Daud Olatunji
In a shocking turn of events, the Ogun State Government has declared DATKEM Plaza, owned by Mrs. Olufunke Daniel, the wife of former Governor Gbenga Daniel, as an “illegal structure without an approved plan.”
This revelation comes amid the controversial demolition of the 5-storey DATKEM Plaza in Ijebu-Ode.
The state government initiated the demolition, sparking outrage and concerns among residents and the political class. Videos and images of the destruction circulated on social media, fueling public anger.
While some sources suggested political thugs were responsible for the act, Engr. Olusegun Lawal, the Project Manager & Developer, confirmed it as a demolition, revealing that the government had issued a three-day notice.
The government cites reasons such as “not enough parking space, inadequate muster point, and inadequate airspace” for their actions.
However, the developer insists there are “no single structural defects on the building, and all relevant and necessary government approvals have been obtained.”
Mrs. Daniel, representing Ogun East in the Senate, personally assessed the damage to the building.
The government, through Permanent Secretary Engr. Olayiwola Abiodun, defended its actions, alleging that the structure violated the state’s physical planning laws and building codes.
It claims that the developers ignored several government efforts to halt further construction, including requests for structural assessments.
Abiodun challenged the owners to produce evidence of government approval and highlighted the legal requirements for commercial buildings, including parking space and stage certification.
The government’s statement reveals a timeline of notices served to the developer, dating back to May 2022, including contravention notices, stop work orders, and demolition notices.
Despite these notices, construction continued, leading to the site’s re-sealing in August 2023. An appeal for unsealing was considered, followed by a quit notice in August 2023.
This ongoing controversy raises serious questions about the approval process and adherence to regulations in construction projects within Ogun State.
According to the statement, DATKEM Enterprises Limited submitted an application for an office building, located along Ibadan Road, Ijebu Ode in 2009 with registration number CB/05/299/2009.
“The proposal was for five (5) floors with airspace of 3 metres at the right, 5m at the left, 5metres at the rear and a setback of 32.5516 metres to the middle of Ijebu Ode/Ibadan road, Ijebu-Ode.
“The Zonal Town Planning Office observed during routine monitoring that the construction on site did not conform with the plan granted as there was a deviation from the airspaces and setback.
“In addition, the building had been modified and enlarged with an additional storey building at the back thereby becoming over density.
“In view of the above, the following actions were taken:
“Contravention Notice with Serial No. 0106983 was served on 24th May 2022.
“Stop Work Order with Serial No. 000623 was served on 24th May 2022.
“Another Stop Work Order with Serial No. 001065 was served on 22nd July 2022 when the first notice was ignored.
“Demolition Notice with Serial No. 0007549 was served on 11th October 2022.
“Notice to seal with Serial No. 000815 was served on 4th October 2022.”
The statement noted further that despite all these notices, the developer was recalcitrant and continued with the construction work.
“This prompted the re-sealing of the site on 1st August, 2023. But the sealing did not stop the developer from further construction as work continued on the site.
“However, the developer wrote an appeal for unsealing, which was considered so as to evacuate the belongings in the premises. Thereafter, quit notice with Serial No. 0030750 was served on 31st August, 2023.
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