‘Preventing Building Collapse is a Collective Responsibility’, Lawal Pedro, SAN

The Lagos State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice of Lagos State, Mr Lawal Pedro, SAN, has lamented the frequent rate at which houses collapse in both the State and the nation at large. He then called on all citizens of the State to take responsibility, by reporting any builder suspected to be using inferior materials.

“Preventing building collapses in our State and country, is a collective responsibility. In pursuit of this goal, the Lagos State government is diligently working to enforce laws and regulations about every structure within the State.’’

He was speaking at an advocacy program with the theme, “Building Collapse and Application of Punitive Laws in Lagos State”, organised by the Nigerian Bar Association, Ikeja Branch, in collaboration with the Ikeja Cell of the Building Collapse Prevention Guild (BCPG), with the sole aim of mitigating building collapse in the State.

Mr Pedro, SAN, further added that, “To safeguard our lives, structures, and properties, it is imperative to adhere to due process and maintain the highest professional standards when constructing buildings”. He reiterated the commitment of the Government to the enforcement of all laws across sectors, adding that residents must strive to comply with building regulations in particular, which, he said, has become a challenge for many.

Also speaking at the event, Human Rights Lawyer, Mr Femi Falana, SAN, charged Lagos State Government to publish urgent reports of investigative Panels on building collapse in the State. He further emphasised that, no government undertakes the demolition of a building without due process and towards this end, called on the State to reorganise its Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development, towards making it effective in ending the abuse of physical planning and development in the State.

“The 21-storey building that collapsed in Ikoyi, not a single case was filed. If it were in the United States of America, the government would have gone bankrupt. When we become aware of our rights, we make money. All over the world, people are looking for qualified builders to build structures, but builders have relaxed and allowed all manner of people to enter the industry to the detriment of our lives”, he said. 

Chairman of NBA Ikeja, Olawunmi, said building collapse in Nigeria in the last few years has become a growing concern for stakeholders, and identified use of substandard materials, lack of technical knowledge, high level of corruption, and non-adherence to regulations as some of the causes.

The forum was attended by present and past leaders of the NBA, the Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers, the Association of Professional Bodies, the Nigerian Institute of Building, and building artisans across the State.

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“The NBA has, since the return of Nigeria to democracy in 1999, actively campaigned for a holistic review of the conditions of service of judicial officers, in recognition of the important role of the Judiciary in sustaining Nigeria’s democracy.” – NBA Working Committee on Judicial Remuneration and Conditions of Service