The Lagos State Government has blamed the persistent cases of building collapse in the state on the failure of property owners and occupants to comply with safety regulations, stating that many of the affected structures had already been identified as distressed and marked for demolition.
The Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso, disclosed this on Friday during an appearance on Arise Television’s News Night, following the collapse of a multi-storey building in the Alakija area of Amuwo-Odofin Local Government Area on Thursday.
Omotoso said the collapsed building had previously been declared unsafe and sealed by the government, but some occupants allegedly re-entered the premises before the structure eventually gave way.
“The house had been marked ‘distressed’, and everybody there had to leave. In fact, at a time, it was shut down. But before the government could come in there to remove the structure, people went back in there,” he said.
The commissioner blamed the frequent building collapses in Lagos on what he described as disregard for government directives and the tendency of some property owners to place economic interests above human lives.
“As to why it keeps on occurring, it’s very simple: people don’t want to obey the law. If you obey the law, everything will be fine. We keep on marking all these buildings and pulling them down, but before you get to some, this kind of thing happens.
“So, it’s because people are not responsible. People believe in prioritising commercial activities and livelihood over life, which is very, very wrong. Once the government says a building is unsafe, I do not see why people should go in there,” he added.
Omotoso maintained that the state government already has sufficient legal and enforcement mechanisms to tackle unsafe structures, noting that relevant agencies regularly identify, seal and demolish distressed buildings across Lagos.
He further disclosed that Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu had directed the immediate demolition of other defective structures around the site of the Alakija collapse to avert further casualties.
“Mr Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu has directed that all the buildings around the scene of the incident that are weak, distressed, not fit for human habitation and should no longer be standing must be brought down,” he said.
The commissioner also warned that owners of unsafe buildings would face prosecution, adding that any official of the Lagos State Building Control Agency, LASBCA, found negligent or complicit in the incident would be sanctioned accordingly.
“Any official of the Lagos State Building Control Agency who may have complicity in the incident will not go unpunished,” he stated.
Omotoso also conveyed the condolences of Governor Sanwo-Olu to the families of those who lost their lives, as well as residents injured in the tragedy.
The collapse reportedly claimed nine lives, while 26 persons were rescued from the rubble.