No one will get preferential treatment in demolition exercise – Lagos govt

The Lagos State Government assured that it was committed to ensuring that justice and fairness were served equally in the ongoing demolition exercise


The Lagos State Government on Saturday insisted that it would not be selective in applying the law in the ongoing demolition of illegal structures at Lekki Phase II and environs.

The Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, who said this on Saturday in Lagos, assured that the state government was committed to ensuring that justice and fairness were served to all equally.

Mr Wahab, who was besieged by pleading occupants and owners of the fully built structures constructed on the drainage setbacks and already marked for demolition, said stopping the demolition exercise would amount to double standards.

The commissioner added that the demolished blocks of duplexes were on the same drainage setback alignment like the ones yet to be removed.

He said the state was irrevocably committed to reclaiming its drainage setback and restoring its master-plan.

Mr Wahab explained that it was sad that the government had to take a very difficult decision to pull down the fully built-up structures to reclaim the drainages setback for a free flow of stormwater in the area.

He said that the owners of the structures demolished in Ikota were aware that they contravened the law.

The commissioner said that the owners had different engagements with the ministry from 2020 when most of the structures were at foundation levels and several notices served.

“At Ikota, the level of encroachments is just unimaginable; people have built on the canal path and we resolved that these nuisances cannot be allowed to continue; it just had to stop,’’ he said.

He said that he had visited the Ikota site once again and personally met the owners of the structures yet to go down.

Mr Wahab advised homeowners to seek and obtain drainage approval alongside other approvals before embarking on their building projects to avert such a situation.

“This enforcement will be a continuous exercise; people cannot blame government for what they caused by their actions; whatever negative thing you do to the environment will come to haunt you eventually.’’

Market closure, reopening

Speaking on the closure and reopening of some major markets in the state, Mr Wahab said the markets were closed for defaulting the provision of the State Sanitation Laws.

He said that for any market to be closed, a checklist was handed to its executives to be fulfilled and once the conditions were met, the market would be reopened.

“You need to see the unsightly state and scene in the markets before closure and we cannot allow our people to trade food commodities and other items in a dirty and filthy environment,” he said.

He said the state government would be undertaking a safety audit in the markets through the safety commission to ensure the safety of lives of traders and patrons in market spaces.

Mr Wahab was accompanied on the tour by the Permanent Secretaries, Office of Drainage Services, Olalekan Shodeinde and Environmental Services, Gaji Omobolaji.

The team visited Osapa London and major housing estates in Ikota, Lekki County Estate and Victoria Garden City Estate. (NAN)

Coolsperm:
This country is not supposed to be one, one day one day monkey will go to market it will not return

Jokerman:
Why are you building on drainages??

Before buying a land, why don't you always go check at lands registry at Alausa?

Well stop trying to short-change. Na yourself you go do. Buy lands where your power reach.

Fugazy2023:
Strangers can't come to your state and mess it up completely and then turn back and insult that same state calling it slump and all sort. This is no longer acceptable. Operation total cleansing.
I am 100% in support of LASG

Smithkafors:


Na people wey no get a single block dey talk pass. It shows how wicked some of you are. The said house could belong to anyone.

But for you to attribute it to strangers shows that you brain has been defeated by the success of the strangers.

Jealousy is a disease. Tomorrow u go stand for line to go another man country.

Mugus.

Fugazy2023:
Strangers can't come to your state and mess it up completely and then turn back and insult that same state calling it slump and all sort. This is no longer acceptable. Operation total cleansing.
I am 100% in support of LASG

aikyg:

You are a very sick person.

Smithkafors:


Na people wey no get a single block dey talk pass. It shows how wicked some of you are. The said house could belong to anyone.

But for you to attribute it to strangers shows that you brain has been defeated by the success of the strangers.

Jealousy is a disease. Tomorrow u go stand for line to go another man country.

Mugus.

Fugazy2023:


Seun Mynd44 OAM4j nlfpmod
If you people don't ban this guy for at least 3 month as you did for me for making a comment not as bad as this then you are a bigot hypocrite and I'll already know what NL stands for.

aikyg:

You should be ashamed of yourself. You are calling for total cleansing and you are here calling for the ban of people for pointing out to you that your comment is repulsive and makes you a sick person. SMH!

Coolsperm:
This country is not supposed to be one, one day one day monkey will go to market it will not return