The Building Collapse Prevention Guild (BCPG) has described the April 19 building collapse at Ojodu, Lagos State, as a stab on the collective conscience of its members.
In a statement on Monday, the guild said it was deeply worried at the collapse of the three-storey building under construction at No. 10, Oremeta St., which claimed seven lives and left 13 others injured.
The statement was signed by the guild’s
Coordinator, Mr Abiodun Adegoke; General Secretary, Mr Dom Ibeh; and Public Relations Officer, Mr Femi Ishola; in Lagos.
The guild described the loss of lives as pathetic and avoidable.
According to the BCPG, the collapse could have been prevented if recommendations made after a similar incident in the area 12 years ago was properly implemented.
It recalled that on May 7, 2013, a four-storey building under construction at No. 15, Bashiru Street, Ojodu, collapsed, leading to the death of one person.
It noted that following the 2013 incident, the BCPG’s Ojodu Cell conducted an investigation and made recommendations.
These include warnings about the dangers of occupying buildings still under construction, the risks tied to gradual addition of extra floors, and the need for structural integrity tests, it said.
The guild emphasised the importance of renewing construction permits for long-term projects and hiring of only qualified professionals.
The guild noted that the two building collapse sites were barely 150 metres apart and that the factors leading to both failures appeared remarkably similar.
In the recent case, the guild said the building had been under construction for a long time, leaving it vulnerable to weather damage.
It added that the ground floor was reportedly being used for commercial activities while upper floors were still incomplete.
It emphasised that any project abandoned for over five years should undergo strict safety checks before resumption of work.
The guild also raised a red flag over a newly -built two-storey structure standing on the site of the 2013 collapsed building at No. 15, Bashiru Street.
It asked whether necessary approvals had been obtained for the building.
According to the guild, under the Lagos State Urban and Regional Planning and Development Law of 2010 as well as the Lagos State Building Control Agency Regulations of 2019, land on which a building collapsed, due to negligence, should be forfeited to the government.
The BCPG called for immediate investigation into the new development.
It praised the Lagos State House of Assembly for passing laws to curb building collapse but urged lawmakers to address the persistent gap between policy creation and enforcement.
It said that official investigation into building collapse, which was critical for enforcing land forfeiture provisions, was rarely conducted.
The guild appealed to the assembly to ensure a thorough investigation into the Oremeta Street collapse and suggested setting up of a committee to review the current status of collapsed building sites across Ojodu and Lagos State as a whole.
It offered to assist by providing a comprehensive list of sites of collapsed buildings if needed.
The guild urged that integrity should be the foundation of building collapse prevention efforts, adding that safety of lives and property should not be compromised