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By Chinwendu Obienyi
The leadership of Osborne Foreshore Residents Association (OSFRA) has urged the Lagos state government to immediately stop all contraventions at ongoing construction projects by some developers within the estate.
The group also called for the commissioning of a detailed planning audit and structural integrity appraisal of all developers and foreshore waters by the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban development.
Addressing journalists, yesterday, the Chairperson, Board of Trustees, OSFRA, Chinwe Ezenwa-Mbah, stated that the untoward activities of some developers in the estate, who glaringly contravene all known orders, have made residents of the estate to be uncomfortable.
Ezenwa Mbah noted that the developers claimed to have appropriate planning approvals from the Lagos state regulatory agencies, but when requested to document their approvals, they refused and bluntly declared that the estate residents did not have the legal right to demand their plan approvals.
She said: “These so-called developers are currently in the process of constructing over 10 high rise buildings in our estate; all in violation of extant planning laws of Lagos state. Evident in their violation is that they have wrongfully classified Osborne Foreshore Phase II from a low-density to a high-density residential estate, which gives private developers license to build multi-family units, the parking provisions made are not accessible to vehicles.
“Furthermore, their sewage treatment is non-existent in any of their developments and the setbacks as well as air-spaces are being violated, which will create a choking effect along the streets cape. The 50 metres allowable set back from the shoreline is not being observed and the embankments of certain heights and strengths, which may permit the abridgement of this guideline, are not provided.”
Ezenwa-Mbah added that there are absence of fire rating and firefighting facilities, Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report and various dilapidation surveys, while noting that the Commissioner on Physical Planning recently visited a contravention site and sealed up the site only for it to be reopened a few days later.
She said this is reminiscent of the story being told about the recently collapsed building in Ikoyi. Also speaking, a member, Board of Trustees, Arc Yomi Awoniyi, appealed to the government to adhere to the original master plan of the estate. He noted that the major concern of OSFRA is not only the collapse of buildings or how exclusive the building will look after construction, but the collapse of buildings after construction is completed and the buildings occupied.
Daily Sun investigations revealed that the matter has been between OSFRA and a property developer over an alleged infraction and contraventions of the state’s planning laws.
