Lagos State government says it has marked 359 distressed buildings across the State for demolition.
The Special Adviser to the Lagos State Governor on e-GIS and Urban Development, Dr. Olajide Babatunde disclosed this on Tuesday.
He, however, revealed that over 90 per cent of the buildings have been pulled down by the owners to avoid disaster.
Babatunde also said that any building without building approvals will be pulled down after the expiration of the 90 days of grace granted by the Mr. Governor
The Special Adviser spoke at a workshop organised by the Lagos State Building Control Agency at its headquarters in Ikeja, Lagos.
The workshop, themed: “Understanding Building Control in Lagos State”, was put together to address salient issues and misconceptions about the activities of the Agency as it relates to the issuance of certifications and the importance of insurance in the built industry.
Babatunde spoke extensively on the need for every building to have the Certificate of Completion and Fitness for habitation as well as an insurance policy that can be relied on during disaster period such as fire incidents
He reiterated the Governor’s directives to owners of buildings with attachments to remove them immediately as the state will not allow such attachments anymore.
According to him, the such attachments have hindering rescue operations during emergencies.
Speaking on the recent Dosunmu Fire incident, the Commissioner for Special Duty and Intergovernmental Relations, Mr. Gbenga Oyerinde and his counterpart at the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development, Dr. Olayinka Olumide, allay fear of victims of the fire incident being abandoned.
They disclosed that enumeration and collation of victims data have been concluded and very soon, the state government will make a pronouncement on the level of assistance that will be given to all the victims of the fire incident.
Speaking earlier, the General Manager of the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA), Arc. Gbolahan Owodunni Oki said the importance of the workshop is to clear grey areas on the operations of the agency and how to go about getting the necessary certifications being issued by LASBCA.
Oki called on building owners in the state to do the right thing because it is cheaper to do the right thing and obey all extant rules and regulations governing the building and construction industry in the state.
Mr. Yemi Soladoye, an insurance consultant who delivered a paper at the workshop, spoke extensively on the need for every building in the state to take insurance cover against any disaster, especially building collapse or fire outbreak.
He called for compulsory enforcement of insurance policy for all of buildingsin Lagos State as a way of mitigating losses during emergency periods.
While commending the organisers for putting the event together, a retired Director-General of the Lagos State Safety Commissions, Mr. Fuad Oki called for a more enlarged engagement with the public, especially at the grassroots where building regulations infraction are more pronounced.
(vitalnewsngr.com)
