The Lagos State Building Control Agency, LASBCA has again reiterated the Government’s commitment to zero tolerance to distressed and dilapidated buildings in the State.
The General Manager of the agency, Mrs. Biola Kosegbe said in a statement in Ikeja, that out of the 500 distressed buildings identified, a total of 102 have been marked for demolition by the agency in the first instance while all the tenants/occupiers of the distressed buildings have been advised to evacuate immediately as demolition commences after the expiration on the 7 day notice.
Mrs. Kosegbe said that the distressed Structures in the State shall be removed by Lagos State Building Control Agency having served all the statutory enforcement notices in consonance with the Lagos State Urban and Regional Planning and Development Law of 2010 and with no response from the respective Owner/Developer.
She said that the Public notice is the final notice from the Agency to the owner/developer and if the distressed structures are not removed within Seven days (7) by their respective Owners/Developers in line with regulatory provision of the law, the Structures shall be removed by the Agency and the cost will be borne by the owners.
The General Manager emphasised that the decision was taken after a thorough engineering appraisal and monitoring of the distressed buildings carried out by the Agency in the state with a view to ensuring better physical planning environment for sustainable development and averting needless loss of lives and properties.
Mrs. Kosegbe maintained that no responsible Government will fold its arms and watch her citizen die avoidable careless death without taking precautionary measures to stop it.
She appealed to building owners and developers to desist from adding additional floors to old existing buildings without carrying out a thorough engineering appraisal, integrity test on the building and obtaining necessary permits from the relevant Authorities.
Yemisi Oreoluwa
