Lagos State Government has served contravention notice on over 200 property owners and occupiers in Òkun Ajah Waterfront Scheme in Eti Osa LGA over encroachment on government land.
A seven-day ultimatum was also issued to all the affected property owners and occupiers in the area requiring them to come with relevant documents and approvals that back their occupation of the land.
The Commissioner for Waterfront Infrastructure Development, Hon. Yacoob Ekundayo Alebiosu, during an inspection tour of the area at the weekend, said many properties and buildings in the area contravened the law by illegally taking possession of the land not allocated to them by the state government.
He said four contravention notices had earlier been served on the illegal occupants in the Okun Ajah scheme, adding that the government cannot continue to watch and see the state’s commonwealth turned to private investments.
Alebiosu, therefore, urged owners of such buildings to voluntarily remove their encroaching properties before the expiration of the ultimatum. He also said if they allow the government to use its funds to enforce the directive, the cost of such operation shall be recovered from the property owners.
The Commissioner further stated 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 said.
His words, “There are several properties in Okun Ajah without waterfront clearance, a lot of encroachments have been identified with people building without approval because they would not have gotten 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, and we even met with resistance from some of them, but the law has to take its course.
“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 a 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.
Alebiosu thereafter advised all other illegal occupants on other waterfront schemes in Lagos to approach the Ministry for waterfront clearance. He said that the Ministry of Physical Planning will not give anyone approval without getting clearance from the Ministry of Waterfront Infrastructure Development.
