Lagos State Government Demolishes 22 Defective Buildings

In its bid to stem the incidence of collapsed buildings, the Lagos State Government has demolished 22 defective buildings in different parts of the state.

The government vowed to continue demolition of defective structures across the state, saying it could no longer tolerate incessant collapse of buildings in the metropolis.

Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Olutoyin Ayinde, disclosed this yesterday at a stakeholders’ meeting on town planning laws held at Kosofe Local Government Area of Lagos, southwest Nigeria. He said the demolition was carried out in the last few months and assured that the government would leave nothing to chance to ensure that buildings identified as defective are sealed up to prevent wanton loss of lives and properties.

“We demolished about 12 in the last few months. About 22 buildings have been demolished so far. Some were done by the owners and some were done by the government,” he clarified.

Ayinde stated that the government had given opportunity for property owners and developers of buildings identified to be defective to request for their buildings to be tested. “We recently published in a national daily the list of distressed structures, some of which have been demolished. Some are being retested to know their structural stability.

“Once they adhere to the recommendations of the test, the buildings may continue to exist where they are recommended to exist, but where they are recomamended for demolition, it is wise for the owners of the structures to demolish them. At that point, they own their land and they can redevelop, but when it collapses, we are not even going to allow that, we would demolish it,” he said.

He said that the government would commence the implementation of the Urban and Regional Planning and Development Law of 2010 in the first quarter of 2012. He emphasised that the state government, having created sufficient awareness about the law, is looking into its details with a view to implementing it to the letters. He added that government would create more enlightenment about the law for stakeholders to understand its implementation.

While appealing for the co-operation and vigilance of stakeholders and community members in Kosofe, Agboyi – Ketu and Ikosi – Isheri, the commissioner urged them to collaborate with the state government in stemming the tide of building collapse. “It will not be right to administer a law which people are ignorant of.. It’s one interactive session that is going to go round. We are starting off in Kosofe to make them aware of the existing law,” Ayinde added.