By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
At least 16 residential and commercial buildings in Ikeja have been sealed off and given planning contravention notices by the Lagos State Physical Planning Permit Authority (LASPPPA), three weeks after demolition notices were served in Lekki.
Some of the structures are located on Joel Ogunaike, Isaac John, and Ladoke Akintola streets in the leafy Ikeja Government Reversed Area (GRA).
Last month, owners of 45 buildings in posh Lekki encroaching on canals were served a three-day ultimatum to remove them or the structures would be demolished.
The notices were served by the Lagos State Building Agency (LASBCA) after the illegal extension of the residential and commercial buildings to the canal.
Vision of Ikeja Model City Plan
LASPPPA General Manager, Kehinde Osinaike, led the enforcement team in Ikeja, which comprised officials, policemen, and a Special Operations Team from the Governor’s Office.
He said the buildings contravene the Ikeja Model City Plan and Physical Planning Law.
He explained that the exercise is necessary to ensure compliance by property owners, noting that the GRA is supposed to be a structured residential estate and part of the Ikeja Model City plan.
“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, a 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 said, per Nairametrics.
The buildings have been served all the necessary notices as provided in the regulations, he added.
“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.”
According to Osinaike, the structures are not in tandem with the 21st-Century State the government is building and urged those affected to respond appropriately or voluntarily comply with the law.
“What we expect people to do is voluntary compliance. But when some few people think that they can take the law 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.”
LASPPPA Ikeja District Officer, Razak Elegbede, added that the violations include illegal conversion of residential buildings to commercial by developers or property owners without planning permit.
“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 explained.
Buildings are being demolished to save lives
Lagos tells developers and property owners to obtain planning permit before they begin construction so as not to distort the physical planning masterplan and ecosystem of the state.
Per Nairametrics, non-compliance has seen the government go on an enforcement drive with the sealing off and sometimes demolition of illegal structures across the state.
Demolitions have taken place even in highbrow areas such as Lekki Phase 1, Ikoyi, Ikeja, Ogudu GRA, Magodo, and Ajao Estate.
Lagos is applying stricter controls and regulations for property developers due to increasing cases of collapsed buildings which have claimed many lives.