Perry Martins
The coroner investigating the causes of death in the collapse of the
Synagogue, Church of All Nations** (SCOAN)** building has passed its
verdict today Wednesday July 8, 2013. *
According to the recommendations read out by Chief Magistrate Oyetade Komolafe,
the Lagos State Government should review the issuance of building permit to
builders.
This is due to the fact the collapsed building had been under construction
for years without the government taking proactive measures to monitor its
progress until the day of the collapse.
Komolafe indicted The SCOAN for not obtaining the necessary building permit
before constructing the building.
The Chief Magistrate also recommended the reduction of the cost of building
approval by government and the need to minimize bureaucratic bottlenecks
associated with the process in order to ensure affordability and reduce
sharp practices.
It would be recalled that many builders in Lagos have said they usually
boycott the approval process due to its exorbitant cost and the difficulty
involved in the entire process.
Speaking further, the magistrate also recommended that the government
should adequately equip responders whenever there was an emergency
situation to enable them to carry out their duties efficiently.
The recommendation comes in lieu of the uncoordinated and inefficient
manner in which some of the statutory responders from the state performed
their duties during rescue operations at the site of the collapsed
building.
It was even reported then that some of the rescue equipment brought to the
site of the collapse by some statutory responders from the state broke down
during rescue operations and the church itself made arrangements for
equipment to be brought in.
Thanking the media for their forthrightness, the coroner also recommended
that the government should take over the site of any collapsed building in
future.
*Nosa Osazuwa, a writer from Lagos, Nigeria, was present during the reading
of the verdict*
