Follow Us on Google
By Lukman Olabiyi
Lagos State Government yesterday said the land on which the 21-storey building that collapsed in Ikoyi would be taken over by the state government, adding that it has handed over the remaining skyscrapers to a contractor to demolish within 90 days.
The Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Dr Idris Salako, who made the disclosure at a press conference in Lagos, said the state government was taking over the land, in line with the state physical planning law, which stipulated that owners of collapsed buildings would forfeit the land to the state.
The 21-storey building belonging to Fourscore Heights Limited, which was located on Gerrard Road in Ikoyi, collapsed on November 1, 2021, killing 44 people, including the firm’s Managing Director, Femi Osibona; his friend, a United States of America-based Nigerian businessman, Wale Bob-Oseni; his personal assistant, Oyinye Enekwe, and clients.
He said that though the state government was yet to take a decision on what it would use the land for, it would likely be used for something in memory of those who died in the building.
Salako stated that the demolition would be done in the interest of the public, including the residents.
The Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso, said the buildings would go down because one of the recommendations of the panel set up by the government was for the buildings to be demolished because they failed integrity tests.
Omotoso promised that any action taken on the project would be in the interest of the public, disclosing that a stakeholders’ meeting had previously been held to interact with residents and stakeholders in the building industry.
Also, the Commissioner for Special Duties and Intergovernmental Affairs, Tayo Bamgbose-Martins, said that the state government has no business with those who paid to own apartments in the building that collapsed, stressing that the state government will not consider compensating them.
In his remarks, the Managing Director, Edge of Designs, Theophilus Lewo, said the deconstruction would take about 90 days, but might be extended due to weather, rain and the safety of the workers.
