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The Lagos State Government has marked over 300 multi-million naira Lekki buildings for demolition, alleging that the structures are erected in contravention to the law guilding property construction in the Eti Osa Local Government Area of the state.
Some of the properties owned by companies and individuals that may be pulled down by the government for contravention include Jonah Court, DHL, Polo Avenue, and dozens of properties on Admiralty Way, Wole Olateju, Mayegun Waterfront Scheme axis of Lagos.
The Commissioner for Waterfront Infrastructure Development, Ekundayo Alebiosu, who supervised the marking, stated that the move was part of efforts to sanitise the waterfront corridor.
Alebiosu noted that corporate and individual property owners served are occupying the waterfront setbacks illegally thereby contravening Lagos State Waterfront law No 3 of 2009 “for the regulation of Waterfront Development in Lagos State and connected purposes.”
According to the him, with the contravention notices, the occupants are required to provide relevant documentations and approvals that justify their occupation of the properties in question within seven days of the notice, failure of which a demolition notice will be served on them.
“For instance, those found in Mayegun were discovered to be without any government papers authorising their construction after a detailed technical assessment of the Mayegun Waterfront Scheme by the survey team of the Ministry of Waterfront Infrastructure Development charged with the responsibility of maintaining the Lagos State Waterfront Schemes," he said.
Meanwhile, Alebiosu has urged the property owners to voluntarily remove their structures before the expiration of the contravention notices served on them or come forward to regularise their documents if they have any to avoid penalty.
He warned that all the illegal activities along the waterfront schemes and corridor must come to an end immediately as the state government would no longer condone or accept people encroaching on government properties, land and setbacks.
Revealing that the state government, through the ministry, is currently sanitising the Okun Ajah waterfront scheme where similar encroachment is, Alebiosu noted that the government would not relent in its efforts to protect the State Waterfront Schemes and infrastructure while ensuring the safety of lives and property along the coastal area of the state.
