By Bisola Adeyemo
Following the demolition of unapproved buildings in the llupeju area of Lagos, the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) has emphasized that there will be zero-tolerance for unapproved and haphazard building construction within the state.
This information was disclosed in a statement by the General Manager of the Agency, Arc. Gbolahan Owodunni Oki, shared via the state’s Twitter handle on Monday.
Speaking during the demolition exercise Oki explained that the building in question had been identified by a team of its agency’s monitoring officers in August 2020.
According to him, all efforts by the agency to persuade the recalcitrant owner to follow due process and best practices, in agreement with the directive of the agency proved abortive.
Oki stated that the decision was taken after a thorough engineering appraisal and monitoring of the building by the agency to ensure a better physical planning environment for sustainable development and averting needless loss of lives and property.
He said, “The demolition is a signal to any would-be recalcitrant developer who circumvents government rules and regulations of the law, stressing that the structures shall be removed by the sgency and the cost of removal shall be borne by the owner.”
Oki, therefore, pleaded with building owners and developers to desist from showing disregard for the state law on construction by starting building projects without obtaining the necessary building approvals and guidelines
“Building owners are expected to seek authorization from LASBCA, hire the services of relevant building professionals, speak to safety experts, and test their building materials before the commencement of building construction, subject to the type of structures they are putting in place.”