The DATKEM Plaza, Ijebu Ode, a property held by Olufunke, wife of former governor and senator Gbenga Daniel, has been demolished, according to the Ogun State Government, since it is an illegal structure without an approved plan.
The construction, according to the administration, also violated the state’s physical planning laws.
The destruction began at 3 a.m. yesterday. The five-story plaza on Folagbade Street in Ijebu-Ode has been under construction since 2009 and has gained complete approval from the state government, according to the project manager and developer. He stated that it was supposed to be completed by the end of September before being demolished, sparking concerns of a political schism between Governor Dapo Abiodun and previous Governor Daniel.
The government, however, said in a statement issued by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development, Olayiwola Abiodun, that the edifice breached state building rules and had various flaws.
He said that the developers ignored multiple government efforts to prohibit additional development on the land.
He stated that government officials requested the structural engineer in charge of the building to provide the state of the building’s structural balance, which was ignored.
The statement remembered previous incidents of building disasters across the country, saying that the government would not stand by and allow such an occurrence to occur. It was highlighted that several of these calamities, such as fire outbreaks in Ikorodu, resulted in fatalities.
According to the permanent secretary, the government was proactive in partially demolishing the problematic building.
Abiodun challenged the structure’s owners to present proof of official approval in their possession.
He stated that for a business structure of that caliber, there must be parking for staff and guests both within and outside the institution. The law provides for 45 to 50% of available land for construction as a buildable area. The structure also lacked stage certification, which is typically provided at each stage of development, according to the permanent secretary. He claimed that between May and October 2022, owners were served with the necessary notices, including abatement, violation, stop work, and demolition, which were ignored.
Adeyinka Kotoye of Page Law Office, the legal company representing Yeye Olufunke Daniel, issued a statement in response to the demolition, expressing amazement and concern that the government violated court papers served on its agents on Thursday, September 7 demanding them to stop all acts on the building. He stated that the problem began on August 1 when the Ogun State Planning and Development Authority locked the building without prior warning.
“Intriguingly, the same Planning and Development Authority only served a quit notice on August 31st, asking the owner to vacate the premises within three days.
“Meanwhile, DAKTEM applied for unsealing and regularisation of the building on August 2 and paid the mandatory fee of N500,000 to the Ogun State government. We have evidence of this payment. However, we were shocked and astonished that the Ogun State government ignored the ongoing legal process and went ahead to demolish the complex in the early hours of Sunday. We want to believe the state attorney general’s advice was ignored on this matter.
“Our clients, as law-abiding citizens of Ogun State, will continue to seek redress in the courts. Even when our clients have suffered unimaginable and huge losses as a result of this illegal demolition, we will not relent in pursuing justice in the courts.
“I want to believe that the Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, was not informed of this illegality. But if he was informed and still decided to use the instruments of the state against our clients, it is nothing but executive recklessness. But we will continue to fight for justice and ensure that for our clients,” the statement stated.
However, the state government said DATKEM Enterprises Limited submitted an application for an office building, located on Ibadan Road, Ijebu Ode in 2009 with registration number CB/05/299/2009.
“The proposal was for five floors with an airspace of three meters at the right, five meters at the left, five meters at the rear, and a setback of 32.5516 meters to the middle of Ijebu Ode/Ibadan road, Ijebu-Ode.
“The Zonal Town Planning Office observed during routine monitoring that the construction on site did not conform with the plan granted as there was a deviation from the airspaces and setback.
“In addition, the building had been modified and enlarged with an additional storey building at the back thereby becoming over-density.
“In view of the above, the following actions were taken: Contravention Notice with Serial No. 0106983 was served on May 24, 2022. Stop Work Order with Serial No. 000623 was served on May 24, 2022.
“Another Stop Work Order with Serial No. 001065 was served on July 22, 2022, when the first notice was ignored. A demolition Notice with Serial No. 0007549 was served on October 11, 2022. Notice to seal with Serial No. 000815 was served on October 4, 2022.”
The statement noted further that despite all the notices, the developer was recalcitrant and continued with the construction work.
“This prompted the re-sealing of the site on August 1, 2023. However, the sealing did not stop the developer from further construction as work continued on the site.
“However, the developer wrote an appeal for unsealing, which was considered so as to evacuate the belongings on the premises. Thereafter, a quit notice with Serial No. 0030750 was served on August 31, 2023.
“In view of the above, since the developer had remained recalcitrant, the Zonal Town Planning Office’s recommendation for the demolition of the office building was upheld,” the statement added.
The government reiterated its avowed commitment to ensure the safety of its citizens, adding that any defective buildings in any part of the state will be demolished to safeguard the lives of the people.
Source: The Sun
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