…… over 19 filling Stations sealed-up
…….To clamp down on PFS without building plan approval in the State
In furtherance to the State Government commitments to zero tolerance for haphazard and non conforming buildings construction in the State, The Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) embarked on the sealing of Petroleum Filling Stations (PFS) along Lekki Epe Expressway in Eti-Osa Local Government area of the state for various offences which includes non adherence to the State Physical Planning laws, no evidence of building permit, sitting of PFS without recourse to approved distance from other, building of the highly inflammable structures within residential areas amongst others.
Speaking to newsmen today at the Agency Headquarters, Oba Akinjobi way, GRA Ikeja, Lagos, the General Manager of the agency, Arc. Gbolahan Oki said that sealing of the PFS became necessary in order to put sanity into indiscriminate sitting and construction of the PFS Stations in order to prevent a time bomb and its attendance loss of lives and properties in the state.
Arc.Oki emphasized that the Agency doesn’t grant operational licence to PFS, however, supervision of every stage of construction from start to finish and structural stability of the building after obtaining development permits from our sister Agency, Lagos State Physical Planning Permit Authority is part of the LASBCA’s assignments of responsibilities.
The General Manager maintained that before the agency carried the enforcement for compliance drive, all the PFS were served contravention notices by the Agency early this year, and all efforts by the Agency to prevail on the Management of the affected stations to tow the line of due processes and best practices in consonance with Lagos State Building Control Regulations proved abortive .
Speaking further, Oki said that some of the identified stations were built on drainage channel, no evidence of building plan approval, some were build within residential area without evidence of impact assessment report, no strict adherence to approved distance from each other,. Some were built within a radius of 20 -50 metres to other.
He said that all the Stations were served all the statutory enforcement notices in consonance with the Lagos State Urban and Regional Planning and Development Laws with no response from the respective Owner before they were eventually sealed by the Agency.
The General Manager emphasised that the decision was taken after a thorough engineering appraisal and monitoring of all the Stations carried out by the Agency with a view to ensuring better physical planning environment for sustainable development and averting needless loss of lives and properties due to inferno or structural failure.
Oki added that the Seal-Up is a signal to any would be recalcitrant owner who circumvent Government rules and regulations as provided by regulatory provision of the law, the Structures shall be sealed up by the Agency and the cost of sealing will be borne by the owner, “enough of wasting taxpayers money on removal of illegalities” he said.
The General Manager noted that people have shown disregard for the state laws on building construction in the past which the resultant effect are worrisome.
He appealed to the owners and developers to desist from starting a construction project without obtaining a building plan approval.
He insisted that building owner/developer should seek authorisation from Lasbca, hire the services of relevant professionals, speak to safety and test their building materials before commencement of their building construction.
Gbadeyan Abdulraheem
Asst. Director Public Affairs (LASBCA)
