By Adebisi Adeyemi Lagos, Nigeria.

Fresh facts have shown that the real source of the garri is unknown .While some people claim that it is produced in Ogun State by a company owned and run by Indians, another report says the products is from Ghana, but smuggled into Nigeria without NAFDAC number.However what is known is that the company is based in United Kingdom.

Curiosly it is alleged that the garri has an  inscription on its packaging indicating that it is a product of Ghana.Sources say it has  been in Nigeria for three years.

Scroll Report called the office in United Kingdom .An employee of the company told Scroll Report that she is not aware of the garri. When she was told that the company name was on the product, she said then it must be their product. Asked why there was no NAFDAC number on the product she told Scroll Report that she has “no clue about that”.

Teharrally Rehmanji Suterwalla founded the company in 1959.  But it is now managed by his five sons.The original business objective and philosophy still remain – to source and distribute the finest food products from around the world.

By Adebisi Adeyemi Lagos, Nigeria.

The Lagos state fire service is on an aggresssive enlightenment campaign. The purpose is to sensitise the public on the need to be safety conscious.

Rasaq Fadipe, the Director of the Lagos State fire service, said the public needs to know that the dry season we are experiencing is accompanied by dust and it is windy. So anytime there is a fire it spread rapidly.”

The move by the fire service followed the statistic of disasters that occurred in three days. For three consecutive days the National Emergency Agency NEMA, was under pressure because of 57 disasters. These ranged from fire incidents to road accidents.

By Tayo Joseph Lagos, Nigeria.

AJIMOBI SIGNS NEW ANTI-LAND GRABBING BILL TO LAW

… PRESCRIBES 15-YEAR JAIL TERM, FINE FOR OFFENDERS

Forcible seizure of any landed property across Oyo State or an attempt to do so, otherwise known as land grabbing, has become a criminal offence that attracts a maximum of 15 years imprisonment or a fine of N500,000 or both.

This is one of the provisions of the new Real Properties Protection Law, 2016, which the Governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, signed into law, at the Executive Council Chambers, in Ibadan, on Friday.

The law is titled, “A law to protect the rights of property owners and prohibit forceful entry, illegal occupation, violent and fraudulent conducts, in relation to real properties in Oyo State and for purposes connected therewith.”

At the signing ceremony were the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Hon. Michael Adeyemo; Commissioner for Lands, Housing, Survey and Urban Development; Ajiboye Omodewu; and Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Seun Abimbola.

The law also prescribes ten years jail term or a fine of N500,000 upon conviction for illegal entry into any construction site “for the purpose of stopping, disturbing or otherwise” demand for any fee or levy in respect of construction activities.

Under the new law, any professional who in the conduct of his duties facilitates a contractual agreement between a land owning family and any other person knowing that such agreement will contravene the provisions of the new law is also liable to imprisonment for three years, a fine of N500,000 or both.

Similarly, anyone that writes whatever is deemed to be a frivolous and unwarranted petition, containing false claims, under the anti-land grabbing law is liable to imprisonment for 10 years on conviction.

Part of the law reads, “Any person who, without lawful authority, uses or threatens violence for the purpose of grabbing any real property for himself or for any other person commits an offence and is liable on conviction to imprisonment of 15 years or a fine of N500,000 or both.

“Any person who encroaches on any real property commits an offence and is liable on conviction to imprisonment for 5 years or a fine not exceeding N500,000.

“Any person who is on any property as an encroacher and having with him any firearm, dangerous or offensive weapons commits an offence and is liable on conviction to imprisonment for five years.

“Any person who offers for sale any property knowing that he has no lawful title to the property or authority of the owner or sells a property knowing that that he has no lawful title to the property or that the property has been previously sold by him or his privies is liable upon conviction to imprisonment for 5 years.”

At the ceremony, the governor said that the law was meant to protect the rights of property owners and to stop the nefarious activities of land merchants who willfully and violently seize people’s land.

Ajimobi said, “We want to use this opportunity to allay the fears of property owners and investors across Oyo State that it will no longer be business as usual. Where there is no law, there is no offence, but now we have a law in place.

“We will ensure the full implementation of this law. I, therefore, advise those bent on encroaching on other people’s property, most times using violence, threats or imaginary connection with the powers that be to have a rethink.

“I salute our ever-reliable members of the House of Assembly, led by the distinguished speaker, Hon. Michael Adeyemo, for the industry put into this holistic law that is meant to give property owners a new lease of life.”

By Adebisi Adeyemi Lagos, Nigeria.

By Adebisi Adeyemi Lagos, Nigeria.

How did Indian  garri get to the Nigerian market? How long has it been in the market? Are Nigerians not producing enough garri? What is the difference between Indian garri and Nigerian garri?

These are some of the questions many Nigerians are asking as imported Indian garri is now selling in some supermarkets. Nigeria is the world largest producer of cassava. ” It is a very big shame that we are now allowing imported garri into the country. We are not encouraging our industry to grow. If it were  Nigerian processor that applied NAFDAC will hardly issue number in one year. For any processed and packaged food to be acceptable in the market, it must be NAFDAC registered. The requirement for that is usually a challenge to most people”. Said Olusola Balogun a small scale farmer. Adding that” we have good quality agricultural products therefore we should not import what we can adequately and competently produce.”

Abebi Ibironke a trader told Scroll Report that she knows about yellow garri, Abeokuta garri ,  ljebu garri and Cotonou garri. Each has it distinctive taste. “Which one is Indian garri again? Why are we importing what we can produce?”

Thomas Peters a businessman said outright ban on all these type of products is what we need.” If this is encouraged it will kill local production. That is why most of these foreign countries will not want us to be self reliant in area of food, beacuse of our population and because they are looking for places to dump these products”. Adding that the government is not helping matters. “They welcome these foreigners with open hands. So they go to most of our villages and farms to  buy off our produce. Only to repackage them and bring them back to us”.

Scroll Report learnt that the reason why we can not export beef and dairy products to the Netherlands is because of the economies of scale which favour the local producers. . But in Nigeria local producers are not favoured as goods produced in Nigeria are still allowed to come in from India and China.

The backbone of both India and Chinese Industrial revolution is small and medium scale Industry. They have enabling enviroment of energy, good laboratories and patriotic quality control agencies.

By Tayo Joseph Lagos, Nigeria.

There is serious fire outbreak in Ilaje area of Bariga, near Third Mainland Bridge. The wooden houses are burning as if they are soaked in petrol.

Hundreds of people are running helter skelter, for their lives. Many of them did not even remember to take their personal effects

The cause of fire is still unknown. Fire fighters are not on ground yet. Even if they want to go there, they will not be able to get to the scene of the fire because the Shanties are all  built on deep waters.

By Afolabi Adetunji Lagos, Nigeria.

Borussia Dortmund ended their poor matches form

The Bundesliga club side Borussia Dortmund had let their fans down due to poor run of form from their previous games. They shockingly lost a league match to Darmstadt last week more so, they suffered defeat in the hands of Benifica during the mid-week Champions League.

The German Football Association place a fine of €100,000 (£85,000) and the potential closure of their reknowned “Yellow wall” for one match following a recent spate of crowd trouble in a match against Leipzig. In otherwords they took on Wolfburg side without having to display their usual Yellow wall.

Despite the poor run of form of matches, the German Football Association ban and having been inconsistent this season to be a strong title contender, they were not discouraged and were not hindered from securing for themselves a comfortable win over Wolfburg. They dominated the game from the kick off to the final whistle.

This weekend’s result has helped Dortmund climbed up the table ladder to third place with 37 points from 21 games.

Lukasz Piszczek scored once and was involved in two more to help Borussia Dortmund to a 3-0 victory over Wolfsburg at Signal Iduna Park as they returned to winning ways after a terrible week.

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