Salako Lied, We Were Not Given Notice – Lagos Int’l Airport Road Business Owners Provide Evidence

CYRIACUS IZUEKWE

Following the claims by the Lagos State Commissioner for Physical 
Planning and Urban Development, Dr. Idris Salako, that they gave pre-notice before sealing business premises located along Murtala Mohammed 
International Airport Road, owners of businesses on the International 
Airport Road have denied the false claims made by the Commissioner 
during a press statement and insisted that they were not given pre-notice before 
sealing their business premises with evidence.

Salako had said thus during his press conference:” Contrary to the 
claims of the writer, the enforcement exercise was authorized and 
carried out in the most civilized manner, sequel to notices to all 
Lagosians  and affected  properties  to make  their planning permits 
handy for sighting  by  our enforcement  team”.

However, speaking while reacting to the claims of the Commissioner that 
there was pre- notification, the business owners said that the men of 
the Lagos State Physical Planning Permit Authority in conjunction with 
officers of the Nigeria Police on Wednesday afternoon stormed their 
premises in a commando style and began to seal the premises.
According to them, they were taken unawares because there was nothing 
like pre-notice. In fact the said notice was been pasted on our walls 
same time they were sealing.

They said that if the Commissioner claimed that business owners on 
Airport Road were given pre-notice before coming to seal their premises, 
he should make available duplicate of the notice and the channels that 
was used in the distribution since they did not receive any.
Achike Onwuasanya whose legal office was sealed, said that instead of the 
Commissioner telling lies, he should apologize for the embarrassment 
that they caused the people who are trying to survive after COVID-19 
had spoiled their means of livelihood.
He said that he almost jumped out of the window because of the way the 
men of the Lagos State Physical Planning Authority stormed his office.

“The Commissioner said that they came in a civilized manner. That was a 
lie. He also said that they gave us pre-notice to keep our planning 
permit handy. That is also another lie. On Airport Road now as I speak, 
about 46 business premises are sealed. For banks, they include two 
Zenith Bank branches, GTB, Access Banks , Polaris Bank, Fidelity, First 
Bank, Ecobank, Sky, IBTC and Sterling banks. For hotels, they include 
Oriental Excel, Golden Tulip, Ibis hotel, Joy Gate Hotel, Ibis Royale, 
Presken Hotel, Welcome Center Hotel among others. Fedex Courier Company 
is also on the list. Go there now, you will see their seal signs with 
date, 22nd of July 2020, even the notice they said they gave us was 
pasted on our buildings the same time they were sealing.
 So do you mean to tell me that if there was pre-notice all this 
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? So, what they did 
was a very big embarrassment on respected corporate bodies in Nigeria.”

Contributing, Zikka Thompson, another business owner, said that most the 
buildings that were sealed were what made Murtala Muhammed befitting of 
an international airport road. He said that Murtala Muhammed Airport 
road is the gate way to Nigeria adding that it is the corporate offices 
that adorn the road that had elevated the airport.

According to him, the Commissioner should go and check how the road that 
leads to the international airports of other countries.
He said instead of going backwards, Nigerians should be aspiring to be 
like the other frontline nations. He also said that Government should be sympathetic to business owners along Murtala Muhammed International Airport road because they are among the worst hit by the Coronavirus pandemic.

“The cordial relationship which is currently existing between the 
business community in Lagos State and the Governor is being tarnished by 
the action of the Commissioner because I am very sure that Sanwo-Olu can 
never authorize such a raid, an illegal action, especially now that we are 
still battling with the COVID-19 pandemic. Imagine, after more than four 
months’ lockdown, we are now witnessing another lockdown. So, somebody 
wants to create bad image for the Governor”