LAGOS – In furtherance of Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) commitment to rid the State of distressed and nonconforming buildings, the Agency has demolished over 15 buildings across the State in one week as part of its efforts to achieve the State vision of zero tolerance for building collapse and haphazard development in the State.
Arc. Gbolahan Oki, the General Manager of the agency, disclosed this, during the total removal of a distressed two floors structure at 12, Simbi Street, Shogunle,Oshodi, Lagos,
According to him, about 15 other distressed buildings were demolished within a week across the State
Oki said that the affected buildings were identified by the agency early in the year, as distressed, buildings built on drainage channels and structures on canal setback and all efforts by the Agency to prevail on the recalcitrant owners of the affected buildings to follow the due processes and best practices in consonance with Lagos State Building Control Regulations proved abortive as they allowed the buildings to stand till their removal within the week.
Speaking further, he 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, BreadfruitStreet, Lagos failed Non –Destructive Structural Integrity Test while some were haphazard and nonconforming buildings built on drainage channels before the demolition.
Consequently, the buildings were 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 better physical planning environment for sustainable development and averting needless loss of lives and properties.
The LASBCA helmsman pointed out, 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, adding that such structures shall be removed by the Agency and the cost of removal would be borne by the owner.
He noted that people have shown disregard for the state laws on building construction in the past which the resultant effect were worrisome.
Source: Independent
