The Guardian (Nigeria)

Lagos warns against illegal developmen­t of federal lands

Governor flags off Vi/lekki regenerati­on project

- By Victor Gbonegun

LState government has cautioned residents against illegal developmen­t of Federal Government’s lands in the state without recourse to the extant laws that stipulate that planning permit should be obtained for all physical developmen­ts and use of lands. Commission­er for Physical Planning and Urban Developmen­t, Dr. Idris Salako, gave warning in a statement yesterday. He commission­er drew the attention of the public to the 2003 judgment of the Supreme Court, which vested the physical planning and developmen­t of any land in the state of jurisdicti­on.

According to him, any land developed within the state after 2003, without the requisite Planning Permit from the Lagos State Physical Planning Permit Authority (LASPPPA) is illegal, as it contravene­s the provisions of the Lagos State Laws and Regulation­s. Dr. Salako declared that his ministry would henceforth embark on massive enforcemen­t exercise while defaulters would be prosecuted.

To him, the move is in consonance with the recently declared zero tolerance for all illegal developmen­t of lands in the state.

He warned that it would not be business-as-usual for those who are of the habit of developing lands without permit and adherence to the state planning laws.

The commission­er further advised residents to ensure voluntary compliance to these rules and give wide circulatio­n to the message.

Meanwhile, Governor Babajide Sanwo-olu has flagged off the Victoria Island/lekki circulatio­n urban regenerati­on project. The project is to see the constructi­on and completion of five major roads on the Victoria Island/lekki corridor in six months.

Victoria Island is an important commercial hub and the traffic congestion experience­d in the area reduces productivi­ty and discourage­s business growth. During the flag-off in Lagos, the governor said the Public Private Partnershi­p (PPP) project approach to it was deliberate; to relieve residents of discomfort in plying the roads.

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