No fewer than seven distressed buildings in the Mushin area of the State have been demolished by the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) to avoid an imminent collapse that would have claimed several innocent lives and destroyed property worth millions of Naira.
The seven distressed buildings located at Abiodun Wright Street, Itire Road, and Gbadamosi Iginla Street in Mushin were pulled down by officials of LASBCA as a proactive step to save residents.
Speaking during the demolition of the distressed buildings on Thursday, the General Manager of LASBCA, Arc. Gbolahan Oki, lamented the level of disregard for vacation notices issued by the agency on different occasions to occupants of the buildings and others in different parts of the State.
He said: “The administration of Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu frowns at the avoidable loss of lives and property of residents of the State. It is time for Lagosians to take their safety seriously and avoid putting blame on government at all times”.
The Director and Head of Inspectorate, Quality Control and Post-Construction Audit, Engr. Khadijah Olayemi Aremo-Ajibade, who spoke on behalf of the General Manager, stated that the seven buildings pulled down by the Agency had been served necessary notices without compliance by the occupants and owners of the structures.
While noting that over 10 distressed buildings have been demolished since the commencement of the exercise earlier in the year, the General Manager informed that the exercise was aimed at averting further loss of lives, warning that all distressed buildings in any part of the State are disasters waiting to happen.
Arc. Oki assured Lagosians that the agency will relentlessly continue to pursue its vision and goal of ensuring that all buildings across the State are fit for habitation and constitute no risk to other nearby structures.
He expressed the hope that Lagosians will henceforth cultivate the habit of vacating distressed buildings even before such buildings are marked by Lagos State Building Control Agency or any other relevant government agencies for demolition.