Building collapse: NIOB seeks collaboration of built professionals to eradicate quackery

Built environment professionals have been urged to come together in order to jointly protect the sector from the nefarious activities of quacks in the sector.

The collaboration, President of the Nigerian Institute of Building, Mr Kunle Awobodu, said has become imperative in order to prevent cases of building collapse and construction of distressed buildings in the country

Commenting on the current move of the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) to pull down some distressed buildings waiting to collapse in the metropolis, Awobodu described the exercise as “a welcome idea to safety in the country.”

He commended the tenacity of the Lagos State Government to bring such buildings down, having failed integrity tests, recalling that many of such buildings identified  in the past, which many people had described   as “ dangers waiting to happen” could not be pull down  by the authority due to lack of political will.

Speaking with the Nigerian Tribune when interviewed, Awobodu said there was need to get the building production process right in order to encourage investment in property development that won’t fail.

He said: “People won’t be happy that their hard-earned money is being wasted in building collapse. Building is supposed to be a source of pride, a source of security and a source of income for people, Building is supposed to last longer so that it can be bequeathed to the coming generation. Besides, building is a source of securing a facility in the bank.”

He urged home builders and developers to think twice before investing in property, advising them to always follow the due process to avoid wastages associated with building collapse.

“Building owners and developers should sit down and think deeply before embarking on construction, Awobodu said, urging government’s agencies in charge of building control and plan approvals to adopt early warning systems in their operation.

According to him, government’s agencies should not allow developers to go far in building development before acting to curb collapse and wastage.

Meanwhile, the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) said it has demolished over fifteen buildings across the state in one week as part of the efforts to achieve the state government’s vision of zero tolerance for building collapse and haphazard development in the metropolis.

According to General Manager of LASBCA, Mr Gbolahan Oki, an architect,  the evacuation of the buildings was part of the commitment to rid the state of distressed and nonconforming  structures.

To prevent future occurrence, he appealed to building owners and developers to desist from starting a building project without obtaining a planning approval.

He insisted that building owners/developers should seek authorisation from LASBCA, hire the services of relevant professionals, speak to safety and obtain development permits 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.

Oki stated this during the total removal of a distressed two floors structure at 12, Simbi Street, Shogunle, Oshodi, Lagos, where he also disclosed that about 15 others distressed buildings have been demolished within a week across the state.

According to the general manager, the affected buildings were identified as distressed, buildings built on drainage channels and structures on canal setback by the agency early in the year, pointing out that all efforts to prevail on the recalcitrant owners 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 owners allowed the buildings to stand till their removal within the week.

Speaking further, Oki said that some of the identified highly distressed structures that were demolished at Ogunbule street, Bariga, Fadahunsi Street, Ijeshatedo, Adedoyin Olushola Street, Gbagada, Ailegun Street, Ejigbo,  Augustine Anozie Street, Lekki, Breadfruit Street, Lagos failed Non–Destructive Structural Integrity Test while some were haphazard and nonconforming buildings built on drainage channels before the demolition.

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