The Association of Nigerian Chartered Architects, ANCA,has said that the political probe panel set up by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to unravel the cause of recent collapse of 21- storey building in Lagos was not enough.
It said that apart from what it political probe, the incident needs technical probe and a judicial probe or Corona inquest,according to a statement signed by the National President and Secretary of the Association, Arc (Dr) Moyosore Omatsone and Arc (Dr) Adekoyejo Jolaoso, respectively.
Commending the Governor for the promptness at setting up the political panel,the Association was of the opinion that the magnitude and very wide implication of the incident warrant more.
It explained that a technical probe which should be peopled with all technical personnel in the building, construction and property industries will look at the original brief of the project and its design particularly fundamental requirements for a 7-star fully serviced residential facility.
The Association also said technical probe will also look at the expected life span of the development and to also question the structural Engineer who withdrew his service midway into the project, saying that it wasn’t enough for the Engineer to withdraw, but to ensure that the structural design he was supervising was professionally adequate for 15 floors.
The technical team will also subject the quality of the materials used to adequate scientific and technical analysis and how the project was managed from design stage to the time of collapse and how often technical site meetings were held, if any, the Association said.
“We would like to emphasise that, questions relating to who did what on the project and how it was carried out, the quality of the consultants, contractors and other contributors have been answered at the political probe and not technical probe. These may only be referred to the next level of probe.”
The Association added that a judicial probe or Corona’s Inquest should be given enough time to investigate the legal implications of the first two probes, adding that both judicial and technical probes should not be rushed.
“This probe should address the fundamental questions whether the developer is dead or alive and make a judicial pronouncement. It is our understanding that the developer is Fourscore Homes Limited and before we are beclouded by the sentiment ‘you don’t deride or castigate the dead’, a judicial pronouncement is necessary.
“Every question that needs an answer from the developer regarding the calamity must be asked. The judicial probe may have to find out from other jurisdictions whether it is customary for Planning Approval Agencies in the UK to ‘mistakenly’ approve 3 floors instead of 2 or 7 floors instead of 6 or it is just a case of serial law breaker.
“Several other legal issues need to be articulated and judicially resolved, especially with the colossal loss of lives,” the Association said.
It implored legal professionals to allow the first two probes to do their work without unnecessary injunctions and delay while reserving their arsenals and energies for the judicial probe where they could have a field day.
It also advised that the technical probe should be conducted on the other two standing towers beside the collapsed one.
