Building collapse: Yaba building, in line with rituals –Expert

By Maduka Nweke

Incessant buildings collapse particularly in Lagos State have been criticized by building experts who are not happy that the state authorities usually dish out warnings without doing much to abort possible causes.

The experts are worried that the incidence usually paint building professionals as quacks when the authorities will not engage the accredited experts in construction as a way of cutting costs.

One of the experts, Mr. Mario D’ Capenteron, a Brazilian builder in PortHarcourt, said that building collapse would not cease in Nigeria as long as the authorities in charge of construction in the country continue to play to the gallery in matters concerning safety and ethics in construction.

“I have not seen concerted efforts put by government to stop building collapse in Nigeria. Building collapse occurs everywhere including my country Brazil, but what happens after a building collapses will make any one managing and construction to be extra careful”, he stated.

Recently, the Lagos State government, in a strong message to unscrupulous developers has directed the prosecution of the developer of the three-storey building under construction that collapsed in Onike area of the state, on Saturday, killing 5 persons.

According to tweet posts by the Lagos State government recently, the Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Dr Idris Salako, said that the Lagos State Building Control Agency had been mandated to liaise with the police so as to proceed to court and press charges against the developer.

According to Salako, “the government regrets the needless loss of lives and property, due to his unlawful conduct and antics of defying stop-work orders as well as evading supervision. It is hoped that his prosecution would send a strong warning to all recalcitrant developers that it was mandatory to Build Right and engage professionals in constructing buildings in Lagos State as we will not hesitate to bring to book whoever errs against the law.’’

Salako added that excavation of the site by emergency responders, including the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) was “still ongoing and will continue until it is leveled to ground zero.”