Anambra State Government Joint Task Force has cautioned developers to strictly comply with the physical planning laws of the state.
The task force gave the caution when they took enforcement against illegal structures to Akwu Edoji, Uruagu in Nnewi North Local Government Area, where some developers built structures on access roads, thereby obstructing further developments in the area.
One of such developments is an ongoing duplex which blocked a major access road, obstructing further developments in a vast virgin land behind it.
Armed with an excavator and other earth moving machines, the team pulled the building down, including other structures such as gate houses, shops, fences and others, erected on access roads around the layout.
Almost all the buildings in the axis visited, bore red markings of warnings to the developers, even while they were still at foundation level, but the developers remained adamant continuing their development.
Some of the residents in the location involved who spoke to the ABS behind the camera, lamented why someone can spend such amount of money to build structures without seeking permission from the government in terms of official approval, saying that if they had sought for approval, they would have been given a proper explanation about the place.
Addressing the Press shortly after the exercise at the Board's Headquarters in Amawbia, the Chairman of Anambra State Physical Planning Board, Barrister Chike Maduekwe revealed that the enforcement is a routine being carried out from zone to zone to enforce town planning laws and ensure that development in the state is controlled, stressing that the location is a government approved layout, whose master plan has been bastardized by some people.
While recalling that a few times that staff of the board went there to carry out enforcement activities, they were beaten up, reiterating that it is not the intention of government to inflict hardship on citizens of the state, but laws are meant to be obeyed, otherwise, there is a consequence.
Barrister Maduekwe noted that the present administration is committed to ensuring that the state does not develop into a slum, stating that anyone who complies with the law is always protected, pointing out that government is set up to make sure that the interest of the greatest number of its people is protected and secured.
He recalled that the state Executive Council has directed that a situation where people buy land and the youths will go and collect money from them has been banned in the state and the enforcement will be very strict, saying that Governor Soludo's commitment to build a liveable prosperous homeland has been mainstreamed into the responsibilities of all MDAs.
He appealed to Ndi Anambra to support the government by ensuring that they do not build on the access road or drainage and equally ensure that their plan is approved, because there are consequences and penalties as some of the people will appear in court and if found to have infringed or breached the state laws, will go to jail.
According to a government paper drawing perfected in 2015, a land covering 87.82 hectares was approved in 2017 and gazetted in 2019 as Layout.
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