Anambra State Government has threatened to sanction Architects who refused to comply with physical planning laws of the state by submitting building plans that subvert approved regulations.
The State Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Bar Chijioke Ojukwu, who issued a statement on Tuesday, August 4, lamented that more than 200 applications for building permit received since he assumed office failed to comply with law.
The Commissioner’s position followed what he described as the applications substantial non compliance with the physical planning regulations as required in section 3(1) 2015.
He wondered why Architects whose professional duty is to plan, design and oversee the construction of buildings, chose to use their craft to create disorderliness by routinely submitting building plans which subvert approved regulations.
“The most prevalent violations of the regulations, as gathered from the over 200 applications, are non compliance with the setback and building coverage area rules.
“It defies logic to find that most building plans exceed the coverage of the land by up to 90 percent of the subject land, which means an absence of parking spaces in such buildings”
Ojukwu, therefore, admonished Architects to ensure strict compliance with the laws, especially on setbacks and building coverage rules.
He warned that the Disciplinary Committee of the Nigeria Institution of Architects would be petitioned to take appropriate step, including blacklisting of Architects whose drawing violate the regulations if such unwholesome practices persist.
