•Recovery operations reach ground zero
•Lagos Assembly wants affected families compensated
•I’ve not seen my brother, relative cries
•Operation is frustrating —rescue operator
By Olasunkanmi Akoni, Evelyn Usman, Bose Adelaja, Rosemary Iwunze, Ebun Sessou & Cynthia Alo
Femi Osibona, the deceased developer of the 21-storey building that collapsed on Gerrard Road, in Ikoyi area of Lagos, ignored a directive by the Lagos State Physical Planning Permit Authority, LAPPPA, to insure the structure, Vanguard’s investigation has revealed.
Vanguard gathered that the developer was directed to insure the liabilities associated with construction of the building.
According to the development permit no-DCB/DO/2442IV, dated 09/04/2019, cited by Vanguard, the developer was duly directed by the Lagos State government to insure the construction risks of the building.
Part G of the permit reads: “A developer of any building above two floors shall insure his/her liability in respect of construction risks and submit a Certified True Copy, CTC, of such insurance policy certification with his/her development permit to Lagos State Building Control Agency, LASBCA.”
Similarly, Part E said: “Non-compliance with the approved planning permit as designed will void the permit, and the development will be regarded as illegal.”
So far, 44 bodies have been recovered from the rubble, including that of the owner of the structure, Mr. Osibona, while 15 people survived the tragedy with over 49 persons still searching for their missing loved ones in the incident.
Lamenting the tragedy, Commissioner for Insurance, Mr. Sunday Thomas, said there was the need to implement compulsory insurance for public buildings and buildings under construction.
Thomas said: “Owners of public buildings must desist from the act of constructing high-rise buildings without the regulatory building insurance coverage. Building without building insurance coverage means violation of the insurance law.”
It’s not time for blame game —NIA
Also speaking, the Director-General of Nigeria Insurers Association, NIA, Mrs. Yetunde Ilori said that all the stakeholders in the construction industry should take appropriate steps to ensure compliance with the extant laws to stop the needless loss of life and property.
Ilori said: “The Insurance Act 2003, in its Section 64(1) states that no person shall construct any building of more than two floors without insuring with a registered insurer his liability in respect of construction risks caused by his negligence or the negligence of his servants, agents or consultants which may result in bodily injury or loss of life to or damage to property of any workman on the site or of any member of the public.
“This is not the time for blame game but sober reflection and a call to action. Those who are vested with the power to enforce the laws of the land owe it a duty to ensure that laws are obeyed.”
READ ALSO: Lessons from the rubbles of the collapsed 21 storey building
On his part, President of the Nigerian Council of Registered Insurance Brokers, NCRIB, Rotimi Edu said the increasing cases of building collapse are a call on relevant stakeholders to ensure compliance with extant regulations.
Recovery operations reach ground zero
Meanwhile, a week after the building collapse, the recovery operation is still ongoing by combined emergency responders of both the Federal and State Governments.
As of 7 pm, yesterday, no additional body was recovered putting the total casualties at 44, as recorded on Sunday.
Also, the level of work by emergency responders has reached the ground floor of the collapsed building ruling out the possibility of more trapped bodies in the rubble as excavation work continued.
Lagos Assembly wants affected families compensated
These came as the Lagos State House of Assembly urged Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to compensate the families of the victims that died in the 21-storey building in Ikoyi.
The House, in a motion, also called on the Governor to direct the relevant agencies of government to ensure that all requirements for buildings as stipulated in extant laws of the state are strictly adhered to.
The Speaker, Mudashiru Obasa, who presided over the sitting, described the incident as an unfortunate development given the loss of lives that occurred following the incident.
Obasa said: “We should exercise patience before passing comments concerning the incident until the findings of the committees looking into it unravel the cause.
“It is obvious that the agencies saddled with the responsibility of monitoring buildings and constructions have not done much.
“The government should compensate their families. If the agencies had done the needful we would not have this sad occurrence.”
In a motion, Mr. Nureni Akinsanya (Mushin 1) expressed worry over the spate of building collapse in the state.
Akinsanya said: “The House expressed worry over the wide speculation that the building was raised to 21 floors contrary to the 15 floors approved by the Lagos State Physical Planning Permit Authority, LASPPPA, for the owner.”
The Speaker, however, mandated the Committee on Physical Planning and Urban Development to invite the Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development as well as other agencies saddled with the responsibilities of issuing approvals, monitoring of construction and project development to ascertain the level of compliance with the extant laws and regulations relating to buildings in the state.
I’ve not seen my brother dead or alive-Sister of victim cries
Meanwhile, a visibly frustrated woman, identified as Fatimo, told Vanguard that her brother, Fatai, who worked at the site, was yet to be found.
Fatimo said: “We were not aware anything of such happened in Lagos, until last Thursday evening when one Gbenga, called one of our uncles on the phone to inform that my brother, Fatai, was working in a building that collapsed in Lagos. He did not tell us if he was dead or alive. He only gave my uncle the description of the place.
“My uncle could not come because he has a partial stroke. I got to this place last Friday and saw other people like me, who came to see if their loved ones would be brought out dead or alive. I met one of the officials who directed me to the mortuary.
“But Fatai’s corpse was not among them. As I speak with you (yesterday) I have not seen him, either dead or alive. I will be here until everything is cleared.”
Rescue responder laments
But one of the rescue operators expressed disappointment at the manner with which the rescue operation at the site dropped, yesterday.
The emergency worker, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, told Vanguard that “Practically, nothing has been done today (yesterday). Everything is on the ground, the excavators and other devices. But as I speak, nothing has been done. It is so frustrating.”
The post Ikoyi building collapse: How developer ignored directive to insure property appeared first on Vanguard News.
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