03/11/2021
I copied this
2nd November, 2021.
His Excellency,
Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu,
Governor of Lagos State,
Lagos House,
Alausa, Ikeja,
Lagos.
Your Excellency,
RE: 21 STOREY COLLAPSED BUILDING, GERRARD ROAD, IKOYI, LAGOS STATE.
The above subject matter refers. We all witness live on Arise and Channels television stations, the rubbles of a collapsed twenty one (21) storey building on Gerrard Road, Ikoyi, Lagos, Nigeria, and ongoing rescue exercise by several government agencies, including LASEMA. In explaining this gory incident, the General Manager Lagos State Building Control Agency said (as copiously published in Punch newspaper) that the approval for the collapsed building was fifteen (15) and not 21 floors, and admitted that poor materials were used in construction of that building, hence its collapse.
This incident is an example of culpability of government officials and its supervisory agency and failure to perform their duties and responsibilities or enforcement of punitive measures in respect of a recalcitrant contractor and owners of private properties. Necessarily, it would have taken appreciable time to construct the 6 additional floors, but the Agency responsible to issue stop work order and mark the building itself for demolition chose to ignore the construction of those additional floors and therefore failed in enforcement of extanct laws.
Why was a "Stop Order" not placed on this building and why was there no supervision of quality of materials as explicitly stated in several building control laws and legislation in the State. In this particular instance, which has resulted in fatality and deaths, the officials of the Lagos State Government responsible, especially the Lagos State Building Control Agency are culpable and should be prosecuted immediately, forthwith and without delay.
This particular incident is a glaring example of officials of the government of Lagos State, compromising their duties and responsibilities for consideration. What is this hype of Centre of Excellence all about, if a 21 Storey building in highbrow Ikoyi will collapse as a result of negligence of irresponsible public officials, who earn salaries and whose lifestyles are maintained at the expense of the taxpayers? We cannot continue like this, as apparently corruption and avarice has become not a social malaise but constitute our DNA.
This incident is a "shame of a nation" state, unwarranted, unsolicited, irresponsible, insensitive, unfair, unjust and indeed criminal and even the Federal government should ensure that the global community do not see us as a lawless society, where public officials are allowed to go scot-free, when culpable or negligent in the performance of their duties The General Manager of that Agency has by his own statement that approval was for 15 and not 21 floors surreptitiously indicted himself and his Agency. The proper thing to do is to immediately arrest and prosecute him and his cohorts in that Agency in a court of law and to conduct integrity tests of all ongoing construction of buildings in Lagis state in excess of 10 floors. A Stitch In Time Saves Nine. (Copied)
My own addition is this
We have the laws, but zero enforcement. This agencies have the powers, but because they are not disciplined. Everyine is doing party things.It looks like a chop -i-chop settings.
how penalties and offenders would be dealt with. Both among citizens and among your workforce is not clearly defined.
Enforcing high level discipline among your personnel, across board is all you need sir to get the ball rolling.
Also technologies ro eneble you have first hand information from the people you serve.your citizens. Especially when they feel disenfranchised.
As we speak, Your enforcement personnel conduct themselves as menace to society instead of being civil,it looksblike a desperado setting, everyone of them compromise. look at lastma, the daily contribution mentality is turning them to gangsters creating more traffic to get more revenue for there own pockets
Now see building agency. The rot in the civil service is massive.
I heard another collapse again in osapa.
This building agency go round everyday..but all they look out for is for there pockets, not standards again.your lastma will allow a commercial bus, take one lane in an expressway..loading passengers. Creating huge traffic ..they don't care.
It so sad.
So sad.
I think you have to create an idea platform...let people reach you first hand
And together let's solve this social issues that disorganizing us
Let's kill corruption with discipline in the civil service
When the civil service is disciplined
The city is crime free
Everyone behaves him or herself and do the right things
