The Ogun State government has clarified that there was no political motive behind the Sunday demolition of the five-storey DATKEM Plaza in Ijebu Ode.
The Permanent Secretary, Ogun State Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development, Engr. Abimbola Abiodun, who made the clarification while addressing newsmen in Abeokuta, the State capital, said the rumoured political rift between the former Governor Gbenga Daniel and the incumbent, Dapo Abiodun, has nothing to do with the demolition of the plaza.
Engr. Abiodun explained that the plaza said to be owned by Mrs. Olufunke Daniel, wife of Otunba Gbenga Daniel, was an illegal structure without an approved plan.
He said, "there is no political undertone in the whole process. As of May last year, a 'Stop Work Order' was served on the developer. On October 4th, when another Stop Work Order was served there was no political activities. By October 11th, seven days later a demolition order was served.
"The demolition order ought to have been carried out within 21 days, but we didn't pull the structure down. We carried out the demolition after the developer ignored and frustrated all government efforts to salvage the situation.
Abiodun added that the plaza didn't only contravened the state’s Physical Planning laws, the structure also violated the building codes of the state with numerous defects.
According to him, several efforts made by the state government to halt further development on site were ignored by the developers.
He explained that DATKEM Enterprises Limited applied to construct an office complex located along Ibadan Road, Ijebu Ode, in 2009 with registration number CB/05/299/2009.
“The proposal was for five floors with an airspace of three metres at the right, five metres at the left, and five metres at the rear, and a setback of 32.5516 metres 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 to the plan granted as there was a deviation from the airspace and setbacks"
Abiodun added that 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. The 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.
“Demolition Notice with Serial No. 0007549 was served on October 11, 2022, and Notice to Seal with Serial No. 000815 was served on October 4, 2022."
He emphasized that despite the numerous notices, the developer was recalcitrant and continued with the construction work, saying, "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."
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