By Damilare Adeleye
The Lagos State Government has concluded plans to demolish the distressed building of Our Lady Queen of Peace Catholic Church in the Gbagada area of Lagos for failing structural integrity tests and showing visible signs of distress.
Speaking on the development, the Special Adviser to the Lagos State Governor on Enterprise Geographical Information System, eGIS, Dr. Olajide Babatunde, said this has become expedient because the building has failed the structural integrity test and is showing visible signs of distress.
Dr. Babatunde disclosed this while on a routine inspection of the church building which had been sealed by the State Building Control Agency to ensure that agreements with the church are strictly adhered to.
He decried the non-compliance of the church to all the agreements reached, noting that the state has no other option than to commence the control demolition of the church building immediately to forestall the loss of properties and human lives.
His words, “Agreement has been reached with the management of the church to bring down the building and make it stay on just ground level because the foundation of the building cannot withstand the load it is carrying presently and the soil situation of the area is not very good. But unfortunately, the church has not complied with the agreement”.
“There is no possibility of renovating the building because the Non-Destructive Test (NDT), seismic test and other necessary tests carried out on the building show that the church building cannot stand”.
Warning that no activity of any kind must be held inside the church auditorium and nobody should be found sleeping or loitering inside the church building, Babatunde called on all property owners in the state to undertake structural tests of their buildings which must be done every five years to ascertain their structural fitness for habitation in line with the State building regulations.
He also called on those renting properties to ensure that such properties possess all necessary approvals, especially the Certificate of Completion and Fitness for Habitation issued by LASBCA before concluding the tenancy agreement.
The Special Adviser reiterated the state’s commitment to safeguarding the lives and properties of the citizenry through consistent monitoring, enforcement and identification of illegal, distressed and non-conforming structures.
He enjoined Lagosians to report all forms of illegality in their locality to any of the 57 offices of LASBCA spread across the state for appropriate action.