As part of efforts to mitigate flooding, prevent building collapse, and promote orderly urban development, the Ondo State Government has commenced the demolition of illegal structures erected along waterways and government setbacks in Akure, the state capital.
The demolition exercise, jointly carried out by the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development and the Office of the Special Adviser to the Governor on Technical and Ecological Control, targeted illegal structures along Oyemekun Road, beside Access Bank.
According to the government on Thursday, the exercise is aimed at removing obstructions to the free flow of water and reducing the risk of flooding and other environmental hazards.
Speaking with journalists during the exercise, the Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Sunday Olajide, represented by the Permanent Secretary of the Building Control Unit, Abimbola Tofowomo, warned developers and property owners against erecting structures in unauthorized locations or on government setbacks.
He stressed that anyone who contravenes the state’s physical planning regulations risks losing such structures during enforcement operations, urging residents to obtain the necessary approvals before embarking on any building project.
Olajide said the administration of Governor Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa remains committed to modern physical planning and urban renewal across major towns in the state, adding that the government will continue to enforce planning laws to safeguard lives and property.
According to him, the Monitoring and Enforcement Department of the Building Control Unit has intensified its surveillance to ensure strict compliance with approved building plans and the state’s town planning regulations.
He noted that violations would attract appropriate sanctions, including penalties or outright demolition, regardless of the level of resistance encountered during enforcement.
Also speaking, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Technical and Ecological Control, Engr. Elisha Ebijimi, said the government would sustain the removal of illegal structures and fences obstructing natural waterways after due notices had been served on affected property owners.
He explained that the exercise forms part of the ongoing channelization and erosion control initiative of the Aiyedatiwa administration aimed at addressing flooding and environmental degradation in vulnerable areas.
Ebijimi disclosed that following the clearance of obstructions at the Oyemekun Road location, the government would expand the drainage channel and construct concrete retaining walls to direct water along its natural course, thereby curbing erosion and flooding, adding that the project is expected to be completed within two weeks.
He further revealed that similar enforcement exercises would be extended to other identified locations within Akure before moving to Ondo town as part of the government’s broader flood mitigation and urban renewal programme.