.’Regularize or risk revocation and demolition’
AKOR SYLVESTER-Abuja
The Federal Government has given a one month ultimatum to developers on the shoreline in Lagos to come up for regularisation or risk revocation and demolition.
Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Arc. Ahmed Musa Dangiwa issued the ultimatum and warning Wednesday after the Inspection visit to the Lagos Lagoon Estates and shoreline front.
Dangiwa is on official working visit to Lagos State to inspect the Federal government landed properties and assets. He was accompanied by the Permanent Secretary, Dr. Marcus Ogunbiyi and some Directors of the Ministry.
The Minister stated that developments on the Lagos shoreline must be orderly and in line with the existing laws and regulations, adding that he met with the Lagos State Governor yesterday, and they arrived at a common agreement that the Federal Government and Lagos State Government will work together to ensure there is disciplined development on the Lagos Shoreline.
“The Federal government is taking stock of its assets and landed properties with the view to having proper documentation of its assets spread across the country”, he said.
Dangiwa who took a boat tour with his team and officials of the Nigeria Inland Waterways Authority to see things for himself, explained that, what they found on the Lagoon Shoreline in Lagos was alarming. The shoreline is littered with irregular developments where people carved some areas, sand filled it and built without first obtaining Federal Government title and necessary documentations.
“There is no room for Haphazard developments on the Lagos Shoreline. We are working with Lagos State to fix these anomalies”, Dangiwa said.
The Federal Government, through Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development has the rights to issuance and administration of title on shorelines in accordance with the Land (Title Vesting) Act 1975; and through Nigeria Inland Waterways Authority, grants permit to dredging along the shoreline, while the State Government has the control over physical development on the shoreline.
He emphasised that the federal government will not tolerate such Haphazard development and irregular activities on the shoreline, hence the ultimatum.
Other Federal government’s sites visited by the Minister in Lagos on Wednesday include; Ogbogbo Housing Project Ikorodu and Ikorodu Low Cost Housing sites.
In a statement signed by Salisu Badamasi Haiba, Director Press and Public Relations, the Minister will be rounding off his working visit with a Stakeholder Engagement, Friday, December 13th, 2024.