…begins demolition of illegal structures at industrial layout.
…..promises to extend such exercise to other affected parts in Akure & across the state.
……warns encroachers attacking government enforcement team of dire consequences
Ondo state government says it will not allow anything to hinder the industrial revolution it is bringing to Akure for economic transformation of the state capital.
At a press conference jointly addressed by the Commissioner for Physical planning, Deaconess Lola Fagbemi and her Infrastructure, Lands and Housing counterpart, Engr Raimi Aminu on illegal construction of residential buildings at the industrial layout in Akure, government said it is determined to change the economic narrative of the state through industrialization which it had started with the South Senatorial district at Ore.
Government described as embarrassing the decision of some individuals to compromise the facility provided many decades ago by previous administrations for industrial development including the industrial layout.
The Commissioner for Physical planning, Deaconess Lola Fagbemi who led an operation to demolish illegal structures at the industrial layout on the orders of the State Executive Council said the Akeredolu administration is particular about restoring the original master plan of the state’s major cities.
Fagbemi who affirmed that the demolition at the layout was just the first phase warned that anywhere such impunity is observed will be visited to prevent Akure from becoming an unplanned city
The Commissioner said that over 40 illegal structures at the industrial layout had been demolished out of about 100
“Over 40 buildings are affected but we are yet to totally demolish them so that owners can remove their belongings before total demolition”
Also the Commissioner for Infrastructure, Lands and Housing, Engr. Raimi Aminu while acting on the orders of the Executive Council to co-execute the demolition exercise said removal of the illegal structures at the layout behind the Automart in Akure was done because government could not allow anything to override its determination to bring strategic development to the state.
Aminu who said the legitimate allotees who were given land at the industrial layout by past administrations got minimum of 5,000 square metres each strictly for industrial and commercial purposes and all of them already have tittle documents (c of o’s) but regretted that such portions of land had been massively balkanised into smaller sizes by land grabbers and sold illegally for residential purposes.
According to him “the land grabbers had taken over the land from the original owners, divided the land into between 700 and 1000 square metres each, sold them for residential purposes and prevented the real allotees from stepping foot on their land”.
The Infrastructure Commissioner stressed that the illegal occupants of the land at the industrial estate had been warned severally against erecting structures on them despite not having any tittle on them but they turned the deaf ear.
“Each time government’s task force visited the place to enforce the stop-work order the illegal developers would attack them physically”
He challenged any of the affected property owners who have title documents including Survey plan, Certificate of Occupancy and Building approval to bring them forward to confirm legal ownership.
Aminu assured that the one administration policy of the Akeredolu government had made it impossible for perpetrators of illegality to penetrate the government and use the divide and rule tactics to have their way.
