The Lagos State Building Control Agency(LASBCA ), has informed a Coroner’s Inquest on the collapse of the 21-storey structure in Ikoyi, Lagos, that construction of the three high-rise blocks started prior to provisional approval was given.

Counsel for LASBCA, Mr A.S Odugbemi, divulged this while questioning Mr Muritala Olawale, the Managing Director of Prowess Engineering Nigeria Ltd.

. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Olawale was a previous specialist structural engineer to the task.

He withdrew his services through a letter dated Feb. 20, 2020, over conflicts on how the task was structurally carried out.

Odugbemi throughout proceedings contested the contents of paragraph 17 of Olawale’s Statement on Oath to the Inquest.

He mentioned that late Mr Femi Osibona, the Managing Director of Fourscore Heights Ltd., contractor to the job, had notified his team that he had received provisional approval for the job’s building.

However Olawale’s declaration on oath stated Osibona revealed his team a copy of the provisionary approval from the Lagos State federal government and bought them to commence building on the site.

Challenging Olawale’s claims, Odugbemi said LASBCA never ever gave Osibona a provisionary planning authorization when the team moved to the site to commence building in January 2019.

He specified that LASBCA granted provisionary approval in April 2019.

“Will you be surprised if proof is offered to you right now that work had started prior to the provisional planning approval was approved in April 2019?” Odugbemi asked.

Responding, Olawale stated “I will be shocked. All the approval procedures were being handled by the client (Osibona).

“I can not address the concerns today. I require to check my records.”

Olawale did not give a specific answer to Odugbemi’s inquiry on whether the three high-rise blocks were covered by a general insurance plan as required by law.

He, however, notified the panel that prior to building, a soil test was performed at the website by another business contracted to do the task.

“We have actually sent the outcome of the soil test of the site to other panels examining the collapse,” he stated.

DailyPost