LASG to revoke title documents for illegal dumpsites
The Lagos state governmenthas threatened to revoke all lands being used as illegal dumpsites across the state within the next two months should their owners fail to develop them.
Mr Tunji Bello, commissioner for environment handed down the ultimatum while speaking with journalists after monitoring the January edition of the monthly environmental sanitation exercise.
The inspection, which was conducted with agencies under the environment ministry, took
Bello to Oshodi, Mile 2, LASU Ojo, Orile-Iganmu, Marina, Festac, the Lagos-Badagry expressway, Marina, Ijora, Ojota and Apapa.
He expressed displeasure at the illegal dumpsites in the areas visited, as well as others in the state, adding that his ministry would liaise with the ministry of lands to ascertain the land owners and write them to fence up their landed properties.
``If after one or two months they fail to comply with the state government's directive we will write the governor to revoke their certificates of occupancy and direct the Lagos state Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) to take over the properties, he said.
The commissioner assured that the state government would soon take urgent measures to forestall danger at the drainage channel in Ijora.
``Residents of Ijora are using refuse to sand fill waterlogged and swampy areas. This is very dangerous to human lives. We will soon take proactive measures to arrest the situation.''
The commissioner expressed displeasure with some youths who had formed the habit of playing football during the sanitation exercise and accused local government chairmen of not doing enough to enforce the sanitation laws in their council areas.
``It is sad that it is the state government that is assisting the local governments in maintaining their environment. They are only busy distributing market stalls and collecting money from street traders,'' he noted.
Bello said that the ministry embarked on monitoring across several local governments, rather than focusing on one for them to observe critically what was happening and compare notes with environmental reports from the local governments .
``With this monitoring, we will have first hand information about sanitation situation within the state and that will guide us in taking actions against any erring markets, parks or areas within a given local government'', he added.