Rhodes-Vivour demands independent probe of LASBCA, LASPPPA

Urges govt to make public policies egalitarian
The Labour Party (LP) gubernatorial candidate in Lagos State, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, has urged the state government to make public policies transparent, egalitarian and people-centric.

He said this would silence divisionary accusations of bias and discrimination in the state.

In a statement yesterday, Rhodes-Vivour also urged the government to establish an independent inquiry into the activities of the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) and the Lagos State Physical Planning Permit Authority (LASPPPA) and apprehend and prosecute government officials who facilitate violations across the state.

He noted that demolishing violators’ buildings is incomplete justice without holding accountable officials who enabled such violations.

Gbadebo challenged the government on its housing policy, stating that it should present and implement a comprehensive plan to address the housing deficit in Lagos.

He said: “If Lateef Jakande could construct 30,000 housing units in less than four years, why has the All Progressives Congress (APC) administration failed to provide low and middle-income earners with the opportunity to own shelter?”

Also, while reacting to a statement by the Commissioner for Environment, Tokunboh Wahab, planning to hold talks with a group of building violators in Lekki, Rhodes-Vivour demanded that Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu should make drainage master-plan public.

He said: “I have taken note of the Commissioner for Environment’s decision to halt demolitions and engage with violators, albeit on the eighth day of the week. It’s encouraging that common sense has finally prevailed. In an environment grappling with inadequate affordable housing and infrastructure, resorting to the destruction of people’s property, even by violators, should be the last option after transparently exhausting all other means.”