Lagos State government is set to remove illegal structures built under high tension cables in Makoko community, Yaba.
The move comes after the state through the Office of Urban and Regional Planning removed dilapidated buildings and shanties at the Oworonshoki end of the third mainland bridge in Kosofe Local Government Area.
Recently, the state government has held several stakeholders meetings with residents of Makoko, one of the densely populated shanties built on water in Lagos, expressing concerns over the continuous building of shanties under high tension cables thereby posing dangers to residents.
The government has also expressed worries over the illegal extension of the shanties to under the third mainland bridge by the residents.
Expressing the desire of the state government to ensure the safety of the citizens, the Permanent Secretary, Office of Urban and Regional Development, Arc. Gbolahan Oki said the government will continue the enforcement activity at Makoko community by removing illegal structures in order to prevent looming dangers.
“We have held several meetings with people living in Makoko because many of the shanties are built under high tension cables. We have told them to move but they have refused. They are even extending to the middle of the third mainland bridge and we have warned them several times." Oki said.
He added: “As a government, we don't just start removing buildings, we are working with their community leaders in clearing illegal structures under high tension power lines in the Makoko community. If any of those cables falls and anything happens to the people, the blame will be on the government. The lives of the people are more important. They are also encroaching on the third mainland bridge.”
Oki said the Babajide Sanwo-Olu's administration is concerned about the safety of the people in the state and will do all to protect the people.
“We want to work but some people don't want us to work but we are going to do it. What is bad, is bad, Some people are making money hiding under these bad attitudes but as a people we just have to change,” he said.
On the recent demolitions in Oworonshoki area which led to the blockage of the third mainland bridge by the residents, Oki said the state government had, for the past three years, held stakeholders' meetings with the residents on the need for them to regularise their building approvals.
Oki added that only two out of the residents complied with the government’s directive in spite of the government’ amnesty period for the regularisation.
He said the affected buildings were structurally defective and posed dangers to the people.
He also noted that investigations revealed that many of the traffic robberies committed on the third mainland bridge are carried out by residents of the area who run back to the shanties after carrying out their robbery.
“We don't just go to demolish, due process was followed. The buildings demolished were dilapidated and cracked, they just painted them. People also complained that those that rob on the third mainland bridge run back to the shanties,” he said .