The Lagos State Government has issued a 48-hour notice to property owners whose structures encroach on the Right-of-Way of the Storm Water drainage channel in Jakande Estate, Oke-Afa, Isolo.
The announcement was made in a post on the handle of Tokunbo Wahab, the Commissioner of Environment and Water Resources, on Tuesday. This post included a copy of the served contravention notice dated May 13, 2023.
In the copy of the contravention notice served, the defaulting structures are located off Igwe Enze Street, Jakande Estate.
According to the details of the contravention notice, officials from the ministry carried out an inspection of the area and identified the following contraventions: dumping of refuse and waste within or inside the drainage channel, construction of structures that block the channel, and building of structures on the right-of-way of the drainage channel.
For fairness, the Lagos State Government requested that any of the owners or occupiers off Igwe Enze Street who were served the contravention notice and dispute the claims contained in the notice do so within 48 hours.
The notice further stressed that those occupants and owners who were served the notices and do not dispute them are advised to remove the contraventions on the drainage channel or restore the Storm Water drainage channel to its original condition, or have the contravening structures demolished at the expiration of the 48-hour notice.
The Lagos State Government has actively enforced measures to ensure the free flow of rainwater and prevent flooding, including desilting drainages and removing structures that obstruct drainage channels.
In recent months, the Ministry of Environment and Water Resources, led by Tokunbo Wahab, has issued contravention notices to owners and occupiers of such structures across the state and has carried out demolitions where notices were ignored.
A notable case is the recent demolition in part of Mende Villa Estate, in Mende, Kosofe, which sparked significant debate on social media.
Some property owners claimed they had not received any contravention notices. However, Tokunbo Wahab countered these allegations, stating that the developers of the contravening structures had been notified as far back as 2021.