Lagos Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has vowed to find out what went wrong and also punish those indicted in the collapse of a 20- storey building under construction in Lagos.
It would be recalled that the building, belonging to Fourscore Heights Limited on 20, Gerrard road in Ikoyi, which was scheduled to be completed in 2022 collapsed on Monday afternoon, trapping about 50 persons, including the developer, Mr. Olufemi Adegoke Osibona, who has now been confirmed killed in the incident.
Sanwo-Olu, as part of disciplinarian action also suspended the General Manager of the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) Gbolahan Oki.
Oki had earlier on Tuesday disclosed that the owner of the collapsed 21-storey building under construction in Ikoyi was given approval to construct only 15 floors.
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“He got an approval for a 15-storey building and he exceeded his limit. I am on ground here and the materials he used are so inferior and terrible. The materials he used, the reinforcement, are so terrible. He got approval for 15 floors but built 21,” Oki said.
A statement by Commissioner for Information and Strategy Gbenga Omotoso, said the State Government will set up an independent panel to probe the collapse of the building on Gerrard Road, Ikoyi.
He said members of the panel will be drawn from the Nigeria Institute of Architects (NIA), Nigerian Institute of Town Planners (NITP), Nigeria Society of Engineers (NSE) and other professional bodies.
“It will independently investigate the remote and immediate causes of the incident and make recommendations on how to prevent future occurrence. The investigation is not part of the internal probe already being conducted by the government,” he said
According to him, nine persons – all men – have been pulled out of the rubble alive, and taken to the hospital while 14 others were brought out dead as at the time of compiling this report,
“Mr. Sanwo-Olu thanks all first responders and those who have joined the rescue efforts, including construction giants Julius Berger, Chinese Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) and the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).
“The media are hereby notified that the government will be releasing information whenever the need arises to avoid any sensational reporting of the unfortunate incident.”