Owners of businesses on the Murtala International Airport Road, Ikeja Lagos, have categorically denied claims that the state Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Dr. Idris Salako, notified them before sealing their businesses.
They said officials of the Lagos State Physical Planning Permit Authority stormed their premises with officers of the Nigeria Police on Wednesday afternoon and began to seal the companies including banks and hotels.
Their complaint is coming after Salako stated during a press conference that the ministry made pre-notice before sealing those business premises.
His statement in part, “Contrary to the claims of the writer, the enforcement exercise was authorised and carried out in the most civilised manner, sequel to notices to all Lagosians and affected properties to make their planning permits handy for sighting by our enforcement team.”
Maintaining that they were taken unawares rather it was posted on their walls same time the sealing was being carried out, one Achike Onwuasanya, whose office was sealed, demands apology from the commissioner.
“The commissioner should apologiese for the embarrassment that they caused the people who are trying to survive after COVID-19 spoiled their means of livelihood,” he called.
“I almost jumped out of the window because of the way men of the planning authority stormed my office.”
Speaking further, Onwuasanya added, “The commissioner said that they came in a civilised manner. That was not true. He also said that they gave us pre-notice to keep our planning permit handy. That is also not true”.
Some of business premises sealed include: two Zenith Bank branches, GTB, Access, Polaris, Fidelity, FBN, Ecobank, Sky, IBTC and Sterling banks; Oriental Excel, Golden Tulip, Ibis hotel, Joy Gate Hotel, Ibis Royale, Presken Hotel, Welcome Centre Hotel among others; and Fedex Courier Company.
With these firms sealed, the businessman fume, “So do you mean to tell me that if there was pre-notice all these corporate bodies would not comply with the directive of government? Or does it mean that all these buildings would be built without planning permit or that they can constitute illegal structures?”
