11th March, 2024
The Lagos State Government on Monday bean the removal of all illegal shanties/structures that litter the Lagos Coastal road at Maiyegun Estate by Jakande in Lekki area of the State.
The government reiterated its commitment to urban regeneration in the state.
The commitment was given by the State Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab when he visited the scene of the enforcement alongside state officials.
He said several sites had been identified in the state and needed to be recovered for proper regeneration as these sites were gradually being converted to environmental slums within the city.
Wahab stated that the regeneration of the state would be done in accordance with the Lagos State Development plan, hence the reason the demolition of shanties were ongoing simultaneously in other parts of the state such as Ijora Under Bridge, Obalende Under Bridge as well as Orile.
The Commissioner, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary, Office of Drainage Services and Water Resources. Engr. Mahamood Adegbite added that it is expedient that residents must respect town planning laws and abide with its provisions.
“Anyone trying to alter the original urban development plan of the state will not be allowed; people cannot be allowed to do whatever they like whenever or wherever they like. Lagos must not become a jungle,” he said.
He maintained that government remained resolute in the drive towards environmental regeneration, adding that the ongoing demolition exercises across the state would send a strong message that all government spaces would be governed and manned.
The commissioner said before the commencement of the enforcement exercise, the state government carried out an inventory of buildings possessing legal documents and that these buildings had been numerically identified and would not be pulled down.
Wahab added that the government has been sensitizing the occupants of illegal shanties and squatters close to the Regional Road alignment to vacate the area since 2022, stressing that some of the buildings were dilapidated and this informed their demolition.
He explained that most of the squatters were found not to be captured in the Lagos State Resident Registration Agency (LASRRA) database and that it is worrisome for any government to not be able to account for the residents and be able to provide social amenities for them.