Sanwo-Olu at the site
The Lagos State Government has released names of people brought out from the collapsed high-rise building in Ikoyi axis of the state, as a measure to douse tension from family and relatives of artisans and workers believed to be trapped under the rubbles of the ill-fated structure.
Also, the state government has set up a five-man panel of inquiry expected to investigate the causes of the collapsed building and proffer solutions towards preventing future occurrence across the state.
The State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, who disclosed these on Wednesday during his second visit to the disaster, assured Lagosians searching for their relatives to remain calm, saying the work has been intensified to rescue everyone trapped.
Addressing pressmen during the visit, Sanwo-Olu said that three of the nine persons brought out from the rubbles had been discharged that six were currently on admission at Lagos Island Hospital in Marina.
The names of the six survivors were: Oduntan Timilehin (26, m), a 19-year-old from Benin Republic, Ahmed Kenleku, 21-year-old Sunday Monday, who had leg fractures, 37-year-old Adeniran Mayowa, Sholagbade Nurudeen (33, m) and Waliu Lateef (32, m).
According to him, we expect that contractors should keep the names of anyone coming into their construction site but this is not the case here. Also, it has been difficult to get the full information from the company, Fourscore Homes. This is why it has been difficult for everyone to get full details from the government.
Since we do not have a manifest, we have set up a desk here where anyone that is missing and the relatives assumed had come to the site for any activity should visit here and put down the details of the person including the photograph.
“Aside from this, we have also created a website for a missing person, which is Lagosmind.org, where anyone missing could be reported and the officials can assist with the search”, he added.
On the panel, the governor noted that members of the five-man panel and the secretary were selected based on expertise over the years in the real estate industry.
“I have set up a high-powered commission of inquiry consisting of five members who are top professionals in the country,” the governor said.
“Members of the panel include President of the Nigerian Institute of Town Planners of Nigeria, Tayo Ayinde; a foremost structural engineer, Akintilo Idris Adeleke; a partner with a leading architectural firm, Yinka Ogundairo; a foremost builder in the country, Godfrey Godfrey, and a lawyer and property expert, Bunmi Ibrahim. And the secretary of the panel is a lawyer, Ekundayo Onajobi.”
The governor, meanwhile, commended the responders for their quick response to the scene and for standing firm to ensure that the victims trapped under the rubbles were rescued.
“I commend the first responders that have been here working to see how they can bring out as many survivors as possible. It’s been a very difficult journey for all of them and we will continue to ensure that whatever needs to be done, to get to the root cause of this, will be done,” the governor added.
