The Lagos State Government has faulted comments by former Labour Party presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, following his visit to the Trade Fair Complex where some structures were recently demolished.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Gbenga Omotoso, said Obi’s remarks amounted to “emotional theatrics” aimed at misleading the public through misinformation.
Obi, during his visit, had praised the traders for their restraint, insisting that the demolished buildings had approvals, describing the exercise as “a test of impunity, justice and compassion.”
But Omotoso dismissed the claims, stressing that none of the affected structures had valid approvals from the Lagos State Government.
According to him, the government had in 2023 declared a general amnesty for owners of unapproved buildings across the state, with several extensions granted, but the owners at the Trade Fair Complex failed to take advantage of the gesture.
“When Physical Planning officials visited the complex, the gates were locked against them and they were beaten up. The police had to rescue them. When the government invited the owners for talks, they bluntly refused to show up,” the commissioner explained.
He further clarified that the Board of the Trade Fair Complex, which is a creation of the Federal Government, lacked powers to grant building approvals or regulate physical development within the complex.
“Under the Nigerian Urban and Regional Planning Act (1992), as domesticated by Lagos State, all physical development in any part of Lagos must obtain planning permit from the Lagos State Government. This position was affirmed by the Supreme Court in 2003 in Attorney-General of Lagos State v. Attorney-General of the Federation,” Omotoso stated.
He emphasized that while the Trade Fair Complex Board could manage leases, tenancies, and commercial activities, construction or alteration of any structure still required approval from the Lagos State Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development.
“Otherwise, such developments are illegal and liable to demolition under state law. We must decide whether we want a society governed by law or one run by emotions, driven by political interests,” Omotoso concluded.
Recall that on Thursday, officials of the Lagos State Government, through the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development, carried out an enforcement exercise at the Trade Fair Complex along Lagos-Badagry Expressway, during which over 19 buildings were pulled down.
The affected structures, according to the government, were erected without valid planning permits, despite repeated warnings and extensions of the amnesty window given to owners to regularise their papers.
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