The Lagos State Government has revealed that the demolished buildings in the state were not approved by any of its agencies, adding that the structures were rushed during the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020.
The Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development in the state, Oluyinka Olumide, made this revelation in an interview on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily programme on Wednesday.
Olumide said, “We will not demolish any approved building, that’s for sure. So, if there is anybody who claims that their buildings were approved and demolished, let them come forward.”
According to him, the structures were never approved by any of the government agencies vested with such powers.
He said, “Buildings not done within the confines of the law are subject to demolition.”
He stressed that illegal structures on the drainage system would be pulled down.
The commissioner, however, challenged any of the owners of the demolished structures in the Ikota, Lekki, Alaba, Ajao Estate, Abule Ado, Ladipo Market, and other areas of the state to come forward with their building approvals.
Meanwhile, Olumide has refuted claims that the state government has been targeting home owners who are from the south-east geopolitical zone, saying those allegations were not true.
He said, “Anybody can own a building in Lagos so long as you follow the laid-down rules. It’s unfortunate that maybe what we have done in recent times will concern those from certain parts of the country.”
“Those buildings causing this uproar are buildings rushed during the COVID period when activities of enforcement officers were at a low ebb because of restrictions on movement, and you could see that when those buildings were demolished, nobody has come forward to say they were demolished under approval.”
The commissioner assured residents of the state that the government won’t demolish any approved structure.