The Lagos State Government has revealed that it will embark on weeklong monitoring and enforcement against the conversion of government residential buildings to commercial purposes.
The Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Dr Idris Salako, made this known on Tuesday, March 2, in a statement by Mr Mukaila Sanusi, spokesman for the ministry.
Salako said that there had been an indiscriminate conversion of government buildings from residential to commercial purposes by some of the residents.
He said that the affected housing schemes include Lekki Peninsula Scheme I and Magodo Residential Scheme I and II.
The commissioner said the focus would be on those who had indiscriminately converted their buildings from residential to commercial purposes.
He said that government housing schemes ought to remain residential with provision for services as planned.
According to him, the schemes had been bastardised by indiscriminate conversion of buildings from residential to commercial by some of the residents.
Salako said that a team from the ministry would soon begin the monitoring and enforcement for the return of the state residential estates to their original plans.
He said if the lawlessness in those estates were not checked, “the future would spell doom for the carefully designed upper-income residential schemes”.
Salako said residents in the affected estates had complained to the state government, seeking redress.
He said that the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development had met with residents of the estates severally in order to restore sanity.
“It is noteworthy that engagements with Magodo Phases I and II Residents Association produced the Revised Magodo Scheme I and II, which has since become effective,” he said.
The commissioner said the state government would not tolerate indiscriminate conversion, urging those liable for such infractions to brace up for the ministry’s enforcement.
“Our Monitoring and Enforcement Team will be visiting all other government schemes for similar action in due course.
“I hereby urge that every part of the state should take a cue from this by desisting from the undue conversion of properties without the approval of the appropriate authorities,” he said.
