Eugene Agha
3 July 2008
Lagos — Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola of Lagos State yesterday warned financial institutions in the State against indiscriminate siting of their branch offices within and around the metropolis, saying he would come down heavily on erring banks .
He said that the State Government now has zero-tolerance on such attitude and would not hesitate to pull down structures sited without due approval from the appropriate ministry in charge.
Fashola made the disclosure yesterday at an interactive session with the private sector, held at Alausa, Ikeja to mark the 400 days in office of his administration.
According to him, it was the constitutional responsibility of the State Government to ensure that there was law and order in all parts of the metropolis. He added that ensuring absolute law and order in all parts of the State is the only way Government can secure the lives and property of its citizens .
Fashola revealed that the State Government has prepared a policy to regulate physical planning and urban development in Lagos.
"Last Friday to Sunday we were in a retreat with all of the surveyors, engineers, civil and structural the town planners, insurance companies, controller general of prisons and all stakeholders in the building industry, architects.
"They are reviewing that documents and we will develop for all of, because when its done we will hand over it to private sector how we should proceed . We got consultant from United Kingdom (UK) to come and look at this, in this regards I am proud to report to you that we have taken one of the most audacious steps toward developing the future of Lagos in terms of urban planning and building control .
"When the document is finished we will bring it before the state assembly. We want to enforce law and order in the State. That is the only way we can protect you, and your businesses. We can not have Law and Order in a place if by the time you want to build you think you can build your houses on canals, drainages and roads. We will pull them down by the time we get there. Collect the necessary approval from the appropriate ministry if you must build," he added.
He insisted that what the State Government was planning to do in Lagos was to ensure that nobody builds on a place that is unauthorised, adding that in the interim, it had approved plans in conformity with the existing law.
Fashola also presented his vision to transform Lagos into a mega city comparable with its status, adding that the State Government had put in place structures that will accommodate 40 million people in 25 years time.
According to him, the influx of people into Lagos was already projected to happen, and that it was being estimated that by the year 2015 it would be about 25 million people and that the State was already planning ahead.
"As we are here, we are planning Lagos State for 40 million people ahead for the next 25 years so that we can live and work and play in an orderly manner in this beautify state and cities.
Most of the bridges which are distressed today were built before I was born, we plan gradually to remove and replace them accordingly," he added.
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