Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu has ordered the indefinite suspension of the General Manager of the Lagos State Building Control Agency, Mr. Gbolahan Oki.
Africa Daily News, New York reports that his suspension is coming barely 24 hours after a high-rise building collapsed in the Ikoyi area of the state.
The Governor, in a statement signed by Commissioner for Information, Gbenga Omotoso, described the suspension as a ‘first step’ towards finding out ‘what went wrong’ to cause the building collapse.
The State Government is also setting up an independent panel to probe the collapse.
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‘Members of the panel will be drawn from the Nigeria Institute of Architects (NIA), Nigerian Institute of Town Planners (NITP), Nigeria Society of Engineers (NSE) and other professional bodies,” the statement said.
‘It will independently investigate the remote and immediate causes of the incident and make recommendations on how to prevent future occurrence. The investigation is not part of the internal probe already being conducted by the government.’
Africa Daily News, New York reports that no fewer than nine persons have been rescued alive from the rubble but 14 have been discovered dead.
The survivors have been taken to the hospital.
Meanwhile, rescue operations have continued on the site to save more lives.
‘Mr. Sanwo-Olu thanks all first responders and those who have joined the rescue efforts, including construction giants Julius Berger, Chinese Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) and the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA),‘ the statement said.
‘A help desk is to be set up at the site for people seeking information about their relations who may have been involved in the incident. The media are hereby notified that the government will be releasing information whenever the need arises to avoid any sensational reporting of the unfortunate incident.’
Gbolahan Oki, general manager of the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA), had on Monday revealed that the owner of the collapsed 21-storey building in Ikoyi, was given approval to construct only 15 floors.
AFRICA DAILY NEWS, NEW YORK
