By Olasunkanmi Akoni

The Permanent Secretary of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, LASEMA, Dr Olufemi Oke-Osayintolu, has tasked property owners and developers with complying with safety measures and obtaining necessary building approvals to forestall a spate of incessant building collapses in the state.

Oke-Osayintolu made the call on Wednesday while conducting an on-the-spot assessment of the collapsed building in the Ota Ona area of Ikorodu.

He lamented that despite the government’s deliberate upgrade and upscale of the first responders for efficiency, poor compliance with safety measures remained the bane of building collapse recorded in the state thus far.

According to Oke-Osanyintolu: “We are able to rescue eleven people alive. However, we sympathise with the families that have lost their loved ones here.

“We recovered three bodies. I need to assure the good people of Lagos State that under the watch of the Governor, Mr. Babajide Olusola, we have put everything in place to ensure the safety of lives and properties.

“I appeal to our people to always do what is needed and for them to partner with us effectively and efficiently to achieve good results.

“It is of note that we’ve received many early warnings regarding the meteorological aspect, and Mr. Governor has overhauled all the first respondents.

“Disaster management is everyone’s business. While the government is doing everything that is humanly possible to ensure that no building collapses in our society, our people, too, need to do the needful.

“Our people need to ensure that all the safety guidelines put in place are being followed under the watch of Mr. Governor, we have put in place safety measures, what we appeal to our people is to comply.”

On enforcement, Oke-Osanyintolu reiterated the state government’s commitment to enforcing all environmental and building safety laws in the built sector.

Stressing the need for adequate collaboration on the part of the people to forestall building collapses in the state, he said, “Looking at all these collapsed buildings, the lacuna is our people are not following the government squarely.

“Our response was swift prompt and effective but the people need to comply with laws.”

Speaking concerning the nearby building adversely impacted by the sad development, LASEMA stated that solid material testing will be done to determine whether the residents will continue living there or leave.

The Secretary to Ikorodu Local Government, Afinni Lateef, who was on the ground during LASEMA’s on-the-spot assessment tour, stressed that the council will not delay communicating distressed buildings around its locality to the appropriate quarters for adequate action.

Lateef assured the council of the condolence visit to the families of the bereaved to give needed succour.

Vanguard News