The Lagos State government has cautioned residents of its housing estates  against violating rules and regulations guiding their communities.

The permanent secretary, Lagos State ministry of housing, Abdulhafis Toriola, cautioned the residents during a meeting with representatives of the Oba Adeyinka Oyekan Housing Estate Residents Association.

This is contained in a statement by the ministry’s assistant director, public affairs, Adesile Rufai, on Monday.

He was represented at the meeting by the director of legal services in the ministry, Bukade Idowu-Koya.

Mr Toriola urged the residents to obey guidelines stated in their respective letters of allocation, memoranda of understanding and deed of sub-lease.

According to him, obeying the guidelines is a civic duty of all the residents.

He emphasised that following the rules was important for proper development, safety and environmental protection.

He said that compliance with the rules and regulations would also support the government’s THEMES Plus Agenda of making Lagos a 21st-Century economy with good governance and sustainable infrastructure.

Mr Toriola said the government would continue to promote eco-friendly policies which would make housing estates to last long and remain in good condition.

He assured the estate representatives that the ministry’s technical and monitoring teams would visit the Oba Adeyinka Oyekan Estate for a joint inspection.

He said that the future of the estate depended on residents’ willingness to follow the rules.

The assistant head of the ministry’s monitoring and compliance unit, Rasidat Ogunlaja, listed common violations in some housing estates to include repainting houses without approval and non-payment of service charges.

Ms Ogunlaja also listed the violations to include building illegal structures, turning homes into shops or offices, causing environmental problems, and subletting units without permission.

She added that the government  had zero tolerance for such actions, especially  misuse of open spaces or setbacks meant for other purposes.

Ms Ogunlaja advised the residents, who might have altered their buildings or used  spaces in ways not approved, to visit the ministry’s office at Alausa, Ikeja, for regularisation and necessary approvals.

(NAN)