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 at the weekend 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.
Consequently, 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 with no response from the respective owners/developers before the full wrath of the law caught up with them.
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 a 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 circumvents government’s 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.
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