Why Ikoyi building collapsed, consultant opens up

Prowess Engineering Limited, the initial firm handling the collapsed 21-storey building along Gerrard Road, Ikoyi, Lagos state, has said it pulled out of site when its clients insisted on going beyond 4-storey building.

It would be recalled that the building, belonging to Fourscore Heights Limited, collapsed on Monday afternoon, trapping about 50 persons, including the owner and site workers.

In a document, the consultant firm said it withdrew its services in February 2020 because it could not guarantee the integrity of the building beyond 4^th floor.

The document signed by the Managing Director of Prowess Engineering Limited, Muritala Olawale, stated that it abandoned the project in 2020 because his company could not guarantee the building going beyond the fourth floor.

READ ALSO: Revealed! 360 Degrees Tower Project owns Ikoyi collapsed building

“We can guarantee the integrity of the first two buildings and also work done up to the fourth floor of the third building supervised by us provided specifications have been met in terms of the required concrete strength.

“This we do not have control over as we do not have the concrete cube test results of each stage of the building till date. Also, note that we are not taking responsibility for any other construction errors that may have occurred overtime on the project.

 “Furthermore, we request that our company’s name and logo be removed from the project board and also kindly notify all necessary approving authorities of our withdrawal from the project,” the company said in the letter.

Meanwhile, indications emerged last night that no fewer than four persons had so far been rescued while four others were brought out dead from the rubbles of the collapsed building.

National Daily gathered that the developer of the structure, one of three that make up the 360 Degrees Tower project, Mr. Femi Osibona, had visited the site before the building caved in at about 2:30 pm.

Commenting on the incident, the General Manager of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Dr. Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, disclosed that he has activated the agency’s emergency response plan to the above incident.

Building collapses are common sights in Lagos. Hardly does a year pass by without cases with some resulting in the loss of many lives.

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For instance, it was reported that 115 buildings, mostly residential, collapsed in Lagos between 2005 and 2016. And about 4,000 families have been homeless and traumatised.