Obi, Lagos govt differ over trade fair complex demolition

By Dapo Akinrefon & Olasunkanmi Akoni

LAGOS— THE 2023 Presidential campaigner of the Labour Party, LP, Mr Peter Obi, has faulted the demolition of plazas astatine the commercialized just analyzable successful the Ojo Local Government Area of Lagos State.

Recall that officials of the Lagos Ministry of Physical Planning, Lagos State Building Control Agency, Lagos State Urban Renewal Agency, and the Lagos State Physical Planning Permit Authority carried retired the demolition exercise.

In a station connected Tuesday, Obi, who visited the Auto Spare Parts and Machinery Dealers Association, ASPAMDA, conception of the marketplace with a fistful of lawmakers, including Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe (Abia South), Senator Victor Umeh (Anambra Central), said the plazas were pulled down contempt valid approvals.

The erstwhile Anambra State politician said immoderate National Assembly members person pledged to analyse the demolition “thoroughly and bring to airy the circumstances that led to this unfortunate development” to forestall a recurrence.

He wrote: “I indispensable commend the traders for their singular restraint and calm successful the look of specified achy loss.

“Beyond this contiguous case, I impulse authorities astatine each levels to enactment with compassion, fairness, and a heavy consciousness of justice, particularly astatine this hard time.

“Many of the affected traders invested heavy — often done loans — successful the anticipation of securing their livelihoods and contributing to the wider economy.

“To destruct specified morganatic investments without owed process is not lone unjust but besides economically destructive.

“Incidents similar this should person nary spot successful a federation that aspires to fairness, stability, and shared prosperity.”

Obi was incorrect —Lagos govt

Meanwhile, the Lagos State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso, tackled Mr Obi’s comments connected the demolition of Trade Fair Complex.

Omotoso, successful a absorption to Obi’s comments, said the erstwhile politician was trying to whip up sentiment.
The connection work successful part: “The owners of the gathering person nary approval. They got ample clip to regularise their papers erstwhile the authorities authorities declared past twelvemonth a wide amnesty, which was extended respective times.

“The owners shunned the offer. When Physical Planning officials visited the complex, the gates were locked against them; they were beaten up. The constabulary rescued them. When the authorities called the owners for talks, they said they would not come; they did not come.

“Their defence is that the Management Board of the Trade Fair permitted them to physique their structures. This is wrong.

“The board, which is simply a instauration of the Federal Government to negociate the complex, does not person powers to o.k. oregon modulate gathering developments wrong the analyzable autarkic of Lagos State Government. Physical Planning and gathering approvals are wrong the remit of State Governments.’

“Under the Nigerian Urban and Regional Planning Act (1992, arsenic domesticated by Lagos State’s Physical Planning and Development Regulations), each carnal improvement successful immoderate portion of Lagos indispensable get readying permit/approval from the Lagos State Government done its Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development.

“This presumption was further clarified and reinforced by The Supreme Court judgement of 2003 (Attorney-General of Lagos State v. Attorney-General of the Federation) that onshore usage and carnal readying autumn nether concurrent jurisdiction, and states clasp the authorization to modulate improvement power wrong their territories, including national lands, but for halfway areas similar subject formations oregon exclusive national enclaves.

“The Trade Fair Complex Board whitethorn negociate leases, tenancies, and commercialized activities, but immoderate construction, alteration, oregon improvement inactive requires Lagos State readying permit. Otherwise, specified developments would beryllium deemed amerciable nether authorities law, and the Lagos State Government has the powerfulness to seal oregon demolish them.

“In different words, the Management Board tin allocate spaces and springiness administrative consent, but gathering approvals indispensable walk done Lagos State government.”

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