Did the Lagos State government have to wait for school pupils, a pregnant woman, and school proprietor to die before it mustered the will to demolish marked defective buildings, some marked for five years?
This is the nagging question as the Lagos State government confirmed that 20 lives were lost in last Wednesday’s tragedy.
Meantime, the State’s Building Control Agency (LASBCA), on Friday morning, began the long awaited demolition of defective buildings. The marking of the buildings, some for not less than five years, residents allege, was used to extort money from the owners in theLagos Island area.
Others allege political and other less than noble considerations played a role in the delay to demolish until the nation was jolted by the death of innocent pupils.
Not less than 160 houses are billed to come down in the exercise.
General Manager of LASBCA, Mr Lekan Shodeinde, revealed 20 would be demolished on Friday.
President Muhammadu Buhari, prominent Nigerians, and organisations joined LagosIan’s and parents to mourn the loss of children and others in a storey building collapse on Massey Street, Itafaji on Lagos Island. The building housed a school.
In a statement by the Director Public Affairs of the Lagos State Ministry of Health, Adeola Salako, on Friday quotes the state Commissioner for Health, Dr. Jide Idris, as saying that 20 victims were brought in dead to the Lagos Island General Hospital, while 45 survivors were being managed in various hospitals in the State.
“Out of the 45 survivors known to the state government, as at this morning, 14 (10 children and 4 adults) are still receiving medical attention at Lagos Island General Hospital. According to the Medical Director of Lagos Island General Hospital, Dr Ismail Gani-Kale, more survivors will still be discharged to their families before the close of work today,” the statement said.
Unofficial sources had previously put the deaths at over 15, while the Lagos Island General Hospital released a list of over 40 in stable conditions. It did not release the list of those who died there.
A pregnant woman, the proprietor of the nursery/Primary school and 19 others, including no fewer than 12 pupils are speculated to have died in the collapsed building.
Names of Collapsed building victims considered to be stable as at Thursday were:
Rasheed Lasbat Female
Ogunsanwo Olumide Male
Adeyemo Kehinde Female
Adedoyin Rukayat Female
Sanusi Rukayat Female
Sulaimon Baraka Female
Rasheed Shukurat Female
Komolafe Saidat Female
Unknown Female
Unknown Male
Unknown Male
Hassan Omotolani Female
Abimbola Faroq Male
Alabi Quayum Male
Afolabi Rodiat Female
Olawusi Rokibat Female
Alawu Fayibat Female
Adedoyin Kehinde
Unknown
Rasheedat Labat Female
Naimot Tise Female
Alabi Kabiru Male
Shasore Kabiru Male
Ogunsanwo Daniel Male
Owolabi Ayomide Male
Ayeni Faroq Male
Amoo Khalid Male
Unknown (Iya Ope) Female
Johnson Esther (Teacher) Female
Hassan Jamiu (AD) Male
Ajibade Samatu (AD) Male
Unknown (AD) Female
Samuel Esther (Teacher) Female
Adesegiri Kemi Female
Wasiu Segun Male
Ayeni Asabi Female
Alabi Kabiru Male
Mubarak Olayinka Male
Hassan Jamiu Male
Ayanbola Demola Male
Afolabi Samiat Female