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….Panel identifies lack of values, morals, ethics as causes
….Seeks protection protection of members
Indications yesterday emerged that top officials of the Lagos State government were indicted in the 21-storey building which collapsed on Gerrard road, Ikoyi last year as the six-man Tribunal of inquiry investigating the cause of the tragedy has submitted its report to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
Although the findings and recommendations of the report were not made public as the government is expected to present a White Paper on the recommendations, The Story authoritatively gathered that certain officials, who must have administratively played a role in the approval and construction of the ill-fated building in the first place, were cited in the report as culpable.
According to the building administrative procedure in Lagos State, a building with more than ten floors must get the approval of the state governor after all the professionals who also double as Senior government officials must have carried out due diligence and recommended such for approval.
However, in the report submitted to the governor, the Tribunal also pointed out that most incidences of building collapse are rooted in the collapse of values, morals, and ethics, which the state, and indeed Nigeria, needs to work on to avert needless death and sorrow. It added that those who were saddled with the responsibilities of ensuring that the due process was followed failed in one way or the other at different times, which led to the recurrent decimal of building collapse tragedies.
The Tribunal, however, sought the protection of its members, saying it acted strictly based on the information at its disposal and would not want to be labeled at the villains for discharging the assignment without sentiments and prejudices.
Presenting the report to the Governor at the Ikeja State House, the Chairman of the Panel, Olutoyin Ayinde, a town planner, said the panel had done its best by presenting the facts at it they without failing to mention those culpable in the incidence.
He said: “People always want things to turn out right in Nigeria. The reality is that many can’t pay the price because, often, those who seek to do the right things end up being labeled as villains.” It added that it discharged the assignment to the best of its ability, without sentiments, and that we acted based on the documents that were made available to us, as well as the information gathered from all the witnesses who appeared before the Tribunal.
“We therefore seek protection as members of this Tribunal to be seen as having discharged this assignment to the best of our ability, without sentiments, and that we have acted based on the documents that were made available to us, as well as the information gathered from all the witnesses who appeared before the Tribunal.
Ayinde, who also the National President of the Nigerian Institute of TownPlanner, also revealed that in the course of its investigations, it visited the project site for a general assessment and interrogated a total of 91 persons in 35 interview sessions, adding that 21 memoranda were received with some documents it obtained in the home of the late C.E.O. of Fourscore Heights Limited, Mr. Olufemi Osibona. He added that the panel also coordinated the activities of the consultants who conducted tests on the site and received and reviewed documents from relevant MDAs.
While thanking the state government for giving them the opportunity to carry out the responsibilities, he expressed optimism that with this submission to the state, and the subsequent implementation of the recommendations going forward, confidence would be restored in the construction sector of the national economy.
