Lagos State Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, has defended the recent demolitions at the Trade Fair Complex, insisting that every action taken by the state government was legal and in accordance with due process.
His response follows criticism from Senator Victor Umeh, who on Monday described the demolition exercise as illegal and “beyond the jurisdiction of the Lagos State Government.”
Umeh, who represents Anambra Central, had stated on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief that the Trade Fair Complex was a federal property managed by the Federal Government through the Trade Fair Management Board, and therefore outside Lagos State’s control.
“The country is governed by laws and the constitution. I’m disappointed that the Commissioner for Physical Planning in Lagos State came on air to justify an illegal action.
“The Trade Fair Complex is a federal establishment where the Lagos State Government moved in with heavy machinery to destroy people’s properties and investments without justification. Federal lands are managed by federal agencies, not state governments,” Umeh said.
But in a post shared on X (formerly Twitter), Wahab maintained that the Lagos State Government acted within its legal authority and that the demolitions were not politically motivated.
“When it comes to Lagos State, every Tom, Dick, and Harry have an opinion.
“Was it illegal when Gov. Alex Otti removed contraventions in Abia State? Was it also illegal when Gov. Soludo removed contraventions in Anambra?”
“Here in Lagos, every of our actions are backed by the law, and we stand by it all,” the commissioner added.