MINISTRY TASKS MEDIA OUTFITS ON DUE DILIGENCE ON LAND ADVERTISEMENTS

 MINISTRY TASKS MEDIA OUTFITS ON DUE DILIGENCE ON LAND ADVERTISEMENTS

Ogun State Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development has tasked media outfits to ensure due diligence on land advertisements, towards achieving sanity in the built industry, while mandating any individual or company that wants to advertise more than one hectare of land, to present a layout permit from the agency.

Commissioner in the ministry, TPl. Olatunji Odunlami made this known at a meeting with representatives of Radio Stations in the state and officials of the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), in Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta.

TPl. Odunlami stated that the directive was contained in the Ogun State Urban and Regional Planning and Development Law 2022 (the Principal Law) and the Ogun State Layout and Land Sub-Division Regulation 2022, saying the legislation had been in the public domain for over two years and had taken its full effect.

The Commissioner pointed out that presentation of layout permit is to ensure that drainage and waste disposal systems were planned and delineated before construction and provision for reserved space for essential infrastructure and utilities including road networks, schools, clinic, police stations, fire station, water supply, shopping centre, playground, and open spaces, among others.

“We advise real estate companies currently carrying on or about to start business in Ogun State and have not obtained layout permit to do so immediately in their own interest. The Ministry will soon publish the list of approved private developers’ estates layouts in the print, electronic and social media platforms and will update it from time to time.

Any company or estate whose name is not on that list and carries on business, is engaged in prohibited activity and the public is strongly advised to be wary of patronizing such to safeguard their hard-earned money”, he stated.

In his remarks, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Information and Strategy, Alhaji Waheed Adesina called on radio stations to ensure compliance, and take it as their Corporate Social Responsibility to protect their audience and the listening public from being defrauded, adding that the development would boost their credibility.

On her part, State Officer of the NBC, Mrs. Bosede Williams appreciated the Ministry for the initiative, charging media houses to be ethical in the course generating revenue for their organisation.

“As a regulator, we have been battling with these issues as regulators of the broadcast media. We insist that media houses should be careful not to run afoul of the law, even as they attempt perform their legitimate services to the public,” Mrs Williams noted.

Responding on behalf of the radio stations, an Independent Producer with Fresh FM, Abeokuta, Mr. Adeyinka Adegbite lauded the ministry for the clarion call, assuring their total compliance.

 

Ajibola Taiwo,

Press Officer, Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development