LASG intensifies efforts, pulls down distressed buildings

Lagos State government on Sunday intensified demolition of distressed buildings in the state, pulling down a total of five on the Island, where a 3- storey building collapsed last Wednesday, living 20 people, majorly school pupils killed, while several others were injured.

The state government had in the last three days pulled down a total of 13 distressed structures on Lagos Island.

Officials of the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA), escorted by armed police officers, stormed some parts of Lagos Island on Sunday and demolished the five distressed buildings.

The exercise was led by LASBCA Acting General Manager, Omotayo Fakolujo and the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development, Mrs Boladele Dapo-Thomas.

ALSO READ: Building collapse: Assembly to go after regulatory agencies

The affected buildings were located at 28 Elegbata Street, Apongbon; 199 Tokunbo Street, by Glover; 27 Inabiri Street, 16 Egaton Street and 45 John Street.

The agency had on Saturday demolished three distressed storey buildings located at no 33, Ojo Giwa, 34, Seriki Street, and another one at 21, Okediji street, while a total of five buildings were pulled down last Friday.

They were sited on 60, Freeman Street; 47, Smith Street; 16, Apatira Street; 28, Apatira Street and 39, Alli Street, Ita Faaji.

Speaking on the exercise, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development, Mrs Dapo-Thomas, said that government would not rest on its oars until it sanitised the whole of Lagos Island, adding that government would do this in a bid to stem the era of building collapse in the state.

According to LASBCA boss, Fakolujo, a total of 150 distressed buildings had been identified on the Island, disclosing that 30 of such buildings had already been demolished in the last one year while 80 would now be demolished.

Fakolujo, however, said that the agency would carry out the demolition the 80 structures in phases, disclosing that 20 of the 80 buildings earmarked for demolition were on Adeniji Adele, even as he vowed that the agency would no longer look back but ensure that distressed buildings were pulled down immediately.

While disclosing that lots of buildings on Lagos Island had been marked for demolition, he said some of them were subject of litigation which prevented the government from going ahead to pull them down immediately.

“Over 80 buildings are ready for removal but we shall be removing them in phases. In buildings which are subject of litigation, we try to evacuate the occupants from the buildings so that there will not be a loss of lives,” he said.