The Building Collapse Prevention Guild has decried the reckless sale of Yaba, Lagos State, and the outright sale of heritage buildings.
The National Vice President of BCPG, Imeh Udoh, whose practice office is in Yaba, revealed this during a recent BCPG Yaba Cell courtesy visit to the paramount ruler of Igbobi Sabe, Yaba, HRM Oba Owolabi Adeniyi, at his palace recently.
Udoh said, “I am concerned over the recklessness with which solid, heritage buildings were being sold by the descendants of the original owners to developers in Yaba; there is the need to preserve monumental buildings.”
Meanwhile, a past president of the American Society of Civil Engineers Nigeria Section, Ajose Otinwa, drew the attention of all to the importance of giving adequate maintenance to the old exquisite buildings in Yaba.
According to the new Coordinator of BCPG Yaba Cell, Bayo Ogunrinde, Yaba, which is endowed with institutions that offer building-related courses, should constantly epitomise to the world a high standard of building construction.
He said, “Federal Science and Technical College, Federal College of Education (Technical), Yaba College of Technology, and University of Lagos are educational and training grounds that were established in Yaba, producing many adept practitioners in the building delivery process. Hence, an incident of building collapse in Yaba would become an irony, a contradiction of the ethos of building practices.
“Despite the Yaba ambience of knowledge and skills acquisition in building, the area has recorded a few incidents of building collapse. As recalled by the General Secretary of BCPG Yaba Cell, Bldr. Funmi Olaitan, on February 12, 2022, a four-story hostel building under construction collapsed at No. 16, Akanbi Crescent, Onike, near Unilag, killing five persons. This was the last recorded building that collapsed in Yaba.
“Another example of buildings that collapsed under construction was the five-story building at No. 43, Commercial Avenue, Sabo (towards Oyadiran Estate.). It collapsed on July 9, 2015. The pathetic incidents negated the efforts of the BCPG members who had consistently raised concerns over the nonchalant attitude of some developers working around Yaba. Yaba, a metropolitan area of Lagos State, has been a reference as a well-planned urban district with buildings constructed to standards since the colonial era. Building collapse was an aberration in Yaba. “
In recognition of his contribution to the arduous cause of building collapse prevention in his domain, Yaba, the BCPG Yaba Cell leaders presented to the paramount ruler a large portrait of him in a special royal regalia.
During the presentation, the Pioneer National President of BCPG and the Past National President of the Nigerian Institute of Building, Kunle Awobodu, who graduated from Yaba College of Technology and the University of Lagos, advised developers to target the standard set in the multi-storey building of the West African Examinations Council in Yaba.
“The tall WAEC building that is as solid as the Rock of Gibraltar has withstood the test of time,” said Awobodu.
In corroboration, the erstwhile Coordinator of the neighbouring BCPG Lagos Mainland Cell, Felix Chi-kwu, cautioned the Yaba landlords to learn from the mistake of the developer-infested Ebute-metta that has turned the Lagos Mainland Local Government Area into an epicentre of building collapse.
Responding to the recognition of his humanitarian service, Adeniyi promised not to relent on his effort nor rest on his oars in the promotion of standard building construction in his domain.
