Culled from Guardian Newspaper on Thursday, November 03, 2016 (Page 56)

IMMINENT LEKKI GARDENS BUILDING COLLAPSE AND LACK OF INFRASTRUCTURE IN NEW HORIZON 2 ESTATE, ELEGUSHI BEACH ROAD, LEKKI

The residents of Lekki Gardens New Horizon II Estate by Elegushi beach have reported cases of illegal construction by Lekki Gardens as follows:
• Construction of additional floors to an already completed block of flats as well as construction of additional walls and partitions to convert each flat into several studio/self-contained apartments. This increases the stress on the structure with the attendant risk of an imminent collapse and loss of lives and property.
• Authorization of addition of several walls and partitions to an already completed semi-detached house to convert it to many apartments. The foundation and the structure was neither approved nor designed to bear this load making it unsafe and a potential death trap.
• There is no parking provided for this level of occupancy for these buildings.

The residents association filed a complaint dated October 14, 2016. On the 24th of October, officials from the Lagos State Ministry of Physical Planning & Urban Development placed Contravention Notices and Stop Work Orders on these buildings and another block of flats compromised by an illegal fencing that Lekki Gardens constructed in front of this block. The following have been noted by the “LEKKI GARDENS NEW HORIZON II RESIDENTS ASSOCIATION”

• Lekki Gardens has outrightly refused to obey the contravention and stop work orders and continued construction in these buildings. Residents confronted the contractors and took pictures of ongoing construction while the notices from the Lagos State authorities were on the buildings. The contractors stated that Lekki Gardens Management instructed them to ignore the notices and continue the illegal construction.
• Lekki Gardens has permitted a certain Mr. Alex Kehinde Bankole to embark on modifications and additional structures in the semi-detached house at F1 Unit 2 in violation of a Contravention Notice by Lagos State Authorities.
• On November 1st 2016, the residents observed that workers were locked up from the outside in the semi-detached building at F1 Unit 2 during construction and the workers refused to evacuate the building. The residents entered the building to enforce the safety of the construction workers and prevent a potential tragic incident.
• We also use this opportunity to bring to the notice of the relevant government agencies to perform their duties and act to prevent imminent building collapses and risk to human lives and properties in these structures.

Lekki Gardens has continued the falsehood and habitually breaches the agreements with residents.
These include:
• Refusal to provide bore hole and water treatment/storage facility. Residents of this estate have no water and are living in deplorable conditions.
• Electrification project has been abandoned and most of the streets are in darkness and a major gate at the back of the estate has collapsed leaving the residents lives and properties at risk.
• The sewage project has been abandoned and waste is not channeled to any adequate treatment facility. Man holes and inspection chambers are neither completed, connected nor directed to any central location. This is a major environmental risk as sewage would eventually spill onto the roads.
• Lekki Gardens has also refused to provide a recreational facility as agreed and carried out soil testing and subsequently fenced off the area previously designated for the common recreational area.
• All attempts by the homeowners to prevail on Lekki Gardens to address these issues have proved futile, as the CEO, Mr. Richard Nyong, the Head of Estate Relations, Mr. Rotimi Ajilore and other representatives of Lekki Gardens have continued to show complete disregard for the homeowners.

The Residents Association therefore demands the following:
• Lekki Gardens immediately discontinues the unlawful constructions and violation of contravention notices and stop work orders from Lagos State officials.
• The illegal modification of the semi-detached house in Block F1 Unit 2 should be stopped immediately and reverted back to the original design and intent of the building authorized by Lekki Gardens.
• Immediate construction of bore hole and water treatment/storage facility as stated in the Agreement with the Homeowners.
• Completion of the electrification project within two (2) weeks.
• Immediate removal of the illegal fences constructed around the illegal construction work at the block of flats and designated recreational area.
• Completion of the manholes, inspection chambers and sewage treatment facility to prevent significant environmental damage and the impact on public health, near-by Elegushi beach, major roads and the eco-system.
• Lekki Gardens should note that the Association has taken a decision to discontinue payment of service charges, since Lekki Gardens has refused to provide water as agreed, sewage handling, adequate security and street lights thus putting the lives of residents at risk and ensuring that residents are living in deplorable conditions.

Signed: New Horizon II Residents Association

Ok