Lagos dismisses another building collapse rumours

Benjamin Omoike

General Manager of the Lagos state Building Control Agency (LASBCA), Lekan Shodeinde has dismissed rumours that another building has collapsed in the state as is being erroneously reported on the social media.

The denial comes against the backdrop of the rumoured collapse of another building located at Egerton Street, Oke-Arin, Lagos Island.

Shodeinde said that a three-floor structure was marked as distressed and was undergoing demolition as at press time.

He said the building in question was within a built-up area flanked by other adjoining structures at the rear, adding that the demolition of the distressed building became necessary in order to avert another disaster.

According to him, the present administration of Gov. Akinwunmi Ambode will leave no stone unturned to sanitize the building construction industry in the state by removing all distressed, illegal structures and buildings prone to collapse as well as those that were not in conformity with the state building laws.

The general manager appealed to Lagosians to cooperate with the state government by moving out of all buildings marked as distressed and also stay away from demolition sites.

He, however, re-emphasized the fact that only the Lagos state Building Control Agency has the responsibility and professional expertise to determine whether a building is distressed or prone to collapse, adding that the agency is passionately committed to pulling down all distressed buildings in the state.