Lagos State Government, through the state Building Control Agency, LASBCA, has arrested seven persons for violating the state’s building codes in Eti-Osa and Ikoyi areas of the state respectively.

The arrested persons whichh include: site engineers, and other built professionals were been taking to the Lagos State Mobile Court sitting in Eti-Osa Local Government Council Secretariat and Lagos State Task Force Office, Arena Oshodi for questioning and fair hearing.

Speaking after the enforcement exercise, the General Manager of LASBCA, Arc Gbolahan Oki, said the exercise was in continuation of its enforcement activities, aimed at clamping down on illegal physical development in different parts of the state.

Oki explained that the clamp down on the various construction sites and workers were in a bid to reduce the level of illegalities in the built industry and ultimately avert possible building collapse.

Oki who informed that the arrested persons were apprehended for building without Planning Permit Approvals and for breaking government seals, decried the level of disregard for government agencies in charge of issuing permit and building control activities, saying that officials of the agency had been harassed at different times while on official duties.

He added that the sealed construction sites would not be reopened untill due diligence is followed and necessary approvals obtained from relevant government agencies.

The General Manager revealed that the use of mobile court, a new strategy by LASBCA, was necessitated by the need to promptly give fair hearing to persons apprehended for contravening building regulation codes.

According to Oki, “The idea of using mobile court to give instant fair hearing to persons arrested for building code contravention was embraced by LASBCA after we noticed that people persistently break government seals place on their properties and also disregard Stop Work orders often issued by LASBCA on illegal properties. “

He vowed that the state government would not stop at just prosecuting the defaulters but would also go ahead to publish the names of the defaulters in national newspapers, assuring that the enforcement exercise would be sustained and extended to other divisions and local government areas of the state.

Speaking specifically about physical development activities within Eti Osa axis of the state, Oki maintained that there is need to check mate construction works being carried out by developers and property owners in the area in order to avert contraventions and enforce compliance with the proposed government plans for the area.

Revealing that what LASBCA aimed to achieve is total compliance with physical planing law and building codes, he pleaded with members of the public and built professionals to serve as whistle blowers for the agency.

On his part, the Director of Enforcement, LASBCA, Olusoji Olaopa, added that consistent enforcement activities being carried out by the Agency will assist in drastically reducing illegalities in the built sector through early detection.

Olaopa, therefore, called on professionals in the built sector to endeavor they do due diligence by obtaining all necessary permits and documents as stipulated in the law before commencement of construction works.

The areas covered during the enforcement exercise on Wednesday, included: Modupe Adebayo Street, off Pinewood Crescent, Elegushi Property Scheme, Ilasan Road, Beside, Haven Homes, Elegushi, Richmond Pearl Road, Beside Haven Homes, Elegushi Property Development Scheme and Babalola Garden, off Olu-Babajide Close, Lekki-phase 1, all in Eti-Osa Local Government Area and another property at Awolowo Way, Ikoyi. (Vanguard)

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