Talk:Banana Island, Lagos
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This page should be returned to it's 20th March state and references to Lagoon City should never be deleted because...
edit
The information in respect of Lagoon City is ultimately encyclopaedic. It refers to the architectural and historical origins of Banana Island, and simply to dismiss those origins as "an Artificial Island" is simplistic. The article requires a rewrite to conform to Wikipedia guidelines. The fact that the original ownership is subject to an imminent Legal Hearing in Lagos should not detract from the architectural or historical facts of the reclaimed land now renamed as Banana Island.
To simply remove the Prima Facie original Architectural Plans is tantamount to vandalism. The historical links to the New York Twin Towers thanks to Chief Adebayo Adeleke & Minoru Yamasaki are fascinating and of international importance.
The original plans clearly show the Lagoon City Airport & Runway which would have transformed the development.
[SEVERAL ATTEMPTS HAVE BEEN MADE TO SUPPRESS THE TRUE HISTORY OF BANANA ISLAND WHICH THE UNILATERAL REMOVAL OF PHOTOGRAPHIC & TEXT FROM THE 'ARTICLE PAGE' CLEARLY DEMONSTRATES - EVEN IF THIS CONTENT WAS REINSTATED TO THE 'ARTICLE PAGE' IT WOULD BE UNILATERALLY DELETED AGAIN - IN FACT IT WOULD BE OF NO SURPRISE TO SEE THE 'TALK PAGE' CONTENTS REMOVED ALTHOUGH SECONDARY SOURCES HAVE BEEN PROVIDED TO VERIFY THE TEXT & IMAGES.]
'How Lagos World Trade Centre Project Was Stalled
Fri, 21 Dec 2007 00:00:00 - Punch Newspaper Nigeria'
If things had gone as planned by officials of the Lagoon City Development Corporation (LCDC), a considerable portion of the land bordering the highbrow Ikoyi waterfront in Lagos would be bubbling with commercial activities courtesy of an imposing World Trade Centre (WTC) complex, as well as ancillary facilities. But the tall dreams never became a reality and the issue has, in the past 15 years, been a subject of litigation. The late industrialist and owner of LCDC, Chief Adebayo Adeleke, who passed on in October 1987, had sometime in 1981, explored the possibility of generating public revenue and creating substantial employment opportunities off the Lagos Lagoon foreshore, which had previously been neglected. The proposal was also meant to relieve the growing pressure for commercial property on the Lagos Island and the then strictly residential areas of Victoria Island and Ikoyi, as well as to provide for the establishment of a WTC complex for the promotion of external trade and investment in the country. The entire scheme was christened "Lagoon City." Consequently, LCDC made a preliminary design, proposal and application for approval which it forwarded to the Lagos State Government, which then demanded N140,000 as fees. This was paid and approval was granted in February 1983. The firm of Westminster Dredging (Nigeria) Limited was engaged as consultants and contractors for the reclamation works, for which a down payment of N2.5 million was paid. The LCDC was to learn later that the parts of the lagoon and foreshore proposed for the said project were vested in the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) on behalf of the Federal Government to which application should have been made. The dredging company sought NPA approval on May 24, 1983, following which an approval was granted via a letter dated June 17, 1983. But, after reclamation work began, NPA officials allegedly approached the developers on the basis that only a preliminary approval had been granted and that a full consent could only be given after an undertaking had been given to the effect that hydrological and other tests would be carried out to establish the possible effects of the project on the lagoon. To satisfy the new NPA demand, the LCDC claimed that it engaged the services of a number of companies to carry out the studies – including two Canadian firms – who were duly paid for their efforts. However, by 1984 when a considerable expanse of land had been gained, the Lagos State government began to express an interest in the development as well as others in the vicinity of Ikoyi and the Lekki Peninsula. It was gathered that the Federal Government stepped in and in 1988 issued a White Paper that vested the land in NPA on its behalf. The matter dragged on during the tenure of Major-General Mamman Kontagora and Barnabas Gemade as Works and Housing ministers without any headway. The LCDC, however, claimed that it received in July 1991 a government offer for the allocation of 20 plots to it on the land. But LCDC stated that the offer was rescinded when the government offered N31 million in lieu of the 30 plots. The LCDC eventually headed for the court, instituting a N500 million suit for specific performance on the part of the government. Along the line, LCDC officials claimed that they learned the said land had been divided into 144 plots to be allocated to top government officials. Four years ago in February 2003 several years after the matter had gone into the cooler (following the decision Justice Dolapo Akinsanya of a Lagos High Court in December 1993 declining jurisdiction on the matter), the Appeal Court re-opened the case and set aside the 1993 ruling, ordering that the case be heard expeditiously by another judge. Akinsanya had based her decision on The Lands (Title Vesting Etc) Decree No. 52 of 1993 and Federal Military Government (Supremacy and Enforcement of Powers) Decree No. 12 of 1994. Decree 52 vests the ownership of "all lands lying within 100 meters limit of the shoreline of Nigeria and other lands reclaimed from any lagoon, sea, ocean in or bordering Nigeria or of ocean bordering the Federal Republic of Nigeria in the Federal Government." A few months ago, in a suit brought by the LCDC against the Federal Government, an interlocutory order restraining further development within Banana Island in Ikoyi was granted against the government. According to a Lagos State High Court, until otherwise stated no further construction works by the Federal Government and all its agents should continue on the choice estate. The trial judge, Justice Candide Johnson, after hearing from the counsel of both the plaintiff and the defendant, made the order with a view to protect the subject of the case initiated by the LCDC. However, the decision of the court seems not to have gone down well with affected parties on Banana Island, where construction activities is worth no fewer than N40 billion and price of plots range between N50 million and N125 million. Some property owners who claim that they used their property to obtain bank loans to finance the projects complain of untold hardship, irreparable damage and colossal financial losses since the injunction on the island came into force. Also, while the Federal High Court suit filed against LCDC in April 2007 was dismissed in July 2007, the High Court suit filed by the company since 1993 is still pending before Justice Candide-Johnson.
AXORA HOMES ARTICLE April 2009 © 2009 axorahomes.com. All Rights Reserved.
Controversy thickens over ownership of Banana Island amid contempt proceedings against growing public outcry over fresh efforts to sand-fill portions of the exclusive Banana Island, the dispute over its original ownership rages still in a Lagos court, as claims mount by the day over the much sought after property. Controversy has continued to trail the dispute over development rights on one of the most exclusive stretches of real estate in Nigeria, popularly known as Banana Island, which is situated off Turnbull Road, Ikoyi, in Lagos State. But an independent assessment of the site recently by The Guardian showed that physical developments were sprawling on the property. Also, several contractors were seen on site constructing new structures. And in the courtroom, when the matter came up before Justice Candid-Johnson of a Lagos High Court, Ikeja Division, the tune of the case changed as the trial judge was literally set to unravel claim of contempt made by the plaintiff, Lagoon City Development Corporation Limited. The alleged contempt was made via a counter affidavit to a motion seeking to stay further proceedings, filed on behalf of the second respondent, minister for Works and Housing. Efforts by counsel to the second defendant to persuade the court to adjourn the matter for hearing two of the pending applications together simultaneously were met with brick wall as the trial judge said that he would not hear the counsel until he had done with the allegation of contempt made against one of the privies of the second defendant. In the genesis of the case, the late industrialist, Chief Adebayo Adeleke, who died on October 1987, had set up the firm LCDL to oversee development of the vast stretch of land it reclaimed on the Lagos shoreline. His son, The corporation, has pursued the case instituted to recover the land, after it was acquired by the government. The suit, initiated 16 years ago by the corporation against the government over Osborne land, Ikoyi, Lagos led to the promulgation of Decree 15 of 1993. In the instant case, while the corporation is making claim to the property, the government has denied to have at anytime entered into agreement with the former over the property. According to the firm, sometime in 1980, its founder and former Managing Director of its company, Chief Adebayo Adeleke (deceased), saw the possibility of generating public revenue and creating substantial employment opportunities for Nigerians and others by the development of the Lagos lagoon foreshore, which had hitherto been neglected. He also saw the possibility of relieving the growing pressure for commercial properties on the Lagos Island and the then strictly residential areas of Victoria Island and Ikoyi. Initially, he employed City Property Development Limited as the corporate vehicle to realise the said project. Sometimes, in 1983 he decided to employ the plaintiff instead. Shortly afterwards, a proposal together with preliminary project designs and an application for planning approval was put to the Lagos State government by late Adeleke for the development of what was then described as "Lagoon City." The said Adeleke engaged Westminster Dredging Nigeria Limited, as consultants as well as contractors to carry out reclamation works for the said project. While carrying out further consultations in connection with the said project, the plaintiff claimed that Adeleke was advised by his solicitors and by its surveyors, Messrs. Olufemi Akindahunsi and Company, that parts of the lagoon and foreshore proposed for the said project were vested in the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA). Through a letter, the firm claimed that it contacted NPA, which allegedly replied and granted approval to Westminster Dredging (Nigeria) Limited to commence work on the site. However, the plaintiff said that it later learnt that the alleged approval given to it by NPA was only temporal. The development, as stated by the firm, made it to submit another application for permission for the project to the estate department of the NPA if further reclamation works were not to be halted by the NPA. This time, the plaintiff said that NPA demanded for a number of undertakings, which were provided by it. By February 1984, the plaintiff said that he had gained a considerable expanse of land. The said land comprised three parcels totalling approximately 126.5 hectares as described in various survey plans prepared by Westminster. Amidst claims by both Federal Government and Lagos State to the ownership of the same property on the foreshore of Ikoyi, the plaintiff said that it indicated interest to "take over" all federal property along the foreshore of Ikoyi Crescent including the reclaimed land. After about 12 months, it said, the FMWH requested for further information on the amounts expended on the project. The plaintiff said it was surprised that the same ministry wrote to it asking that it resubmit its plans for the site. And around July 9th 1991, the property firm said that its representatives were told that government had decided to allocate to it 20 plots of the land as "ex gratia payment in full and final settlement of all claims." Replying, FMWH wrote saying that they had not received the plaintiff's reply to what they now described as their "offer" of July 9th 1991 and that the plaintiff was to respond within seven days, failing which they would proceed to conclude all issues relating to the matter. The plaintiff did not accept the said offer and instead continued its discussions with the FMWH. By a later dated the May 14th 1993 the plaintiff said that to its great surprise, it was informed by the FMWH that "government has decided that the land would not be leased out to your company or to any other private company," and they were offered the sum of N21 million as compensation and another N10 million as an "act of compassion." By the defendants' action of offering the property to private individuals, the firm accused the government to have wrongfully breached its commitment to grant a development lease to it. By reason of the stated claims, the plaintiff said that it had suffered loss and damage. By his own deposition, the minister of Works and Housing as at then said that the entity to which approval was granted by the Lagos State was not the plaintiff, but City Property Development Limited. The second defendant said that there was never a time any offer was made nor agreement with or commitment made to the plaintiff by it. Also, it said that the NPA did not agree to grant the lease of any parcels of land to the claimant as alleged or at all. The minister said that by Paragraph 4 of the letter dated August, 17th 1983, a condition precedent to the grant of approval for reclamation, was stipulated but that the plaintiff did not comply within the time stipulated or at all. The second defendant said that it would contend that the NPA was without authority or power to grant approval to reclaim the lands to the claimant. The works minister also said that she would contend that the written approval by the National Council of Ministers (NCM) was a condition precedent to the validity of any such agreement for grant of a lease While urging the court to dismiss the case, the second defendant concluded that the action was speculative, frivolous and an abuse of court process. On the reclamation of the property by the firm, the minister said that the action was undertaken without any authority. The second defendant also denied all allegations of facts by the firm. Further hearing is adjourned till March 31 and April 2.
ALL AFRICA ARTICLE
http://allafrica.com/stories/200109100340.html
The News (Lagos)
EMAIL PRINT SHARE
Nigeria: Highbrow Slums
BY OLUBI OLUTAYO, 10 SEPTEMBER 2001
Lagos — Lagos State Government cracks down on property developers and business interests over the deteriorating standard of Victoria Island and Ikoyi.
The Lagos State Ministry of Environment and Physical Planning, MEPP, is engaged in a running battle with corporate bodies and individuals who have been defacing the environmental pride of the elitist Victoria Island and Ikoyi and indeed, the Lagos Island as a whole. Over the years, the rot that accompanied military dictatorship had allowed the arbitrary erection of illegal structures unchecked on the Island. The result was a gross abuse of the masterplan that set out Victoria Island and Ikoyi as mainly highbrow residential quarters. Three islands would probably have been modernised had the Lagoon City project of Chief Adebayo Adeleke, former president of the World Trade Centre of Nigeria, not been interupted. Business structures have now made nonsense of that plan; worse still, rickety stalls and steel shops positioned incongruously are rendering the areas an eyesore. The situation in Central Lagos seemingly defies a solution. There has never been order there for decades. Now, it would win a prize as a leading slum.
Wikipedia Text Removal Banana Island - 21st March 2014
Chief Adebayo Adeleke
The original Banana Island construction project entitled Lagoon City was the brainchild of the Late Chief Adebayo Adeleke, a University of London trained Civil Engineer (MICE), and CEO of City Property Development Ltd. Chief Adebayo Adeleke had originally commissioned a new urban development in Maroko, Victoria Island, but that project had been 'acquired' by the Lagos State government with no financial consideration paid. Following a lengthy 10 year court case, Lagos State government offered other parcels of land as consideration for the Maroko development.
Many scoffed at Chief Adeleke's decision to select the Ikoyi Island perimeter, however they were unable to appreciate the foresight of the Chief, who promptly engaged the Westminster Dredging Company to dredge the foreshore, and create six interlinked and symmetrical islands.
Chief Adebayo Adeleke was an exceptional Nigerian visionary and philanthropist, unconcerned with the usual wealth acquisition of many of his contemporaries.
He wanted to create a development that would "Make Nigeria Proud", and engaged Minoru Yamasaki the architect of Manhattan's Twin Towers, to design replica twin towers as the flagship iconic buildings on the main island.
To complete the Lagoon City concept, Chief Adeleke planned an aesthetic design including a City Airport, which was a vision conceived long before the London Docklands Development, London City Airport, Dubai's Palm Islands or Hong Kong's Chek Lap Kok Airport.
Unfortunately for the Chief, as soon as he had reclaimed the land and the brilliance of the idea was unveiled, others were determined to wrestle the land from him, and the project was 'acquired' again with no consideration being paid to City Property Development Limited. The 'acquisition' is currently being challenged in various courts, and there are Caveat Emptor warnings in place to warn prospective buyers that their investment could be at risk in future. There is also litigation pending in the UK and European courts regarding this matter.
The subsequent developers were principally interested in maximising the yield of the land at the expense of the aesthetic innovative design foreseen by Chief Adebayo Adeleke. Consequently the land was filled in to create a banana shaped island, which has resolutely failed to achieve any international iconic architectural acclaim.
Nominated for deletion
editNo reliable secondary sources. Ellin Beltz (talk) 17:54, 21 March 2014 (UTC)
This page should not be speedy deleted because...
editThe information is ultimately encyclopaedic. The article requires a rewrite to conform to Wikipedia guidelines, but is fundamentally factual and refers to an area in Lagos well known to anyone remotely familiar with the city. The spruces provided in the articles are independent - 2 are new articles referring to the location - I will start the re-write and ask Ellin Beltz to remove the nomination. --Ajisekanla (talk) 18:09, 21 March 2014 (UTC)
Yes,I agree with you on this. There's more to this area than presented(no marketing intent). I'll make some contributions to this article. Akinola777 (talk) 09:09, 17 May 2021 (UTC)
This page should be returned to it's 20th March state because references to Lagoon City should never be deleted because...
editThe information in respect of Lagoon City is ultimately encyclopaedic. It refers to the architectural origins of Banana Island, and simply to dismiss those origins as "an Artificial Island" is simplistic. The article requires a rewrite to conform to Wikipedia guidelines. The fact that the original ownership is subject to an imminent Legal Hearing in Lagos should not detract from the architectural facts.
To simply remove the Prima Facie original Architectural Plans is tantamount to vandalism. Given the historical links to the New York Twin Towers thanks to Chief Adebayo Adeleke & Minoru Yamasaki is fascinating and of international importance.
The original plans clearly show the Lagoon City Airport & Runway which would have transformed the development.
Additionally, Lagoon City was envisaged as a thriving commercial district; it's interesting to note that it has evolved into a sprawling "Gin Palace" instead. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Legal Team1 (talk • contribs) 10:05, 24 March 2014 (UTC)
Late Chief Adebayo Adeleke
editI have removed all of the unsourced information relating to Late Chief Adebayo Adeleke and placed it below. This has contributed significantly to the perception that this article's nomination for deletion - the OP should please provide sources if she/he wishes to reinsert.
The original Banana Island construction project entitled Lagoon City was the brainchild of the Late Chief Adebayo Adeleke, a University of London trained Civil Engineer (MICE), and CEO of City Property Development Ltd. Chief Adebayo Adeleke had originally commissioned a new urban development in Maroko, Victoria Island, but that project had been 'acquired' by the Lagos State government with no financial consideration paid. It is one of the top 20 estates in the world. Following a lengthy 10 year court case, Lagos State government offered other parcels of land as consideration for the Maroko development.
Many scoffed at Chief Adeleke's decision to select the Ikoyi Island perimeter, however they were unable to appreciate the foresight of the Chief, who promptly engaged the Westminster Dredging Company to dredge the foreshore, and create six interlinked and symmetrical islands. Chief Adeleke was an exceptional Nigerian visionary and philanthropist, unconcerned with the usual wealth acquisition of many of his contemporaries. He wanted to create a development that would "Make Nigeria Proud", and engaged Minoru Yamasaki the architect of Manhattan's Twin Towers, to design replica twin towers as the flagship iconic buildings on the main island.
To complete the Lagoon City concept, Chief Adeleke planned an aesthetic design including a City Airport, which was a vision conceived long before the London Docklands Development, London City Airport, Dubai's Palm Islands or Hong Kong's Chek Lap Kok Airport.
Unfortunately for the Chief, as soon as he had reclaimed the land and the brilliance of the idea was unveiled, others were determined to wrestle the land from him, and the project was 'acquired' again with no consideration being paid to City Property Development Limited. The 'acquisition' is currently being challenged in various courts, and there are Caveat Emptor warnings in place to warn prospective buyers that their investment could be at risk in future. There is also litigation pending in the UK and European courts regarding this matter.
The subsequent developers were principally interested in maximising the yield of the land at the expense of the aesthetic innovative design foreseen by Chief Adebayo Adeleke. Consequently the land was filled in to create a banana shaped island, which has resolutely failed to achieve any international iconic architectural acclaim.
External links modified
editHello fellow Wikipedians,
I have just added archive links to 2 external links on Banana Island. Please take a moment to review my edit. If necessary, add {{cbignore}} after the link to keep me from modifying it. Alternatively, you can add {{nobots|deny=InternetArchiveBot}} to keep me off the page altogether. I made the following changes:
- Added archive https://web.archive.org/20090714125913/http://www.sunnewsonline.com:80/webpages/features/exquisiteproperty/2004/may/10/equisite-may10-001.htm to http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/features/exquisiteproperty/2004/may/10/equisite-may10-001.htm
- Added archive https://web.archive.org/20140209074010/http://etisalat.com.ng/aboutus_corporate_info.php to http://www.etisalat.com.ng/aboutus_corporate_info.php
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