Housing TV Africa

Good Morning. Here’s a recap of top trending news stories this morning

1. The Presidency, on Sunday, insisted that the N250,000 minimum wage clamour by Organised Labour is unsustainable, warning that the Federal Government cannot channeled all its resources to meet such a demand. The warning comes two days after the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria raised concerns over the N62,000 being proposed by the FG. The ALGON said if approved, the wage may put a strain on the councils’ financial burden.

2. The West African region is grappling with blackouts due to a disruption in gas supply from Nigeria to Ghana, Benin, and Togo. This disruption has resulted from the maintenance work undertaken by a Nigerian gas producer, leading to a drop in gas volumes for transportation. The West African Gas Pipeline Company Limited in Accra, Ghana, confirmed the development and warned of power outages in various cities. The impact of the gas shortage on the region’s economy remains a serious concern.

3. The Ondo State Police Command has launched an investigation into the mysterious deaths of a man and his girlfriend, who were found in an intimate position in a new apartment in the Ayeyemi area of Ondo town. According to reports, the man, identified as Eric and his unidentified girlfriend, were found lifeless stuck together in a sexual position, indicating that they may have been having sex before the incident occurred.

4. Nigeria’s Comptroller General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, has identified unscrupulous Customs officers working with bonded terminal operators as the culprits behind a major drug smuggling operation at the nation’s seaports. Adeniyi disclosed that the service had intercepted 1,072 kilogrammes of cannabis indica and pharmaceutical drugs worth N4.1 billion, adding that the syndicate was subverting government’s efforts to maintain a drug-free society.

5. Fresh indications have emerged revealing that some domestic airlines’ operators may close up shop due to inability to access forex required to either return or take their aircraft outside the country for checks. According to reports, the country’s 12 scheduled airlines with different range of airplanes from Boeing 737 series, Airbus A320-300, A220-300, ATR, Embraer CRJ, Embraer E2, Embraer ERJ-145, Dash 8 to MD 83, among others, had suffered severe fleet depletion, leading to reduction in capacity.

6. The Federal Government has flagged off the construction of Section Two of the Lagos-Badagry Coastal Highway. The construction project starts from Lekki Deep Seaport, which is located at the border of Lagos State with Ogun State. The Minister of Works, Senator Dave Umahi, flagged off of the construction on Saturday. Umuahi was accompanied by some other officials of the Federal Ministry of Works.

7. The police in the FCT have arrested a man, Muhammad Kabir, for allegedly trying to kidnap his neighbour, Abdulwahab Yusuf, at the Shagari Quarters in Zuba in Gwagwalada Area Council. It was gathered that the suspect came to the area from Kogi State some months ago and along with three others was squatting in the community’s central mosque with no specific work apart from soliciting alms.

8. The preliminary investigation by the Nigeria Building and Road Research Institute (NBRRI) into the collapse of the Dennis Memorial Grammar School centenary building in Onitsha indicates that the structure did not obtain proper authorisation and approval. Chairman of the NBRRI Technical Team on Building Collapse, prof. Akaolisa Ezeagu revealed that the building team and the technical engineer were not in alignment, leading to foundation problems and ultimately, the collapse.

9. Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) plans to engage consultants for building plan review, inspection, and compliance monitoring. The agency called on qualified built environment consultants to participate in its Certified Accreditors’ Programme, which aims to enhance professionalism and efficiency in the sector.

10. Farm owners in the Dansoshiya farming community in Kiru Local Government Area of Kano State have appealed to the state government to address attempts by the Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Dr. Danjuma Mahmood, to take over their farms illegally. According to the spokesperson of the farm owners’ union, Muhammad Sani Abdullahi, the farmers’ presence in the forest has helped prevent criminal activities.