The Lagos State Government has issued a stern warning to residents, advising them not to rent houses without a Certificate of Completion and Fitness for Habitation from the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA).
This warning was given by Dr. Babatunde Olajide, the Special Adviser to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, during a stakeholder engagement themed “Understanding Building Control” at the LASBCA headquarters.
Dr. Olajide’s warning came in response to a question from a participant who asked about the fate of buildings without approval after the 90-day amnesty declared by the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development.
The amnesty was aimed at giving owners of buildings without necessary approvals the opportunity to regularize their documents.
According to the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development, a staggering 80% of houses in the Lekki area do not have building plan approval.
This is a disturbing statistic, given the potential risks associated with buildings that do not meet safety standards.
The Certificate of Completion and Fitness for Habitation is a document issued by LASBCA after a building has been certified as safe and habitable.
It is a guarantee that the building has met all necessary safety standards and is fit for human occupation. Without this certificate, residents are at risk of living in a building that may not be structurally sound or safe.
Lagos State Government is taking a proactive approach to ensuring that all buildings in the state meet safety standards. The government is working tirelessly to prevent building collapses and other related incidents that can result in loss of lives and property.
Furthermore, the Special Adviser to the Lagos State Governor on e-GIS and Urban Development, Dr. Olajide Babatunde said that any building in Lagos State without building approvals will be pulled down by the State Building Control Agency (LASBCA), after the expiration of the 90 days amnesty period granted by the Mr. Governor
Dr. Babatunde disclosed this on Tuesday at a workshop organised by the Lagos State Building Control Agency at its headquarters in Ikeja, Lagos.
The workshop, themed: “Understanding Building Control in Lagos State”, was put together to address salient issues and misconceptions about the activities of the Agency as it relates to the issuance of certifications and the importance of insurance in the built industry.
In his remarks, the Special Adviser on e-GIS and Urban Development, Dr. Olajide Babatunde spoke extensively on the need for every building in the State to have the Certificate of Completion and Fitness for habitation as well as an insurance policy that can be relied on during disaster period such as fire incidents
He reiterated the Governor’s directives to owners of buildings with attachments to remove them immediately as the state will not allow such attachments anymore in any building across the state, noting that such attachment hinders rescue operations during emergencies.
He disclosed that the state government through the Lagos State Building Control Agency has taken proactive measures to alert owners of buildings that are distressed in the state to pull them down as the state government has published in three national dailies that 359 distressed buildings across the State with over 90 percent of such buildings pulled down by the owners to avoid disaster.
Speaking on the recent Dosunmu Fire incident, the Commissioner for Special Duty and Intergovernmental Relations, Mr. Gbenga Oyerinde and his counterpart at the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development, Dr. Olayinka Olumide, allay the fear of victims of the fire incident of Government abandoning them to their fate. They disclosed that enumeration and collation of victims have been concluded and very soon, the state government will make a pronouncement on the level of assistance that will be given to all the victims of the fire incident.
Speaking earlier, the General Manager of the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA), Arc. Gbolahan Owodunni Oki said that the importance of the workshop is to clear grey areas on the operations of the Agency and how to go about getting the necessary certifications issued by LASBCA.
Oki called on building owners in the state to do the right thing because it is cheaper to do the right thing and obey all extant rules and regulations governing the building and construction industry in the state.
He noted that at the expiration of the Governor’s amnesty period for owners of buildings to obtain approvals, the Agency will go all out to request for details such as certificate for fitness and habitation issued by the State Building Control after meeting all necessary requirements and certificate of building insurance. He advised developers to build according to specifications and the approval or permits given.
Mr. Yemi Solajoye, an insurance consultant who delivered a paper at the workshop, spoke extensively on the need for every building in the state to take insurance cover against any disaster, especially building collapse or fire outbreak. He called for compulsory enforcement of insurance of buildings by owners in Lagos State as a way of mitigating losses during emergency periods.
While commending the organisers for putting the event together, a retired Director-General of the Lagos State Safety Commissions, Mr. Fuad Oki called for a more enlarged engagement with the public, especially at the grassroots where these building regulations infraction regularly takes place and professionals made to speak in native indigenous language that can easily be understood by the natives.
Dignitaries at the event include members of the State Executive Councils, Permanent Secretaries (both serving and retired), General Managers, Heads of Departments, professional associations as well as representatives of Civil Societies.
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