Sanwoolu suspends head of Lagos State Building Control Agency over recent catastrophe

GOVERNOR Babajide Sanwoolu has suspended the general manager of the Lagos State Building Control Agency (Lasbca) Gbolahan Oki pending the submission of a report into the circumstances surrounding the collapse of a 21-storey building in Ikoyi.

Yesterday, the building caved in on itself, killing dozens, with the death toll still being counted, forcing the Lagos State government to act swiftly.  Governor Sanwoolu directed that Mr Oki, an architect, be suspended from work immediately indefinitely, while the authorities seek to ascertain what went wrong and punish those responsible.

Gbenga Omotoso, the Lagos State information commissioner, said: “The Lagos State government is setting up an independent panel to probe the collapse of the 21-storey building on Gerrard Road, Ikoyi. Members of the panel will be drawn from the Nigeria Institute of Architects, the Nigerian Institute of Town Planners, the Nigeria Society of Engineers and other professional bodies.

“It will independently investigate the remote and immediate causes of the incident and make recommendations on how to prevent future occurrence. This investigation is not part of the internal probe already being conducted by the government.

“Governor Babajide Sanwoolu 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, Mr Gbolahan Oki, an architect, be suspended from work immediately."

Mr Omotoso added that so far, 14 people have been confirmed dead from the incident, while nine have been pulled out alive and taken to hospital. In a bizarre incident, the Ikoyi building, which was under construction, caved in after a heavy downpour yesterday night.