Emmanuel OchayiThe Lagos State Government, through the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) has declared a crackdown on structures lacking essential building permits.
Gbolahan Oki, the General Manager of LASBCA, issued this ultimatum during a press briefing held on Friday, October 6, 2023.
Addressing the issue of illegal structures, Oki said, “My duty is to identify any property without a building plan approval, serving all necessary notices. If no documentation is provided in response to these notices, it signifies that the property is an illegal structure. This has been an ongoing concern in the Ogombo, Eti-Osa area of the state for the past five years, and I have been diligently addressing it for one and a half years. Thus, we are taking decisive action to remove these illegal structures, as it is the government’s responsibility.”
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Regarding the demolition of properties in Ogombo, the LASBCA boss highlighted that a significant majority of these structures were nothing more than shanties. He stated, “Between 80-90 percent of the properties in Ogombo are shanties, and 5 – 10 of them lack building plan approval.”
However, Oki expressed concern over land grabbers obstructing government officials in their duties within the Ogombo, Eti-Osa area. He emphasized that despite the issuance of notices, these land grabbers continued to encroach upon land owned by the state government, which was designated for housing.
“We have been grappling with this issue in Ogombo, Eti-Osa area for over 5 – 10 years. This land belongs to the state government and is designated for housing. Land grabbers persistently disrupt government activities, selling the land and constructing on property that rightfully belongs to the state government, sometimes even with fake Certificates of Occupancy. It’s imperative that we put an end to this behavior,” declared Oki.
He went on to urge potential property buyers to conduct thorough due diligence before making any purchases. He added, “Proper due diligence is essential. Legal practitioners involved in documenting agreements should ascertain the status of the property before any transactions are completed.”
Victor Ezeja is a passionate journalist with six years of experience writing on economy, politics and energy. He holds a Masters degree in Mass Communication.
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