Lagos State Government has directed that two floors affected in a building razed by fire at 39/45 Martins Street, Balogun, over the weekend, should be removed immediately by the developer, while an integrity test is carried out on the entire structure so as to ascertain safety of occupants after the incident.
   
General Manager of Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA), Gbolahan Oki, gave the directive during a meeting at the agency’s headquarters in Ikeja with the developer of the affected building, Brasas Plaza, and other stakeholders on Friday. 
   
Oki said the results of the test would determine if the entire building would be pulled down to safeguard life and property in the area. 
   
The General Manager added that the government has mandated owners of buildings above two floors within the market and others on the adjourning streets to install all safety gadgets in their structures.
 
According to him, some of the safety gadgets expected to be installed by building owners within the market  to prevent fire disasters include; fire extinguisher, smoke detectors and others. 
   
Oki said any building above two floors found without the installation of these safety measures would be sanctioned immediately.
The LASBCA boss maintained that all measures taken by the government were basically to protect lives as well as properties of individuals and not to witchhunt anyone as may be speculated in some quarters. 
 
“The agency will continue to carry out its responsibilities in accordance with the law, which dictates that all structures within the state must be structurally fit and habitable.  
 
“The directives came as a response to a demonstration by traders of the affected building, who appealed for the intervention of the state government to address the crisis that had trailed the inferno, especially its financial effects on surrounding structures,” he added.