Following the indiscriminate springing up of shanties and illegal structures, the Lagos State Government on Sunday issued a four day relocation notice to all squatters occupying illegal shanties around the Lagos coastal road in Mayegun, Lekki area of Lagos.
Speaking with newsmen after an inspection tour to Jakande,Elegushi itedo, System 156 and 44 on Orchid Road, Tokunbo Wahab, said all such illegal shanties and squatters, close to Regional Road Alignment must vacate the area by Thursday afternoon. He warned that failure to move would invite enforcement operatives from the early hours of Friday morning as all the properties have been served mandatory notices.
The commissioner was accompanied by the SA Environment, Kunle Rotimi-Akodu, PS Drainage Services, Engr Mahmood Adegbite, PS, Environmental Services, Gaji Omobolaji Tajudeen, Chairman of Task Force on Special Offences, CSP Sola Jejeloye. The team which also included heads of Agencies inspected System 157 (Orchid Road), System 44 (Lekki to Ikota), Mayegun Area (Jakande), Regional Road Alignment, Dodan Barracks and Obalende and Ilubirin.
Wahab stated that the tour is to ensure that the coastal alignment of the affected areas are secured and illegal settlements along the corridors removed. He added that by next week the spots will be cleared with the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LABCA) involved in the proper regeneration of the axis.
“The government has cleared Ijora and Obalende under bridge, Obalende, Apongbon under bridge, Agege Red rail line amongst others. I will like to say that most of the cleaned places were notorious for harbouring criminals and were threats to residents,” he said
He said the team would also visit Aboru, Command, Abule – Egba to inspect on going work in the areas, stressing that the enforcement drive is a state wide exercise.The Commissioner said enforcement would commence this week on System 157 (Orchid Road) to open the 40 metres drainage adding that this became necessary as people have built on the canal path and narrowed the primary channel thereby causing flooding in the area.
He said the government convened several stakeholders meetings with property owners and the affected residents who were served contravention notices in the last quater of 2023 adding that since then, they have not seen commitment from the affected community members.
The team also visited Ilubirin to assertain the level of the ongoing project to instal an underground tank to deflood Lagos-Island awarded 3 years ago, with a confirmation from the contractor that the project will definitely be delivered in 90days. Ilubirin is strategic because the government is set to regenerate Isale Eko and environs and in order to do that, there is need to get the outflow of water through the Ilubirin path” he said.
