FOREMOST lawyer, Dr. Tunji Braithwaite has told a Lagos High Court, Ikeja that the 14-storey head office built by Standard Chartered Bank in front of his house at Ahmadu Bello way, Victoria Island did not comply with the approval given the bank by the Lagos State Ministry of Environment and the final report on Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Act of 2004.‎

He disclosed this while he was cross-examining one of the defence witnesses, Adeboye Fowora before Justice Doris Okuwobi.‎‎ Fowora is a Senior Project Manager of the bank.‎

The claimant, Dr. Braithwaite is praying for an order declaring as illegal the erection of a 14-storey commercial building and multi-level car park by the bank in an otherwise residential area in Victoria Island, Lagos.

He stated that the generator would create fumes and noise capable of shattering the air and the serenity of the environment.

The pan-African elder statesman claimed that he is uncomfortable with the bank’s installation of giant industrial generators directly opposite his house.

He maintained that the second paragraph of the letter from the Ministry of Environment dated August 11, 2010 and addressed to the Managing Director of the bank listed conditions for the construction of the building.

He noted that the Ministry of Environment warned in its letter to the Managing Director of the bank that failure to comply with conditions so listed would render the building for demolition.

Braithwaite alleged that the building failed to observe the nine-meter setback as condition for approval given the bank in the letter to its managing director.

The pro-democracy activist also claimed that the bank did not fence the building with nets as stipulated by the EIA Act, that the four giant generators of 1000 KVA capacity installed by the bank are facing his residence along Elias Close in Victoria Island while its five level car park is higher than his residence.

Answering questions put to him, Fowora informed the court that the building is now at its final level, adding that the bank use only two of the generators at a time.

Fowora told court that the bank held a stakeholders’ meeting with residents in the area before construction commenced, but Braithwaite insisted that the bank failed to call a stakeholders’ meeting before seeking approval for the building as stipulated in the EIA Act 2004.
Justice Okuwobi therefore adjourned further hearing to today, July 2, 2015