LASG halts illegal estate development on Ojota-Maryland Wetland

By Dada Jackson

The Lagos State Government has stopped illegal and unapproved development of the Wasimi, Maryland section of Ojota-Maryland wetland into a residential estate.

The Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Dr Idris Salako, led the special operation, involving officers of the ministry and the Lagos State Task Force on Environmental Offences, the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) and the Special Operations Unit in the Governor’s Office.

He decried the indiscriminate attempt to convert the buffer zone into an estate, not minding the attendant negative consequences to the environment.

The commissioner noted that the developers of the estate, who had sand-filled the wetland and commenced construction, had wilfully encroached on part of Opebi Park and the alignment of the proposed Opebi-Maryland-Ojota link road, conceived by the Ministry of Works and Infrastructure.

He said that the developers of the site did not have any form of title to the land from the Lands Bureau or drainage clearance from the Office of Drainage Services.

Salako added that the development was neither backed by a Planning Permit nor had a layout approval to rely on, while urging developers to always avail themselves of the free advisory service of the Ministry on Planning Information to guide appropriately on land use.

He enjoined Lagosians to respect the physical planning law, build right and be conscious that the state government’s zero tolerance for illegal building was still in force.

Also part of the operation were the Special Adviser to the Governor on Urban Development, Ganiyu Adele Ayuba, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development, Engr. Abiola Kosegbe, the General Manager LASBCA, Arc. Gbolahan Oki, Task Force Chairman,  CSP Shola Jejeloye and Head of the Special Operations Unit, Toyin Omotosho.