The Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development in Ogun State, Olatunji Odunlami, has asked town own planning officers in the state to avoid delays in the process of granting building approval, noting that such will lead to illegal and haphazard developments that often poses threat to lives and property.
He gave the charge at a two-day training organised by the Ogun State Planning and Development Authority (OGPDPA) for newly posted zonal town planning officers across the state.
He said, “Simple applications should not exceed seven days provided the applicants provide all necessary documents upfront. Planning information should also be obtained within seven days, while special applications should not exceed 14 days, hence the deployment of the 7-7-14 Permit Process.
“The 7-7-14 Permit Process has eased the bottlenecks associated with obtaining approval in the state. At the inception of this administration, simple applications took a minimum of two months.
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“If you approve buildings and developments where the law and building regulations of the authority are not complied with, you are creating problems for the future. In a decade or two, will you be able to look back with pride at areas where you approved developments for? The answer to that question starts from the decisions you make today.”
The acting General Manager (GM) of OGPDPA, Idowu James, took the participants through the step-by-step process of obtaining building approval for both simple and special applications, charging the officers and their deputies to always be cordial, helpful and professional in their conduct at work.
Earlier in her address, the Head of Planning Permit of OGPDPA, Olugbemisola Jolaoluwa, said the training was important for staff to understand the processes for the efficient performance of their statutory duties, advising the participants to take advantage of the exercise.
