Collapsed Ikoyi Building Was Reportedly Sealed By Gov. Sanwo-Olu A Year Ago.

A 21-storey building under construction collapsed earlier today, Monday, November 1, 2021 at Musikiu Junction by Gerard Road, Ikoyi, Lagos.

The building was under construction when it suddenly collapsed on construction workers on Monday afternoon.

But later this evening there were reports that the collapsed building was reportedly sealed by Lagos state governor, Babajide Sanwo-olu a year ago in July 2020.

At the time, a source was quoted as saying that the State Government took the action to seal the building in order to ensure that what happened with Lekki Gardens Estate when its on-going six-storey building collapsed on March 8, 2016 would not be witnessed again in the state.

the building before the collapse

“It is unheard of that the owners of the Ikoyi project in question would embark on such a capital intensive project without obtaining required approvals for a project as massive as that.

“Gone are the days of negligence on the part of the government when people flout the law. Sealing up the project is law taking its due course.

“The owners of this project have shown themselves to be defiant and obstinate, in that the state ministry of Land and Physical Planning had been calling on them to without paying attention to what the ministry had been calling their attention to.

“It does not benefit the state to stop economically viable projects like the project on Gerrard Road in Ikoyi, but the responsibility falls on the government that all rules and regulations guiding such buildings are strictly adhered to.

“What the government has done is to halt further construction with a view to assessing and evaluating the extent to which the builders had adhered to the building code. The state will take it up from there.

“The government will not fold its arm and watch people behave recklessly without order and accountability. We are talking about people’s lives here. The state will no longer tolerate such attitude from anybody no matter how highly placed they may be.” The source stated.

The building collapsed on Monday afternoon at about 1:30pm, and it is reported that men of the Federal, state Fire Services and Rescue Team and men of Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, LASEMA, are currently at the scene of the incident to rescue those trapped in the rubbles.

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