The Lagos State Government has demonstrated its zero tolerance for illegal physical development by stopping illegal building construction within the premises of the old Federal Secretariat and other parts of Ikoyi.
Acting on a report from the Ministry’s monitoring team, the Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Dr. Idris Salako visited the old Federal Secretariat, Ikoyi in the company of the Special Adviser to the Governor on Urban Development, Mr. Ganiyu Ayuba where they discovered unapproved construction activities going on and ordered all construction workers out of site before sealing off the premises.
The Commissioner also directed the sealing of 7 other buildings in different parts of Ikoyi for non- conformity with the Physical Planning laws of the State, amongst which is the illegal construction of a building on Lugard Avenue where he threatened that more stringent actions might be taken against the illegal construction which is being done in flagrant contravention of the Lagos State Urban and Regional Planning and Development Law 2019.
According to him, the promoters of the said property on Lugard Avenue have commited all known infractions of the Physical Planning laws of Lagos State, including errecting building without Planning Permit, creating over density and violating the adequate air space requirement for buildings.
Dr Salako said the Property Development and Management Company that is responsible for the illegal construction would be made answerable for the observed contraventions, including the repeated breaking of Government Seals on the building.
He affirmed that it is high time for property owners and Developers to come to terms with the fact that no physical development would be allowed to go on without recourse to the Lagos State Government for Physical Planning purposes.
Ibukunoluwa Temitope
