The Lagos State Building Control Agency, LASBCA, has decried the illegal development, encroachment on government land and construction of haphazard, non-conforming buildings in Badagry Division of the State, saying that some of the ongoing developments in the area deviate from the State’s Physical Planning Law.
To halt further growth of illegal structures within the community, a joint Enforcement Team of LASBCA and the Lagos State Physical Planning Permit Authority (LASPPPA) led by the General Manager of LASBCA, Arc. Gbolahan Oki, commenced week-long enforcement and compliance activities, serving abatement notices and removal of structures illegally erected without recourse to Physical Planning Development Laws.
Speaking on the exercise, the General Manager said several buildings in the area were issued Abatement Notices and Stop-Work-Order until the necessary documentation and regularisation is done with LASBCA, LASPPPA and other relevant Agencies of the State government.
Arc. Oki, who had earlier paid a visit to the Akran of Badagry, Aholu Wheno Menu-Toyi 1; Alapa of Apa, Oba Oyekan Ajose and Onimeke of Imeke, Oba Abraham Ogabi for their royal blessings, said that if the illegal developments are not checked on time, such would pose a huge threat to residents, distort the aesthetics of the community and threaten the security architecture of the area.
“The courtesy call to the palace is also to intimate you of the growing illegal building construction, particularly the indiscriminate citing of petroleum filling stations back to back without approval and its attendant consequences to the area”, the General Manager stressed.
He explained that the enforcement initiative would compel compliance for better Physical Planning development that is based on international best practices and sought support for the enforcement activities intended to ensure a change in the attitude of some recalcitrant developers towards a well-planned city.
Oki said that coming to Badagry with his team, despite all odds, shows that the Agency has gone a step further in establishing its presence across all parts of the State, stressing that LASBCA will not leave any stone unturned to sanitise the system in order to create a livable environment.
“The Building Planning Law being enforced by LASBCA does not limit our operations to the Mainland alone, our activities cover everywhere there is building construction, which include buildings in the coastal areas, hence the extension of our activities to this part of the State”, he stated.
The General Manager said that the Agency had created District Offices in Badagry to eliminate the stress of coming to the headquarters of LASBCA, disclosing that officers have been attached to the various communities to periodically provide enlightenment on how to ensure proper documentation for building construction.
Speaking on the rationale behind the sealing of petroleum filling stations, Arc. Oki stated that Badagry has the largest number of filling stations in Lagos State and most of them are cited within residential areas without any building approval from the State Government.
His words: “Some of these stations are cited in areas planned as hospitals, schools or recreational centres, some are within a radius of 10 to15 metres to each other, while some are located right beside each other without any safety precautions”.
According to him, the Agency will soon embark on the removal of all the illegal buildings and filling stations in the interest of public health and safety.
He, however, urged all residents of the State to continue to abide by the provisions of the Lagos State Urban Planning Laws in order to achieve the development plans of the Government for all Divisions of the State.
The enforcement for compliance activity is part of the Agency’s commitment to ensure sanity and instil discipline in the built environment.
