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The Lagos state government on Wednesday gave immediate quit notice to all squatters operating under the Obalende bridge/motor park to vacate the place as the park is to be redesigned into an environmental sustainable and functional space.
Addressing the media after an inspection tour of the area, the Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Mr. Tokunbo Wahab, said that squatters have been given an ultimatum to leave in the next few hours because they had earlier been informed and asked to move as far back as the year 2024.
“We have the approval from the state government already. The essence is to clean it in a sustainable manner and transform it into an environmentally sustainable space” he said.
He stated that the enforcement officials of the Ministry were on ground to enforce the quit order in order to formally hand over the space to one of the biggest companies in the country that has signified interest in taking up the space as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). He explained that there was a little delay because the government had to do a lot of background consultation with the company with respect to having a environmentally sustainable design that is suitable for them for CSR and for the government saying the company will be maintaining the space afterwards.
He said the design will include a motor garage, public toilets, sleeping bays, Electric Vehicle charging points, adding that the government is just redesigning the space for sustainability and also to rid the space of hoodlums terrorising residents in the area.
According to him, “We just want to redesign and make it habitable and functional for a 21st century economy in a state like Lagos. So once we hand over to them, we can now start following up.We are going back there for the handover and then we are going to share with the media the design that is coming up there”.
The Commissioner and his team also visited Oja Oba at Lagos Island, to see the design that Lagos Island local government came up with following their request to take over and finance beautification of the space under the bridge.
He stressed that open spaces should always be put to proper use highlighting that under bridge space at Osborne has now been transformed in to a football pitch. He added that the Adeniji/ Ilubirin loop will also be transformed into a space that is conducive and useful to residents in the area.
He stated that Adeniji/ Ilubirin loop, there are a lot of illegal activities going on there and that government will ensure it is put to effective and beneficial use. “I just mentioned that we have taken a drone shot of the place; And then we will work on how we can put them to proper clusters “ he said.
Wahab emphasised that the Lagos State Environmental Law against street trading and illegal waste disposal is still in place as such residents should refrain from illegal wastes disposal while traders should avoid trading in undesignated market places. Places visted included the Obalende under bridge/ park; Ilubirin under loop and oja oba in Lagos Island.
The Commissioner was accompanied by the Special Adviser on Environment, Olakunle Rotimi-Akodu, Permanent Secretaries, Environmental Services, Dr. Gaji Omobolaji and that of Drainage Services, Engr Mahamood Adegbite; LAWMA MD, Dr. Muyiwa Gbadegeshin; LASPARK GM, Mrs. Toun Popoola; KAI Corps MARSHAL, Major Olatunbosun Cole (Rtd); LASWMO GM, Engr Adefemi Afolabi and other directors from the Ministry and its Agencies.
