LASBCA set to demolish six distressed buildings on Lagos Island
By Owoleye Oluwakayode
In furtherance of its efforts to prevent building collapse, the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) on Friday marked six distressed buildings on Lagos Island for demolition, just as it issued a vacation order to occupants of its illegal attachments.
The General Manager of LASBCA, Arc. Gbolahan Oki, spoke during the special enforcement exercise, saying the Agency was acting on its mandate to identify and remove distressed and non-conforming buildings within the metropolis to forestall needless tragedies.
While giving a seven-day vacation order to occupants of the illegal attachments, Oki stated that buildings in the axis are notorious for illegally adding attachments to their frontage to obstruct setbacks and make the approach to them less visible.
“Some of the distressed buildings are quite difficult to detect due to the illegal attachments in their frontage, as such we need to remove them to reveal the actual state of the buildings”, he said.
Oki lamented the spate of illegal and unapproved building construction in the area despite several government enlightenment campaigns and stringent enforcement measures.
He reiterated that it is illegal to erect buildings without obtaining the necessary approvals and insisted every builder must go through stage supervision and eventual certification of each building as fit for habitation by LASBCA.
Noting that the ongoing demolition exercise is a wake-up call to all developers and property owners in the State to build according to stipulated rules, the General Manager said the Lagos State Government would continue to come down heavily on any act of disregard for the State Urban and Regional Planning and Development Law 2019 as amended.
Arc. Oki emphasised that LASBCA would not relent in removing both distressed and non-conforming buildings in the State, while the cost of removal will be borne by the owners of the structures.
Assuring that the safety of lives and property remained the priority of the State Government, Oko maintained that the ongoing exercise is not designed to witchhunt or intimidate the people but to ensure their wellness and well-being.
He urged Lagosians to continue to give maximum support to the present administration by carrying out voluntary structural engineering appraisals on their old buildings, obtaining the Certificate of Completion and Fitness for Habitation and promptly reporting cases of distressed, non-conforming and illegal developments to the authorities.
