BCPG Petitions Sanwo-Olu, Seeks Investigation Into Building Collapse

The Building Collapse Prevention Guild Kosofe Cell (BCPGKC) has petitioned Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu seeking urgent investigation  into the circumstances that led to the collapse of a 3-storey building under construction at No 13, Wilson Mba Street, Arowojobe Estate, Mende, Maryland, Lagos , killed at least five people.

BCPG in the open letter to the governor, raised an alarm over some of the construction methods adopted in the Maryland axis of Lagos.

The letter, jointly signed by its coordinator, Soji Adeniji and secretary, Engr Fatai Balogun, lamented that the premature death through avoidable building collapse should not be condoned.

The body insisted that the collapsed buildings  are substandard , hence, causing them to sink  and tilt.

The Guild’s letter read in part, ‘’We are emotionally pained by this incident, considering the fact that government officials have been monitoring building construction in this estate, complementing our relentless advocacy against building collapse.

‘’An urgent investigation of this collapsed building, we believe, will help prevent a recurrence among other buildings that are currently undergoing construction and those that have recently been completed in this locality.

It added that the existence of wetlands within the Kosofe local government area due to its nearness to the Lagoon has been a difficult challenge to physical development. Therefore, any building that would stand the test of time in this weak terrain must have a special foundation, especially pile foundation.  Unfortunately, some of the methods of construction being adopted here were substandard, leading to sinking and tilting of some buildings. ‘’

The BCPG Kosofe Cell said they have consistently advocated for the necessity of thorough geotechnical investigations, given the challenging soil conditions in state, saying they have repeatedly emphasised the importance of conducting proper soil investigations prior to selecting foundation types and ensuring that building developers adhere to established standards during the construction phase, as highlighted in our seminars and workshops.

According to them, they made some observations during their visit to the collapsed building site that raised several critical concerns, warranting investigation by the state government in order to establish the actual cause(s) of this particular building collapse and recalibrate the integrity of the construction sector.

Having completed the rescue operations, he said it is expedient that essential questions like the stage the new piles and pile caps constructed should be addressed.

Other questions that must be addressed according to the Guild include,’’ What methodology was employed in the construction of the new piles if they were indeed newly constructed? Did the chosen methodology contribute to the collapse of the structure?

‘’LASBCA has a well-defined stage approval and certification process, along with a technical audit of on-site works. When was the last stage of certification conducted?

‘’What is the timeline for the construction activities, specifically the commencement date, the dates of installing the new piles and concreting pile caps, and the time of the collapse? Where can we find the quality test results for the concrete and materials used in the construction of the collapsed structure? Or better still, did the Lagos State Materials Testing Laboratory take note of the questionable quality of concrete used in the building?