The Federal Housing Authority (FHA) has revealed intentions to demolish 677 houses and partially demolish 744 others in Phase 2, Festac Town, Lagos State.
Mr. Akintola Olagbemiro, FHA’s South-West Zonal Manager, highlighted persistent violations of building codes and environmental standards during a site visit.
Despite warnings and stakeholder engagements, developers continued construction on swampy land, transforming the area into a slum. Deputy General Manager, Francisca Michael-James, emphasized enforcement measures, targeting structures on roads and pipelines setbacks.
She stressed that demolition penalties would be applied to non-compliant owners, emphasizing the need for a serene living environment.
“Now we have the permission of our management and we will ask for security back up and start enforcement. We will start removing structures from the roads and those on pipelines set back.
“We will also remove the buildings constructed after the stakeholders’ meetings where we agreed that everyone should wait until we are done with our assessment but some of them continued to build and concluded that we will regularise, but regularisation is not automatic. Now, the ones that did not meet regularisation will have to go.”
Speaking on punishment for contravenors, she said: “In the law, if we demolish, we are supposed to penalise the owner of the building and charge for the fees for the cost of carrying out the operation.
Assuming any of the buildings collapsed, the landlord will be charged for manslaughter but the first point of call will be pointing accusing fingers at the agency so, as to avoid that, that’s why we want to carry out the enforcement. The enforcement will be done soon.
“The first thing we are doing is to clear the road; some of the buildings will be partially demolished for right of way. 677 houses will be demolished and 744 will be demolished partially.”
