LASG MARKS 5,000 HOUSES FOR DEMOLITION IN BADIA

By RAYMOND TEDUNJAYE
Posted: Thursday, July 8, 2010

No fewer than 5,000 residents of Badia, a suburb of Lagos will be rendered homeless soon, as their houses have been marked for demolition by the state government. Aside the houses, a storey building containing 40 shops and other shops built by the fence of the New Nigerian Newspapers are also to be pulled down in the exercise which may take place any moment.
Already, all the affected landlords have been served notice of the intending demolition by the State Ministry of Environment prior to the commencement of the exercise. Our correspondent who visited the area reports that the marked houses include all those within a metre radius from the Fadaini road, beginning from the entrance of the road down to roundabout junction.
The houses which bear red paint marked “X”, include a 2 storey building owned by the immediate past primate of the Prophetic Church of Zion (PCN), late Dr. O.O Fadaini, a story building belonging to Chief Alexander Owoseni among others.
Information gathered from anonymous residents has it that the marking exercise was carried out last Tuesday, following a supposed un -scheduled visit by Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola to the area the previous day. The governor was said to have expressed displeasure of the physical planning of the area, particularly the spot where the houses were constructed.
Some of the houses were said to have been erected on road setback and on the drainage right of way, which is said to be the major cause of flooding of the area when it rains. Efforts to get the comment of officials of the Ministry of Environment at the time of filing the report proved abortive as the public relations officer was said to be out of office and a call to his phone could not get through.
Following the passage of the Physical Planning, Urban Development and Building Control Law in Lagos, construction of two  storey building and above without an insurance certificate that will cover general risk by the builders  will henceforth be penalized by the state government said from now on, it is compulsory for builders and  developers of buildings that are beyond  two floors in Lagos to obtain Insurance certificate that will cover general risk as a condition for granting building permit.
The government also said henceforth, it is compulsory for all commercial and public building that would be built in Lagos to make provision of enough space for easy movement of physically challenge people for such building to get government approval. Governor Babatunde Fashola made the demand to be effective yesterday after he signed into law the Bill that was unanimously passed by the State House of Assembly for building control in the state.
Giving details of the bill before the governor’s gave his assent, the Special Adviser to the governor on Political Bureau and Legislative Power, Abdulhakeem Abdulateef explained that all buildings that is above two floors and under construction at present in the state has three months to obtain the Insurance certificate while those completed but yet to be occupy has one month to obtain the document.
According to him,  from now on, obtaining building permit  have  been  removed from Lagos State Physical Development Authority (LASPHDA) and now transferred to a newly established agency, Lagos Physical Permit Authority (LPPA) adding that the new body have been saddle with responsibility of  issuance of  permit for physical development across the state.
The Special Adviser stressed that getting the permit from LPPA should not be more than three months stating that compensation will be made available for a building whose permit is withdrawn for public interest. He said compensation will be made available for such building that its permit is withdrawn within 90 days while buildings that have additional Certificate of Occupancy (C OF O) will be compensated within 28 days of revoke.
Addressing stakeholders in building industry that took part in the ceremony before he signed the bill into law, Governor Fashola said the signing of the document  signify the beginning of the journey to sanitize  building industry in Lagos to reduce the  problem of building collapse to barest minimum.
Governor Fashola explained that before the Executive Bill was sent to the State House of Assembly, he has personally met bricklayers, iron traders and other relevant bodies in the building industry adding that the key point focused on by people he met is that the low quality materials being used in the industry necessitated regular building collapse witnessed in the state in the past couple of years.
“This law is the beginning of new era of building construction in the state. With the law, we have offered our best and we are sure it will serve as a guide as the state move forward. Insurance companies will not be foot dragging anymore to pay compensation on collapse buildings because from now on, they will be involve in monitoring building construction,” he said.