Owing to non-compliance with the state building laws and regulations, the Lagos State Enforcement Team has demolished some houses under construction in Banana Island, Lagos state.
Dr. Idris Salako, Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Growth, who oversaw the demolition, said that the enforcement was appropriate because the State Government felt that there was a need to do anything to stop the increasing illegality. Salako said the State Government has found that many inhabitants are building for approval without proper recourse to state agencies.
The Lagos State Building Control Agency had previously served stop-work notices to the five places visited by the Lagos State Enforcement Team headed by Salako. Construction works were still underway in two, despite the stop-work warning, while the other had fenced the ground.
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 buildings and fences that were pulled down during the enforcement exercise, two people caught doing illegal dredging activities within the area visited were also arrested.
statement from the ministry
Salako said the agencies of the Lagos State Government will continue to monitor to ensure compliance with building laws and regulations.
“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 and it should even be voluntary compliance.
“The gradual take over 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.”he added
Salako
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