By Chinedu Eze
The Wasimi Community Development Association at Mile 12 in Ikosi-Isheri Local Council Development Area of Lagos State has called on the state Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, to investigate alleged plans by the officials of the state Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development and the Lagos State Building Control Agency, to demolish the community.
In a petition titled: ‘Re: Planned Demolition of Property in Wasimi Community CDA, Maidan, Mile-12, Lagos State’, which was addressed to the governor and signed by the Chairman of the CDA, Apostle Kingsley Afinjuomo, the community alleged that there was a plan by the ministry and the agency in collaboration with property developers to demolish about 90 property in the community, calling on the governor to intervene quickly.
But indications showed that the Ministry of Physical Planning had earlier indicated that area is being fraught with defective structures, necessitating the decision to review the buildings “because almost all the buildings lacked building plan approvals and have provided safe refuge for criminals.”
However, the community denied the allegation, and urged the governor to carry out investigation before signing the demolition order, adding that the community is populated predominantly by civil servants and government retirees, who bought land validly since the last 50 years.
Afinjuomo in the petition said men of the state ministry had stormed the area on March 15, 2018, and on July 24, 2020, to paste demolition notices on property within the community, citing lack of evidence of planning permit from the state government and the nullification of the title authority upon which the building and structure were erected.
He also explained that no single property owner has had his or her title to land challenged by anybody in court since they bought the lands.
Afinjuomo also stated that the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development had in 2018 requested that property owners without building plan permits should commence immediately the process of obtaining same, while it informed those with building plan permits that they had nothing to fear.
The chairman stated further that those who heeded the instruction of MPP and UD in 2018, as regards the building plan permit processing, were yet to be given their approvals despite paying the MPP and UD assessed fees in 2018.
