Lagos—FOLLOWING yesterday’s mudslide that left one woman dead and several injured, the Lagos State Special Committee on Clean-Up of Ikoyi, Lekki, and Victoria Island has ordered illegal occupants on prohibited spaces to vacate immediately. The state government said it has concluded plans to commence enforcement of the State’s Environmental Sanitation and Town Planning laws in the affected areas after the Sallah holidays. It will be recalled that Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos had on August 30th, inaugurated a 15-man special committee charged with the responsibility of cleaning-up the axis of the state and enforce the original masterplan after several years of its abandonment.
Secretary to the State Government, Mr. Tunji Bello, who doubles as chairman of the Committee, gave the directive, yesterday. Bello said “the measure has become necessary following the expiration of the 14 day ultimatum issued to all owners of illegal structures, owners of abandoned buildings currently harbouring prostitutes, shanties, street hawkers and those who have converted walkways into trading points and food courts in the affected areas. “The 14 days ultimatum which expires on Sunday, September 11, 2016 was given to the owners of such illegal structures to dismantle them voluntarily and relocate failure of which will attract arrest and prosecution. “Therefore, the committee decided to embark on sensitization campaign to allow owners of such illegal structures enough grace to willingly pull down such structures themselves before the government pulls them down and also prosecute owners of such structures. “Every modality has been put in place to ensure that the original master plan of Ikoyi, Lekki, and Victoria Island as envisioned by the founding fathers is maintained.
“The committee is poised to discharge the responsibilities vested in it which includes: Immediately commencing the implementation of the approved action plan and execution of the clean-up exercise; develop strategies for preventing re-occurrences as well as other recommendations as necessary to sustain environmental renewal of these areas; and embark on a public sensitization exercise for the sustenance of a cleaner community in the axis.”On the quest to have a safe, clean and prosperous Lagos, Bello stressed, “It is not negotiable as the present administration is committed to ensuring a cessation of the continuation of the environmental infractions being witnessed in Ikoyi, Lekki, Victoria Island.”
He therefore, advised owners of such illegal structures who may still be sitting on the fence or nursing the hope that the state government would have a rethink on the exercise to make use of the window offered to them now or face the full force of the law.
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