Kwara lawmakers‎ frown at building on waterways

Kwara State House of Assembly has warned state housing corporation, town planning and development authority to stop allocating land and approving building plans on waterways as part of measures to forestall loss of lives and valuable properties.

This is as a result of indiscriminate land allocations as well as building on waterways, which prompts incessant flooding in the state.

Consequently, it has directed through resolutions reached, that the House of one Alhaji Kamaru and some other buildings on waterways at the Irewolede Housing Estate in Ilorin, be removed immediately for free flow of water in the estate.

Following the presentation of a report by the House Committee on Land, Housing and Urban Development, having been petitioned by one Jimoh Alabi, the House, presided over by Mathew Okedare, deputy speaker on Wednesday, gave the directives in order to prevent flood-related disasters in the state.

‎The legislature also directed that the lands sold on waterways be revoked, and asked the Kwara State Housing Corporation to refund to erstwhile illegal owners appropriately and immediately, requesting, however, the state government to reprimand hierarchy of the state-owned housing corporation to check indiscriminate construction on waterways.

The lawmakers also directed the housing corporation to, as a matter of urgency, upgrade Isale Ajanaku Road and open Igbaja Road in the estate with a befitting drainage system as captured in this year’s budget, so as to save the petitioner’s House from collapse and report action taking on the resolutions within the next one month to the House.

The chairman of the Committee, Adamu Usman had, while presenting the report, observed among other things that Alhaji Kamaru’s house was built on waterways, thereby creating flooding in the area, while the space he said earmarked for water path and access roads in the estate had been allocated to some individuals for construction of houses.