LERSA MEETS WITH LASPPPA OVER SEALING OFF MEMBERS\' ESTATE
The meeting was presided over by The General Manager, Lagos State Physical Planning Permit Authority, (LASPPPA), TPL Kehinde Osinaike. The delegation from LERSA was led by the President of the Association – Olorogun James Emadoye.
Major Highlights;
1.
LASPPPA is the Authority that is statutorily charged with the processing
and issuance of planning permits for buildings and constructions
including Fresh applications, existing properties,
revalidation/restamping, etc.
2. As part of strategies to discourage
haphazard development in the State and subsequently curb incidents of
building collapse, LASPPPA is appealing to Estate members and
communities within the Lekki axis to embrace voluntary compliance with
Physical Planning Permit Laws, as against waiting for a clampdown
against violators, as experienced recently in some of the Estates in
Lekki.
3. The General Manager stated that the purpose of LASPPPA is
not to victimize or harass anyone but to ensure lives and properties are
safe and secure. The objective of the Authority is to ensure that every
construction is secure and has a permit before the commencement of such
construction.
4. LASPPPA is appealing that residents should adopt
the policy of “See something and Say somethingâ€. Residents should not
hesitate to raise alarm if they suspect any discrepancy in the
construction or building. They promised to dispatch their staff to such a
building, for further investigation. Appropriate sanctions would be
meted out on erring individuals or developers, including sealing of the
property in question or pulling down whole structures depending on the
gravity of infraction and dictates of the law.
5. The executives of
Estates were advised to get acquainted with the relevant provisions of
the Physical Planning laws that guide construction works in order not to
run afoul of the guidelines. He also recommended that every estate
should have a Physical Planning Committee to ensure that the necessary
monitoring ensures that the rules are adhered to.
6. The General
Manager stressed that Estates must insist on seeing the Physical
planning permit of any developer before building commencement.
In
his response, the President of LERSA commended the efforts of LASPPPA in
ensuring compliance but expressed worry that the action of the
Authority in the sealing of Estates, was quite harsh and extreme. He
stated that LERSA is ready to work with the Authority, to sensitise
members of the requirements, to avoid such action in the future.
The
President hoped that in the future, the Association will be notified to
intervene, to avoid any impending action on estates under the LERSA
umbrella.
The G.M added that before any development or building construction commences some of the basic requirements include;
-Project
Boards to show the name of the contractors, Architects & Engineers
working on the building. The Board should also show the Approval Number,
photocopy of the permit must be displayed on the board or site.
LASPPPA stated that the operation “show your permit†was currently ongoing.
The
G.M thanked LERSA members for coming for the meeting and agreed to
unseal some of the affected Estates, for further consultations. He
stated that the Authority will henceforth, work with the Association to
ensure that such sealing off was a thing of the past.
