Lagos to demolish building on Banana Island 

CITIZENS COMPASS – LAGOS State governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu has ordered the immediate demolition of a two-storey building located at 310 Close in Banana Island, Ikoyi, Lagos.

The Governor also ordered the sealing of other buildings in the area.

Sanwo-Olu, however, gave details of the recent collapse of a seven-storey building on First Avenue, Banana Island, blaming it on what he called “reckless” operations of some developers hiding under the pretext of Federal Government agencies issuing building approvals to unsuspecting property owners.

The governor spoke, yesterday, when he led a delegation of government officials on an on-the-spot assessment of the area, describing the situation as “irresponsible and unacceptable.”

He was conducted round the area by the state Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Tayo Bamigbose-Martin, Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso, and General Manager, Lagos State Building Control Agency, LABSCA, Gbolahan Oki, among others.

Sanwo-Olu gave the demolition order while inspecting the building at 310 Close under construction without approval, while ordering the sealing of others over various infractions.

The governor also inspected an ongoing two-storey building located at 303 Close being constructed under high tension wire.

“There has been a lot of investigation that is going on right now and you can see that they are still clearing the rubbles at the site.

“We have given an order to stop work, not only at this site but also in all of the construction sites in Banana Island.

” I think that the exercise we are doing today is not really just about this location.

“You have all seen the extent of what I will call unapproved extension into the water, at the back of each of the land that is aborting a water. You can see that the original line for Banana Island is even not where we are.t

” It’s way in front there and you can see that there are several extensions that have been granted by both the Federal Ministry of Work and Housing and National Inland Water Ways, NIWA. These are the two federal agencies that have been culpable for those extensions.

“They have done these extensions even without our knowledge. We have the responsibility for building approvals and the rest of these.

• From what I have been told, all of the four buildings at the back have never even applied for approvals

“The legality is real and so that is why we are going round other properties in banana Island.

“Excuses have been given that they don’t have access and this is not acceptable. This is a total recklessness of all of the developers and we will make a strong point out of this place and all around banana Island and in other developments that we have.

The officers that will also be similarly found culpable will also be sanctioned, if any.

” But what we are doing right now is to set up external seven-man committee, we are giving the people two weeks to independently also ascertain what has gone wrong there.

“So they should finish their work maybe towards the end of next week or thereafter.”