LASBCA denies new building collapse in Lagos

Akinwunmi Ambode

General manager of the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) General Manager, Lekan Shodeinde, on Monday denied that there was a fresh building collapse in the state.

The statement follows media reports of a collapsed building at Egerton Street, Oke-Arin, Lagos Island.

Mr 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 Governor Akinwunmi Ambode will leave no stone unturned to sanitize the building construction industry in the State by removing all the 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 added that only the LASBCA has the responsibility and professional expertise to determine whether a building is distressed or prone to collapse.

He said that his Agency is passionately committed to pulling down all the distressed buildings in the state.