The governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Wednesday spoke on the collapse of a 21-storey building in the Ikoyi area of the state saying mistakes were made from angles.
The governor who stated this when he visited the site of the collapsed building said there is enough blame to go around.
“This is an event that could be described clearly as a national disaster. Mistakes were made from all angles. This situation can be described as a clear national disaster. Indeed mistakes were made from all angles, and this should not be happening in a modern city like Lagos,” he said.
The governor who had, on Tuesday announced the suspension of the general manager of the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA), Mr. Gbolahan Oki, also disclosed the identities of six persons rescued from the rubbles of the building.
They are Oduntan Timilehin (26); Ahmed Keleku (19, from Cotonou); Sunday Monday (21, suffered left leg fracture); Adeniran Mayowa (37, sustained hip injury); Solagbade Nurudeen (33, suffered pelvic injury) and Waliu Lateef (32).
Sanwo-Olu expressed condolences to the families of the victims and invited them to identify their loved ones latest tomorrow (Thursday, November 4) after autopsy might have been conducted on the bodies recovered.
The governor also said it was difficult to give an accurate number of workers on site when the accident happened because there was no manifest.
He said no one, whether the owner, staff, developer or contractor, had come up to provide such information.
“Not having a workers’ manifest clearly contravenes laws guiding construction works,” he added.
The Governor urged people to visit the information desk set up on site to provide required information about their relatives working on the site.
Information can also be gotten on www.lagosmind.org/help or a mail sent to help@lagosmind.org. The dedicated line to seek psycho-social support is 09090006463.
The governor also said he would sign an executive order to give legal backing to the panel of inquiry set up to investigate the immediate and remote causes of the accident.
Members of the panel are Tayo Ayinde (chairman); Ekundayo Onajobi (secretary); Idris Akintilo; Yinka Ogundairo; Godfrey. O. Godfrey and Mrs. Bunmi Ibrahim.
“I had to cut short my journey to Rome for the G20 Summit and the COP 26 Climate Change Conference in Scotland and I visited this site straight from the airport last night.
“It is also on record that we have asked the general manager of the building control agency (LASBCA) Gbolahan Oki to proceed on an indefinite suspension because we have to take responsibility from the head.
Be rest assured that if there are others found in the course of investigation, they will also face the full wrath of the law.
“Certainly there are violations of the law, and if the panel recommends criminal prosecution, we would adhere. I believe the highest level of the law will come to force,” he added.
