Lagos State Government has served contravention notice on over 200 property owners and occupiers in Okun Ajah Waterfront Scheme in Eti Osa Local Government Area (LGA) of the state over encroachment on government land.
The government added that a 7-day ultimatum was also issued to all the affected property owners and occupiers in the area, saying that those affected were required to come with relevant documents and approvals that backed their occupation of the land.
The State Commissioner for Waterfront Infrastructure Development, Hon. Yacoob Ekundayo Alebiosu, made this known during an inspection of the area at the weekend, maintaining that many properties and buildings in the area contravened the law by illegally taking possession of the land not allocated to them by the government.
The commissioner said four contravention notices had earlier been served on the illegal occupants in the Okun Ajah Scheme, pointing out that the government cannot continue to watch and see the state’s commonwealth turned to private investments.
Alebiosu urged owners of such buildings to voluntarily remove their encroaching properties before the expiration of the ultimatum, warning that if they allowed the government to use its funds to enforce the directive, the cost of such operation shall be recovered from the affected people.
The commissioner, while giving the warning, said that “the ministry has gone through all the processes required in Okun Ajah and that this is the last one.”
“We have served over 200 houses today alone, based on several contraventions. We’ll be coming back with the Ministry of Physical Planning to take possession,” he declared.
Speaking to journalists after the exercise, Alebiosu said there were several properties in Okun Ajah without waterfront clearance, noting ya lot of encroachments had been identified with people building without approval because they would not have got the Ministry of Physical Planning approvals without getting clearance from the Ministry of Waterfront Infrastructure Development.
“We’re always guided by the law, we have issued notices, stop work orders have also been served, despite that, they kept at it, continued with their work, and we are left with no option.
“We have been meticulous, we had followed through all the processes before we got to this stage, we are now at the final stage of enforcement, we have been here severally, we even met with resistance from some of them, but the law has to take its course,” he stated.
“I want to allay the fears of the people on whether the government will abandon the land after taking possession. Again, I need to inform the public that a lot of people have been allotted these plots of land, and they are already waiting to take possession, but because some unknown people have gone ahead to sell the plots to people; illegally, that is why they have not taken possession.
“There are people with proper government allocation, but they’re always threatened by these illegal operators when they come to take possession. There have been lot of cases, that is why we had to come here with our full enforcement team so that everything will be in order. We have taken the final step required of us,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Commissioner for Waterfront Infrastructure Development, Hon. Yacoob Ekundayo Alebiosu, has advised all other illegal occupants on other waterfront schemes in Lagos State to approach the ministry for waterfront clearance.
He insisted that the Ministry of Physical Planning would not give anyone approval without getting clearance from the Ministry of Waterfront Infrastructure Development.
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