Lagos: No allocation for permanent structure on Coastal Area

This Day

Segun James

The Lagos State Government has again reiterated that it is not allocating permanent structures on coastal area, especially along the Lekki/Epe coastal road in Eti-Osa Local Government Area.

The state Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Gbenga Omotoso, made it clear that the state government only allows temporary structures on land along the coast pending when construction activities will begin.

According to Omotoso, who was accompanied by the state Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Dr. Idris Salako, on an on-the-spot assessment of the coastal area, said this was done in order to prevent the coastal roads from being turned into shanties that will constitute security threat to the area.

He said: “There have been allegations that the government has been allocating land to people for some other uses. I will like to put it on record that there is no allocation of land here. What we have done is to permit people to use this place temporarily.

“Nobody is permitted to build permanent structure here; what you see her are temporary structures. Anytime we need to continue work on the coastal road, the work will continue. Nobody has any permission to build permanent structure here.

“There have been legitimate complaints and anxiety. But compared to the first place we visited, which has been taken over by miscreants-they have been sent packing-this place is free of miscreants.

“So, for us to keep the security of this environment, we allow people who can use this place as a temporary base. We have permitted certain people to build temporary structures here as long as they will use the space for good cause. We don’t want shanties to grow like mushrooms here. We don’t want people whose character and nature we do not know to take over the land.”