By FABIAN EKERUCHE

The Lagos State Government on Saturday insisted that it would not be selective inapplication of the law in the ongoing demolition of illegal structures at Lekki phase II and environs.

The Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, who made this clarification on Saturday in Lagos, said that the state government was committed to ensuring that justice and fairness were served to all equally.

Wahab, who was besieged by pleading occupants and owners of the fully built structures constructed on the drainage setbacks and already marked for demolition, said stopping the demolition exercise would amount to double standards.

The commissioner added that the demolished blocks of duplexes were on the same drainage setback alignment like the ones yet to be removed.

He said that the state was irrevocably committed to reclaiming its drainage setback and restore its master-plan.

Wahab explained that it was sad that the government had to take very difficult decision to pull down the fully built up structures to reclaim the drainages setback for free flow of storm water in the area.

He said that the owners of the structures demolished in Ikota were aware that they contravened the law.

The commissioner said that the owners had different engagements with the ministry from 2020 when most of the structures were at foundation levels and several notices served.

“At Ikota, the level of encroachments is just unimaginable; people have built on the canal path and we resolved that these nuisances cannot be allowed to continue; it just had to stop.’’

He said that he had visited the Ikota site once again and personally met the owners of the structures yet to go down.

Wahab said that he advised them to vacate the buildings before the demolition exercise moved to their end because no amount of entreaties would stop the exercise.

“We have gone round and we concluded that all houses on the canal path and on those on the canal itself must be removed and the path recreated to discharge into Ikota River.”

The commissioner also visited Victoria Garden City (VGC) in Lekki, where some home owners extended their approved plot beyond the five metres buffer Zone of VGC.

He added that the extension would be pulled down to allow water to flow freely into the Lagoon.

“We cannot be brazen in our illegality and be brazen in our nonchalant attitude to the environment; it has to end;illegality cannot beget legality.”

He said that the government had hitherto toed the line of advocacy but the people had refused to change, hence, enforcement actions had to be taken to make corrections where necessary.

Wahab advised home owners to seek and obtain drainage approval alongside other approvals before embarking on their building projects to avert such situation.

“These enforcement will be a continuous exercise;people cannot blame government for what they caused by their actions; whatever negative thing you do to the environment will come to haunt you eventually.’’

Speaking on the closure and reopening of some major markets in the state, Wahab said that the markets were closed for defaultingthe provision of the State Sanitation Laws.

He said that for any market to be closed, a checklist was handed to its executives to be fulfilled and once the conditions were met, the market would be reopened.

“You need to see the unsightly state and scene in the markets before closure and we cannot allow our people to trade food commodities and other items in a dirty and filthy environment,” he said.

He said that the state government would be undertaking a safety audit in the markets through the safety commission to ensure safety of lives of traders and patrons in market spaces.

Wahab was accompanied on the tour by the Permanent Secretaries, Office of Drainage Services, Olalekan Shodeinde and Environmental Services, GajiOmobolaji.

The team visited Osapa London and major housing estates in Ikota, Lekki County Estate and Victoria Garden City Estate. (NAN)