Building Collapse in Lagos: Govt resorts to safety measures

Lagos State Government, yesterday, stated that at least 40 buildings were demolished, to prevent loss of lives and property in the state within the last one year.

The state government added that another 38 structures already identified would also be pulled down before the end of this year. Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Mr. Rotimi Ogunleye, who made the remarks at a press briefing in Alausa, Ikeja, on the activities of the ministry in last one year, warned that the government would not hesitate to pull down any distressed and other illegal structures identified in the state. Aside some of the distressed structures, the commissioner maintained that others were illegally built on setbacks, drainage channels and incompatible uses which resulted in public complaint and disaffection. “It gives me satisfaction to report that during the year under review, the state recorded a significant reduction in building collapse.

This was achieved through collaboration with stakeholders as well as intensive Post-Construction Audit of buildings by the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA). “In a systematic approach to curtail occurrences of building collapse, 149 distressed buildings were identified at different locations out of which 40 of such have been removed, while the next phase of 38 of the structurally defective structures have been earmarked for removal. Others would follow suit to safeguard lives and property,” Ogunleye added. Giving details on how the distressed buildings were discovered, the commissioner said the ministry embarked on intensive audit through the Lagos State Material Testing Laboratory, and in the process, visited the 57 Local Governments and Local Council Development Areas of the State to inspect both on-going construction sites and completed buildings suspected to be distressed. “Consequently, 1,842 sites were visited; 1,392 Test Advice Notices were served and information on buildings identified as distressed were forwarded to LASBCA,” Ogunleye added. On compensation of owners of structures which were demolished for developmental projects, Ogunleye said it was indeed instructive that as part of the inclusive governance model of the present administration, both property owners with Certificate of Occupancy and other documents, as well as those without such but with prove of ownership, had been compensated and still being considered. “The administration of Governor Ambode has been benevolent in dealing with owners and developers whose structures were affected by the construction of roads and other forms of infrastructural development. “There have been instances where the government even approved compensation for people who’s only proof of ownership were pictures taken in front of the structures because the Governor does not want to subject the people to inconveniences as a result of the removal of their structures for public projects,” Ogunleye said. He said following detailed inventory, enumeration, evaluation exercises and analysis of submitted documents, work had reached advanced stage to compensate house owners whose structures were demolished for construction of Orile/Badagry road expansion, Agric-Ishawo Road in Ikorodu, Epe Road expansion project, Murtala Muhammed International Airport Road, Free Trade Zone Resettlement Land and Adiyan Waterworks Phase II, among others.