Obeying Regulations Will Address Building Collapse – Lagos Speaker, Obasa

The Speaker of the building collapse, State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa, has said regulatory adherence is vital in countering building collapse in the country.

Speaking at a recent event organised by the Building Collapse Prevention Guild in Lagos, he said the laws and regulations had not been made in a vacuum but were to be seen as instruments of guidance.

According to the Lagos Assembly speaker, if laws are properly complied with, they would stem incidences of building collapse or even totally eradicate it in the state.

He said, “Lagos State continues to do all it can to curb the menace of building collapse, which is due mostly to stakeholders in the industry cutting corners, especially in obtaining the requisite permit for construction.

“If the laws and regulations are followed strictly by stakeholders, we would all be relieved knowing that one of the social challenges has been trounced. That should be the way to go, not for some elements to create a problem for both the residents and the state and then turn around to give the impression that the government is insensitive during implementation of these laws, especially in relation to demolition of buildings constructed with disregard for the laws and regulations.”

He noted that if stakeholders were serious to end the menace of building collapse, there must be an effective collaboration in the built industry.

“As professionals, you must advise your clients appropriately that strict compliance with laws and regulations cannot be short-circuited. You must ensure that construction or renovation is done in compliance with building regulations and that all necessary planning permits and approvals are obtained.

“There should also be regular site inspections to ensure that the quality of materials used is not compromised. There should further be adequate provision of security at construction sites,” Obasa advised.

Similarly, the Coordinator, Kosofe BCPG Cell, Soji Adeniji, noted that the Lagos State 2010 Urban and Regional Planning Law with its concomitant Planning and Building Regulations of 2019 had laid the foundation for the battle against the menace of building collapse.

Meanwhile, the Chairman of BCPG Lagos Chapter, Joseph Akande, disclosed that the guild had been collaborating with the Lagos State Government and its agencies to support monitoring and detecting the violators in the built environment.

He said, “As professionals in the built industry, we will continue to be at the forefront of solution-based discussions on issues that affect our building industry in Lagos State.”