Coastal road: No compensation for buildings without permit – LASG

The Lagos state government has disclosed that demolished buildings along the alignment of the 700-kilometer Lagos – Calabar Coastal Highway without the state’s physical permit approval would not be entitled to any compensation.

The state’s commissioner for physical and urban development, Oluyinka Olumide stated this while delivering his speech at the Association of Real Estate Agent in Nigeria Summit held in the state.

Daily Trust reports that the Lagos-Calabar coastal project has been generating controversy over the proposed demolition of buildings.

The Commissioner said, “We are planning the coastal road from Lagos to Calabar, some houses will be affected. Now if you don’t have planning permit approval, you cannot be compensated, so the importance of permit cannot be overemphasized.

• Lagos-Calabar coastal highway: ‘You don’t need to wait till Friday’, Atiku’s camp fires fresh shot
• Police launch investigation into murder of lawyer in Imo

“They have been duly informed and are aware. There are some who have titles, they will be compensated but those without title and approval, it is a pity they will not be compensated.

“We have informed them and the next stage is that those who are due for compensation should write to us and let us know the value of what they will be compensated with.” he added.

The commissioner further revealed that the state government has plans to meet with commercial banks to not approve loans with just titles of land properties alone, saying the physical planning permit must be included.

“We are going to interface very seriously with the banks. For you to get your loans, it is not just by submitting your titles, those properties must have been registered, that is the authority,” he added.

He said the government would begin the amnesty programme for property owners who have completed their properties without permit to do the right thing.

“This month they are going to start the amnesty program for those who have completed their properties and are already using it by the way of living there and they don’t have a permit that you can bring with them.

“Just get your own consultant, then let generate drawings for you and bring them forward and those properties will be given planning permission,” he added.

Former president of Nigerian Institute of Estate Surveyors and Valuers (NIESV) Emeka Eleh in his keynote address frowned at the high rate of quackery in real estate practice.

Speaking on “Building Enduring Partnership For a Future, he said, “Arising from poor regulation is the issue of quackery, the fact that we have many untrained practitioners, unfortunately the real estate agency business is an all comer game because it is easy come easy go and that need to change and I am glad that AEAN is changing that because the goal is to have a central body where agent in Nigeria registered,” she said.

The Special Adviser (Housing), Barakat Odunuga-Bakare who represented Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu pledged a conducive environment for practitioners.

“As a Professional Body, investors’ confidence must be restored especially for those in the diaspora, the issues of fake/ dubious practitioners must be addressed by relevant professional bodies in the industry,” he said.