TRADE FAIR DEMOLITION: LASG DENIES ETHNIC TARGETING, URGES TRADERS TO OBEY LAW
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Following the contentious dismantling of unauthorized edifices at the Trade Fair Complex in Lagos, the state administration has refuted assertions that the initiative was aimed at a specific ethnic group within the complex.
In an interview on Channels Television on Thursday, the state Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Olumide Oluyinka, emphasized that the initiative was solely a matter of enforcing planning regulations.
“That is not true. We have been to Owode Onirin, Idumota, and Ikeja. It has no ethnic correlation. The fact is that we just have to do our work. There is nothing ethnic here; it is purely technical,” Oluyinka asserted.
The commissioner elaborated that numerous structures within the complex were constructed without the necessary statutory approvals, with some blatantly disregarding safety standards.
“The facts are clear; when you are in a place, you must live by the law of that place. It is as simple as that,” he remarked.
Oluyinka disclosed that violators had been provided with ample notice prior to the commencement of the demolitions. He recounted leading a team to the complex in March 2024, during which officials faced harassment and even detainment while attempting to deliver notices.
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“Our officers went there to serve notices and were locked up for five to six hours. We had to bring in the police to release them. Even this year, officers went there and were detained. So what more notice are they requesting? It’s not new to them that we were coming,” he stated.
According to him, the Trade Fair Management exacerbated the issue by leasing land to third parties who overlooked planning regulations. He expressed concern over the condition of infrastructure at the complex, citing inadequate waste disposal, obstructed drainage systems, and deteriorating walkways.
“It’s a shame we allowed our Trade Fair to get to that extent. Refuse, passage, drainages, walkways, sewage, everything is in shambles. They should even be happy we are there to sanitise because that is our responsibility. We cannot allow it to continue,” Oluyinka emphasized.
The demolition initiative, which commenced on September 25, was carried out by the state’s Physical Planning Ministry in collaboration with the Lagos State Building Control Agency, Urban Renewal Agency, and Physical Planning Permit Authority.
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