The Lagos State Government, on Saturday, said it would demolish structures built under electric transmission cables across the state.

The State Commissioner for Environment, Mr. Tunji Bello, said this while monitoring the monthly sanitation in Ayobo/Ipaja area of the state.

He said building under high tension installations was fraught with grave danger, adding that it also constituted environmental nuisance.

Bello said government could not afford to watch residents endanger their lives, adding that officials would soon remove the illegal structures.

“In fact, I have instructed the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development to deal with that.

“Ordinarily, how can people erect structures under high tension cable?

“We have said time and time again that people shouldn’t build under the high tension cables and poles because it is dangerous, but they won’t listen.

“And some of these people still ask us for amenities like drainages and so on. Who will ever do that? We are sorry we cannot do drainage for people under high tension,” Bello said.

The commissioner warned residents against building on flood plains, saying the practice threatened lives and the environment.

He advised residents against dumping refuse in drains and canals as doing so could cause flooding.

The commissioner said the government was building new drains and expanding the capacities of existing canals to prevent flooding.

He appealed to residents to co-operate with government in improving the environment by abiding with environmental laws.

Chairman of Ayobo/Ipaja Local Council Development Authority, Mr. Shakiru Yusuf, said flooding was a major problem in the area.

According to him, most of the residents were confined to their homes most times during rainy seasons as the area was always flooded.

“We, therefore, appeal to the state government to come up with urgent intervention to end this perennial problem,” he said.

The Special Adviser to the Governor on Works, Mr. Ganiyu Johnson, said the government was committed to the transformation of Ipaja/Ayobo and the rest of Alimosho.

He said the ongoing rehabilitation of Ipaja/Ayobo road and execution of other projects demonstrated that commitment.

Johnson appealed for patience on the road, saying the council was doing everything possible to ensure its early completion.

Pukkah: Where was the government when the houses were being built? Who gave the approvals? Or who looked away from the buildings when they were being constructed?

How can the Commissioner now be planning to punish the house owners without including all the government officials and civil servants who either granted the approvals or looked away while the houses were being built?

Pukkah: Where was the government when the houses were being built? Who gave the approvals? Or who looked away from the buildings when they were being constructed?

How can the Commissioner now be planning to punish the house owners without including all the government officials and civil servants who either granted the approvals or looked away while the houses were being built?

geeez:

I'm certain Lagos State under BRF will never approve building of houses under HTCs

I'm also sure those who have built under them knew the implications before digging a trench for their foundation

sunstyle:
the truth is that most of those houses don't have building aproval, in most cases people build without regards to law, with thugs on watch while they were been built and because it was during the military era civil servant in charge were not on duty.

Pukkah: Where was the government when the houses were being built? Who gave the approvals? Or who looked away from the buildings when they were being constructed?

How can the Commissioner now be planning to punish the house owners without including all the government officials and civil servants who either granted the approvals or looked away while the houses were being built?

slim fit :
Let call a spade a spade, it's a dangerous place to build a house. Common sense should tell people that its not a safe place to build even a toilet. The question we should be asking is have they built an alternative for these people. Let the government build a place these people can relocate too.

ifyalways:
Gbam !

This is the major problem i have with LASG. They collect money and look the other way when :
People buy and build on stated owned lands.
People build on water ways,pipelines and below electric cables.

Then 2 years later,they'll wake from their deep slumber and come with their demolition trailers. Do they ever look inwards- fish out,punish the government officials involved in this whole biz racket?