Lagos charges building control officers on effective service delivery

The Lagos State Government has urged officials of the Physical Planning Permit Authority (LASPPPA) and the State’s Building Control Agency (LASBCA) to brace up for change and effective service delivery in the built up sector.

The new Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Omotayo Bamgbose-Martins, gave the charge during his maiden meeting with officials of the agencies under the ministry at the weekend in Alausa, Ikeja.

He said that the ministry was confronted with many challenges, most of which it could ill afford to ignore if it must meet the aspirations of the state government for sustainable built environment and 21st century economy.

Bamgbose-Martins said that the impending change would be targeted at building positive public image through effective feedback mechanism and prompt, timely and courteous service, while urging LASPPPA/LASBCA district officers to embrace transparency and accountability in their official conducts.

The commissioner warned that officers must be conscious of their conducts as ambassadors of government in their respective districts, adding that plans were on to encourage healthy rivalry among district offices through the application of a reward system and discipline.

On his part, Special Adviser to the Governor on e-GIS and Planning Matters, Dr. Olajide Babatunde, who expressed the confidence that incessant building collapse would be a thing of the past in Lagos State when the reforms being pushed had foothold in the sate, said that it was necessary for all district officers as operators of the system to understand and internalise the change being advocated.

Also, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development, Mrs. Abiola Kosegbe, enjoined Lagosians to look forward to a more efficient planning approval and enforcement processes that would meet their aspirations and help reduce illegal building construction and collapse to the barest minimum.