The Catholic Archbishop of Lagos, Most Rev. Alfred Adewale Martins, has advised regulatory agencies against compromising building standards in order to prevent unnecessary deaths and disasters.
Martins’ advice is contained in a statement by Rev. Fr. Anthony Godonu, Director of Social Communications of the Catholic Archdiocese of Lagos.
The cleric was reacting to the Nov. 1 collapse of a high-rise block of luxury flats under construction in Ikoyi, Lagos, .
At least 36 people have been reported dead.
The cleric described the incidences of building collapse in Lagos and other parts of the country as alarming.
He urged regulatory agencies to ensure they enforced building codes to prevent unnecessary disasters.
The Archbishop said that the unfortunate incidences of building collapse in Ikoyi and other similar cases elsewhere could have been prevented if proper regulation and strict monitoring by relevant supervisory authorities were in force.
Martins expressed delight at the state government’s setting up of an independent panel of inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the collapse of the building.
He expressed the hope that those culpable would be made to face the penalty.
“We hope that as the panel unravels the immediate and remote causes of the collapse, it would also identify ways of ensuring that we do not experience such disasters again,” he said.
The cleric called for three days of mourning for the repose of the souls of those who lost their lives in the collapsed building.
He commiserated with Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu and the families of those who lost their lives in the collapsed building. (NAN)
