The Lagos State Government has restated that only government agencies empowered by law are authorised to carry out physical planning enforcement exercises across the state.
While reacting to media reports of the inauguration of an enforcement team by the Council of Registered Builders of Nigeria during the conference of the Nigerian Institute of Builders held on Wednesday, the Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Engr. Tayo Bamgbose-Martins explained that the Lagos State Urban and Regional Planning and Development Law 2019 (as amended) clearly vested the responsibility to regulate the built environment of the state in the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development and its agencies, whilst the government had not ceded the responsibility to any group or individuals.
He, therefore, urged stakeholders not to confuse the opportunity offered by the state government for partnership in whistleblowing with the mandate to enforce the law, saying that whistleblowing is for maintaining vigilance and reporting observed infractions in the built environment to the appropriate authorities and not an avenue to take the law into their hands.
The Commissioner also warned that the state government would not condone any unlawful enforcement drive capable of unduly belabouring the people and reversing the gains recorded in making Lagos a 21st Century economy.
