Landlords, LASBCA, others meet over move to remodel Obalende

The Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA), the Physical Planning Permit Authority and the Urban Renewal Agency have agreed to work together with Obalende landlords to give the area a new look that befits a metropolitan city.

Speaking during a meeting held with the executives of Obalende Landlords Association, yesterday, at the agency’s headquarters, the General Manager of LASBCA, Gbolahan Oki, said the government wants a better Obalende and all hands must be on deck to make it a reality.

According to him, it had been established that after 100 years there should be a renewal of the area, but instead of the residents to toe the line of best practices, landlords in the area were constructing buildings without recourse to the terms of agreement and the state’s building control laws and regulations.

Oki said all the ongoing constructions in the area did not have the government’s approval.

However, after much pleas from the landlords, he agreed that the government was ready to give them a month and half to present documents they have in respect of the land to LASURA for proper scrutiny and also to LASPPPA to show proof that they have building plan approvals.

The General Manager LASPPPA, Kehinde Osinaike, a town planner revealed that the processing time to get approval was no longer cumbersome, saying it was achievable within 10 working days as long as the building owner/developer could present all statutory documents which must include evidence of tax payment to the state government.

On his part, the General Manager of LASURA, Ajibike Shomade, pointed out that Obalende has become a shadow of what it used to be, saying one of the agency’s responsibilities was to make Lagos a resilient, beautiful, and sustainable environment.

She stated further that the agency would not allow Obalende to become a slum within a city. She enjoined the landlords to come to the agency with their title documents for clearance.

Contributing, the Chairman of the landlords association, Mr. Olaitan Nurudeen, appreciated the agencies for their swift response in granting them audience, stating that they called for the meeting in respect of the quit and demolition notices served the community by the government.

He pleaded with the agencies to temper justice with mercy, saying their parents passed down most of the houses to them.