•Lagos realises N3.9bn oil derivation fund
By Lukman Olabiyi
Lagos State Government, yesterday, disclosed that Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has approved the temporary relocation of occupants of 900 housing units at Adeniji Adele to safer and conducive environment.
The estate has been marked as distressed building by government due to its state and topography which is said to be under water level..
Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Dr. Oluyinka Olumide and Special Adviser, e-GIS and Urban Development, Dr. Olajide Babatunde, revealed during a ministerial press briefing to mark the first year of the second term in office of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu at Alausa, Ikeja, Ikeja that the occupants of the housing units would be relocated in batches.
Government has already started the relocation by providing accommodation for some of the occupants of the estate whose building collapsed.
“We have a free land just by the side of the estate in Adeniji Adele. We will develop that land for about 98 people and put them in the new houses. Then where those 98 occupants were taken away from, we will demolish it, raise it to standard level and build new housing units for another set of people. Then we will bring another set of people into that one until we finish it. There are about 900 units of houses, we may not be able to finish it under this administration because we have the plan in place to start with 98 housing units. We’ll try as much as possible to achieve our aim.”
The special adviser disclosed that government was poised to revolutionise the planning approval process with the introduction of an Electronic Physical Planning Permit Process System.
He reiterated that the innovative system would enable building approval to be obtained in just ten minutes, ensuring a seamless and efficient process for stakeholders.
At a separate ministerial press briefing, the Commissioner for Energy and Mineral Resources, Mr. Biodun Ogunleye, disclosed that the state has realised N3.911billion as its share of the 13 per cent derivation fund since it became an oil producing state, saying the production has been hampered due to challenges faced by the company managing its exploration.
He, however, said the production has been hampered due to challenges faced by the company managing its exploration.
Yinka Folawiyo Petroleum Company Limited (YFP), a wholly-owned indigenous firm and operator of the OML 113 offshore Lagos, commenced the production of crude oil from the field.
“Between 2018-2019, the state government received from the federal Government N131 million as part of oil derivation. And, between 2020-2021, the Lagos state government received N3.78 billion. But the owners of the assets have been having issues among themselves. And as long as they could not produce, there would be no money for Lagos.
“The state government is engaging them to ensure that they return to the field. And we hope that before the end of the year, they will find new technical partners and they can go back to production,” Ogunleye said.
Oil-producing states are entitled to 13 per cent derivation fund from the Federation Account. Others are Abia, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Delta, Edo, Imo, Ondo and Rivers
On community electrification programme, he said the governor has approved the procurement of 20,000 units of prepaid energy metres for target low income communities in the state.