By Lukman Olabiyi
Lagos State Government has given reasons for ongoing demolition of some building in Ajao Estate area of the stated., revealed that the affected building posed as severe threat to Lagosians.
The state government in a video being circulated by Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA), disclosed that 12 buildings were marked in the area for demolition for non compliance with the law.
According to LASBCA, the affected building were erected by the owners without obtaining construction approvals from the Federal Government through Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), and the state government.
Aside from not obtaining any approval, the affected structures were said to have been built by their owners on pipelines channelled to transport aviation fuel to the Murtala Muhammed Airport in Ikeja.
Also, the buildings that were pulled down on I.K. Peter Street, Ajao Estate, were discovered to have been constructed by their owners encroaching on airport restricted areas.
The General Manager, LASBCA, Gbolahan Oki, explained several reasons for the demolition while briefing newsmen with the General Manager, Business Development, FAAN, Hycienth Ngwu.
Oki stressed that the buildings lacked required approvals and were cited around airport restricted areas while some were cited on aviation fuel pipelines.
Oki described the situation as disaster that when it happened could claim dozens of lives and property in the state.
According to him, the builders also lacked required documents as approvals for construction in that area.
The LABSCA boss stressed that the buildings were illegally constructed out of clear disregard to the requirements of extant laws.
Mentioning that the buildings had no planning permit and were built around the pipelines, Oki said that “nobody in his right thinking mind will go and buy a plot on a pipeline and build on the pipeline.”
He stated that due consultations and communications have been made with enough time of over eight years, 2016, given to the occupants of the affected buildings to evacuate the structures.
He described the buildings on the land as “National risk” to the airport being “extremely close”, stressing that “no life of a Nigerian is worth being lost to the dangers that the citing of the buildings pose.”
Also, Ngwu said “the agency is happy Lagos State Government is stepping into the issue after several warnings in attempt to stop the constructions of buildings were not yielded to by those it called “encroachers, who stole from the land of the Airport.”
He lamented that the authorities of the airport began to serve notice encroachment on its land in 2016 on occupiers for defying the standard rule that no building must be cited close to the perimeter fence of the Airport
“the agency is happy Lagos State Government is stepping into the issue after several warnings in attempt to stop the constructions of buildings were not yielded to by those it called “encroachers, who stole from the land of the Airport.”
Meanwhile, he commended the partnership with LASBCA to bring sanity, normalcy and decency to the airport environment.
He lamented that the authorities of the airport began to serve notice encroachment on its land in 2016 on occupiers for defying the standard rule that no building must be cited close to the perimeter fence of the Airport.
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