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LagosThe Lagos State Physical Planning and Building Control Appeals Committee, an arbitration panel, has presented its three years progress report to the State Government after receiving 80 cases and completing 40.
This was contained in a statement on Saturday by Mr Mukaila Sanusi, Spokesperson of the Lagos State Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development.
Sanusi said the Commissioner, Mr Tayo Bamgbose-Martins, received the committee’s report on Friday in Alausa.
He said the commissioner applauded the the Appeals Committee as a brilliant idea which brought about the needed interface between government and the people in application of the Physical Planning laws.
Bamgbose-Martins said it was interesting that such a body was available to checkmate excesses of government officials and the people.
He urged all parties to shun undue interference in application of Physical Planning Laws.
“It is important for everyone to assess their involvement in Physical Planning infractions and henceforth remove all forms of interference, which today remains the bane of the system,” the commissioner said.
The Special Adviser, e-GIS and Planning Matters, Dr Olajide Babatunde, urged the Committee not to relent in hearing cases concerning erring members of staff, while enjoining the ministry to assist in the smooth running of the quasi-tribunal.
The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development, Mrs Abiola Kosegbe, commended the Committee for its unbiased handling of petitions referred to it at different instances by both government and members of the public.
Earlier, the Chairman, Lagos State Physical Planning and Building Control Appeals Committee, Mr Ayodele Adediran, thanked the ministry’s leadership for easing the task of the Committee.
He said the ministry had “been of great assistance in meeting challenges faced by the committee in discharging its duties, even as it neared the end of its tenure”.
Ayodele highlighted the achievements of the committee in the last three years to include considering 80 cases brought before it, 40 of which had been decided.
He added that the issues included hearing of petition by the Lagos State Government on Regional Road alignment and awarding compensation against the government in a case of wrongful demolition.
NewsSourceCredit: NAN
Lagos Physical Planning Commissioner hails study visit oThe Lagos State Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Mr Omotayo Bamgbose-Martins, has commended his Ondo counterpart for understudying Lagos operations towards achieving a livable environment.
This is contained in a statement on Friday by Mrs Adetola Kehinde-Akinsanya, Chief Public Affairs Officer of the Lagos State Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development.
Bamgbose-Martins, according to the statement, gave the commendation while receiving the Ondo State Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development delegation on study tour to Lagos.
The tour took the visitors to the Lagos State Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development and its agencies.
Bamgbose-Martins, who received the Ondo State Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Alhaji Aminu Takuro and his delegation said the visit was good for development.
The Commissioner said that his Ondo State counterpart took a good step to see how Lagos had been able to address its several developmental challenges, considering population density, land use pressures and infrastructural needs.
Bamgbose-Martins said that “the T.
H.E.M.E.S. Agenda remained the pivotal programme of the Babajide Sanwo-Olu administration in Lagos State”.
He said there was a lot to learn from the development and building control initiatives of the state driven by the ministry and its agencies, including Lagos State Physical Planning Permit Authority and Lagos State Building Control Agency.
He hailed the visit as being in the spirit of the Development Agenda for Western Nigeria (DAWN) and opportunity to compare notes and gain from the strengths and experience of Lagos State.
He added that knowledge of planning in Lagos, through the defunct Lagos Executive Development Board (L.
E.D.B.) in 1928, predates Nigeria’s independence.
Special Adviser to the Governor on e-GIS and Planning Matters, Dr Olajide Babatunde, said Ondo State Government would benefit from copying Lagos.
Babatunde said it would help the government to develop a “holistic Master Plan for organised and harmonious development of its communities”.
The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development, Mrs Abiola Kosegbe urged the visitors to feel at home.
Kosegbe said that heads of agencies and departments of the ministry had been instructed to share knowledge to make the visit of their Ondo State counterparts worthwhile.
Earlier, the Ondo State Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Alhaji Aminu Takuro, said that the study tour was important for him to set his agenda as a new Commissioner, who assumed office about two months ago.
“Our ministry needs rebranding and out of the three states we are looking up to, Lagos State, being the Centre of Excellence, remains our best option, where we can have a lot to take away,” he said.
NewsSourceCredit: NAN
The Lagos State Government on Wednesday said the upgrade and reconstruction of the Old Ojo Road would decongest the Lagos-Badagry Expressway.
This, according to the government, will help to reduce hardship of residents on the axis.
The Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Mr Omotayo Bamgbose-Martins, said these in Alausa, Ikeja.
He spoke at a stakeholders’ meeting on the reconstruction of Old Ojo Road (Phase 1), in Amuwo Odofin Local Government.
Bamgbose-Martins said the project would be done in two phases.
He said that the first phase, which is four kilometres, would decongest the Lagos-Badagry Expressway and enhance social and economic well-being of people on the axis.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the first phase of the project, awarded in July 2022 to Messrs CCECC Nigeria Ltd with 18 months completion period, spans from Irede Road to Oluti Bus Stop.
The Old Ojo Road, located in Oriade area of the council, is a 7,650m single carriageway dilapidated surfaced road to be reconstructed into a dual carriageway.
It will serve as a strategic by-pass for motorists from Kirikiri Ifelodun to Ojo Local Government Area via Irede (Abule Oshun) Road.
It is also parallel to Lagos-Badagry Expressway from Mazamaza to Trade Fair.
The commissioner said the project was in line with the THEMES agenda of the Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu-led administration to make Lagos a 21st century economy.
He said that the project would complement the ongoing Lagos-Badagry Expressway project to ease connectivity among communities in Ajeromi-Ifelodun, Amuwo-Odofin and Ojo sections of the Badagry division of Lagos State.
He urged residents to take ownership of the project, cooperate and support the contractors.
The commissioner appealed to them to be patient, promising that government would pay compensation to owners of buildings affected by the project.
Bamgbose-Martins advised Lagos residents to always respect physical planning laws and stop building on the Right of Ways (RoWs) and public spaces, to avoid loss of lives and property.
“May I also take this opportunity to urge citizens to respect Physical Planning laws so that together we can avoid incessant building collapse and loss of lives.
“I am inclined to urge you all to maintain vigilance in your environment and ensure that people act correctly by building right,” he said.
Special Adviser to the Governor on Works and Infrastructure, Mrs Aramide Adeyoye, also said the upgrade of the 7,650 metres Old Ojo Road to dual carriageway
would be done in two phases.
Adeyoye said rigid pavement construction, which is more durable, would be adopted to accommodate heavy duty vehicles on the axis.
She said that 65 per cent of petroleum products that serve the nation pass through the corridor.
The special adviser, however, lamented vandalism of drain cover slabs, removal of iron roads used in construction, permanent blockade by trucks, cows trampling to damage fresh construction and other infractions on the axis.
“To break slabs, to remove iron rods used for the construction is not good,” she said.
Adeyoye responded to concerns of residents of Satellite Town and other communities on the menace of tank farms, containers and trucks in the area.
She promised to continually engage with federal agencies towards resolving the issues.
Adeyoye said the state government was not in charge of allocation of tank farms.
She also spoke on efforts to increase fire stations on the axis.
Stakeholders at the meeting
thanked the state government for the project.
The Special Adviser to the Governor on eGIS and Planning Matters, Mr Olajide Babatunde and Permanent Secretary, Mrs Abiola Kosegbe, were among those present at the meeting.
NewsSourceCredit: NAN
The Lagos State Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Mr Omotayo Bamgbose-Martins, has told staff members of agencies under the ministry that it can no longer be business as usual.
This is contained in a statement on Saturday by Mr Mukaila Sanusi, spokesman of the Lagos State Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development.
Sanusi quoted the commissioner as speaking during his maiden meeting with staff of agencies under his ministry on Friday in Alausa.
The meeting, according to the statement, was held with staff of the Lagos State Physical Planning Permit Authority (LASPPPA) and the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) District Officers.
It said that the state government was adopting rewards and sanctions for efficiency of its agencies monitoring the construction sector and urged the staff to brace up for change.
The commissioner is quoted as saying that the ministry was confronted with several challenges it could not ignore
He said they could not be ignored if the ministry must meet the aspirations of the state government for sustainable built environment and 21st century economy.
“To enhance the quality of our services, it has become incumbent upon us to frontally address notable gaps in the processes.
“It is by so doing that we can engender crops of well empowered field officers, improve public sensitisation of available resources and enhance feedback mechanism as well as reduce negative public perception,” he said.
Bamgbose-Martins said the change would be targeted at building positive public image through effective feedback mechanism and prompt, timely and courteous service.
He urged the District Officers to embrace transparency and accountability in their official conducts.
The commissioner warned that officers must be conscious of their conducts as ambassadors of the state government in their respective districts.
He said that plans were on “to encourage healthy rivalry amongst district offices through the application of a reward system and discipline”.
The Special Adviser to the Governor on eGIS and Planning Matters, Dr Olajide Babatunde, expressed confidence that incessant building collapse would be a thing of the past in Lagos State when the reforms being pushed get a foothold.
Babatunde said that it was necessary for all District Officers as operators of the system to understand and internalise the change being advocated.
The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development, Mrs Abiola Kosegbe promised Lagos residents efficient planning approval and enforcement processes.
She said that these would reduce illegal construction and tame building collapse.
Also present were General Manager (GM), LASBCA, Mr Gbolahan Oki; GM, LASPPPA, Mr Kehinde Osinaike; and GM, Lagos State Planning and Environmental Monitoring Agency, Mr Daisi Oso.
The GM, Lagos State Materials Testing Laboratory, Mr Olufunso Elulade, was also listed among those in attendance at the meeting.
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NewsSourceCredit: NAN
Mr Omotayo Bamgbose-Martins, a former Commissioner for Special Duties and Intergovernmental Relations on Friday resumed office as the new Lagos State Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development.
A statement by Mr Mukaila Sanusi, spokesman of the ministry, said Bamgbose-Martins was warmly received by the ministry’s management staff.
Sanusi said the staff were led by the Special Adviser to the Governor on e-GIS and Planning Matters, Dr Olajide Babatunde, and the Permanent Secretary, Mrs Abiola Kosegbe.
Bamgbose-Martins, in his remarks, explained that his redeployment was another call to duty and opportunity to work with like minds to surmount challenges confronting the built environment.
He urged members of staff “to cooperate and be ready to contribute meaningfully to the development of the state.
The Commissioner promised a transparent and engaging administration and emphasised the need for dedication and team work to enhance service delivery and maximise stakeholders’ satisfaction.
Earlier, Babatunde said that the commissioner was “a square peg in a square hole” bringing his wealth of experience and expertise needed to solve the challenges of the time.
Kosegbe, while giving a brief on the mandate of the ministry, said the commissioner, who he described as a reputable engineer, also distinguished himself while in the Civil Service.
Also, pouring encomiums on Bamgbose-Martins were Permanent Secretaries who had worked with him in the Ministry of Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Relations.
The Commissioner was also briefed by heads of agencies under the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development.
NewsSourceCredit: NAN
Lagos State Government says it has constituted a committee on the regeneration of Obalende, a community on Lagos Island, which has degenerated into rustic part of the state.
A statement by Mr Mukaila Sanusi, a spokesman in the state Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development, quoted the Commissioner, Dr Idris Salako as disclosing this on Thursday in Ikeja.
Salako said the committee was set up by Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, after a meeting with residents of the area.
The commissioner said the residents were given “three months to look into the modalities for restoring the community to its past functional glory.
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According to Salako, the state government is amenable to issuing new lease for land use in the community.
He said the measure was a response to the plea by property owners and residents, led by their representative in the House of Assembly, Mr Gbolahan Yehsau.
Besides, he said the residents requested for government assurance on the issuance of land title and the impending dislocation due to the regeneration plan.
He said the state government had a vision to fulfill the urgent need to regenerate the community in line with the 21st Century development standards.
“Mr Governor at the meeting assured Obalende residents that he will on compassionate ground renew the title to their lands if and when they apply for renewal; but that should not derail the regeneration efforts of the state government,” he said.
The commissioner urged the community to trust that government would take the right steps that would improve the environment to the pride of all as envisioned in the THEMES Agenda.
The committee members included four representatives from the community, their representatives in the House of Assembly and five government officials.
The government officials include Salako, the Permanent Secretary, Lands Bureau, Mr Bode Agoro, his counterpart in Survey, Mr Olutomi Sangowawa.
Others are the General Manager of the Lagos State Urban Renewal Agency (LASURA), Ms Ajibike Shomade and the General Manager, Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA), Mr Gbolahan Oki.
Others are the Lagos Deputy Governor, Dr Obafemi Hamzat; Special Adviser, EGIS Planning Matters, Dr Olajide Babatunde and Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development, Mrs Abiola Kosegbe.
Also in the committee is the General Manager, Lagos State Planning and Environmental Monitoring Agency, Mr Daisi Oso.
NewsSourceCredit: NAN
The Lagos State Government says it has engaged stakeholders on discussions toward smooth establishment of the Right of Way (RoW) for construction of the Opebi-Mende link Bridge in Ikeja.
A statement on Saturday by Mr Mukaila Sanusi, spokesperson of the Lagos state Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development, said the project was a priority of the Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu administration.
Sanusi said the Commissioner for physical planning and urban development, Dr Idris Salako, led the stakeholders meeting in Alausa on Friday.
Salako said the construction of the Opebi-Mende link Bridge and approach roads would ease gridlock and transportion network in line with the THEMES agenda of the Lagos state government.
“It is a known fact that the people are the ultimate beneficiaries of development projects like this.
As promised through the THEMES Agenda of the Administration, the government led by Sanwo-Olu will continue to take concrete steps toward ensuring the delivery of the dividends of democracy to our people.
“Evidently, this particular project, like many that have been executed across sectors, will add on as a good example of making life more abundant for the governed,” he said.
He urged the stakeholders to grant public officers and contractors working on the site unhindered access for hitch-free operations to ensure the project was delivered on schedule.
Salako added that as part of the procedure for the establishment of the RoW, officials of the ministry would serve statutory notices on buildings earmarked for removal and mark such affected buildings at the expiration of the notices.
He added that officers from Lands Bureau would later carry out valuation exercise for compensation purposes before the actual removal of structures.
The Special Adviser to the governor on E-GIS and Planning Matters, Dr Olajide Babatunde urged all property owners to respect the RoW of public facilities to avoid the removal of their structures.
The Special Adviser, Works and Infrastructure, Mrs Aramide Adeyoye urged the stakeholders “to take ownership of the project and accord it the deserved support as their inputs and suggestions were factored in”.
Others at the meeting included: Permanent Secretary, Office of Infrastructure, Mr Olufemi Daramola; General Manager, Lagos State Urban Renewal Agency, Ms Ajibike Shomade and General Manager, Lagos State Planning and Environmental Monitoring Agency, Mr Daisi Oso.
NewsSourceCredit: NAN
