Following the collapse of a seven-storey building in Banana Island, Lagos, two weeks ago, the state Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has ordered the demolition of three two-storey buildings on the Island
Sanwo-Olu gave the order on Saturday during an inspection tour of the construction sites in and around Banana Island, saying that “the demolition of a two-storey building at 310 Close is because it is an illegal structure without approval.”
Also at 306 Close, Governor Sanwo-Olu ordered the removal of two-storey buildings adjacent to each other, saying that “They were being constructed under the power lines and water.”
Governor Sanwo-Olu said: “We are at the site of the last unfortunate building collapse in Banana Island, Lagos and am sure you have all gone round and seen the site.
“Like it has been reported before now, there has been a lot of investigations that is going on right now and you can see that they are still clearing the rubbles at the site.
We have given the order to stop work, not only at this site but also in all of the construction sites in Banana Island.
“I think that the exercise we are doing today is not really just about this location. You have all seen the extent of what I will call unapproved extension into the water, at the back of each of the land that is abutting water.”
Governor Sanwo-Olu, who blamed some federal agencies for the extension of buildings into the waterways, said:
“You can see that the original line for Banana Island is even not where we are.
It’s way in front there and you can see that there are several extensions that have been granted by both the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing and National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWAR).
These are the two federal agencies that have been culpable for those extensions.”
Sanwo-Olu added that the extensions have been done without the knowledge of the Lagos State government.