Lagos takes over land where 21-storey building collapsed, says no compensation

Lagos State government on Thursday said that the land where the 21-storey building that collapsed in Ikoyi would be taken over by the state government.

The Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Dr Idris Salako, who stated this, said that the state government is taking over the land in line with the state physical planning law which said owners of collapsed buildings would forfeit the land to the state.

According to him, though the state government has not taken a decision on what it would use the land for, but whenever it wants to put it to use, it is likely to be used for something that will help to remember those who died in the building.

Speaking at a briefing on the handing over of the complex to the contractor engaged by the government to demolish the structures, Salako stated that the demolition would be done having the interest of the public including the residents at heart.

Also commenting, the Commissioner for Special Duties and Inter-governmental Affairs, Tayo Bamgbose-Martins, said that the state government has no business with those who have paid to own apartments in the building that collapsed, the reason the state government would not consider compensating them.

The Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso, said the buildings are to go down because one of the recommendations of the panel set up by the government was for the buildings to be demolished because they failed the integrity test.

The commissioner promised that any action taken on the project would be in the interest of the public, disclosing that a stakeholders’ meeting had previously been held to interact with residents and stakeholders in the building industry.

Omotoso, who asked that a minute of silence be observed in honour of those who lost their lives in the unfortunate accident, took the action of demolishing the structure in the interest of all.

Managing Director of Edge of Designs, Theophilus Lewo, said the deconstruction would take about 90 days but might be extended due to weather, rain and the safety of the workers. He said his company would not be demolishing the building, but deconstruct the building using a controlled method.