Banana Island: Lagos Government Starts Demolishing Illegal Buildings
The dismantling of unlawful constructions at highbrow Banana Island, Ikoyi, flagged for demolition by Lagos State government, has started on Wednesday.
According to representatives of the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA), the Lagos State Physical Planning Permit Authority, and the Lagos State Task Force, it was done in accordance with the governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s order that certain buildings be demolished.
The LASBCA general manager Gbolahan Oki, oversaw the demolition exercise, which got under way.
The agency which also disclosed the development in a post shared on its Twitter handle, wrote, “Banana Island: LASBCA Begins Removal of Illegal Structures.”
We had reported that Sanwo-Olu, last weekend, led a delegation of government officials on the spot assessment to the site of the collapsed seven-storey building and other ongoing construction sites in the area, describing the situation as “irresponsible and unacceptable.”
The governor further instructed the immediate removal of all structures in Banana Island without valid building approvals, especially those seen to have violated building regulations and plans of the State in the interest of public safety and to prevent a repeat of another collapse.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian Institute of Building (NIOB) said it might take legal action to compel the government of Lagos to fully implement its law against building collapse, to tame the menace.
The Lagos chapter of the association disclosed this at a press conference in Ikeja, to usher in the 4th edition of its Builders’ Business Workshop themed “Building Surveying Practice, Charting a New Course in Post Construction Services”.
Abiodun Ogundare, the honorary secretary, lamented that in spite of various strong laws and regulations, buildings were still collapsing in Lagos State.
Ogundare said several efforts of the institute to curb the menace were not yielding desired results because of impunity caused by inadequate enforcement by government officials.
