“Lagos Commissioner Fires Back at Critics, Cites Otti and Soludo Over Demolition Controversy”

The Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, has taken a swipe at every ‘’Tom, Dick and Harry” having an opinion over the demolitions of structures at the Lagos Trade Fair Complex.

Wahab was reacting to the comment of Senator Senator Victor Umeh, representing Anambra Central and former National Chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), who in a recent interview with Channels TV, condemned the recent demolitions at the Trade Fair Complex in Lagos, describing them as unlawful and beyond the jurisdiction of the Lagos State Government.

According to Umeh, the Trade Fair Complex is a federal property managed by the Federal Government through the Trade Fair Management Board, and therefore not under Lagos State’s control.

“The Trade Fair Complex is a federal establishment where the Lagos State Government moved in with heavy machinery to destroy people’s properties and investments without justification. Federal lands are managed by federal agencies, not state governments. Such properties are recorded in the Federal Land Registry in Ikoyi, not in the Lagos Land Registry in Alausa.” he said

Reacting via his X handle, Wahab faulted the claims made by Umeh. He pointed out that as long as the property is within Lagos, it is under the jurisdiction of the state government. He argued that Trade Fair is not a sovereign community in Lagos state. He went further to state that the Trade Fair Complex Board may manage leases, tenancies, and commercial activities, but any construction, alteration, or development still requires Lagos State planning permit.

He asked if it was illegal when South East governors, Alex Otti of Abia state and Charles Soludo of Anambra state, carried out demolitions of contraventions in their states.

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