The Lagos State House of Assembly has urged the state government to compensate families of victims affected by the collapse of a 21-storey high-rise building on Gerrard Road, Ikoyi, Lagos State.
This was revealed in a resolution during plenary after a motion moved by Mr Nurein Akinsanya (Mushin I) and the Chairman, House Committee on Physical Planning and Urban Development, on Monday in Lagos.
The Assembly also urged the governor to direct relevant agencies to ensure strict compliance to building standards across the state.
What the State House of Assembly is saying
Akinsanya, said that “the House expresses worries over the wide speculations that the building was raised to 21 floors, contrary to the 15 floors approved by the State Physical Planning Permit Authority (LASPPPA) for the owner.
“This house is also worried that over time, the state has recorded a series of building collapses, like the five-storey building that collapsed in Lekki in November 2006 and the three-storey building that collapsed in Ita Faaji, Lagos Island in 2016, among others.
“The house is disturbed about the manner in which the agencies set up to inspect building works, gives certifications at various stages of construction.
“Therefore, we have realised that these frequent cases of building collapse can be attributed to unqualified or unskilled builders, use of sub-standard building materials, illegal conversion or alterations to existing structures and lack of maintenance, to mention a few.”
The Speaker, Mr Mudashiru Obasa, urged the lawmakers to exercise patience before passing judgment, adding that they should wait until the committee looking into it unravels the cause.
“The agencies saddled with the responsibility have not done well. We ought to act as a house to oversight the situation.
“The status of the investors should be checked, and we should commiserate with the families of those who lost their lives.
“Government should also compensate the families. If the agencies had done the needful, we would not have this sad occurrence,” he added
The Assembly, mandated the House Committee on Physical Planning and Urban Development to invite the Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development and other agencies with the responsibilities of issuing approval and monitoring construction and project development.
In case you missed it
Naiirametrics reported yesterday that a week after the tragic incident of the collapse the 21-storey building, the recovery operations are at 99% completion stage as the death toll is reported to have risen to 44 with the recovery of additional 2 dead bodies from the rubble on Sunday.
This disclosure was made by the Acting Southwest Coordinator of National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) Ibrahim Farinloye on Sunday, November 7, 2021, as recovery operations are still ongoing with rescue agencies as it heads towards ground zero.
