Sanwo-Olu Moves Against Illegal Beach Houses
Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has frowned at illegal structures dotting the state’s coastal corridor, following an unscheduled five-hour tour of riverine communities including Ibeshe, Kare, and Inagbe.
The visit, which took place on Tuesday, was aimed at assessing the growing wave of unregulated developments that have sprung up along the shoreline, many of which violate physical planning laws and encroach on designated setbacks from the ocean.
Accompanied by the Deputy Governor, Dr Obafemi Hamzat, and other members of the State Executive Council, Sanwo-Olu expressed visible concern over the proliferation of chaotic and disjointed buildings in the coastal areas.
The governor described the situation as a flagrant abuse of physical planning regulations and environmental safety guidelines.
He further disclosed that the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development, alongside the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA), will carry out a detailed enumeration of all physical planning violations in the area.
The outcome of this exercise, he said, would determine the final decisions on the future of the beach front and the fate of the illegal developments.
“We are also bringing a lot of order, sanity and repossession to redefine livelihood in these communities. There are a lot of disjointed buildings going on along the corridor.
“There has been a lot of abuse of physical planning approvals and complete abuse of the approved setbacks and lines from the ocean banks. People have taken their development beyond these lines in flagrant violation of safety regulations and the physical planning approvals.
“These have been our observations and we will be coming back to this corridor for full enumeration of violations. Both the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development, and Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) will come back to do full enumeration which will enable us to take the final decision on the development of the beach front.
“Our final decision would be inclusive of how we will regularise, give title and ensure that the locals are not at disadvantage. We will ensure that life is returned to this neighbourhood to boost the tourism potential along this whole stretch. Government will be a strong enabler for these opportunities to happen,” Sanwo-Olu said
Sanwo-Olu Moves Against Illegal Beach Houses is first published on The Whistler Newspaper
