Addressing journalists at the Bagauda Kaltho Press Centre in
Alausa, the State’s Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Steve
Ayorinde, said that the move was in line with government’s pursuit of its
policy on cleaner environment and restoration of master plans through the
removal of all environmental infractions and nuisances across the state.
He said over time, the Government had noted with dismay, the
flagrant disobedience of building regulations in the State, hence its decision
to go ahead with the enforcement of structures in contravention of the Law.
Ayorinde, who was joined at the press briefing by his
counterparts in the Ministry of Housing, Mr. Gbolahan Lawal, Ministry of the
Environment, Mr. Babatunde Adejare and top officials from the Ministry of
Physical Planning and Urban Development, said the State Government would not go
back on its resolve to establish zero tolerance for all structures and
properties built under high tension cables.
“It is quite worrisome that ramshackle structures, sheds,
canopies and shanties, especially along shorelines have turned to the abode of
miscreants/street urchins, kidnappers, touts, street traders and hawkers who
often vandalise public utilities and attack innocent citizens.
“The State’s Urban and Regional Planning and Development Law
2010, prohibits erecting structures within the Right of Ways and set backs
of drainage channels, centre-line of over-head electricity wires and also
states in very clear terms specified distance to be observed between a Property
line and a public utility”, he said.
Ayorinde said after the Security Council Meeting of
September, a directive went out to the Lagos State Building Control Agency
(LABCA) and the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development to take
inventory of all the houses and buildings along the river banks in the riverine
areas of the state to among other things, ascertain whether set backs were
adhered to inline with stipulated regulations.
“So you would see that nothing is being done and nothing
will be done in Lagos State as far as demolition of illegal structures are
concerned without due considerations to the extant laws of the state and
without adequately engaging with the communities and the people involved as
demonstrated by what the Governor did in Illubirin to give them more time to
move inspite of the repeated warnings and notices that were being served.
“Yes we would be considerate to the plight of those
considered as urban poor, but we will also not allow their situation to
jeopardize the safety and security of more than 21 million residents of the
state. This is the reason why this is being carried out and this is the reason
why government will not succumb to cheap blackmail,” Ayorinde said.
Explaining further, the Commissioner said most of the
buildings marked for demolition did not comply with the required setback as
stipulated, saying that such could have fatal consequences in the wake of an
incident.
Giving a background to the demolition of shanties on the
Illubirin waterfront, Commissioner for Housing, Prince Gbolahan Lawal, said the
occupants were evicted and their shanties demolished because they were illegal
settlers in the area.
He recalled that the Illubirin Housing project started about
ten years ago under the administration of former Lagos State Governor, Asiwaju
Bola Tinubu with the reclamation of the Lagoon, while the fishermen who were
there at that time were resettled at Badore.
He said after the reclamation, the housing units started in
2013 and it was initially designed to accommodate 1,254 housing units, while
the scheme was reviewed and redesigned by the administration of Governor
Akinwunmi Ambode to make the place a live, work and play environment, with the
partnership of a private investor.
According to Lawal, the illegal settlers moved into
Illubirin waterfront during the process of redesigning the scheme, adding that
the private investor had perfected plans to move to site, and is committing
about $500 million into the scheme.
On his part, Commissioner for the Environment, Dr. Babatunde
Adejare, said adequate notices and sensitisation have been embarked upon by the
State Government to educate the people on the need to refrain from constructing
any structure on river banks, saying that the safety of about 22 million
residents of the State cannot be allowed to be jeopardized by few.
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