By: AYO Agbeoluwaye

The Lagos State Ministry of Environment have urges members to Carry out due diligence from relevant ministries and agencies before the procurement of landed properties in the state and especially when it’s close to canal.

The SA to Lagos state governor on environment Hon. Kunle Rotimi stated this when he appeared as guest on the early morning edition on Lagos Talk 91.fm on the state government ongoing demolition of erected building on Rights of Ways .

Hon. Rotimi maintained that most developers do not follow laid down rules in developing properties on right of ways thereby encroaching on government lands having even served several notices before the buildings are pulled down.
“when you want to buy properties, get the papers from the developer, go to he right quarters. if it is the ministry of environment, especially if it’s close to he canal or drainage bodies. go to physical planning, ensure they have drainage clearance in the first place and physical planning unit; ensure they have approval for why they did.

” Sometimes, builders will go gt approval from the ministry to do two storey building and when you get to the site, they re doing ten storey building. sometimes, they tell you that provision of car parks spaces is involved in the structure and again, when you get there, it has all been converted to rooms and flat”.

On the Mende Estate demolition in Maryland, the Special Adviser to the governor on environmental matters noted that the estate didn’t follow due process and the concern of government is to ensure free flow of water stressing that the intervention of the governor saved more than nine five percent of properties in the estate.

” The estate in question is sitting right in the heart of the canal. if not for the magnanimity of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu who had called for the adjustment of he alignment to save properties, the whole entire estate; if not ninetyfive percenty of the estate would have been pulled down”

"The Governor in his magnanimity gave us a directive, because we don't do things on our own. it was his Magnanimity that saved the entire estate, otherwise, everything would have gone. The width of the canal is actually one hundred and forty meters. There is the Mende part, there is the Ogudu part, but the entire one hundred and forty width is on the Mende part he said".

Hon. Rotimi stated that the Lagos state government will contine check excesses of developers and the actions of the government is for the future betterment of everyone in the state.

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