Collapse of 360 Degrees – Possible Fallout
The day Monday, November 1, 2021, started like every other day, activities were going on normally without any sign that a major disaster was lurking around that would change the lives of many forever.
At exactly 2:40pm, a 21-story apartment building under construction at 44BCD Gerrard Road in Ikoyi, known as the 360 Degrees Towers collapsed with the construction workers trapped in. About 42 lives, including the owner of the building, Femi Osibona were lost, resources amounting to several billions of naira perished and many are still licking the wounds.
There were several blame games from various quarters. According to reports, it was believed that the approved plan for the edifice was 8 floors but was later raised to 21 stories.
In his swift reaction, Lagos state governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu inaugurated a tribunal to probe the collapse of the building and gave it 30days deadline to submit the report of its investigation.
According to reports, the President of Nigeria Institute of Town Planners (NITP), Mr. Toyin Ayinde, is the chairman of the panel, while Ekundayo Onajobi, a lawyer in a private law firm, is the Secretary.
Others are a structural engineer, Dr. Akintilo Idris Adeleke; an architect, Yinka Ogundairo; representative of Institute of Builders, Mr. Godfrey O. Godfrey, and Mrs. Bunmi Ibrahim, a property lawyer.
The panel was charged to explore all angles to determine the cause of the collapse.
During a visit to the site, the governor had said there is enough blame to go around. “This an event that could be described clearly as a national disaster. Mistakes were made from all angles,” Sanwo-Olu said.
The governor had also asked Gbolahan Oki, the general manager of LASBCA, to embark on an indefinite suspension over the incident.
During the recent 2nd Lagos real estate marketplace conference and exhibition, organised by the Lagos State Real Estate Regulatory Authority (LASRERA), the governor affirmed that some government officers and developers had cultivated the habit of cutting corners.
He said: “The lesson we are learning is not lost on us. But I dare say that a month before the Ikoyi building collapse incident, we launched a certificate of completion and certificate of fit of habitation of buildings in the state. We had done that with Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA), meaning that anybody that had done proper development to a certain level, needs to get a certificate of completion and a certificate of fit of habitation.
“We know that for the size of this city, there will be people that will like to cut corners. We know there will be officers that will also bring us down. We are not going to stand here and say everybody that works for us is holy but we are dealing with them. These are major issues all of us need to work together and deal with. I am using this opportunity to express my disappointment about some government officials that want to sabotage that effort. I will not only be ruthless but also look for you and ensure that you have no place in my government. This is an agency that must work for everyone. It is a project whose time has come,” the governor declared.
Lagosians are therefore waiting earnestly for the outcome of the tribunal inaugurated to probe the collapse of the building.
