1 month ago
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By Stephen Gbadamosi
The Oyo State government has commenced a 60-day Online Building Permit Amnesty (OYBPA) programme aimed at regularising buildings that were constructed without proper government approval.
According to a statement by the state Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Prince Dotun Oyelade, on Monday, the OYOBPA programme was kickstarted officially on Monday (yesterday) and it ends on 27th October.
He said the programme would also regularise those in violation of building regulations in the state and they would be able to process new approvals within this 60-day window.
The state Commissioner for Lands, Housing and Urban Development, Mr. Williams Akin-Funmilayo, was qouted as giving this explanation on Monday in Ibadan, the state capital.
Mr. Akin-Funmilayo said the scheme was in line with Governor Seyi Makinde’s transformation and sustainable development agenda, designed to enable the government to improve urban planning and enhance the security and safety of lives and properties within the state.
He added that the government had also approved that property owners could now get or regularise their building permits within the 60-day amnesty period at a 20 per cent discounted rate.
“This is to allow the good people of Oyo State to get their building permits faster, easier and cheaper, as the government will embark on massive enforcement of building permits, after the amnesty period.
“This amnesty period lasts for 60 days; and it is advised that all property owners (residential, commercial, industrial, educational, health facilities, etc.) within the state who have no building permit and have engaged in unauthorised development or are currently planning to commence development should harness this opportunity,” he added.
The OYBPA, which is majorly an online process, will enable property owners to process their permits without falling victim to touts and middlemen.
Akin-Funmilayo gave the guarantee of property owners getting authentic permit which would prevent any further interference by the authorities as regards their development, as long as they adhered to the provisions of the approval, adding that application process for the amnesty period had started online across the 33 local government areas.
“At the end of these exercise, an amnesty certificate will be issued to all who took advantage of this opportunity.
“In the same vein, we plead with members of the public and our directors of zonal planning authorities to strictly adhere to the principle of granting building permits in the state,” he added.
However, he said properties illegally occupying state government acquired zones, properties within the circular road or circular road set back, properties directly under the power line zone and properties within the disallowed proximity to dams and streams would not be granted amnesty.
Also properties built on the road, within pipeline setback and properties under court/financial crimes matters would not be granted amnesty.
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He said this scheme, like every other Makinde government’s initiatives, promised to be great, seamless and a worthwhile investment for the good people of Oyo State.
“Let’s support the government to make Oyo State better, safer and more viable,” he pleaded.
The Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Mrs. Mofoluke Adebiyi, said the scheme would regularise the database of properties in the state and ensure more security across all local governments in the state.
She enjoined owners of structures constructed without building plans to key into the initiative.
According to her, the process also allowed property owners who were not currently within the state to take advantage of the online amnesty window to either regularise or get a fresh approval for their building and other forms of property development.
In attendance were primary stakeholders, including architects, engineers, draughtsmen, surveyors and town planners, etc.
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