Moshood Adebayo
Lagos State Government has warned property owners not to convert their residential buildings into religious centres in order to avoid Land Use Charge fees.
Buildings used for religious worship are exempted from paying land use charges.
The government, which spoke through the Commissioner for Home Affairs, Dr. Abdulhakeem Abdullateef, accused many landlords in the state of playing smart in this regard.
“It is a violation of the state regulations for residential buildings to be converted into religious centres. When a building is approved for a purpose, it is an aberration for one to convert it into something else, without the approval of the Ministry of Physical Planning.
“As for those who are combining their residences with mosque or church, we are not going to demolish them, but, what we said is that all residential premises are subject to land use charge, so, when officials of government come, don’t claim there is a mosque on the grand floor.
“Do not convert your residential premises to religious premises. Many do that for the sake of being protected from paying their land use charge, and that will not be tolerated. Whatever we want to do, let us keep ourselves within the ambit of the law,” he said..
The commissioner recalled that his counterpart in the ministry of Physical Planning, recently, met with the Nigeria Inter-Religious Council (NIREC), to devise new means of engaging religious leaders, so they will not, unnecessarily, violate the state building regulations.
He said the government, through the two ministries, has also commenced moves to address the conversion of residential buildings to religious centres, via engagement.
Abdullateef said it is important for all to operate within the ambit of the law and explained that as soon as a property is declared a residential block, the owner will pay land use charge.
Speaking on noise pollution, he said the state Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA) is addressing the menace, especially through engagement with religious leaders.
He also disclosed that the administration of Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, in the past three years, saved N4.5 billion as a result of the stoppage of sponsorship of people for religious pilgrimages to Israel and Saudi Arabia,
The commissioner said funds saved from the development had been diverted into the construction of roads and other amenities to make life easier for residents.
“Before the current administration came on board, the state government spent an average of N1.5 billion, yearly, to sponsor people to pilgrimage, free of charge. But, since Governor Ambode decided to stop the sponsorship of pilgrimage, we have saved N4.5 billion in the last three years, and the governor has not changed his mind with regard to sponsorship of pilgrimages,” he said.
He assured that government will continue to provide for the welfare of the pilgrims; support them with medical tips and clerics who would guide them to ensure they are focused on the spiritual objectives of the pilgrimage and not something else.
Expressing delight at what he described as high level of unprecedented peace and harmonious relationship among diverse groups in the state, the commissioner disclosed that 13,000 religious institutions have been registered.