Press Releases

LASG Vows To Enforce Physical Planning Laws On All Buildings
• Reiterates commitment to free, qualitative education

Jun 29, 2009 - The Lagos State Government Monday vowed to continue to implement the State’s Physical Planning laws no matter whose property is involved saying it is the only way to avoid wanton destruction of life and property as a result of building collapses.

The State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Barrister Opeyemi Bamidele, who stated this while briefing Government House Correspondents at the Bagauda Kaltho Press Centre, Alausa, said the State Government remains resolute in its intention to acquire and demolish any structurally defective building about whose owner refused to notify the Government as stipulated by the law.

Speaking against the backdrop of the building which collapsed Sunday morning at the Nigerian Railway Corporation Compound Ebute-Metta, Bamidele, who gave the briefing in conjunction with his Physical Planning and Urban Development counterpart, Town Planner Francisco Abosede and the Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Mr. Segun Ayobolu, said part of the reasons for loss of lives in the building was because officials of the State had no access to the building which, according to him, belongs to the Federal Government.

The Commissioner, who said six people died in the accident while 25 sustained various degrees of injury, declared, “We feel sad. It is an unfortunate development and, as soon as possible, relevant State Government agencies took steps to minimize the loss of life”, adding that all those injured are receiving medical attention at the State’s hospitals.

Appealing to all Lagosians to endeavour to obey the Physical Planning laws of the State, Bamidele said although the laws were largely dormant and remained as mere paper work in the past, the present administration is determined to enforce the law so that the issue of building collapse will become a thing of the past.

“It is our intention to call on all landlords, home owners and tenants who know that their homes have suffered any structural defect to open a line of communication with the State Government for the purpose of demolishing such building”, the Commissioner said, pointing out that it is only through that way that the Government would not acquire the property as provided by the law.

According to the Commissioner, “The only structurally defective building which will not attract penalty is the one that the landlord reports to us. In that case, we will either give him time to demolish or we demolish the structure and recover the cost from him”.

Clarifying further, the Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Town Planner Francisco Abosede, said there is a machinery put in place to monitor buildings in the State, adding that any building found to be structurally defective, the Ministry usually issues a 14-day notice for the owner to demolish or the Ministry seizes and demolishes it and recovers the cost of demolition from the owner before releasing the property to him.

He said the property that collapsed belonged to the Nigerian Railway Corporation and was originally a bungalow used as warehouse, adding that the people to whom the house was leased, converted it into a three storey building which made the load too heavy for the foundation.

According to him, many Lagos landlords and residents are notifying the Ministry of structurally defective buildings and asking the Government to come and demolish, adding, “We are alive to our responsibilities, but we are cooperating with the people so that it is a symbiotic relationship”.

Appealing to the NRC and other Federal Government agencies in the State to open up their properties for the State Government to inspect the structural integrity of such buildings, Abosede disclosed that in the NRC compound alone there are still ten of such warehouses converted to storey buildings which also in danger of collapse.

Debunking insinuations that the State Government plans to suspend free education in the State, Bamidele reiterated the Government’s commitment to free and qualitative education in the State, pointing out that it is a commitment that the Government has no intention of reversing.

“It is a cardinal programme of the Action Congress of which the State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN) is the representative. It is a cardinal programme of the State Government. There is no reason to consider, for one second, any possibility to jettison free education in the State”, the Commissioner said.

Recalling that the Governor had earlier addressed the issue at a press interaction, Bamidele declared, “We are not only running a free education, we have continued to improve the standard of education. We have continued to ensure that students for NECO and WASC do not suffer in paying their examination fees irrespective of their status”.

“Any insinuation that we want to abandon free education in the State, is an attempt in distracting us and we will not be distracted. It is anti-people. We are committed to free and qualitative education for our children because we believe that the prosperity and greatness of this State can only be sustained if we provide qualitative education for our children”, the Commissioner said.

He said there was no question of contradiction between the statements made on the issue by the Governor and his deputy, pointing out that what took place was an Education Summit where stakeholders were free to make suggestions which, according to him, are neither binding on Government nor a policy decision.

Also present at the briefing were the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Speech and Communications, Dr. Tunde Opeibi and Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Media, Mr. Hakeem Bello.