Uthman Salami
The Lagos State Government through the Lagos State Physical Planning Permit Authority (LASPPPA) has sealed and issued contravention notices to over 16 residential and commercial buildings in Ikeja and its environs over unapproved development.
The General Manager of LASPPPA, Kehinde Osinaike, who led the enforcement team to sealed the structures stated that the affected buildings are located on Joel Ogunaike, Isaac John and Ladoke Akintola streets in Ikeja GRA among others.
He emphasised that the exercise was necessary to ensure compliance by the property owners, saying that GRA is supposed to be a structured residential estate and part of the Ikeja Model City plan.
According to him, “We have the Ikeja Model City plan that has laid out the way the environment should be, but some developers and house owners have neglected the plan. Before we prepared the Ikeja Model City Plan, series of stakeholder engagements were held.
“We had all agreed and concluded that it is important that we preserve the sanctity of this GRA and this is what we are here to do.’’
He further noted that the affected buildings had been served all the necessary notices as provided in the regulations prior to the sealing off.
He emphasised that, “We have observed over time that there are many illegal developments within Ikeja and this is not good for the environment and the State at large. Government cannot wait and watch the various contraventions to continue.”
He further revealed that “What we expect people to do is voluntary compliance. But when some few people think that they can take the laws into their hands, we will not allow this to happen. This enforcement exercise will continue as long as people keep violating and tampering with the law of the State.”
“We want to ensure that we vacate everyone that should not be on site, seal the sites and continue to monitor them until the needful is done but if the need arises to demolish, we will not hesitate to do it. They think they can take laws into their hands, but we are not going to allow it. This is a state of law and order, hence the need for the law and orderliness to prevail,” he added.
On his part, LASPPPA Ikeja District Officer, Razak Elegbede, said some of the violations included the illegal conversion of residential buildings to commercial by developers or property owners without getting approval.
“What some of them are building or have built is permissible, but they need to get the permits for them. Also, what some are building or have built is not permissible because it contravenes the physical planning law of the State,” he said.
The Government had always asked developers and property owners to ensure they get proper approval from the relevant authorities in the state before embarking on any construction to avoid building against state’s physical planning masterplan and ecosystem.
Unencouraging compliance to this specific regulations have made the state government increase enforcement across the state.
In the past, demolitions had taken place in such areas as Lekki Phase 1, Ikoyi, Ikeja, Ogudu GRA, Magodo, Ajao Estate and so on.