3rd May, 2018
By Kazeem Ugbodaga
Officials of the Lagos State Physical Planning Permit Authority, LASPPPA and the Lagos State Building Control Agency, LASBCA, have shut 33 houses in Lekki area of Lagos, Southwest Nigeria over illegal conversion, non-compliance with approved permit and others.
The houses were served notices previously and sealed on Wednesday for failing to comply with government directives.
Officials of LASPPPA and LASBCA carried out the joint operation which was led by Kayode Daramola, the Director of Marketing and Compliant Unit of LASPPPA.
Speaking after the exercise, the General Manager, LASPPPA), Funmi Osifuye said that monitoring of physical structures and enforcement of the law were key to safety of lives and property in the state.
Osifuye stated that “the Authority embarked on the exercise in line with one of its major statutory functions of monitoring and ensuring compliance with the provision of approved and operative development plans, approval orders and regulations made under the law in order to have a sustainable, safe, secure, functional, business and tourism friendly Lagos environment. The two sister agencies engaged in the enforcement to rid Lagos off contraventions and infractions.”
While enjoining Lagosians to build right by getting planning permit before construction and build to specification, he urged them to avail themselves of the six-month grace period offered to land owners and developers with existing developments, redevelopment, renovation or those wishing to commence construction but yet to perfect their land title, to obtain planning permits/approvals without penal fee.
Lekan Sodeinde, General Manager of LASBCA said the enforcement of building law was imperative as some developers and land owners were recalcitrant and needed to be given a push or nudge to do the needful.
He hinted that the exercise was a continuous one and would be extended to all nooks and crannies of the state to give impetus to the zero tolerance for collapse building stance of the state government.
Sodeinde added that the agency was coming hard on recalcitrant builders who failed to apply for building plans approval or built contrary to approval given.