Daily Independent (Lagos)
Ekene Okoro
9 July 2009
Lagos — Up to 293 structurally defective buildings face the hammer in Lagos, as the government was again jolted by another collapsed one on Wednesday, the second such incident in 11 days.
Physical Planning and Urban Development Commissioner, Francesco Abosede, disclosed in a telephone interview on Thursday that plans are being worked out "to demolish all defective buildings within the metropolis and as soon as we get the necessary approval we will commence operation."
A Bill on it has been presented to the state House of Assembly, he said, and letters have been written to the owners of such buildings on the need to pull them down.
No life was lost in the incident on Wednesday, but property worth millions of Naira were destroyed.
It occurred after a building collapsed on June 28 and claimed 11 lives, and inflicted injuries on several others.
On March 24, a building which collapsed in Idi-Araba also took 11 lives, not counting those injured.
Abosede said about 5,000 houses were tested during which 293 were found to be structurally defective and hazardous to occupants.
He also noted that houses obstruct drainage, leading to flooding.
Up to 13 houses will be demolished on Lagos Island, 103 in Ajeromi-Ifelodun Council, and 77 in Somolu-Kosofe Council, according to him.
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