By Olasunkanmi Akoni

As part of measures to prevent incidences of building collapse, Lagos State Government through its agency, Lagos State Planning and Environmental Monitoring Authority, LASPEMA, Friday, issued contravention notices to owners and occupants of 13 identified distressed buildings in Ajegunle and some other parts of Ifelodun Local Council Development Area of the state.

LASPEMA, led by its Acting General Manager, Engineer Olanrewaju Kazeem, gave out the contravention notices during an inspection tour of the affected council area.

Kazeem decried the inhabitable state of over thirteen buildings in the area which is already structurally unstable.

Kazeem said such buildings are not befitting of the status of the state in addition to the dangers it poses to its inhabitants and neighbours.

He added that the defaulters of such buildings had been issued 48 hours contravention notices to comply, while further compliance monitoring was recommended in some other cases.

Kazeem disclosed that the agency was working for a sustainable planning and environmental practice in the state, where dilapidated and inhabitable buildings like the ones in Alayabiagba, Ajegunle would become a thing of the past.

Speaking with the leader of Hausa Community in the area concerning the distressed structures, Alhaji Adamu Abubakar, Sarkin-Hausa of Ajeromi Ifelodun, confirmed the case of a particular dilapidated building that the matter is still in court without any judgement given on it till date.

However, as part of measures to sensitize the public on the standard operating rules concerning planning and all other environmental related issues, the agency distributed advocacy handbills to residents of the areas to further educate and inform them on the required planning environmental guidelines in the state.