The General Manager, LASBCA, Gbolahan Oki, said the agency embarked on the demolition exercise as part of its effort to reduce the rate of illegal construction in the state and curb the menace of building collapse.

According to a statement by the agency on Monday, Oki added that the building is being demolished to avert any imminent danger to public safety.

He added that the owner of the building did not obtain any approval from LASBCA, “which is contrary to the provisions of the law guiding construction works in every part of the state.”

He stated further that several warnings and notices served on the developer to stop work proved abortive, “hence the agency had no option but to demolish the structure.”

He also said that although there was a record of a request for a development permit submitted by the developer of the building to the state government, the structure could not get approval as it was erected on government land under the supervision of the Lagos State Urban Renewal Agency.

While assuring residents of the state that the government will ensure that all new buildings in the state are certified fit for habitation by LASBCA, Oki appealed to owners and developers to always build according to the state’s building codes.

The General Manager Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA), Arc. Gbolahan Owodunni Oki today directed owners/developers of buildings under construction that have exceeded the approved building plan to revert to the original plan approved and granted to them by the State Government.

This directive of the General Manager was conveyed through the Director of Enforcement, LASBCA, Mr. Olusoji Olopa during the Agency’s routine monitoring and enforcement exercise carried out at Eti-Osa and Surulere areas of the State recently.

Oki, who emphasised the need for strict adherence to the new directives by property owners/developers, stated that the move by the government is meant to compel compliance to building approvals as part of strategies to nip in the bud the menace of building collapse in the State.

“This new directive is a decision taken by LASBCA towards ensuring the prevention of building collapse and the attendant consequences that comes with it, such as the loss of lives and properties”, he stated.

“The monitoring and enforcement exercises carried out today by the agency was to ensure that buildings under constructions that were earlier sealed were not broken by owners/developers without doing the needful. It is also to ensure that the buildings that have exceeded the number of floors approved by the government without proper procedures are reverted to the original plan”, he added.

Oki reiterated the need for other relevant agencies and professional bodies in the building industry to come on board and help the government to stem the tides of building collapse in the State with their professional inputs.

He advised the building public to value life and do the right thing at all times as it is no longer business as usual, saying “Life is irreplaceable, let us change our attitude positively to save lives and ensure that this menace called building collapse does not continue any longer”.

During the monitoring and enforcement exercises, seven other buildings under construction were sealed at the Eti-Osa and Surulere axis of the State for various building contraventions from construction without approval/authorisation to breaking Government seals amongst others.

In a similar development, the management of 1004 Estate, Victoria Island has been ordered to carry out a Non-Destructive Test to ascertain the structural stability of one of the blocks in the estate which was discovered to be visibly distressed by the Agency’s officers while on routine monitoring of the area.

Recall that the agency recently held a roundtable where professionals in the built industry were invited to proffer solutions to the incessant building collapse in the State and an agreement was reached for a joint collaborative effort between the government and built stakeholders.

Arc. Oki, who made the appeal during his visit to the site of the partially collapsed building at 26, Adeleye Street, Ladi-Lak, Bariga, Lagos, stated that preliminary investigation revealed that the scaffolding of a tank in a two-storey on Ayinke Street gave way and crashed into the bungalow at Adeleye Street.

While commiserating with families of victims of the incident, Arc. Oki urged Lagosians to be safety conscious and also be their brothers’ keeper by reporting any illegal construction within their vicinity as the government cannot do the job alone.

The General also added that the government has made it easier for Lagosians to report any illegal through the establishment of District Offices in all the 20 LGs and 37 LCDAs in the State, a move conceived to bring government nearer to the people and for wider coverage.

He further reiterated the government’s commitment to safeguarding the lives and property of the citizenry through adequate and prompt monitoring, identification of conformity and non-conforming buildings as well as enforcement of the Agency’s mandates.

Meanwhile the two-storey building at 17, Ayinke Street has been sealed pending an investigation into the incident.

The Director of Enforcement, LASBCA, Mr. Kayode Olaopa, who led the exercise, explained that the dilapidated state of the building necessitated urgent action and the decision of the State Government to bring down the building to prevent the loss of lives and property.

He observed that despite the vacation notice earlier issued to occupants of the structure after observing its defective state, the management of the school continued housing school children, thereby exposing the pupils and staff to danger.

“What our officials have done here today is a proactive step to ensure the safety of lives and property. We don’t have to wait for disasters to happen but instead, we must prevent them from happening so that reported cases of building collapse can reduce drastically”, he explained.

Olaopa said that the building already had visible and physical signs of distress and must undergo a controlled demolition process to save lives and prevent avoidable calamity for children and the workers.

He, therefore, advised property owners and developers across the State to always show concern for the safety and wellbeing of others, as against only being keen on profit-making or remaining in business for selfish reasons.

In continuation of the demolition of distressed buildings, the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) has pulled down a two-floor building and three blocks of two-floor shops located at Ikoyi and Ire-Akari in the State.

The agency equally marked two other physically-distressed buildings in Ikoyi for demolition upon completion of necessary preliminary steps.

The General Manager of LASBCA, Arc. Gbolahan Oki, said the renewed demolition of distressed buildings embarked upon by the Agency started some weeks ago with several inhabitable buildings in different parts of the State like Ebute Metta, Lagos Island, Mushin and Okota among others.

Speaking on the recently removed buildings and others marked for demolition, Arc. Oki assured residents of the State that no distressed buildings would be spared regardless of their location or the personalities involved.

Related: Building Collapse: LASG Seeks Support For Whistle blowing Policy

He debunked allegations that the activities of the agency are concentrated mainly on areas like Mushin, Ebute Metta, Surulere and others, revealing that the ongoing demolition exercise in Ikoyi and others already identified for demolition in an indication that the agency is not biased in carrying out its duties.

The General Manager maintained that the ongoing removal of distressed buildings would be sustained and extended to other LGAs and LCDAs, stressing that the exercise is a continuous one.

He said that the agency had already identified over 200 distressed buildings in different areas across the State with some already marked for demolition.

While appreciating the efforts of whistleblowers from different parts of the State, Arc. Oki pleaded with them to continue doing so without prejudice, hatred or selfishness towards anyone.

His words: “We have observed that although Lagosians are now responding to calls from the government to report structurally defective or illegal construction works within their localities, investigations, however, revealed that some of the calls and notifications have turned out to be baseless and untrue”.

“Our findings revealed that whenever there are controversies surrounding a particular property, the aggrieved party usually contacts the agency with reports that the property is defective and should be pulled down even when such buildings are structurally intact”, he added.

The General Manager pointed out that this is often misconstrued by some residents to mean that LASBCA is selective in its demolition exercise.

This comes barely 24 hours after the collapse of a 21-storey building in the Ikoyi area in the state.

A statement released by the state’s Commissioner for Information, Gbenga Omotosho, said the state government will be setting up an independent panel to probe the collapse of the 21-storey building and that members of the panel will be drawn from the Nigeria Institute of Architects (NIA), Nigerian Institute of Town Planners (NITP), Nigeria Society of Engineers (NSE) and other professional bodies.

He said the probe will independently investigate the remote and immediate causes of the incident and make recommendations on how to prevent future occurrences. The investigation is not part of the internal probe already being conducted by the government.

Omotoso said the state government will embark on further foundation and borehole acidic level tests to ascertain the impact on the collapsed building. These tests, particularly the borehole acidic level, is important for the entire Gerrard Road and adjoining areas.

The statement in part read “We wish to state that there will be no cover-up in the search for the truth in this incident. If anybody is found to have been indicted, he or she will face the law. It is important to restate that all developers and property owners are required to adhere strictly to all Building Codes and Planning Regulations to ensure the safety of lives and property. Those who ignore such regulations, breaking seals and defying enforcement, will surely be prosecuted”

General Manager, LASBCA, Engr. Abiola Kosegbe, led the enforcement team of the agency, escorted by officials of the State Taskforce. The Chairman, Igbogbo Baiyeku Local Council Development Area, Olusesan Daini was also in the team.

Two churches were among the buildings sealed. One of them is the Redeemed Christian Church of God, RCCG, and a Cherubim and Seraphim Church on Bamgbose Street in the area. In one of the area, eight buildings were shut because their owners did not have building permits and other required documents. Buildings were also shut at Kosebinu Orepekun Street, Market Street, Ogolonto, among others.

According to her, most of the properties sealed had already been served abatement notices, adding that LASBCA also engaged in post construction audit, where those who had already completed their buildings were asked to present documents to ascertain if they got the needed permits to erect such structures.

The statement was in a swift reaction to rumored peddled online and around town that a new building had collapse at Egerton Street, Oke-Arin Lagos Island.

Shodeinde said that a 3-floor structure was marked as distressed and was undergoing demolition as at press time on Monday 18 March, the building in question was within a built-up area flanked by other adjoining structures at the rear.

He added that the demolition of the distressed building became necessary in order to avert another disaster, adding that Governor Akinwunmi Ambode’s administration will continue to sanitize the building construction industry in the state by removing all the distressed, illegal structures and buildings prone to collapse as well as those that were not in conformity with the state building laws.

The general manager appealed to Lagosians to cooperate with the State Government by moving out of all buildings marked as distressed and also stay away from demolition sites.

He emphasized that only the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) has the responsibility and professional expertise to determine whether a building is distressed or prone to collapse. Adding that his Agency is passionately committed to pulling down all the distressed buildings in the state.

He listed the Four (4) buildings demolished by LASBCA on Monday 18, March 2019 to include
No. 2, Olushi street by Swamp
No. 3, Obadina street
No. 30A, Isale Agbede Street
No. 36, Isale Agbede Street

With the four demolished distressed building, the total number of buildings demolished in Lagos Island from Friday 15 March to date to March 17 is now 17 buildings.