The Lagos State Government has attributed the recurring cases of building collapse in the state to the failure of some residents and property owners to comply with safety regulations and government directives on distressed structures.
The Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso, made the assertion on Friday during an appearance on Arise Television’s News Night while reacting to the collapse of a multi-storey building in the Alakija area of Amuwo-Odofin Local Government Area on Thursday morning.
According to him, the building that collapsed had previously been declared unsafe and sealed by the government, but some occupants allegedly returned to the premises before it eventually gave way.
“The house had been marked ‘distressed,’ and everybody there had to leave. In fact, at a time, it was shut down. But before the government could come in there to remove the structure, people went back in there,” he said.
Explaining why building collapses continue to occur in Lagos, Omotoso blamed widespread disregard for the law and the tendency of some people to put economic interests ahead of safety.
“As to why it keeps on occurring, it’s very simple: people don’t want to obey the law. If you obey the law, everything will be fine. We keep on marking all these buildings and pulling them down, but before you get to some, this kind of thing happens. So, it’s because people are not responsible. People believe in prioritizing commercial activities and livelihood over life, which is very, very wrong. Once the government says a building is unsafe, I do not see why people should go in there,” he stressed.
The commissioner said the state government has put in place adequate laws and enforcement mechanisms to tackle the menace, adding that agencies regularly identify, seal and demolish distressed buildings.
