By ADERONKE OJEDIRAN

The Lagos State Government has inaugurated its Physical Planning and Building Control Appeals Committee.

At the inauguration on Tuesday, the state Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu said the committee would provide an independent platform for reviewing disputes arising from physical planning and building control decisions.

Sanwo-Olu said the inauguration marked a significant step toward ensuring fairness, transparency and accountability within the physical planning framework of Lagos State.

A government that regulates without providing for review is a government that has placed itself beyond accountability.

“Today, we are closing that gap in our physical planning system by creating a pathway for redress where people believe decisions have been made unfairly or incorrectly,” he said.

The governor noted that the physical planning system in Lagos was administered through the Lagos State Physical Planning Permit Authority and the Lagos State Building Control Agency.

He said the committee was established under Section 79 of the Lagos State Urban and Regional Planning and Development Law.

He said it would serve as an independent institution empowered to review complaints relating to permits, demolition orders, regulatory notices and conduct of planning officials.

According to him, the committee has statutory powers to summon witnesses, examine documents and make binding decisions enforceable like orders of a high court.

“If a developer believes a permit refusal was unjustified or a property owner disputes a demolition notice, there is now a formal and independent avenue for review,” Sanwo-Olu said.

The governor said that the committee must operate independently and fairly, adding that it should neither serve as a rubber stamp for government agencies nor undermine lawful regulatory authority.

“Your independence is the foundation of your value.

“You are here to ensure fairness, weigh evidence carefully and uphold the law consistently in the interest of all stakeholders,” he said.

Sanwo-Olu also warned that the right to appeal should not be used to compromise public safety, especially in view of recurring building collapse.

“The purpose of building regulation is not bureaucratic formality but preservation of human life.

“When regulatory action is justified on safety grounds, this committee must uphold such a decision firmly,” he said.

The governor assured members of the committee that the government would respect and implement their findings, especially where such findings would expose operational gaps within planning agencies.

Sanwo-Olu charged members of the committee to discharge their duties with integrity, diligence and professionalism.

He commended the state Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development, Lagos State Physical Planning Permit Authority and Lagos State Building Control Agency for supporting orderly urban development in Lagos. (NAN)