Compromised Regulation Blamed For Building Collapse

cases of building collapse recorded in Lagos State in 2015 have been traced to negligence and compromise of regulatory agencies set up by the state.

The Federal Commissioner of the Public Complaints Commission (PCC) in the state, Funso Olukoga, disclosed this while presenting the 2015 annual report of the activities of the commission at the weekend.

Olukoga listed the regulatory agencies as the Lagos State Building Control Agency, Lagos State Urban Renewal Authority, Lagos State physical Planning Permit Authority, Lagos State Material Testing Laboratory, and Lagos State Planning and Environment Monitoring Authority.
 
While lamenting that many residents of the state became victims of collapsed buildings in the current year, the PCC Commissioner urged Governor Akinwunmi Ambode to closely monitor the said agencies.

He said: “It is the commission’s belief that effective and proactive regulatory control activities on the part of the agencies will go a long way in guaranteeing the safety of residential structures in the state.
 
“Our preliminary investigation revealed that most of the buildings had actually become weak over time, due to structural defects, owing to poor construction work, including the use of substandard building materials.

“In almost all the cases, failure of regulatory and control agencies charged with the responsibility for building in Lagos State was heavily underscored.