By Segun James
The Lagos State Government has warned residents that it would no longer condone any abuse of building laws in the state.
The warning followed the spate of buildings collapse and flagrant disobedience to the regulations guiding the erecting of buildings in the state.
The state government said it has noticed that many residents are building without due recourse to state agencies for approval and warned the people to desist from violating building regulations.
Speaking after the Lagos State Enforcement Team (LSET) has demolished some structures erected without compliance to the state building laws and regulations at Banana Island, Ikoyi, the Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Dr. Idris Salako, said the enforcement became necessary because the state government felt the need to do something to halt the growing illegality.
The places visited by the LSET had been served the stop work notice by the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LSBCA). Despite the notice, construction works were still going on.
At 102 Close, K Zone, a section of the lagoon has been reclaimed with just the provision of a narrow drainage for water to flow. As a result the concrete and perimetre fence erected facing the lagoon were pulled down while the building was sealed and the gate locked.
Also at 306 Close, three two-storey buildings under construction were pulled down for lack of approval to build as the development encroached on the state shoreline.
Apart from the buildings and fences that were pulled down during the enforcement exercise, two people caught doing illegal dredging activities within the area were also arrested.
Salako said that the LSBCA would continue its monitoring to ensure that building laws and regulations of the state are complied with.
He said: “The governor was here yesterday (Sunday) with the strong instruction that land reclaimed beyond what was approved should be demolished. We would continue to monitor to ensure that building laws and regulations are complied with.
“The gradual takeover of the waterways is a problem. In our master plan, the regional highway ought to pass through a route but there is gradual encroachment on the way.
“In terms of climate change, gradual reduction in the capacity of the lagoon to flow freely and the consequence the state would be made to grapple with in the future. If there is heavy down pour today, residents in Parkview Estate, on the other side of the lagoon would be in crisis because their community would be flooded. This is because people built beyond what was approved.”
Speaking on why the two-storey buildings were pulled down,
Salako explained that the two-story buildings were pulled down after the developer had been served the stop work notice for three times.
He said: “The buildings that were pulled down are had peculiar case because the owner and developer could not provide approval and clearance to reclaimed land he got from the State Land Bureau and Ministry of Waterfront.
“They blew up their survey. This means more land metres were taken. And the 30 metres set back the developer was to observe was not adhered to. Also, the property is under a high tension wire. In all, the development has disobeyed all building laws in the state.”
Speaking during the enforcement exercise, the Lagos State Commissioner for Waterfront Infrastructure and Development, Mr. Kabiru Ahmed Abdullahi, said: “Enough is enough. We cannot continue to fold our arms and watch the degradation of the environment and continued blockage of the water channels on the waterfronts.
“We will clean it up and we will bring all the perpetrators of this act to book in line with the provisions of the laws.
“Banana Island has its own original boundaries. And those original boundaries are recognised and approved. So any development or reclamation beyond those original boundaries would not be allowed.”
