Residents and business owners on Saka Tinubu Street, Victoria Island, Lagos, have raised the alarm over what they described as a looming disaster from an ongoing multi-storey construction project on the street.
The project, located at No. 28 and reportedly being undertaken by Diplomat Homes Limited, is alleged to be in gross violation of basic safety standards. According to the residents, the developers, said to have links with a prominent South-West traditional ruler, have failed to provide protective facilities such as barricades, safety nets and shields at the site.
This neglect, they claimed, has resulted in planks, stones and other building materials cascading into neighbouring compounds, damaging vehicles, windows, ceilings and boundary walls.
One of the affected occupants, who spoke in anguish, said: “It is only by God’s grace that no one has been hit so far. But how long will that grace last? Something must be done before lives are lost.”
The residents accused the developers of displaying a reckless disregard for human safety and property, and urged the Lagos State Government to act decisively before tragedy strikes.
They questioned the silence of relevant regulatory bodies, particularly the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) and the Ministry of Environment headed by Commissioner Tokunbo Wahab.
“Are we to wait until lives are claimed before the authorities will move in? The inaction is troubling,” another resident queried.
They appealed to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to intervene urgently by directing LASBCA and other concerned agencies to enforce compliance with safety regulations.
As at press time, efforts to obtain comments from the developers proved unsuccessful.
