Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) is seeking synergy with artisans on how to stop building collapse.
Its General Manager, Gbolahan Owodunni Oki, stated this during the training on artisansโ upskilling organised by the agency in Ikeja.
He said this became imperative because the law states that the artisans who are on unapproved site should be held culpable and prosecuted. โNow the law is going to be enforced. Please tell us what you expect of us. What you think we can do better. Because without your help, we canโt do it alone,โ he added.
He reminded the builders that they should do the needful such as the tests of the land and materials, and laying of the appropriate foundation.
Oki said as professionals, they should advise their clients on the proper things to do.
He warned that any building that is illegally constructed would be pulled after several warnings to the owners to correct the anomalies. He also warned against extending storeys beyond the number approved.
Ibrahim Adams, a specialistย ย demolisher with the LASBCA, said overย ย 2,000 illegal buildings have been pulled down. He advised owners and builders to see the work of the Enforcement team of the agency as the right thing to do.
Immediate past President, Nigeria Institute of Builders (NIOB), Kunle Awobodu, noted that the problem of building collapse is so serious that Nigerian builders have been blacklisted in South Africa.
He said the solution laid in allowing only responsible people on building sites, enforcement of rules, dissuading developers from using labourers and blocking the sector from becoming an all-comers affair.
A developer, Lolade Abute, sought synergy with regulators and their prompt supervision. He berated the latter for delaying approvals.
She advised owners of buildings to emphasise quality over quantity of materials, adding that they should go for affordable houses.
But the Secretary, Bricklayers Association of Nigeria, Lagos Branch, Paul Atewolara, cleared his colleagues of any blame, saying the blame should be put at the door steps of quack engineers who have infiltrated the sector. (Nation)