Lagos State government has advised residents in the state to seek planning information with a view to obtaining approved development plan before building to avoid contraventions.

Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Mr. Olutoyin Ayinde, gave the advice during enforcement and monitoring exercise in Iba Local Council Development Area of the state. He decried the practice of erecting buildings on major roads without due consideration and regard for the required setbacks, noting that where such setbacks were available they are being used for economic activities, which creates traffic congestion blockage of drains and other developmental challenges.

Ayinde warned that government would no longer tolerate flagrant violation of the laws of the state.

COREN moves against defective structures

Council for the Registration of Engineers in Nigeria (COREN) has initiated moves against builders of defective structures as part of measures to forestall recurrence of building collapse.

COREN’s Deputy Director, Alhassan Aliu who led a team on an inspection tour of construction sites in Abuja, said the council would henceforth sanction builders of defective structures. He noted that the enforcement drive is aimed at reducing the incidence of building collapse in the country.

According to him, all building sites must have registered engineers and other professionals supervising construction work in accordance with laid down standards. While inspecting work at the site of a mass housing estate along Airport Road, Aliu criticized the quality of job done, describing the column of a bungalow as defective and of low quality and also complained about the absence of registered engineers and builders at the site.

“From what I can see, this site does not have the complement of professionals that should be supervising the work here and I also observe a defective column on one of the bungalows; this should be amended. COREN ought to have an officer monitoring the constructions right from the foundation instead of paying occasional visits to work sites,” he declared.