About 23 months ago the Lagos state Government constituted a commission of inquiry to look into the incessant spate of building collapses in Lagos State and proffer solutions aimed at stemming the ugly tide. The commission released their report recently and straight off blasted The State Government for its complicity in the disastrous incidences.
The seven-member committee which was chaired by Arc Abimbola Ajayi, had Eng. Joseph Adewale, Barr. (Mrs) Roli Craig, Town Planner Moses Ogunleye, Eng. Olusegun Adedeji, Arc. Biodun Rufai as members and Barr. Kehinde David as its secretary, swung into action immediately inviting prime stakeholders and contributors in the industry like Prof. Timothy Nubi of the department of Estate Management, Faculty of Environmental Sciences, University of Lagos; President of Association of Consulting Architects of Nigeria (ARCEN) Fred Coker, an architect; Chairman, African Planning Association, Alhaji Waheed Kadiri, a Town Planner; Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice in Lagos, Mr. Ade Ipaye and his counterpart at the Ministry for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Mr Olutoyin Ayinde to its seating.
Amongst its findings were the fact that of the 135 cases of building collapse reported between 2007 and 2013, a curious and alarming 40% of them happened on buildings that had 2-3 floors. This prompted further digging that revealed the dirty hands of Government agencies and its officials. It was found that after greasing the hands of the appropriate agency official, some unscrupulous developers go ahead and erect a three-storied structure on an otherwise single-plan structure while the concerned Government ministry looked the other way.
Further more, as stated earlier, 135 cased of building collapse with its attendant destruction of unsuspecting lives was reported, how come no arrest were made, no prosecution effected? Not by the police, Judiciary or any other arm of Governance. This point alone makes any responsible Government culpable for the heinous crime under investigation.
Consequent upon the above, the Tribunal held that:
•The Government should carry out audit of all structurally defective buildings in the State for appropriate action.
•The Government should complete action on the forfeiture of collapsed building sites.
•Strengthen the mortgage system to increase the financial capacity of developers and individuals to speedily complete building projects and discourage incremental development.
Building structures within the neighbourhood of a collapsed building’s site must be probed by way of structural auditing.
•Government should immediately embark on urban regeneration and renewal in the estate through the involvement of key stakeholder professionals, residents (owners/occupiers), private investors and the appropriate Ministries and Agencies with concurrent responsibilities.
• Development permit process should out-source to only registered professionals due to the apparent inability of LASBCA to effectively carry out these functions.
•The Government should complete action on the forfeiture of collapsed building sites.
•Strengthen the mortgage system to increase the financial capacity of developers and individuals to speedily complete building projects and discourage incremental development.
Building structures within the neighbourhood of a collapsed building’s site must be probed by way of structural auditing.
•Government should immediately embark on urban regeneration and renewal in the estate through the involvement of key stakeholder professionals, residents (owners/occupiers), private investors and the appropriate Ministries and Agencies with concurrent responsibilities.
• Development permit process should out-source to only registered professionals due to the apparent inability of LASBCA to effectively carry out these functions.
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