By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
Lagos is going tough on hygiene and the environment, closing down unsafe water factories and sealing off commercial and residential buildings for violating planning permit, so as to maintain the health and safety of 20 million people.
The Lagos State Water Regulatory Commission (LASWARCO) has just shut down 30 water factories across the state for infractions such as unhygienic production environment, regulation violation, and laxity in best manufacturing practices.
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).
The closure of water factories was announced by LASWARCO Executive Secretary Funke Adepoju, who warned that the exercise will continue in order to enforce the mandate of the agency to protect residents from consuming unhygienic water.
Quest for best practices
Nairametrics quoted Adepoju as saying that prior to the enforcement, LASWARCO had engaged and sensitised producers on best practices to safeguard public health and the financial viability of investment in water production.
“In as much as we have the mandate to ensure that operators remain in business, we also cannot fold our arms and allow infractions to fester without being addressed. “The primary regulatory mandate of the Commission is to ensure that operators in the water abstraction, production and distribution industry comply with best manufacturing procedures to safeguard the health of the people,’’ Adepoju said.
She described poor and unhygienic practices discovered at some water factories as both disheartening and frightening, and vowed that LASWARCO would do all within its power to ward off attempt to put lives in jeopardy.
“The enforcement team of LASWARCO visited some water production factories in the state with on-site testing kits and the result confirmed that most of them are operating far below safety parameters.
LASWARCO is empowered by Section 313 (h) of the Lagos State Environmental Management Protection Law to regulate the activities of those engaged in the provision, consumption, treatment, packaging, sales and supply of bottled drinking water contained in bottles or polythene bags.
Adepoju stressed that “our principal interest is to ensure acceptable standards.’’
She reiterated the commitment of the government to ensure that residents have access to potable and safe drinking water in line with the T.H.E.M.E.S. Agenda of the state and Goal Six of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
According to her, the factories will remain sealed off until their owners comply with all safety procedures and register for further monitoring to ensure compliance.
Inspection intensifies
Nairametrics recalls that in February, LASWARCO sealed off some packaged water production factories for falling short of Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP).
The government has since intensified inspection of bottled and sachet water facilities.
LASWARCO vowed that enforcement will intensify and is working with the Association of Water Producers (ATWAP) and Water Producers Association of Nigeria (WAPAN), among other stakeholders, to enforce standards.
The government has reiterated its commitment to a viable water sector, which is critical to economic growth, as well as the wellbeing and prosperity of Lagosians.
Landlords receive demolition notices for violating building law
Planning violation notices LASPPPA served on residential and commercial buildings in Ikeja last week came a month after buildings in posh Lekki were marked for demotion.
Owners of 45 buildings in the gated community that encroach on canals were served a three-day ultimatum to remove them or the structures would be demolished.
The notices in Lekki were served by the Lagos State Building Agency (LASBCA) after the illegal extension of the residential and commercial buildings to the canal.
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 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 that Alausa 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 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.