Victor EzejaSays Inquiry Panel Has 30 Days to Submit Report
LAGOS State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu has set up a six-man independent investigation team to probe the remote and immediate cause of the collapse of a 21-storey building in Ikoyi area of the state and submit its report within 30 days.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelSanwo-Olu who visited the site on Wednesday, named members of the probe panel at the scene of the incident, with the list comprising a professional builder, town planner, structural engineer and legal practitioners, all from the private sector.
President of Nigeria Institute of Town Planners (NITP), Mr. Toyin Ayinde, is the chairman of the panel, while Ekundayo Onajobi, a lawyer in a private law firm, is the Secretary.
Other members of the panel are a structural engineer, Dr. Akintilo Idris Adeleke; an architect, Yinka Ogundairo, representative of Institute of Builders, Mr. Godfrey O. Godfrey, and Mrs. Bunmi Ibrahim, a property lawyer.
The panel’s terms of reference include ascertaining whether there was a compromise of the building codes by the developer, contractor and statutory regulatory agencies.
At the scene, the Governor described the incident as “a monumental disaster”, and hinted that it could have been mistakes made in the process of developing the collapsed structure. The Governor promised a thorough inquiry into the matter, adding that the full wrath of the law would be brought on anyone found to have compromised.
He met with the victims’ family members and commiserated with them.
The Governor charged the investigative team to explore all angles to determine the cause of the collapse.
The governor said, “I have set up a high-powered professional investigative panel whose membership consists of professionals outside of the Government. The panel members have been given clear terms of reference and we are giving them a 30-day assignment to tell us what has gone wrong at the site.
“The investigation will start from the heads of regulatory agencies. Be rest assured that if there are other people that are found wanting in the course of investigation, everybody will face the full wrath of the law. Members of the panel are people of impeccable integrity and I will be signing an executive order to give the panel a legal backing.”
Other terms of reference of the panel include, determining whether there was full compliance with physical planning and building materials laws of the State; determining whether there were supervisory or oversight lapses on the part of regulatory agencies, and making necessary recommendations to guard against a reoccurrence of similar incidents.
Sanwo-Olu maintained that it was difficult for the Government to know the exact number of people trapped, noting that none of the people linked to the housing project had come forward to offer information on the manifest.
He further stated that there was an ongoing process of identifying the victims of the disaster after which affected family members can come for identification.
As of Wednesday afternoon, the Governor put the figure of confirmed fatality to 21, while nine persons were evacuated alive from the rubbles.
The State Government set up a medical base and information desk at the site of the building collapse, urging those whose family members were still missing to offer information on identity. There is also a website (www.lagosmind.org/help) and helpline number (09090006463) for the distressed family.
The multi-sectoral search and rescue operation was ongoing at press time. The effort is being led by teams of Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) and National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), with the support of construction giants, Julius Berger, Craneburg, HiTech and China Civil Engineering Construction Company (CCECC).
According to a statement by Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Gboyega Akosile, those rescued from the rubbles are: Oduntan Timilehin, 26; Sunday Monday, 21; Adeniran Mayowa, 37; Sholagbade Nurudeen, 33; Waliu Lateef, 32, and Ahmed Kanleku, 19 from the Republic of Benin.
Victor Ezeja is a passionate journalist with six years of experience writing on economy, politics and energy. He holds a Masters degree in Mass Communication.
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