Lekki Gardens puts out Statement On Collapsed Building That Killed 18 In Lagos

The Management of Lekki Gardens has confirmed the unfortunate incident, Tuesday March 8th 2016 where a building collapsed at about 4a.m. in the morning, at one of its residential estate projects in Lekki.

The building which was under construction was meant to house a number of apartment units. Rescue work started immediately and so far 18 people have been reported dead and others injured. The exact cause of the incident is not known at this time.

All of our incident response procedures have been initiated, our support services have been mobilized and relevant authorities have been advised. As regards the said building, investigations are being carried out to ascertain the cause of the collapse. In line with our usual safety standards, all sites are closed off by 6pm daily and it is mandatory that every worker leaves at that time.

The company is cooperating with the National Emergency Management Agency, Lagos State Government, Fire Service and Lagos State Police to speed up rescue efforts.

Investigation is already underway to ascertain the identities of those affected as it is not company policy for site workers to take shelter in uncompleted buildings.

Lekki Gardens is a reputable residential property development company and has successfully completed and delivered over 6,000 units of houses across Lagos, Ogun, Rivers State and the Federal Capital territory, Abuja in the past 4 years and most of them already occupied.

The Management and staff of Lekki Gardens sincerely sympathize with the families of those who lost their lives. The company will do all in its power to ensure that those injured are fully supported. Signed Management, Lekki Gardens

Kylie thinks and said "Kim is a legend" in new tweets (see photo)

Following the furor over her nu'de photo, Kylie Jenner showed support for big sis Kim by calling her a legend...

Girl on heels! As seen on 3rd Mainland Bridge today....

Cute lady in heels seen riding a motorcycle on 3rd Mainland Bridge. #InternationalWomen'sday. Photo credit: Fakoya Tolulope

More photos of Ese Oruru's abductor in court today

Yunusa Dahiru in court today to answer to charges of abduction of a minor and impregnating her..

Good one! Lagos sets up revenue court to tackle tax evaders, defaulters.. housemaids, artisans to start paying taxes

For those who live in Lagos state who don't pay taxes..y'all have to read this. It's about to get serious.

"The Lagos State Government on Tuesday said it would apply the relevant laws to ensure that more Lagosians voluntarily pay their taxes, just as it warned that tax evaders and defaulters would be prosecuted.

State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Adeniji Kazeem, who stated this during a press conference held at the Bagauda Kaltho Press Centre in Alausa Secretariat, said in view of the extreme financial downturn, there was the strong need for government to ramp up its Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), stressing that the state would spare nothing in enforcing the laws regulating tax payment.

He said the administration of Governor Ambode had put in place necessary measures to end the era of tax evasion and indeed avoidance in the state, adding that tax avoiders and evaders would be aggressively pursued in line with the provisions of the law.

The Commissioner, who disclosed that the Ministry of Justice had established a Rapid Tax Prosecution Unit to aid the Lagos Internal Revenue Service (LIRS) in its drive to collect taxes, added that the unit would work closely with the Revenue Court which the Chief Judge of Lagos State recently agreed to set up. He said: “Prosecution and jail term for defaulting tax payers will be a tool that we will be actively using to ensure full compliance. Tax officers, I understand, will be very aggressive in their collection of taxes and the public is hereby advised to cooperate with them because obstruction of these tax officers in their lawful duty can and will lead to prosecution.

“Tax dodgers watch out because the long arm of the law will eventually reach you. All tax payers are also reminded that giving false information is also an offence and can be used in the prosecution of your tax default. If you pay your taxes regularly, you will have no problem,” Kazeem said. On his part, the State Commissioner for Finance, Dr. Mustapha Akinkunmi, said the state generated at least N24.5billion from IGR in the month of January 2016, in line with the efforts of the Governor Akinwunmi Ambode-led administration to reform its tax system and develop a tax paying culture. Akinkunmi said in the light of the reduction of federal transfers to states including Lagos, the state government was looking inwards to secure sustainable ways of increasing its revenue profile and plugging leakages in the system.

He said majority of the state’s IGR is generated through tax collection, administered by theLIRS. According to Akinkunmi, theLIRScontributed 79 per cent to the State’s IGR in 2015, which equates to 56 per cent of the State’s total revenue including Federal transfers, adding that the revenue is expected to continue on an upward swing, driven by strong tax collection.

He said, “This trend of strong performance is continuing. In January this year,LIRShas contributed N24.5billion in revenue, attaining 98 per cent budget performance for the month and recording 12 per cent growth from the same period in 2014.” The Finance Commissioner attributed the improvement in the revenue generation of the state to voluntary tax compliance by tax paying members of the public despite the harsh economic terrain.

On his part, theLIRSChairman, Mr. Olufolarin Ogunsanwo, said the agency had consistently been at the vanguard of ensuring reforms in the state to improve the ease of doing business in Lagos, adding that such reforms would aid voluntary tax compliance. Ogunsanwo said that government was already working to bring more members of the informal sector into the tax net, saying that the Tax Returns Form had been reduced to two pages as against the six pages document hitherto in operation.

He also said that the agency, in an effort to bring efficient service delivery closer to the people, recently commissioned two new tax offices in Tejuosho and Sangotedo, adding that efforts was also being made to open additional two Tax Stations within Amuwo Odofin/Festac and Alimosho axis.

He thanked willful taxpayers and implored Lagosians to continue to pay their taxes as at when due, saying that in doing this, they empowered the state government to embark on infrastructural renewal and provision of dividends of democracy to the citizenry. He said so far, the provision of the N4.8billion security equipment, provision of new ambulances, the N25billion Employment Trust Fund, the Light Up Lagos project, massive road construction, among others, had been provided through revenue generated from tax. SIGNED HABIB ARUNA CHIEF PRESS SECRETARY MARCH 8, 2016

President Buhari unbundles NNPC into 7 units, names new heads....

President Buhari has approved the immediate unbundling of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, into seven independent operational units. Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Ibe Kachikwu, made this known today March 8th. According to Kachiukwu, the new units are Upstream, Downstream, Gas & Power, Refineries, Ventures, Corporate Planning & Services and Finance and Accounts.

He said each of the units would be headed by chief executive officers, namely Bello Rabiu for Upstream; Henry Ikem-Onih (downstream); Anibor Kragha (Refineries); Saudu Mohammed (Gas & Power), Babatunde Adeniran (Ventures), Isiaka Abdulrasaq Finance & Accounting and Isa Inuwa ‎Executive Head, Corporate Planning and Services. All appointments take immediate effect.

Photo of the day!..... When you finally turn one in an African home...lol

Lol....this is really funny