The Lagos State Government has sealed an eight-floor property belonging to Mikano Company after the firm allegedly ignored the stop work order earlier served on it.
The government threatened that demolition would follow if the company failed to comply with the order.
A statement on Monday said the development was part of the state government’s efforts to restore sanity to the built sector, especially along the waterfront corridor.
The property located on Queens’ Drive in Ikoyi, which is undergoing construction, was sealed during a joint inspection by the Commissioners for Waterfront Infrastructure Development, Ekundayo Alebiosu, and Physical Planning and Urban Development, Dr Olumide Olayinka.
The commissioners expressed their displeasure at the disregard for the directive earlier issued on the firm to stop construction until it comes up with its documents, adding that the notion that the government is ignoring such infractions because of those involved is not true.
Alebiosu said, “The government cannot ignore and still ask us to go do what we are doing. It is a process. We have received several petitions and complaints, and that is why I am here with HC Physical Planning, to test the veracity of those claims.
“Although serious enforcement will start soon, we issued these people a stop work order two weeks ago, but they disobeyed. We are here today, and we saw them still working, so we had to stop them again, and you can see that they have obeyed that order. We are expecting them to give us their documentation.
“These people also need to go to the Ministry of Environment for their drainage application. They need their EIA, TIA from Transport, their surveys and some other things to get approvals. They cannot just jump on site and start construction. These are some of the infractions our ministry and physical planning have discovered from those applying for approvals.”
On his part, Olayinka said his office would come heavily on defaulters, adding that quit notices would be served and demolition would follow.
He said, “As you can see, we’ve gone around today. The laws of Lagos Physical Planning state that all developments need to be approved before you commence construction; and not only that, you need our control in terms of certifying stages.
“Most of the structures you see along the waterway do not have approval; that is why we are marking them. Those of them that we have identified to have extended beyond the approval given, we shall compel them to comply.
“However, there’s going to be a joint exercise among the relevant ministries, physical planning and waterfront, especially. We’re going to come out very heavily on this corridor and I mean it, very heavily. We’re going to compel them to abide by the law.
“So, I’m using this opportunity to warn those in this habit to stop. They should just go and do the right thing. Again, we’re going to come out very heavily. Quit notices will be served and demolition will follow.”
