Kayode Shopekan
A Structural Engineer and Site Manager, Oreoluwa Oladokun, has attributed the cause of the collapse of the 21-storey building in Ikoyi to use of substandard materials and failure to follow a good building plan.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelThe Structural Engineer submitted, that the collapsed 21 storey building has a foundation plan designed for 17 storey and not 21, as it finally became.
“Normally, when building for the blocks to be strong, a pan of water is mixed with two pans of cement and three pans of sand which would produce a strong block for building.
“if the builders had employed this mode of block making the building would be stronger than what it was. Blocks were poorly mixed, pillars not also strong enough.
He advised government to hold the owners of the building responsible for the lives lost: “this is murder, what they have committed here is simply murder”
“Aside from the use of substandard tools in the building, officials of the Lagos State Building Control Agency, who gave the go ahead for the construction of the building, should be immediately arrested and charged to court.
“Bribery and corruption must have taken place because the building was at some point in time marked for demolition but instead of being demolished, construction continued and now has led to loss of lives.
Oladokun, urged that the other twin 21 buildings be taken over by the government and demolished to save more lives.
Meanwhile, the Lagos state Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu has revealed that so far, nine persons have been rescued alive and 22 dead bodies recovered. He made this known when he paid a visit to the site on Wednesday. Of the nine survivors, he identified six persons and stated that the other three had been discharged.
Also, an independent probe panel has been constituted by Lagos state, to investigate the cause of the collapse.
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.
Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) and National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), with support from Julius Berger, Craneburg, HiTech and China Civil Engineering Construction Company (CCECC) are currently carrying out rescue operations at the site of the building collapse.
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