By Musa Ude, National News Editor
THE Nigerian Army yesterday launched its Apple Island Project. Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai, set the ball rolling for the initiative, which will be located off Banana Island, Lagos State.
The project, under the auspices of the Nigerian Army Properties Limited (NAPL), is contracted to Van Oord and Julius Berger, with Tauraf International Limited as developer.
Covering a total area of 45 hectares, the project will feature, among others, residential quarters, green areas, clubhouse, police post, shopping mall, sewage treatment plant, water treatment plant, power sub-station and two jetties.
Banana Island residents, however, staged a protest, saying they, and not the Nigerian Army, own the land. Led by their chairman, Mr. Chudi Ubosi, they described the project as illegal, accusing the military of forcibly taking over the area.
But the developer, Chief Babajide Ayoade, disagreed, insisting the initiative is part of a decades-old master plan, which is only now being actualised.
Buratai took time to listen to the residents, saying their grievances would be looked into and due process would be followed.
