Following the recent demolition of buildings and other structures in Lagos State, Gov Babajide Sanwo-Olu has been urged to beam his searchlight on the officials of the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA).
A human rights and anti-corruption group, Coalition Against Corruption and Bad Governance (CACOBAG), said the huge losses suffered by property owners and developers would have been avoided if officials charged with monitoring and approval of buildings had done the right thing before the buildings were developed.
In an open letter to the governor, CACOBAG said, “While the government is embarking on removing the illegal structures, it must also not shy away from punishing officials of the building control authorities who compromise by giving ‘illegal’ approval to buildings.”
The Chairman of CACOBAG, Comrade Toyin Raheem, noted that no building would have been developed illegally if the appropriate authorities, especially LASBCA, had been up and doing.
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The letter further reads: “In the checks and balances mechanism, the role of the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) is supposed to discover and correct errors committed by the Lagos State Physical Planning Permit Authority (LASPPA).
“If monitoring officers of LASBCA had lived up to expectations, these huge losses being inflicted on building owners and developers through demolition would have been nipped in the bud.
“Sir, do not treat LASBCA staff as sacred cows. Pampering them for long has been counterproductive. Your first tenure, 2019 to 2023, recorded the highest number of building collapse in the history of Lagos State.
“However, hardworking and sincere LASBCA officials, once identified, should be preserved and retained in the agency. Those are the agents of positive growth.”
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