Operatives of the Lagos State Building Control Agency has demolished at least seven distressed buildings in the Mushin area of the State to avoid imminent collapse that would have claimed several innocent lives and destroyed properties worth millions.
According to a statement by LASBCA, the demolished buildings were located at Abiodun Wright Street, Itire Road, and Gbadamosi Iginla Street in Mushin.
Speaking during the demolition of the distressed buildings on Thursday, the General Manager of LASBCA, Arc. Gbolahan Oki, lamented the level of disregard for vacation notices issued by the agency on different occasions to occupants of the buildings and others in different parts of the state.
Oki said, “The administration of Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu frowns at the avoidable loss of lives and property of residents of the State. It is time for Lagosians to take their safety seriously and avoid putting blame on government at all times.”
The Director and Head of Inspectorate, Quality Control and Post-Construction Audit, Engr. Khadijah Olayemi Aremo-Ajibade, who spoke on behalf of the general manager, stated that the seven buildings pulled down by the agency had been served necessary notices without compliance by the occupants and owners of the structures.
While noting that over 10 distressed buildings had been demolished since the commencement of the exercise earlier in the year, the general manager noted that the exercise was aimed at averting further loss of lives, warning that all distressed buildings in any part of the state were disasters waiting to happen.
Arc. Oki assured Lagosians that the agency would relentlessly continue to pursue its vision and goal of ensuring that all buildings across the state were fit for habitation and constituted no risk to other nearby structures.
He expressed hope that Lagosians would, henceforth, cultivate the habit of vacating distressed buildings even before they were marked by Lagos State Building Control Agency or any other relevant government agencies for demolition.