Stakeholders in the built environment have said the demolition of buildings should be a last resort by the government.
This appeal came after the Lagos State Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, issued a seven-day contravention notice on the owners of the properties whose structures encroach on the drainage in Agungi, Ajiran, Conservation Road, Osapa, all along the Ikota River area of the state.
The Director, Public Affairs, Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources, Kunle Adesina, made this known via a telephone interview with our correspondent.
He said, “The law of the state allows the removal of any building or structure within a seven-metre drainage setback in the area after the contravention notice has elapsed.”
In an exclusive interview with Freelanews, the Managing Director, Fame Oyster & Co. Nigeria, Femi Oyedele, advised that the government should not encourage waste.
He said, “Waste is a relative term. If the government earmarked a land area as an industrial or commercial district, it would be unprogressive to advise the government to change the plan to residential. With critical Path Analysis, some land use cannot be located in another location.
Industrial areas should be close to residential areas. The importance of parks and green areas cannot be overemphasised. If trespassers illegally construct medical or educational land, they should not sacrifice public or individual benefits. Where the illegal conversion of land use can be tolerated, they can be advised to accommodate the illegal conversion and penalise the trespassers.
“Sustainability and a circular economy should be the guiding principles of government. Sustainability means taking into consideration the economic, social, and environmental implications of whatever action we are taking. If the illegal developments become an eyesore or are not the ‘highest and best use’ of the land, the best option is for the government to demolish it. A circular economy means that the materials used must be recyclable or that all materials in the system are not wasted and nature can be regenerated. Circular economy principles may be the guiding factor for the use of the demolition wastes for the construction of houses.”
In the same vein, an architect, Ola Olusola, suggested that the government should retrofit assets rather than demolish them.
“I would rather the government take over, assess, retrofit/complete, and put to use these properties. Demolition should be a remote resort, the government must not encourage waste. In addition, sustainability and a circular economy should be the guiding principles of the government.”
Meanwhile, the Chief Executive Officer, Space Buttons Architecture Limited, Seyi Amusan, said the issue of the recent demolitions in the city of Lagos had been met with mixed emotions by people.
He said, “Most of them react based on sentimental reasons and not necessarily according to facts. For example, some believe the demolition exercise is a carefully calculated means to sabotage the economy of a group of people while others think it is a reckless exercise driven by the government without a reasonable cause. The fact of the matter is that Lagos is a city governed by environmental laws that must be adhered to, to secure a property in the built environment. It has set laws that spell out the guiding rules for ownership of property and construction works of buildings within the state, of which failure to comply with this, would result in environmental anarchy which would eventually lead to loss of lives and properties.
“The fact is that Lagos being a coastal city runs a risk of overflooding if the issue of drainage and other parameters that influence this are not handled seriously. Irrespective of tribe, religion, or gender, anyone who wishes to buy a piece of land to be developed along the drainage lines must go through due process with the Government authorities at the preliminary stage of development before embarking on the construction work on site. At such stages, it would have been made clear if the proposed venture is viable or not so the investor would know how to count his or her losses and move on to something more profitable. The small amount needed to secure this phase cannot be compared at any level with the eventual cost of construction. However, many still fail to take this period of due diligence seriously, and by doing so, they subject themselves to unfortunate events such as this ongoing loss of properties which in some cases has a value up to hundreds of millions of naira.”
According to the architect, the government was strengthening the need to secure a sustainable environment by removing such unauthorised developments that posed environmental hazards to the inhabitants of the state.
He added, “This in my view, is commendable. However, I am also of the opinion that the Government can go further by exploring the Building Circularity Integration Tool by Stephen Ajadi, 2014/15, to determine the level of Circularity in African buildings, which can also chart pathways for end-of-life of materials locked in buildings?”
Quadri Olaitan is a journalist and contributor to Freelanews.com, covering news, public affairs, and human-interest stories.
