The contractor and the developer
too would have saved the nation such an agony had they complied with
appropriate building regulations. A few days thereafter, another building
failed in Ketu, killing a woman. These incidents enter the huge catalogue of
collapsed buildings that now seem to define Lagos. And it is commendable that Governor Akinwunmi Ambode has
personally taken charge of efforts to stem this deadly trend.
There was outrage when the
six-storey Synagogue Church building in Ikotun-Egbe, Lagos State, collapsed in
September 2014, and killed at least 115 people, including 84 South Africans.
That incident registered Nigeria in the consciousness of the international
community as one country where shoddy adherence to building codes endangers
lives at will. At the time, it was thought that the outrage over that tragedy
would bring an end to such accidents. Alas, this has not been the case.
Although, Mr. Ambode, in the wake
of the recent events, has appropriately sacked the General Manager of the Lagos
State Building Control Agency (LASBCA), and three others, to register the state
government’s pain and displeasure over the loss of lives, the matter calls for
further action to prevent any more tragedies.
This, probably, is the first time,
in the history of buildings collapsing in Lagos State, when the officials who
are responsible for regulations would be punished for negligence. It is a good
gesture too that the contractor and owners of the collapsed structure have been
arrested, while investigation is underway to determine the exact cause of the
collapse.
Mere sacking of officials without a
determined effort to enforce all the building rules and regulations to curb the
ugly incidents would, however, be meaningless. A well-thought out systematic
approach is what is needed to stem the case of buildings failing. Also, sealing
off other parts of Lekki Gardens Estate and ordering the occupants to evacuate
is an understandable instructive reaction, but the innocent families occupying
those buildings deserve a kind consideration. Efforts should then be
accelerated to cushion their pains while integrity tests are being done on the
buildings as the living should not be put into undue stress while mourning the
dead.
It is, however, pertinent to ask
why the usual stability test was not carried out on all buildings before they
were occupied. Arguably, the LASBCA did the same shoddy job in many other
cases.
The five-storey Lekki Gardens
building at roofing level collapsed without any warning before dawn, during an
early morning rain storm. About 50 people, comprising mainly workers, were in
the building when it caved in, out of which 30 lost their lives, while 12 were
rescued alive.
Among the dead were a nursing young
mother and her one month-old baby, who came to confirm that her husband had not
been paid his salary. Her story also illustrated the pathetic poverty ravaging
most Nigerians: a nursing mother had to go to a construction site so early in
the morning, in the rain, to get some money from her husband, and in the
process perished with her baby!
The building is said to have been
originally designed for three-storey building but the developer allegedly,
without approval from the state Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development,
decided to raise it to six-storeys. Besides, the state regulatory authorities
had reportedly once sealed off the building but the developer was alleged to
have defiantly continued with the construction until the accident occurred.
Certainly, Lagos State has a
serious challenge in its hands, even as there seems to be no solution in sight
yet. The ineptitude in regulatory supervision, in ensuring that builders and
developers comply with building code is responsible for the frequent building
failures. The water-logged terrain of Lagos State places extra burden on the
authorities with regard to building and other engineering structures. This is
especially true for the Lekki area in particular. Experts say it is wrong to
reclaim marshland and begin construction immediately. Instead, the reclaimed
land should be allowed to stabilise over time. This is hardly ever observed in
Lagos.
Besides, high-rise structures on
reclaimed surfaces, which is tantamount to building on water, again requires
special expert engineering attention. Unfortunately, contractors and builders
collude with regulatory agency officials to cut corners in order to save cost
and thereby endanger the lives of members of the public.
The time has come for the Lagos
State Government to rise to the challenge and find a lasting solution to the
live-ruining spectacle of failing buildings. (Guardian)
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