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Ikoyi Building Collapse: Death Toll Rises To 17
*Sanwo-Olu orders LASBCA GM’s suspension
*Deputy Governor visits site
It has been confirmed that additional people have died and more survivors rescued hours after a high-rise building collapsed in the Ikoyi area of Lagos State.
The Building collapsed on Monday afternoon along Wesley Road in Ikoyi, Lagos State.
Four persons were killed and five others rescued as of Monday night, the death toll and number of survivors rose on Tuesday as rescue efforts continued through the night.
According to the spokesman for the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), 13 more bodies have been recovered.
He added that five more persons trapped under the rubble have been rescued by emergency responders at the scene.
This brings the total figures of those killed and rescued so far to 17 and 10 respectively.
Meanwhile Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has said the government will surely find out what went wrong and punish those indicted.
The Governor, as a first step, has directed that the General Manager of the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA), Mr. Gbolahan Oki, an architect, be suspended from work immediately.
The suspension is indefinite.
Similarly the Deputy Governor of Lagos, Dr Obafemi Hamzat, who visited the site amid tight security, explained that the premise of the collapsed building has been sealed by the government agency in charge of testing, for more investigation into the integrity of the structure.
Emergency workers have intensified rescue operations as more people are believed to be trapped under the rubble.
Meanwhile, the Chairman of the Nigerian Institute of Architects, Lagos State Chapter, David Majekodunmi, also visited the site of the building collapse.
He lamented that unfortunate incidents such as this should not have happened if authorities had done what was expected of them.
“My first impression is that the country is in a mess. We are in a mess because if we have done what we are supposed to do, either on the private or government side, we wouldn’t be having this kind of incident.
“Like it’s said by (Femi) Falana, the renowned lawyer, about six or seven weeks precisely where we have all the allied professionals in the construction industry together, he said ‘we should stop talking about building collapse; go and search yourselves, what is your regulatory building doing? Your regulatory body is supposed to regulate things like this,” said Majekodunmi.
He added, “Looking at this, you can’t determine what is actually the cause of the collapse. In a nutshell, we are standing in front of the signage which is supposed to be a prerequisite at a site.
“You cannot see the name of the architect, the structural engineer, and other consultants. But there is so much going on on the platform where the number written on all these consultants happens to be the developer.
“I will tell you just a little history because the government has a big fault for this. In 1986, a National Building Code was drafted by all the professional bodies in the construction industry – seven of them. This National Building Code was not signed until 20 years after it was drafted.”
President Muhammadu Buhari has stated that Nigeria is accelerating efforts to achieve the SDG by 2030 to guarantee an end to poverty and hunger, protect the ecosystem and ensure Nigerians live in peace and prosperity by 2030.
Buhari made the declaration on Friday when he officially unveiled the Nigeria Integrated National Financing Framework (INIFF) report, a high-level event in collaboration with the UNDP and EU, on the sidelines of the 77th session of the UNGA.
He expressed satisfaction that the process leading to the NIFF which started in 2020 finally crystalized into the launch, underpinning the importance placed by the present administration towards achieving the goals.
The President explained that the various developmental plans and programmes for the country have all been aligned with the SDG and are poised to advance the nation’s economy in spite of the challenges that have confronted the country.
The Federal Government has tackled the People Democratic Party [PDP] Presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar for allegedly copying President Muhammadu Buhari economic blueprint in his recently unveiled Economic programme.
Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed described Atiku Blueprint as a
“crude attempt at copying all that the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari has done’’.
Speaking at a news conference in Abuja, the Minister said the blueprint is a poor version of the present government’s economic strides.
“Let me say, straight away, that the so-called blueprint is a crude attempt at copying all that the Administration of President Muhammadu Buhari has done, especially in the areas of job creation, infrastructure financing, relationship with the private sector, rejuvenation of the power sector, poverty reduction, debt management and the overall management of the economy,” Mohammed asserted.
The minister expressed shock that an opposition party that has on several occasions criticized its policies is currently adopting it for its campaign,
According to Him, the present administration has made giant strides through its economic blue print which has translated into the creation of over three hundred and two thousand jobs and over eight thousand kilometers of road across the country amongst others.
President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday promised to leave a legacy of free-and-fair elections as his eight-year tenure comes to an end in May 2023.
The President made this known in his last address before world leaders at the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, the United States.
“Indeed, we now are preparing for general elections in Nigeria next February. At the 78th UNGA, there will be a new face at this podium speaking for Nigeria.
“Ours is a vast country strengthened by its diversity and its common values of hard work, enduring faith and a sense of community. We have invested heavily to strengthen our framework for free and fair elections. I thank our partners for all the support that the have provided for our elections.
“As President, I have set the goal that one of the enduring legacies I will like to leave is to entrench a process of free, fair and transparent credible elections through which Nigerians elect their choice,” Buhari said.
The President, who reiterated his commitment to constitutional limit, said Nigeria has stood for democracy and the rule of law as a country and in the sub-region in countries such as The Gambia, Guinea Bissau, and the Republic of Chad.
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