MURIC said there was palpable fear that the mosque was going to be demolished.

The appeal is contained in a statement issued on Monday by the founder and executive director of MURIC, Professor Ishaq Akintola.

The statement reads: “Residents and traders of Falomo Police Barracks, Falomo, Ikoyi, Lagos (Falomo ‘A&B’) got wind of a plan to demolish the buildings on both sides of the barracks about three weeks ago (July 2024). The information threw the Muslim Community into a state of uncertainty as the whole barracks was ordered to vacate within one month.

“The Muslim community is deeply worried that worshippers may be deprived of the opportunity to continue using the only mosque in the neighbourhood if the planned demolition affects their mosque.

“It may be necessary to go down the lanes of history to reveal the background and structural status of the mosque as a way of supplying necessary information. Falomo Police Barracks Mosque was built in 1970 and reconstructed in 2006 after due approval via an official letter issued by the Deputy Inspector General of Police ‘C’ Department. The letter was dated 22nd August 2006. The mosque is also properly registered (CAC/IT/NO 77616). The mosque sits on a land space of 376.48 square meters.

“In view of the elitist status of the mosque’s board of trustees which include eminent Lagosians like Alhaja Lateefat Okunnu, a former deputy governor in Lagos State and Alhaji Rafiu Ebiti, the current Deputy President of the Muslim Ummah of South West Nigeria (MUSWEN), necessary steps are taken regularly to ensure that due process is followed in all matters affecting the mosque.

“One of such actions was an integrity test carried out by a certified independent tester company whose result was satisfactory. The same result was also confirmed by a related government agency thereby affirming the perfect condition of the mosque building. We can therefore confidently assert that the mosque building does not suffer from any structural defect.

READ ALSO: Olympics: Team Nigeria ends Paris 2024 outing with another loss

“Falomo Police Barracks Mosque is more than a mosque. It is a beehive of daily, weekly and monthly spiritual and enlightenment activities. The five daily worships are attended by no less than 200 worshippers each time. Jumuah prayer on Fridays is attended by no less than 1,000 males and females.

“Besides these spiritual activities, the mosque also renders educational, social and health services. It conducts free madrasah where both the young and old learn the Qur’an. The mosque has also been organising free medical outreach for the past ten years.

“Free meals are given to people of all faiths in Ramadan since 2010 and a total of 12,000 meals were served in 2024 Ramadan alone. At least 50 people participate yearly in I’tikaaf (spiritual seclusion) in the last ten days of Ramadan. The mosque recently added daily feeding programme in conjunction with Dangote Foundation, Ibeji Foundation, etc in response to the ravaging hunger in society.

“In view of the sine qua non humanitarian services offered by the Falomo Police Barracks Mosque as well as the immense and verifiable benefits accruing to the worshippers and their neighbours (both Muslims and non-Muslims), MURIC hereby appeals to the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, and other relevant authorities to exempt the mosque from the planned demolition exercise.

“Demolition of the mosque will definitely create a yawning vacuum because man is body, soul and spirit. Both the Muslim policemen and businessmen need recourse to their Maker at the appropriate times and within reasonable distance. Incidentally this is the only mosque for police officers and businessmen and women in the vicinity whereas there are many churches in the neighbourhood.

“Apart from the humanitarian services being rendered regularly by the mosque’s board of trustees which will stop immediately if the mosque is demolished, the constitutional provision on freedom of worship contained in Section 38(i&ii) makes it most advisable for the authorities to exempt religious buildings within the complex (the mosque and the church in Falomo A&B) from the impending demolition exercise so that they can continue to serve Falomo and Ikoyi communities.

“In a country bedevilled with gymnastic religiousity and extreme spiritual ideology leading to widespread violence as exemplified by the Boko Haram phenomenon with the attendant humongous waste of lives and properties, Nigerian authorities will be taking a wise decision if a mosque like Falomo Police Barracks which engages in the above-mentioned corrective and reformatory activities is spared from a demolition exercise.”

The post Save Falomo Police Barracks mosque from demolition -MURIC appeared first on Frontpageng.

Receiving a delegation from Reckitt Benckiser led by the Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Kris Licht, and Chief Olu Falomo, Chairman of Reckitt Benckiser Nigeria Limited, the president lauded the company for its over 60 years of investment in Nigeria and commitment to the country’s development.

”We are creating an environment for the private sector to thrive in. I am glad that you are here to stay for the long term. I am happy that you have been in the country for many years, and you have decided to invest more. We have embarked on challenging reforms to improve the economy. Our reforms will improve the ease of doing business for partners like you moving forward,” the president told the delegation.

President Tinubu assured investors of good returns on their investments, supported by a buoyant market and a large population.

In his remarks, Mr. Licht described Nigeria as a very important country to the company, saying: ‘‘We have had very good business here for many years, and we congratulate you on your first year in office. We see Nigeria as an important business destination for today and the future.’’

Chief Falomo, Chairman of Reckitt Benckiser Nigeria Limited, reiterated the company’s long standing commitment to Nigeria, stating: ‘‘We have asked our global team to come and assure you that we back your efforts. They have said they are not going anywhere. We are here to support this government.’’

The post Nigeria a vital business destination for today and future -Benckiser appeared first on Frontpageng.

Lagos State Development and Property Corporation,  LSDPC, sealed a joint redevelopment partnership with Afriland Properties Plc, a private developer, to turn former Falomo Shopping Complex to a premium sky-high real estate that will enhance the socio-economic outlook of the neighbourhood.

Falomo Towers, being developed on 11,950 square metres of land, will offer a blend of green amenities that will promote quality living.

Afriland Properties Plc is a subsidiary of Heir Holdings, owned by the foremost entrepreneur and banker, Mr. Tony Elumelu.

Sanwo-Olu, at the sod turning ceremony held at the project site, said the construction flag-off ended a decade-long discussion with the developer to revive the project and build iconic towers that would turn around the fallow land for the benefit of the public.

The governor said the project was another milestone achieved by his administration to renew urban amenities, stressing that the strategic implementation of the Lagos Masterplan had been dependent on the government’s ability to forge workable partnership between the public and private sectors.

He said: “This is a phenomenal project that will bring back the lost ambience of Ikoyi. When this partnership was initiated 10 years ago, I was the Managing Director of LSDPC. It is interesting to note that we’ve all gone through arbitration but we didn’t throw a wrong punch. We agreed this project must not be thrown away. Today we are making a transaction that is bigger and better than what was initially proposed 10 years ago.

“This testifies to the uniqueness of public and private sectors in ensuring things can be made a lot better when we sit and agree. This is a clear example of what Public Private Partnership (PPP) model is out to achieve when partnerships and collaborations are pursued and implemented with seriousness. When we put our minds of possibilities to ideas, great things happen. This aptly describes the story of today’s flag-off of construction of Falomo Towers.”

Sanwo-Olu described Afriland Properties as a tested, trusted and reliable developer, saying the corporation had found the right partner for the redevelopment project.

The governor reiterated that the state government would remain committed to ensuring the investors got full value for their investments, while promising to continue to pursue business environment reforms, including automation of land and property records to scale up transparency and efficiency that catalyse sustainable investments.

Elemelu said the partnership was another testimony to the Lagos State Government’s belief in the private sector as a key development driver in the state, praising the Lagos political leadership for setting the pace of private sector inclusion in governance.

For surmounting obstacles that delayed the take-off of the partnership, Elumelu said Lagos remained the most hospitable environment to investors seeking profitable return on their investments.

He said: “I commend Governor Sanwo-Olu and the political leaders of the state for believing in the private sector. What we are witnessing today attests to their beliefs in the private sector as driver of development in the state.

“For private sector to do well, the political leadership must create the right environment. Lagos has set the pace in this direction. This partnership is a celebration of dialogue and this makes Lagos remain the most hospitable environment for investors.”

LSDPC Chief Executive Officer, Hon. Ayodeji Joseph, said the project site evoked memories of a glorious past for Island dwellers in the 1970s, noting that the corporation took an informed decision to turn around the site by building residential apartments to provide additional accommodation to the growing middle class, business professionals and the swelling rank of young citizens.

He said: “Over forty years down the line, the Corporation in its decision to renew some of its facilities has deemed it fit to redevelop the site of the shopping complex, taking into consideration the realities of today’s needs as well as the environmental impact implications.

“To achieve this purpose, we decided to mobilise finance from the private sector. This decision will free resources that could otherwise be tied down to this project, for other pressing needs. In addition, it will allow the project to benefit from the competitive efficiencies for which the private sector is better known.”

Chief Executive Officer of Afriland Properties, Mrs. Uzo Oshogwe, noted that the redevelopment project was a revival of a landmark, saying: “With the project, we tend to give Ikoyi back its aesthetic landmark.”|

She said the iconic project would enhance and beautify Ikoyi skyline, adding that the partnership would be creating economic opportunities and social wealth that would transform the state and the country.

The project development is expected to be completed in 30 months.

The post Housing: Sanwo-Olu flags off development of Falomo Towers in Ikoyi appeared first on Frontpageng.