…… To clamp down on building without approval, building on drainage channels
In furtherance of the State Government commitment to zero tolerance to building collapse in the State, The Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) has embarked on the removal of carcass of a collapsed building at No 19, Herbert Macaulay Street, Ebute Metta, removed 3 distressed buildings and marked for demolition several others in the area.
The General Manager of the agency, Arc. Gbolahan Oki in his reaction over the on-going demolition of dilapidated buildings across the State, he said that removal of all distressed buildings in state became necessary to prevent building collapse and its attendance loss of lives, properties and entrench zero tolerance to building collapse in the state.
Arc.Oki said that all the buildings in question were identified as distressed structures by a team of LASBCA Monitoring Officers early this year, and all efforts by the Agency to prevail on the recalcitrant owner of the affected buildings to tow the line of due processes and best practices in consonance with Lagos State Building Control Regulations proved abortive as the owner allow the building to still stand till its removal over the weekend.
Speaking further, Oki said that all the identified highly distressed structures have failed Non –Destructive Structural integrity Test and some were built on drainage channel, fence without airspace. The buildings have been served all the statutory enforcement notices in consonance with the Lagos State Urban and Regional Planning and Development Law of 2019 as amended and with no response from the respective Owner/Developer before they were eventually removed by the Agency.
The General Manager emphasised that the decision was taken after a thorough engineering appraisal and monitoring of the building carried out by the Agency in the state with a view to ensuring better physical planning environment for sustainable development and averting needless loss of lives and properties.
Oki added that the demolition is a signal to any would be recalcitrant developer who circumvent Government rules and regulations as provided by regulatory provision of the law, the Structures shall be removed by the Agency and the cost of removal will be borne by the owner.
The General Manager noted that people have shown disregard for the state laws on building construction in the past which the resultant effect are worrisome.
He appealed to building owners and developers to desist from starting a building project without obtaining a building approval.
He insisted that building owner/developer should seek authorisation from Lasbca, hire the services of relevant professionals, speak to safety and test their building materials before commencement of building construction subject to the type of structures they are putting in place to make the building safe, secure and fit for habitation.
