By Chijioke Kingsley
Abuja (Sundiata Post) – Plateau State government as part of its plans to sanitize the State has warmed law breakers who have encroached government facilities by erecting structures to pull them down within two days or face the full wrath of the law.
“The structures they are erecting are illegal because it is without approval from us. How can someone build on a government reserved area, the Old Legislative Quarters”, the General Manager, Jos Metropolitan Development Board (JMDB), Arch. Heart Bankat said on Monday.
“We have given them two days’ notice to pull down the structure or we will bring them down yourself”, he said.
The structure is located in Jos North LGA, Bauchi Ring Road, our correspondent reports.
Two Commissioners, Urban and Regional Planning, Hon. Joshua Laven Ubandoma and Commissioner for Information and Communication, Hon. Musa Ibrahim Ashoms was in the company of the GM JMDB, during an inspection of the site.
“We have given the owner of the building two days to remove his blocks, but if he fails to do so, it means he wants to test the will of the government”, Banket continued.
Affirming that the building is illegal he added: “Who should have sold public facilities such as this: “We have a football field and over there is a basketball quash, it’s a government property they are destroying, he said.
Bankat insisted that those responsible in the illegal act must be arrested and prosecuted accordingly.
On his part, the Commissioner for information and Communication, Musa Ashoms, insisted that all illegal buildings that have no government approval will be demolished.
Ashoms said the present administration in the State desires to ensure the quality of lives of citizens, hence the strict adherence to standard houses to avoid incessant cases of building collapse.
“We are trying to make the Plateau great, green and beautiful, so we can’t allow anyone to deface the State”, he said.
The Commissioner informed that the Governor, Caleb Mutfwang, desired to correct the wrongs of his predecessor.
Earlier, the Commissioner for Urban Development, Hon. Laven said the government had ordered workers on the illegal site to stop work, but they refused.
“The order was given when excavation of the foundation began, but the owner of the building ignored the warnings and went ahead with the work.
“We want to ensure that the lost glory of Plateau State is restored, there must be sanity, this is government property”, he said.
