By Samuel Edu

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The Olowo of Owo,  Oba Ajibade Gbadegesin has pledged his support to the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development on its decision to demolish illegal structures within  Owo community.

Oba Ajibade stated this while playing host to a  team from the Ondo State Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development led by the Commissioner, Alhaji Amidu Takuro .

The Commissioner craved the support of the  monarch in a move to ensure that structures  are sited in accordance with  master plan, stressing that physical planning is paramount to the development of any State.

“The purpose of our visit today is to solicit for your support in our new move. We have discovered that a lot of communities do not have layouts and most buildings do not have  permits. The foundation of any state is planning and for a state to progress, the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development is very essential.

“We have discovered that selling of lands without layout has caused so much hardship for the masses. The master plan for Owo has been drawn since 1980 and by God’s grace, Owo will have a new master plan very soon.

“We looked at our records and we discovered that there is no layout in the newly developed areas. Any moment from now, we will start taking legal action against these buildings but we need to consult you to help us inform the people.

Secondly, we also discovered that lot of people are building without approval and from next year, this will as well be forbidden. As a ministry, we should be able to give accurate data to the government on how many houses are in Owo and without proper building approvals, this might not be possible.

In his response, Oba Ajibade Gbadegesin, lauded the commitment of the ministry in its move to give the state a facelift and promised to  do everything possible to ensure the success of the plan.

“You have done well and this move by your ministry is highly commendable. For a long time, we have not heard much about the Ministry of  Physical Planning and Urban Development but I am sure with your administration, there will be better turnaround and I can assure you of my support.