By Abdulwahab Abdulah and Jane Echewedo

Mr Olutoyin Ayinde, a former Lagos State Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, on Tuesday revealed before an Ikeja High Court that the Auditorium of the Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN) does not have a valid building permit.

Ayinde, made the disclosure before Justice Lateef Lawal-Akapo while being led in evidence by the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), Mrs Idowu Alakija during the ongoing trial of two engineers charged with criminal manslaughter of 116 persons in the collapsed seven-storey guest house of the church.

Beside, he said the collapsed building does not have building permit and no request for application.

“The building collapse occurred on a Friday, I got in touch with the District Officer of the Lagos State Physical Planning Permit Authority (LASPPPA) to confirm if the Synagogue Church had any building approval in the system.

“The Electronic Document Management System was searched and the only building approval for the church did not cover the site of the collapse building.

“The document, a five – storey building approval was meant for the church auditorium but as at the time of the collapse, the church auditorium had gone from five floors to eight floors.

“By the Ministry’s definition, the approval the church had for the auditorium is no longer valid and there was no application for approval registered for the collapsed building.

“The Building Control Agency pasted their sticker on the auditorium which had surpassed the approved five – storeys but there was no need for sanctions on the other building because it had already collapsed, Ayinde said”

Ayinde, a consultant urban planner and a fellow of the Institute of Town Planners Registration Council of Nigeria explained his role during his tenure as a Commissioner during the administration of the former Lagos State governor Mr Babatunde Fashola.

“ As a Commissioner, I occupied a supervisory role over the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development and it’s three agencies.

“The three agencies are; the Lagos State Physical Planning Permit Authority (LASPPPA), Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) and the Lagos State Urban Renewal Agency (LASURA), he noted.”

The former Commissioner said that a building approval enabled owners of buildings to be adequately compensated when road construction or compulsory acquisition by the government takes place.

The case was adjourned to June 22 for t 12pm for continuation of trial.