LASPEMA GOES TOUGH ON VIOLATORS OF SETBACKS IN LAGOS.

 

The Lagos State Planning and Environmental Monitoring Agency (LASPEMA), has renewed its commitment towards sanitising activities on setbacks and incidental open spaces in Lagos. In a continued effort to ensure Lagos setbacks and incidental open spaces are well manned, the Agency recently issued contravention notices to residents most especially property owners encroaching setbacks along the Lekki-Epe Axis of the state.

The General Manager (GM) of LASPEMA, Tpl. Daisi Oso while leading a team of the Monitoring and Compliance Unit of the Agency a couple of days ago condemned the reckless abuse and unprofessional conduct of property owners in Lekki Phase I. The GM noted with disdain the indecency at the rate at which these setbacks are abused and put to misuse to the extent that Lagosians’ lives are put at risk because pedestrians are at receiving end, ‘’many had been maimed while some had lost their lives. This has to stop because the first responsibility of any  government is to protect lives and property for which Mr. Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu is highly sensitive to.’’

He further buttressed that LASPEMA understands the dynamics of the urban setting especially as it affects the urban poor, ‘’our position is to look out for permissible use of these setbacks and incidental open spaces so as to discontinue its abuse whilst still not disrupting urban poor economy who are majorly the occupants of these spaces who are also coincidentally a contributor to Lagos GDP.’’

According to the GM, he said that the ‘’essence of the exercise is to correct all anomalies perpetrated by property owners in Lekki-Epe and its environs.’’ He further reiterated that ‘’the era where things are done without caution  in Lagos is over. LASPEMA is ready to put all planning instrumentation to use in ensuring we have a Lagos that is inclined with global best practices and I have vowed to ensure that our setbacks are managed to ensure Lagos becomes a ‘’Smart City of Choice that is also in tandem with Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-olu’s T.HE.M.E.S. Agenda of Making Lagos a 21st Century Economy.

In the course of the exercise, Tpl Oso frowned at the way and manner setbacks and incidental open spaces have been cornered for private use. He said ‘’it is very unfortunate and not a welcome idea that setbacks which originally are meant for future developmental projects for the benefits of Lagosian are now reduced to private use. For instance, setbacks are designed by City Planners for the purpose of  accommodating future expansions of infrastructures and public utilities like transportation systems, communication cables/networks, sewage, water pipe lines, and electricity.

In the same vein, the GM said ‘’ as a professional, setbacks are meant to be inculcated into road designs. Some of these single-lane roads we see now will later become dual carriageways, or even become a 6 lane road in the nearest future depending on the rate of development and growth of the area which is my concern for Lekki-Epe Axis and its environs. So, it is uncalled for to see property owners erect permanent structures on these setbacks’’ he said. 

The GM, while fielding questions from the press after the exercise stated that, erecting permanent structures on setbacks and incidental open spaces goes *contrary and violates the principle of contemporary and classical urban planning.* ‘’you will never see these in other climes. Not at all. If Lagos is to look attractive and be a destination for foreign investors, LASPEMA will not condone these practices we are seeing here today.’’

He vowed that he will not allow anyone to open his or her property into a Trunk A Road. ‘’If at all you want to open up your property, it must be to a service lane for the purpose of leading you to a highway. It is very absurd seeing our people open their backyards into a road that is expected to be a highway. I repeat setbacks are not for personal use. It is never an extension of your house. LASPEMA as an Agency will not tolerate this anymore. Enough is Enough, we will not fold our hands and allow people exploit government by colonising our setbacks for private use.’’

In the course of engagement with the press, the GM further stressed that according to a recent survey carried out by his Agency, it was observed that abuse and misuse of setbacks account for close to 70 percent of fire incidents in Lagos State owning to insensitivity use of  adjacent occupier. Hence, the need for LASPEMA not only to monitor but also regulate all activities on these setbacks and incidental open spaces. 

The GM then enjoined Lagosians, well-meaning individuals, and other government MDAs to support LASPEMA in the journey of sanitising Lagos Setbacks and incidental open spaces.