The Speaker of Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa, has urged critical stakeholders in the real estate industry to strictly follow laws and regulations passed towards bequeathing a safer environment to residents.
He gave the charge, yesterday, at a forum organised by Building Collapse Prevention Guild (BCGP) with the theme “Building Collapse Prevention: Women in the Building Environment Making a Difference” in Lagos.
Obasa, who was represented by the Deputy Chief Whip of the House, Setonji David, said existing laws and regulations were not made in a vacuum but to be seen as instruments of guidance, and if properly complied with, would stem incidences of building collapse or even totally eradicate such in the state.
He gave the assurance that the state government would continue to do all it could to curb the menace of building collapse.
“That should be the way to go, not for some elements to create a problem for both the residents and the state and then turn around to give the impression that the government is insensitive during implementation of these laws, especially in relation to demolition of buildings constructed with disregard for the laws and regulations,” he said.
According to him, the Assembly has ensured that the environment is protected through the exercise of cognitive oversight functions, which have resulted in the passage of key urban planning laws to address challenges of societal growth, development and for achieving socio-economic, political and sustainable urbanisation goals.
Obasa reiterated that the Lagos State Planning Permit Regulation 2019 and the Lagos State Building Control Agency Regulation 2019 were enacted to stem incidences of building collapse in the state and to generally regulate the activities of building contractors and other skeholders in the industry.
He added that the Assembly, being the fulcrum through which effective government policies are formed, would continue to perform its oversight functions, initiate and review relevant laws that would keep the state in its positions as a mega-city and economic hub.
He said: “If indeed we are serious and wish to bring the menace of building collapse to an end, there must be effective collaboration between stakeholders in the built industry, the government and the general public who are key players. As professionals, you must advise your clients appropriately that strict compliance with laws and regulations cannot be short-circuited.
You must ensure that construction or renovation is done in compliance with building regulations and that all necessary planning permits and approvals are obtained. There should also be regular site inspections to ensure that the qualities of materials used are not compromised. There should further be adequate provision of security at construction sites.”
He commended the Guild, which prides itself as an organisation with the aim of ensuring ‘safe, functional and habitable buildings as well as for considering the recognition of women who are frontiers and have made their mark in the built environment, which is a predominantly male-dominated sphere of life.
Obasa said as a legislative arm of government, the assembly has never relented and will not relent in making relevant laws to empower and protect women and as well as encourage them to reach and attain key leadership positions in their chosen areas of profession.
“The essence of the creation of the Lagos State Planning Permit Authority, the Lagos State Building Control Agency and the Lagos State Urban Renewal Agency was to establish levels of approvals and ensure proper tackling of the challenges faced in the built industry. Their creation, in the real sense, was to help us have sane urban development strategies for Lagos.
Furthermore, the House of Assembly has made regulations to guide these agencies in combating challenges that may crop up in the course of their activities,” he said.
Earlier, the coordinator of BCPG Kosofe Cell, Soji Adeniyi, lamented that building collapse and infrastructure failures have become a major issue in the building industry in Nigeria, hence the need for collaboration among professionals and icons in the profession to mitigate the challenge.
