Buildings Collapse: Defaulting developers, contractors to face sanctions as Sanwo-Olu launches fitness control strategies
By Moses Adeniyi
Tough time would now lie ahead for defaulting house owners, developers and contractors in Lagos State who build without compliance to obtain the State’s Certificate of Completion and Fitness for Habitation.
Lagos State Governor on Wednesday launched the rebranded ‘Certificate of Completion and Fitness for Habitation’ as an urban and physical planning strategy to address incidences of building collapse in the State by ensuring that due processes are followed in physical development activities towards a saner environment devoid of avoidable loss of lives and properties.
The Governor lamented that “over the years, the realisation of the huge financial and emotional loss and pains that comes with building collapse and sometimes loss of loved ones, calls for the need to design a more holistic and all-encompassing approach or strategy that would nip this unfortunate incidence of building collapse in the bud.”
“This is a game changer in building control strategies as it portrays us a government that thinks ahead and that is concerned about the safety of lives and properties of the citizens,” he said.
According to Governor Sanwo-Olu at the launching occasion held at Ikeja, the State Capital, the unveiling of the Certificate of Completion and Fitness for habitation is one of the recent move that would further help in controlling building collapse incidents.
“More than before, we have now identified compliance to building laws as a major problem that should be tackled headlong. This is because an unenforced building code or law, can no doubt, lead to unimaginable consequences,” he said.
Implementation & sanctions
On stringent measures to bring defaulters who fail to apply and obtain the fitness approval to book, Governor Sanwo-Olu said: “Considering the lofty intentions behind this idea, and the need to further guarantee the safety of all residents of this great State, the State government will not hesitate to start treating some house owners, contractors and other relevant stakeholders as individuals responsible for building collapse in the State if they fail to apply and obtain Certificate of Completion and Fitness for Habitation on their buildings.
“The idea of Certificate of Completion and Fitness for Habitation is not peculiar to our environment here as different countries of the world have relevant laws and regulations guiding haphazard developments in their climes while also safeguarding the lives and properties of their residents.”
In implementing the fitness strategy, he said the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) will ensure strict compliance with the already existing Masterplans by Lagos State Physical Planning and Urban Development to guide against unregulated construction works.”
“The intention of the State Government is to ensure the close monitoring of building construction works by officials of the Agency, comprising of Builders, Architects, Structural, Civil, Mechanical and Electrical Engineers from laying of the foundation through external works and fittings till the building is complete,” he said.
The Governor directed that all building Owners/Developers in the State are now to take necessary steps before commencing their building construction by obtaining all necessary approvals and also invite LASBCA for inspection and finally obtaining the Certificate once the project is completed.
“With this initiative and several other quality control mechanisms by LASBCA, it is my hope that the Certificate of Completion and Fitness for Habitation will translate to a radical, meaningful, and positive attitudinal change of owners/ developers in the building construction industry to have a well-planned and orderly environment to achieve the State’s vision of zero tolerance to building collapse,” he said.
He however stated “categorically that there is nothing to worry about for law abiding citizens and those whose construction works are done to specifications.”
“Apart from this, this initiative will save property owners the stress of presenting several documents to the monitoring and enforcement teams from the State Government as this new certificate will show that the owner of a structure has all relevant documents and have passed through the approved method of building,” he added.
Commending the efforts of Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) for initiating the concept, he said with the repositioning efforts of the agency “despite the intensity of the rains this year and in contrast to past experiences, the rate of building collapse has been very minimal.”
“This development is partly as a result of the continuous monitoring exercise by officials of the agency to ensure standardization in the construction of buildings as well as the establishment of more district offices that have helped widened the scope and coverage of the activities of the Agency even to hinterlands,” he said.
He however called on Lagosians for support in his Administration’s commitment towards developing “a Lagos where there will be no haphazard development or building collapse,” mentioning that the workability of the initiative depends majorly on the level of acceptance by the general public.
“This will speak volume to our readiness to join hands with government to bring about desired changes in our environment and also embrace ideas that would further ensure our safety and protection.
“The acceptance of this Certificate of Fitness can only gain a prime place if for instance, would-be tenant or property buyer always request for the certificate from the landlord or owner of the building before payment of their rents or conclusion of property transaction to ensure the building is indeed safe,” he said.
Benefits
Among others, the highlighted benefits of having the certificate include ensuring that the completed structure is built according to specifications and also certifies that the structure is safe for habitation or use since professionals were involved in the construction process.
Others are to serve as veritable collateral for loan facility, adding to the value of a building, assuring would-be occupants of a building of their safety, boosting confidence of property buyers and Banks or Insurance companies on their property of interest.
The projection of the State is that in the next two years, at least 40 per cent of property owners would have been onboard under the new scheme to obtain the rebranded Certificate with measures to simplify the approval process through the use of technology, whilst blocking all loopholes that could compromise the process.
Administration
In a keynote address entitled: “The Re-launch of the Certificate of Completion and Fitness for Habitation: An Antidote for Building Collapse,” Lagos State Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Dr. Idris Salako, said over the years, very few buildings could boast of having been issued the Certificate even after satisfying all the statutory requirements.
Making particular reference to the need to comply to other State Government’s Policies such as the Zero Tolerance Policies: on Illegal Buildings, on Building Collapse, and the Development of the Green Belt, among others, he described the development as a gesture that the Governor Sanwo-Olu led Administration has high regards and priorities for the lives and properties of Lagosians.
“This is exemplified by the various creative and innovative measures being implemented to safeguard the populace from imminent dangers from every sector, more importantly, the challenges in the built environment,” he said.
He added that: “Apart from the Lagos State Urban and Regional Planning and Development Law, 2019 (Amended), the Lagos State Physical Planning Permit Regulations (LASPPPA), 2019 and the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) Regulations, 2019 are explicit on the rights and responsibilities of the Government as well as the Owners/Developers, all geared to bestow safety to the Lagos environment.”
He however, enjoined the officers that have been charged and assigned to the tasks of constituting the certificate to ensure “due diligence, integrity and honesty in the discharge of this very important duty.”
Salako further enjoined property Owners/Developers as well as intending investors in the real estate business in Lagos State to embrace this kind gesture of government as a worthy cause.
“This is because it would not only ensure safety but also livability and sustainability of buildings in the State,” he averred.
In his remarks, the General Manager, LASBCA, Arc. Gbolahan Owodunni, said the initiative offers “opportunity at finding a lasting solution to structural defects, building collapse, and other building contraventions in the State.”
Mentioning that Lagos remains attractive to local and international investors because of its tremendous opportunities and benefits that contributes significantly to the economic growth of Nigeria and Africa, Owodunni said it behooves the State to adopt international best practices.
“LASBCA as an Agency of Government remains poised, not only to keep abreast of international best practices, but also move ahead to explore new paradigm shifts by demonstrating how new thinking in our policies, plans and programmes can translate into a resilient, safe and secure environment that will foster economic growth and prosperity,” he said.
He disclosed that recently, following a distressed call, a highly distressed building housing over 300 young pupils was pulled down at Ebute Metta to avert imminent disaster.
According to him, the need to minimize recurring incidence of building collapse was the thinking that birthed the rebounding of the Certificate of Fitness for Habitation, amongst other revolutionary initiatives.
Owodunni disclosed that obtaining the Certificate entails that every stage of a building construction will be closely monitored by the Agency officials comprising of Builders, Architects, Structural, Civil, Mechanical and Electrical Engineers from the laying of foundation through the external works and fittings till the building is complete, following which the Certificate will be issued to certify that the job was satisfactorily completed.
He further added that the rebranded certificate, which is backed up with a security QR code, cannot be compromised, as its authenticity is easily verifiable on the Agency’s website.
“Generally, Stakeholders are encouraged to confirm that properties of interest are duly certified before payment of rents, conclusion of property sales, approving loan transactions or insurance cover respectively in order to ascertain the level of structural stability and safety of the building,” he said.
According to him, obtaining the rebranded Certificate from the Agency will also ensure that quackery is brought to the barest minimum while entrenching due process in building construction.
On the prosecution of those who fails o play by the rules, he said those who do not comply are at the risk of being fined or prosecuted by LASBCA or other relevant State Agencies.
“It must be emphasized here that we will not leave any stone unturned in ensuring that issues of quackery are adequately dealt with as we will intensify our efforts at prosecuting all quacks found on construction sites,” he said.
Request has thus been made for the deployment of a specialised unit of Police and Paramilitary Officers that would operate directly under the control of the Office of the General Manager LASBCA for enforcement.
