Boss Picks
Tobi Kukoyi: The Amazon Restoring Sexual Sanity, Happiness Among Couples
By Eric Elezuo
Do you have a challenge responding to sexual approach or drive, or as a man, it has become increasingly difficult to perform maximally in bed, and satisfy your woman? The solution is not far away or far fetched as a trado-medicine specialist, Tobi Kukoyi, has stepped out with far reaching remedies to restore sexual drive among couples, enjoyable intercourse and happiness in homes.
The last of seven children, Tobi Kukoyi was born on June 3,1984 in Ijebu Ode, Ogun State. She attended Adeola Odutola Elementary school, Ijebu Ode before proceeding to the Federal Government College Odogbolu, also in Ogun State for her Secondary School Certificate. She was to obtain a B.Sc in Mass Communication and from the Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU) formerly Ogun State University in 2006.
A very promising child, Tobi sharpened her entrepreneurial skills while a student at OOU, and thus was propelled to establish her first company, Gold Rush Beauty; an enterprise dedicated to beauty and aesthetics. Ever since, she has not stopped in creating aesthetics and its likeness.
She confirmed that it was her desire to be financially independent that drove her into aggressive entrepreneurship. Hear her: “It’s a wonderful feeling to look back and see where I’m coming from and the experience I had in school. The level of hustling in school was real and I wanted to be financially independent among other things.”
Having tasted entrepreneurship, Tobi couldn’t wait to launch big time into the world of enterprise on graduation, and so, driven with the zeal to affect the world, she put almost everything she has into her business; her doggedness, zeal, comportment, determination, right attitude, can-do-attitude among other rare qualities which have placed her in the front burner of entrepreneurship and research. These saw her undertaking a makeup and skincare course at Sonya Beauty Academy in 2007. The objective was to further horn her skills. It is not therefore, a surprise that today, she is a pacesetter in the field of trado-medicine, bringing succour and refreshment to sexual relationships.
When she left Chocolat Royal, she became of boss of her own, taking up distributorship duties with the global brand, Forever Living. While at it, she came up with ‘strategies and plans for pushing direct sale of the products, recruiting and coaching additional distributors and facilitating seminars on health and wellness’. With the requisite experiences acquired and a business structure in her kit, she finally registered her company GoldRush Beauty Concept in 2010.
Tobi’s announcement into the world of her chosen endeavour was her discovery of a potent aphrodisiac, known as Kayanmata, an Hausa word for woman’s thing. This was the sole remedy to loss of sexual drive, which fortunately, she was a victim of. Kayanmata, she had often said, is a child of circumstance because its discovery in the northern part of Nigeria, was phenomenal. It was at a time she actually needed it owing to her curiosity to end a trauma. A sexuality trauma!
“After my first child, I sort of lost interest in sex, and for six whole months, I was not involved in sexual intercourse. The appetite and drive were not just there. My husband gave me some space because he felt I needed the space, especially as I had my child through Caesarean operation,” she narrated.
It was her quest however, to rediscover herself that led to the discovery of kayanmata, and “I got my groove back”, she enthused.
“Kayanmata is not fetish, it is a local herb and a potent aphrodisiac,” she added.
With these experiences, she was propelled to give a new lease of life to her business, thereby expanding it beyond her imagination. At this time, she was armed with complete knowledge of aphrodisiac, she followed it up with an online course on sex therapy, after which she launched the Mydsiac brand, with a view to providing men and women with the much needed herbal solutions to issues affecting their sexuality, and making sure that no one suffers what she suffered as far as sex is concerned.
She explained further: “Mydsiac is a corruption of My Aphrodisiac, and it thrives on using the popular Kayanmata and other herbs to produce organic products that solve sexual problems. You’d be surprised at the number of people who are secretly struggling with these problems and don’t know what to do to solve same. Meanwhile there’s a fantastic solution right here in the country.”
Tobi set out to find a societal need to meet, and she discovered the most precious need of all. Sex has contributed to the nourishing of families, and sadly enough has also contributed to the irredeemable collapse of most families.
“Good sex keeps families while frustrated sex can cause a lot of damage, including depression which can ignite suicidal tendencies. The good news is that no matter the age, one can still be active sexually, and perform optimally,” she said, adding that her kayanmata therapy is well formulated to recreate good sex.
As expected, Tobi has developed the market of aphrodisiac to become a huge financial base for herself and other operators. She has also taking it upon herself to educate the public on vital sex and relationship matters using her YouTube Vlog series tagged “Aunty Tobi talks”.
She has also signed on via Mydsiac brand some Nollywood celebrities as brand ambassadors. They include Nosa Rex Okunzuwa (Lagos real fake life) and Seyi Edun (Wonuola). These personalities are helping to change the falsehood over the use of herbs and organic products in solving sexual problems.
She spoke more on salient issues including her involvement in the sales of ‘mantle’ for favour, luck, bonding, love among others. She said a lot of things can be achieved through ‘conjuring’. Excerpts:
Did you have any formal and traditional training that equipped you to operate in this field?
I attended one or two mentorship programmes that helped me to put my foot on the ground. Then I distributed for somebody for about four months, and had the opportunity to understudy the industry before I started my brand. To her, I was selling, but I knew I am an entrepreneur understudying the business.
Does the mantles you sell have any spiritual undertone?
It is just mantles…just as we use the anointing oil, handkerchiefs and the likes. It is not only in Nigeria that those things thrive. There are herbs you can use to conjure, such as the sage, which is used to drive away bad energy or spirit when boiled. These are herbs from nature. We have the likes that can be use to conjure attraction, bonding, favour, luck etc. Among some people, salt in water can help in cleansing, and these are natural remedies.
Is the use of the word ‘conjure’ not the reason most people think your brand is fetish?
A lot of people get it wrong. We have different cultures that do ‘conjuring’: different cultures with their different beliefs, especially the South Americans. Most of them have even adopted our native names like Osun, Eledumare etc that they use. It is a matter of speaking into something, and it works for you. So many nationalities have so many figurines for good luck and favour among others. These are nothing, but because ours is coming from Africa, we label them as witchcraft. While we were growing up, my mum would tell me that she put honey in my mouth ‘so that people marvel when they listen to your voice’, especially when you are going for interview. This is just what we mean by conjuring; everybody with their different beliefs.
What’s your clients’ response so far?
It’s been fire. It’s been really amazing. For the sexual part, a lot of people has sexual issues. In fact, nine out of 10 men believe they have not been performing well in bed, especially from the age of 35 and above. They believe they can do better but because of life pursuit and distractions, their attentions are diverted. So, when they see that there is something they can use to perform better, they rush at it. On the other hand as regards women, and from the same age groups, once the babies start coming, a lot of things will begin to take their attention, and then the sex drive will begin to drop. So, when they also see what could help them be the woman they want to be, and not allow their husbands look outside, they rush at it. You know there are very young girls coming up now, who are full of life and fire, and you know, women do not want to share; so they rush this thing. The response has been amazing.
And for favour, attraction and more, it is basically the same way. Everybody want to do great things, and once they come across this enabling factor, they go for it. It is not ‘jazz’, and they know they don’t have to kill anyone or shed blood. So they rush at it. The market is really huge.
Is it compulsory that the two involved must use it so that the sex drive can be balanced?
Yes, it is very good, but not compulsory. Some people believe that they have high sex drive, but by the time they meet their match, they are floored. So, I advise that both parties should use it. Some buy for themselves and their partners, sometimes to encourage the other persons, and sometimes to ensure that both of them had a pleasurable time.
By the market being huge, do you mean it is putting food on the table?
Oh, yes it is. The market is huge. The truth is that we have not been able to value the aphrodisiac market in this country. It is really huge. It is an industry that really needs to be tapped.
People use to think that the aphrodisiac trade is not open, but done behind the curtains
Honestly, but we are the bold ones that can come out to talk about it. People still come behind to ask for their requirements. And thank God for the outline trade, people can hide behind their keypads to make their purchase. This way, it brings more people.
Are there more researches towards making more discoveries in this field?
Oh yes! If not for the pandemic, we would have gone to different states to seek more herbs, and uses. We just want to keep introducing new things. The pandemic has slowed that down.
How is the medicine packaged or stored?
It comes in different dimensions; powder, liquid, as food, soap, cream, oil and so on.
Is the usage a one off thing?
Some people don’t need to use continually. These things are curative. It can adapt to some people’s system once it is used because it is herbs. It is organic, and has adaptive gene. So it adapts to their system and corrects their conditions. Again, some people get addicted, believing they can’t perform without it. So they keep buying and using it.
For those who think they can’t perform without it, do they take it just before intercourse or how is it administered?
They can use before intercourse, yes. The good thing is there is no overdose. It is basically food.
Do you have any social corporate responsibility you have performed or is performing as a business venture?
Yes, we have a lot. During the lockdown, we carried out a lot of benevolence. This was from both online and off line. We partnered with some NGOs to give as much as we could. Even till now, we are still involved in benevolence; doing giveaways at random.
MORE CHARITY ACTIVITIES
Tobi recognised that the society from where she operates deserve to receive back a chunk of what she has achieved, and so has engaged in various projects to assist mankind and humanity.
Consequently, she has given free skin care and make up trainings for youths in Mende, as well as organised skills acquisition programme, also for Mende community in Maryland.
Other programmes and projects Tobi has been involved in are:
- Empowering youths for good governance at the Ikogosi warm spring resort Ekiti by the Oyebode support team Akure.
- Queen Moremi Ajasoro Beauty pageant: empowerment and mentorship programme organized by House of Oduduwa in conjunction with International Women society, which was a seminar for the applicants of the pageant.
- The Girl child empowerment seminar tagged Girls just wanna have funds: turning passion into profit,
- The Free financial Master class empowering the youths on how to make use of social media to accelerate business growth.
In other developments, she partnered with the You Are Not Alone (YANA) Foundation during the lockdown to help the less privileged. She visited Apogbon Isale Community in Ketu, Lagos, a low-income residential area, where she distributed clothes, beddings, curtains, cooking pots and other household items.
“Many families are living within the poverty line and there are so many things parents have to think about providing besides food and education. From time to time, I take it upon myself to support the less privileged in the society, and I’m glad to have partnered with the YANA Foundation on this. It’s a beautiful experience helping the needy,” She said.
A rare gem, full of developmental ideas, with flowing milk of human kindness, Tobi is married to Dapo Kukoyi, and both are blessed with two children.
By Eric Elezuo
Mrs. Olufunlola Aderinokun, widow of late former Chief Executive Officer, Guaranty Trust Bank, Tayo Aderinokun, has raised alarm over illegal, dangerous construction and encroachment into her property, Rehoboth Place, situated along Banana Island Road, Ikoyi, Lagos, by the Shell Staff Cooperative Investment and Thrift Society Limited, alerting Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu through an S.O.S letter to intervene, call the offenders to order, and save her building, its occupants and the general public from more present and unforeseen harm.
Speaking exclusively to The Boss, Mrs. Aderinokun lamented the recalcitrant stance of the Shell Staff Cooperative Investment and Thrift Society Limited, whose building shares a common perimeter fence with Rehoboth Place, and how they have continued their illegal construction, which has consistently defaced Rehoboth Place, in spite of cautions and deterring efforts employed by the government and the residents of Rehoboth Place.
“You need to visit the site to see how these people have defaced an already sitting building, causing structural damages as well as keeping residents of Rehoboth Place on their toes for fear of more structure collapse and/or imminent danger to lives,” she said.
Recalling that Rehoboth Place was built since 2016 according to all laid down construction rules and specifications, she further stated that on many occasions, the scaffolds and other heavy duty equipment including spanners and huge iron bars, used by the Shell Staff Coop builders, have collapsed and dropped into Rehoboth Place building, causing untold structural defacing and fear of possible fatal bodily harm to the residents. This, according to her, is because the Shell Staff Coop building is less than two metres away from the common fence, while the recommended spacing is from six meters.
Recounting to The Boss the genesis of her ordeal with the building developers and the Lagos State government with the General Manager of Lagos State Building Control Agency and Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, whom she believes is showing unbelievable favour to Shell Staff Coop at the expense of injuries to lives and properties at Rehoboth Place, Mrs Aderinokun, a 67 years old retired widow, who claims that she can neither sleep well in her own bedroom nor park her car in her own compound because of the noise, danger, debris and mutilation from the Shell Staff Coop construction, narrated that the whole illegality, as she termed it, is dated back to 2020, when the Shell Staff Coop building construction started the piling work.
“As at then, I was not in the country, and because of the COVID-19 issue, many things were played down. However, when I returned to the country in August 2021, after one and half years away from Nigeria, I discovered that they had damaged my property, Rehoboth Place, extensively. My own letting agent didn’t tell me, but was rather negotiating with the offenders on how to repair the damages. Naturally, I was furious and demanded both a halt on the project and thorough compensation for the extensive damage. Note that by then, at Rehoboth Place, a bungalow, the bore hole, the perimeter fence, and other structures were already completely compromised beyond repair.
“However, in 2023, I mobilised structural engineers and the company that built Rehoboth Place originally, Cappa and D’Alberto Ltd, to begin repairs of all the damages that Shell Staff Coop caused. The Engineers wrote off the compromised bungalow and common fence, and insisted that they must be brought down completely before repairs could commence.
“However, while they were carrying out repair and reconstruction works, materials from the Shell Staff Coop construction continued to drop inside the compound from very high levels, making it impossible for safe and healthy work to continue at Rehoboth Place. Debris of cement, water, polystyrene particles and bars, tools and other dangerous materials were constantly dropping into Rehoboth Place from high levels, and so the workmen had to abandon the job, and ran for dear life. It wasn’t safe. It was not healthy. Cappa & D’Alberto Ltd wrote to demobilise from the site of Rehoboth Place in July 2023, and cannot return to the site till date because of the danger from Shell Staff Coop construction, while Lagos State looks away!
“As at today, I can’t park my car in my own compound. The huge terrace at Rehoboth Place, next to the building of Shell Staff Coop and the swimming pool at Rehoboth Place, have not been usable since May 2023, till date. While I was getting ready to sue Shell Staff Coop for the damages caused to the building, the scaffolding of Shell Staff Coop fell on the 5th floor of Rehoboth Place on 19th July 2023. This could amount to a criminal offence under the laws of Lagos State as it constitutes danger to human life and public safety,” she said.
Mrs Aderinokun’s complaints to the Lagos State Building Control Agency, under Mr Gbolahan Oki, led to an inspection and subsequent sealing of the site to stop further construction in July 2023.
“Mr Oki stated to me over the phone on 1st November 2023 that the Shell Staff Coop will pay for the damages, and that, ‘even if it’s the governor that is the one building there, they (Lagos State) will do the right thing’. I’m surprised that Mr. Oki is the one who’s no longer responding to the matter today. And on January 15, 2024, the Lagos State government allowed Shell Staff Coop to return to site, and resume construction, alarmingly without addressing any of the reasons for sealing up the Shell Staff Coop building for almost 6 months! The knocks from the close construction of Shell Staff Coop woke me up from my bed on 15th January 2024 and have continued until now, 7 days a week,” she noted.
As a follow up, Aderinokun recalled that on January 20, 2024, writing in her capacity as the Director of her company, Quadro Investment Limited, owner of the property, Rehoboth Place, she again appealed to the Lagos State Building Control Agency via the General Manager, and re-detailed the hazards that the construction of the Shell Staff Coop portend, and continues to unleash, and appealed that the government should put a stop to the building or at most curtail the dangers inherent. She wondered why the construction was allowed to resume six months after sealing up, with nothing to show that due diligence has been done.
The letter, which was titled “Re: Construction of Multiple Storey Building Against Building Regulations Along Banana Island Road, Etisalat LGA, Ikoyi, Lagos, Which Shares a Common Perimeter Fence with Our Property, Rehoboth Place”, reminded the Agency that the ongoing construction of the Shell Staff Coop, was sealed up by Lagos State officials on July 25 2023, when they visited and they discovered certain unpalatable infractions including absence of airspace and protection against damage to the adjoining premises of Rehoboth Place and others, among many other inanities.
In their capacity as a regulatory agency, the LSBCA had, in July 2023, assessed the scene and discovered as follows:
1. That the safety nets were not properly installed,
2. Blockade of public drainage facilities as a result of the construction work,
3. Damage of adjoining property due to effects of construction,
4. Inadequate airspace of right side of the structure.
Therefore, the Agency came up with certain recommendations, which were pasted on the fence of the construction site of Shell Building Cooperative. The recommendation was a point-blank order to stop the construction of the building as a result of the following reasons: 1. The development was unauthorized 2. The development did not conform to the planning permit issued by the Lagos State Physical Planning Permit Authority. 3. There’s no authorization to commence construction by LSBCA as required by law, and 4. The structure erected is contrary to Building Control Standards.
The Agency concluded its recommendation with sealing up authorization that the building should stop henceforth with the service of the Order.
“That was on 25 July 2023, but the construction resumed on 15 January 2024 with no evidence of the noted hazards controlled, and events at the site have continued to put Rehoboth Place and its occupants in harm’s way, The 10 inches spanner fell onto the ground floor of Rehoboth Place on 29th January 2024, from a height of about 7 or more floors of the building of the Shell Staff Coop! If the spanner had fallen on the head of anyone at Rehoboth Place, the fatality that could have happened can only be imagined” Aderinokun lamented.
The letter is presented in details below:
22 January 2024.
The General Manager,
Lagos State Building Control Agency,
Muiz Banire Street,
Off Oba Akinjobi Way,
GRA, Ikeja.
Dear Sir,
RE: CONSTRUCTION OF MULTIPLE STOREY BUILDING AGAINST BUILDING REGULATIONS ALONG BANANA ISLAND ROAD, ETI-OSA L.G.A. IKOYI, LAGOS; WHICH SHARES A COMMON PERIMETER FENCE WITH OUR PROPERTY REHOBOTH PLACE.
The above-described development, which is an ongoing construction and adjacent to our property, Rehoboth Place (at Plots 16-17, along Banana Island Road, Ikoyi, Lagos) was sealed up by your agency on 25th July 2023 for a number of infractions, amongst which were the absence of protection and airspace against damage to the adjoining premises of Rehoboth Place and others. Please find attached here, copies of the contravention notice and stop work order pasted by your Agency on the construction site.
On 16th January 2024, work recommenced at the construction and it appears that the property has been unsealed. This is despite the continued absence of protection on the construction works and airspace to Rehoboth Place. As a result, both our property (Rehoboth Place) and its occupants have been placed back at risk of suffering substantial damage, serious injury and/or death due to debris and other things falling into Rehoboth Place from the construction site. Please find attached here, photos of some of the items that have fallen into Rehoboth Place from the adjoining construction site before the sealing up of the site by your Agency.
Further, the building remains less than the stipulated distance from its boundary with Rehoboth Place, which is a clear, and continuing breach of building regulations.
In the circumstances, we are left to speculate as to the reasons why the construction site has been permitted to continue, even as the specific contraventions, for which it was ordered to stop work, continue un-remediated, almost 6 months later. It would appear that the attitude that has resulted in a number of building tragedies in Lagos State continues to prevail within your Agency.
We hereby notify you that we will not fold our arms and do nothing, while our property is exposed to further trespass and the possibility of serious injury and/or loss of life to its occupants. Should any injury and/or death be suffered by anyone at all, please be in no doubt that a report will be made to law enforcement agencies and the contents of this letter and those of our other appeals to Lagos State on this matter, will be brought to the attention of the appropriate authorities.
In the circumstances, we are constrained to issue this notice demanding that you enforce the building regulations on the above-stated construction works, failing which we shall have no option, other than to institute legal proceedings to compel you to fulfil your statutory obligations.
Thank you.
Yours faithfully,
Olufunlola K. Aderinokun.
Director.
With no commensurate response from the LSBCA, and the sensing the criminal intent, Aderinokun petitioned the Commissioner of Police, CP Fayoade, and copied the AIG zone 2, the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice and the Commissioner for Environment, to use his good office to stop the construction before injuries or even death are recorded.
The letter is produced below:
20 February 2024.
The Commissioner of Police,
Lagos State Police Headquarters,
Muiz Banire Street,
GRA, Ikeja,
Lagos State.
Dear Sir,
RE: PETITION ON THE BUILDING CONSTRUCTION THAT IS AGAINST PUBLIC SAFETY, CONTRARY TO SECTION 123 OF THE CRIMINAL LAW OF LAGOS STATE, 2015, CURRENTLY TAKING PLACE AT THE PROPERTY THAT ADJOINS REHOBOTH PLACE (A RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT) SITUATE ALONG BANANA ISLAND ROAD, IKOYL, LAGOS.
We are the owner of Rehoboth Place, situate at Plots 16-17, Banana Island Road, Ikoyi, Lagos.
The construction works adjoining Rehoboth Place belongs to, The Shell Staff Cooperative Investment and Thrift Society Limited, whose office address is at Freeman House, 21/22 Marina, Lagos State.
Please refer to the above subject matter and the self-explanatory letter, which is attached here, dated 22 January 2024, written by us to the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LSBCA).
In addition to the contents and attachments to our said letter written to the LSBCA, please find attached here, photos of 3 (three) more injurious items, which fell into Rehoboth Place from the adjoining compound at various times.
The big blue piece of iron (contained in the attachment to the letter to the LSBCA), which weighs about 8 kilograms, fell from the adjoining compound into Rehoboth Place, sometime in July 2023, while the 10 inches spanner, fell from the adjoining compound into Rehoboth Place at about 10.45am on 29th January 2024. The iron rod that is about 60 inches long, weighs two & a half kilograms.
All the items fell onto the ground floor of Rehoboth Place from heights of 6th, 7th, 8th and 9th floors of the adjoining construction works, which are obviously being constructed, too close to Rehoboth Place and other neighbouring properties, in contravention of the building laws, regulations and permits of Lagos State.
We hereby, humbly appeal to your office, to take all necessary action to investigate the ongoing danger to human life and public safety, that is being posed by the owners and occupiers of the property adjoining Rehoboth Place.
Furthermore, we appeal to you, to use your good offices to ensure that the said dangerous construction works, which are being carried out in the adjoining compound to Rehoboth Place are stopped immediately before any further crime in committed, particularly before the occurrence of any loss of life or serious injury to anyone,
We trust in your kind and urgent attention to this matter.
Thank you.
Yours faithfully,
DIRECTOR.
Cc:
1. The Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice,
Lagos State Ministry of Justice,
The secretariat, Block 2,
Alausa, Ikeja.
2 The Assistant Inspector-General of Police,
The Nigeria Police Force, Zone 2,
Command Headquarters,
King George V Road, Onikan,
Lagos State.
3. The Commissioner of Environment and Water Resources,
Ministry of Environment and Water Resources,
The Lagos State secretariat,
Alausa, Ikeja.
With no response from the General Manager, Mr Gbolahan Oki, the Rehoboth Place owner, having established a criminal intent with the Police, resorted to writing the governor one more time, whom she had been privileged to discuss the matter with via phone and in person on several occasions. It is on record that Aderinokun had earlier on August 8, 2023 and November 28, 2023 written to the governor on the same issue. But like the manager of Lagos State Building Control Agency, neither the governor nor his office responded.
“They practically called my bluff, without a care of what their silence and inaction on these matters is causing to me personally, to other members of the public and/or may cause in the future,” Aderinokun said.
Below is the full letter addressed to the governor:
29th February 2023.
Mr. Governor, Babajide Sanwoolu,
Executive Governor,
Lagos State of Nigeria,
Governor’s Office,
Alausa,
Lagos State.
Dear Mr. Governor,
PLEASE, SAVE OUR SOULS.
RE: IN RESPECT OF THE ONGOING CONSTRUCTION OF MULTIPLE STOREY BUILDING AGAINST BUILDING REGULATIONS ALONG BANANA ISLAND ROAD, ETI-OSA L.G.A. IKOYI, LAGOS; POSING A DANGER TO THE ADJOINING PROPERTY-REHOBOTH PLACE AND HAS CAUSED STRUCTURAL DAMAGES & COLLAPSE OF STRUCTURES AT REHOBOTH PLACE.
I am the managing director of Quadro Investment Limited, the registered owner of Rehoboth Place, which is situated at Plots 16-17, along Banana Island Road, Ikoyi, Lagos, built and completed in the year 2016.
The owner of the ongoing construction which shares a common fence with Rehoboth Place, is Shell Staff Co-operative Investment & Thrift Society Limited (hereinafter called, “Shell Staff Cooperative”) with office address at Freeman House, 21/22 Marina, Lagos.
I am hereby writing an S.O.S., Save Our Souls to Mr. Governor for the reasons set out below.
1. People are continuously exposed to danger of serious injury and/or death at Rehoboth Place because the Lagos State authorities have allowed the construction work by Shell Staff Cooperative to continue, despite the danger it poses to the neighbourhood, its continuous pollution to the environment and the fact that it does not meet the building laws and regulations of Lagos State.
2. In respect of this subject matter, Quadro Investment Limited has written to:
2.1 you, Mr. Governor, by its letters dated 08 August 2023 and 28th November 2023;
2.2 the Lagos State Building Control Agency by its letter dated 22 January 2024;
2.3 the Commissioner of Police, Lagos State, by its letter dated 20 February 2024. This letter was copied to, the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Lagos State and the Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Nigeria Police Force and the Commissioner of Environment and Water Resources, Lagos State.
Copies of the letters stated in 2.2 and 2.3 above are attached here.
3. In addition to the above, I have made several personal appeals to you, imploring you to grant me an audience to meet with you, to explain the situation to you after my letters and for you to look into this matter and direct Lagos State authorities to ensure that its own Building Regulations and Laws are adhered to in the construction by Shell Staff Cooperative. Unfortunately, all my efforts appear to have been ignored.
4. The on-going construction by Shell Staff Cooperative, which is on its 9th floor and still going up, stands less than 2 meters to its common fence with Rehoboth Place and has caused extensive damage, including collapse of structures at Rehoboth Place. It is posing a danger to life and health in the neighbourhood and at Rehoboth Place. While Lagos State has allowed the construction by Shell Staff Cooperative to continue, the owners of Rehoboth Place cannot use their own property, for fear of danger to life!!
5. Injurious and life-threatening items like big iron bars, weighing 8kg, other iron rods weighing 3kg and 1kg, a 10 inches long spanner, huge polypyrene bars have fallen from heights of 6th, 7th, 8th and 9th floors of the ongoing construction by Shell Staff Cooperative into the ground floor of Rehoboth Place at various times in 2023, and on 29th January 2024. Also, rains of construction water, cement, dust and particles of polypyrene and nylon continuously shower and fly into the airspace, terraces, swimming pool, onto motor vehicles, other valuable properties and indoor living areas at Rehoboth Place. Please find attached hereto, photos to back this up.
6. The scaffolding being used for the construction by Shell Staff Cooperative fell onto the 5th floor of Rehoboth Place on 19th July 2023, which led to a Contravention Notice and a Stop Work Order being pasted on the construction site of Shell Staff Cooperative on 25 July 2023. Please find photos attached here. From then on, the site remained closed for work, for about 6 months, until 15th January 2024, when work suddenly resumed at the constructions of Shell Staff Cooperative, without addressing a single one of the reasons for the sealing up of the premises as stated in the Contravention Notice, including the non-application of safety net on the construction site. Please find attached here, shown in the videos recorded in the flash drive and photos of the dangling scaffolding on Rehoboth Place.
7. Since 15th January 2024, construction by Shell Staff Cooperative have continued, 7 days a week, including outside regulated working hours in a residential area, during night time hours, without any regard for neighbours. They start as early as 7am, waking me up from my sleep with consistent provocative sounds of hammer/iron knocking on iron, 7 days a week, week after week, without any break. Also, on 26th of January 2024, I was woken up from my sleep at 12.00 midnight because of the noise of the truck, working past midnight at the constructions of Shell Staff Cooperative. Please find the proof of this shown in the videos recorded in the flash drive attached here.
8. The non-stop early morning knocking noise (7 days a week) from construction by Shell Staff Cooperative have had untold impact on my brain, psychology and well-being. Part of the reasons that certain distances are prescribed and legislated between buildings, is to avoid noise from one building into another. Since 15th January 2024 to date, it has been like living on a construction site at Rehoboth Place, every day, non-stop, and not a single day of break. Sir, please permit me to add here, that by God’s grace, I am a 67 (sixty-seven) years old widow, resident and indigene of Lagos State.
9. I cannot walk around my compound, I cannot park my car in my own home at Rehoboth Place and we are not able to use our terraces, because of the showers of cement, dirt, dust and polystyrene particles raining from the constructions of Shell Staff Cooperative, onto our cars, other valuables and terraces at Rehoboth Place. Also, we have not been able to use the swimming pool at Rehoboth Place since April 2023 up to the date of this appeal. Please find attached here, the photo of the unhealthy materials from the construction by Shell Staff Cooperative inside the pool and on our terraces at Rehoboth Place, even inside our flower pots on the 5th floor!!!
10. Yet, Lagos State is looking away from this blatant disregard of its building regulations and laws, pollution of the environment, to favour the constructions of Shell Staff Cooperative at the expense of the users of Rehoboth Place.
11. Meanwhile, Lagos State recently banned the use of styrofoams and single use plastics in the State. Sir, it is my humble opinion that Lagos State needs to go further and ban the use of polystyrene in construction sites. The construction workers of Shell Staff Cooperative have been seen cutting into smaller bars, at high levels of 6th, 7th, 8th floors, huge polystyrene bars, without any protection, thereby spraying unhealthy particles of polystyrene, with high health hazards to the neighbourhood and onto Rehoboth Place.
12. Also shown in the videos recorded in the flash drive attached to this letter, is the video of Mr. Gbolahan Oki, the General Manager of the Lagos State Building Control Agency when he visited Rehoboth Place on 2nd November 2023. Unfortunately, Mr. Oki has not matched his words with actions and instead, has allowed the constructions of Shell Staff Cooperative to continue, despite the potential of the occurrence of a catastrophe.
13. Sir, my life and the lives of others are being put to danger by the construction of Shell Staff Cooperative, particularly because of its closeness to Rehoboth Place.
14. Sir, I’m not willing to wait until people are seriously injured and/or someone dies, before I cry out to the public. There is a potential of criminal offence being committed by the closeness of the constructions of Shell Staff Cooperative to Rehoboth Place. The photos and videos that I have attached here and the sealing up of the construction by Shell Staff Cooperative for about 6 months by Lagos State, speak volumes and I am sincerely not exaggerating.
15. Again, I hereby personally implore Mr. Governor, to use your good office to ensure that another unfortunate catastrophe related to building collapse, serious human injury and/or death does not happen in Lagos State, in this matter.
Sir, I am trusting in your speedy good judgement in this matter. Thank you, Sir.
Yours faithfully,
Mrs. Olufunlola K. Aderinokun (née Agusto).
It will be noted that building collapse has remained a recurring decimal in Lagos State. One can recall that a massive Ikoyi building, located not too far from Rehoboth Place, collapsed in 2022, and claimed lives of prominent Nigerians with many other budding professionals.
“All we are doing is to prevent a disaster lurking in the corner, and for me to have a safe and peaceful possession of my property,” Aderinokun concluded.
To date, the Foundation has disbursed US$100,000,000 directly into the hands of young African entrepreneurs, who have, in turn, created over 400,000 direct and indirect jobs, contributing significantly to Africa’s economic growth and development. The Foundation has also provided capacity building support, advisory services, and market linkages to over 1.5 million Africans through its digital entrepreneurship-support platform, TEFConnect.
“…the Kingdom of Belgium conferred on me with the honorary distinction of Officer in the Order of Leopold, the country’s oldest and most important National Honour.
“I am humbled by this recognition of the work @TonyElumeluFDN in catalysing entrepreneurs across Africa and will continue to drive the economic empowerment of our brilliant young #Africanentrepreneurs to propel development in Africa,” the distinguished entrepreneur had reported.
In commemoration of of his diamond jubilee event, a symposium was held in his honour at the Tony Elumelu Amphitheatre in UBA House.
The symposium tagged ’60 for 60’ was attended by 60 young beneficiaries of the Tony Elumelu Foundation Entrepreneurship Programme, friends and colleagues. He has never left the young people behind in his scheme of things.
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