was considering the unprecedented move of closing some factories in Germany.
“The European automotive industry is in a very demanding and serious situation,” Volkswagen CEO Oliver Blume said at the time.
Ford had already announced in February 2023 that it was planning to cut 3,800 jobs in Europe, including 2,300 in Germany and 1,300 in Britain.
The company said then it was planning to reduce the number of models developed for Europe, concentrate on the profitable van segment and speed up the transition to electric vehicles.
Ford currently has around 28,000 employees in Europe with 15,000 in Germany, according to the company’s works council.
News
Tinubu Dissolves UNIZIK Council, Sacks VC, Registrar, Otukpo Pro-Chancellor
President Bola Tinubu has approved the dissolution of the Governing Council of Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK), Awka, Anambra State, and the removal of the institution’s Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Bernard Ifeanyi Odoh, and Registrar, Mrs. Rosemary Ifoema Nwokike.
The council, chaired by Ambassador Greg Ozumba Mbadiwe, comprised five other members: Hafiz Oladejo, Augustine Onyedebelu, Engr. Amioleran Osahon, and Rtd. Gen. Funsho Oyeneyin.
A statement released on Wednesday by presidential spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga, revealed that the council was dissolved following reports of procedural violations in appointing the vice-chancellor.
According to the statement, the council had allegedly appointed an unqualified candidate, disregarding due process, which triggered tensions between the university’s Senate and the council.
The Federal Government expressed dismay over the council’s actions, emphasizing the need for adherence to the university’s governing laws in decision-making.
“The council’s disregard for established rules necessitated the government’s intervention to restore order to the 33-year-old institution,” the statement noted.
In a related development, President Tinubu also approved the dismissal of Engr. Ohieku Muhammed Salami, the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of the Federal University of Health Sciences, Otukpo, Benue State.
Salami was accused of suspending the university’s Vice-Chancellor without following the prescribed procedures, a move the Federal Ministry of Education had previously directed him to reverse.
Despite the Ministry’s directives, Salami reportedly refused to comply and resorted to issuing threats and abusive remarks towards the Ministry’s officials, including the Permanent Secretary.
The Federal Government reiterated that the primary role of university councils is to ensure the smooth operation of academic activities, strictly adhering to the laws establishing each institution.
Tinubu warned university councils against engaging in actions that could destabilize their institutions, as his administration remains committed to enhancing the nation’s education system.
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