The Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) told a Coroners Inquest investigating the November 1 collapse of a 21-story building on Gerrard Road in Ikoyi, Lagos, that the three high-rise blocks were built months before the provisional license was granted.
Mr. A.S Odugbemi, counsel for the LASBCA, made the claim while questioning Mr Muritala Olawale, Managing Director of Prowess Engineering Nigeria Ltd. Olawale had previously worked on the project as a consulting structural engineer.
He resigned his position in a letter dated February 20, 2020, citing disagreements about the project’s structural execution.
At the coroner’s proceedings, Odugbemi disputed the contents of paragraph 17 of Olawale’s statement on oath to the inquest, stating that late Femi Osibona, the Managing Director of Fourscore Heights Limited, had informed his team that he had received provisional approval for the project’s construction.
According to Olawale’s statement on oath, Osibona showed his team a copy of the provisional approval from the Lagos State government and ordered them to commence construction on the site.
Disputing Olawale’s claims, Odugbemi said that LASBCA never granted Osibona a provisional planning permit when the team moved to the site to commence construction in January 2019, adding that LASBCA granted provisional approval in April 2019.
“Will you be surprised if the evidence is provided to you right now that work had started before the provisional planning approval was granted in April 2019?” Odugbemi asked.
Responding, Olawale said “I will be surprised. All the approval processes were being handled by the client (Osibona).”
Olawale did not give a specific answer to Odugbemi’s query on whether the three high-rise blocks were covered by a general insurance policy as required by law.
He, however, informed the panel that prior to construction, a soil test was conducted at the site by another company contracted to do the job, disclosing that “we have submitted the result of the soil test of the site to other panels investigating the collapse.”
Of the three high-rise buildings (Blocks A, B, and C) which were situated on Gerrard Road, Ikoyi, Lagos, Block B (21-storeys) collapsed on November 1, 2021, killing 46 persons while 15 persons were rescued alive.
