Building Collapse: Stakeholders Task LASG On Enforcement Of Building Regulations
Following the deaths of 20 pupils of Ohen Primary in Lagos building collapse, professionals and other stakeholders in the building construction industry who converged on Lagos State have urged the state government to give priority attention to enforcement of building regulations to avert future occurrence.
The stakeholders who spoke at a-One day public hearing on the collapsed building at 63 Massey Street, Ita-Faaji, Lagos Island organised by Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development in Lagos called for the involvement and collaboration of all professionals in the built sector and related government agencies in putting up buildings to guide against building collapse in Lagos state.
The seven institutes in the industry as well as relevant government agencies who were duly represented and made presentations at the hearing also called for prosecution of developers, owners and builders who fail to adhere to the regulations as required by law.
Speaking at the public hearing, Representative of Building Collapse Prevention Build (BCPG) Architect George Akinola identified among others; Lack of comprehensive subsoil investigation before designs are done; Non-adherence to designs and professional advice during construction as the cause of building failures.
He said, ‘’Lack of effectiveness of government agencies charged with the monitoring of the building procurement and production process; Quackery at both pre- and post-contract stages; Use of substandard materials; Poor workmanship; Professional incompetence; Lack of Maintenance; Greed by Developers and Contractors.”
Other factors fingered by Awobodu include,’’ Unrealistic construction timelines; Unrealistic desires of clients; Nocturnal concrete work; Improper, illegal or unprocessed and unapproved change in use; Lack of proper supervision during construction by relevant qualified professionals; Lack of coordinated phased inspection by relevant Government Development Control Agency; Inefficient handling of approval of building plans by relevant Government Development Control Authority; Non-compliance to Building Codes; Corruption by government (LASBCA) monitoring officials.’’
Proffering solution the BCPG boss called for the involvement of Architects, Civil, Structural, Mechanical and Electrical Engineers, Quantity Surveyors, Builders and Land Surveyors in all building construction work in the state.
In his presentation, LASEMA General Manager, Tiamiyu Adeshina said the government will from yesterday begin to take in displaced person’s from collapsed and marked buildings at its resettlement centre at Igando.
He however called for a law to empower LABSCA to demolish marked buildings within five months instead of leaving it for the owners who may not be willing to bring down the structure until it collapses and kill people.
Speaking on behalf of Lagos Anti-demolition Movement, Ayo Ademiluyi, Co-convener of the movement called for among other things Coroner’s Inquest into the Ita-Faaji collapse to determine the number of the dead and injured; prosecution of government officials who are found negligent in their duty as regards timely demolition of the building; investigation into the quality of building materials by developers and prosecution of the developer.
He also called for application of urban renewal strategies to the crisis of dilapidated and decrepit buildings in Lagos Island as well as compensation for the families of the deceased and wounded pupils.
In his remarks, chairman of the occasion, Engineer Wasiu Olokunola who is chairman of the ad hoc committee on the Ita-Faaji building collapse told stakeholders that the committee would look into their submissions and report of all previous committees on building collapse in the state and come up with a recommendation to the government to tackle the menace so as to save lives and property.
