Lagos State Building Control Agency, LASBCA has cautioned Lagosians seeking for accommodation to be wary of distressed buildings especially those already marked by LASBCA for demolition.
This warning from the agency becomes necessary to avoid situations whereby tenants of distressed buildings lament and seek for repayment of their unused house rents from the government or house owners when such buildings are eventually pulled down.
The General Manager of the Agency of LASBCA, Arc. Gbolahan Oki gave this warning through the Director of Enforcement, Olusoji Olaopa on Sunday during the demolition of 2 distressed structures located at Number 26, Bishop Street Mushin Lagos and along Agege Motor Road both in Mushin Local Government Area of the State.
The General Manager decried the rate of disregard for abatement notices and distressed markings on buildings in different parts of the State, expressing shock that another building at 28, Bishop Street, Mushin, earlier marked for demolition was still being fully occupied despite its physical distressed look and vacation notice already served.
He said: “When a building is marked by LASBCA for whatever reason, it is absolutely wrong and illegal to continue to reside in such building without addressing the concerns raised by the Agency.
“Lagosians hold it a duty to themselves to be vigilant in carrying out due diligence when seeking for accommodation before making payment for such buildings in order to avoid paying for already marked building for demolition.
“The situation whereby occupants of marked distressed structures start pleading for additional weeks and months after their buildings had been marked for demolition, show great disregard for law and safety and this will not be condoled by the
State Government, ” the Director explained.
He warned owners of marked buildings by LASBCA to stop deceiving prospective tenants under the guise that their distressed structures are already undergoing renovation works when in actual sense nothing substantial is being done.
While promising that the agency will not cease to prioritize issue of safety of lives and property in every part of the State, Oki assured Lagosians that LASBCA will continue to be alive to its duty of sanitizing the entire metropolis from distressed and defective structures, including working on weekends.
Adetayo Akitoye-Asagba
Head, Public Affairs (LASBCA)
1/7/2022