A Three-storey church building under construction collapses in Lagos

HAD the building collapsed during the day, the toll in human lives would have been high. What of the carpenters, bricklayers and other artisans who have been at work on the building these past several months?
But, providentially, though they had worked late till about 8.00p.m, none of the workers was killed when the building, belonging to a church at Lateef Salami, by Asa Afariogun Street, Ajao Estate, Lagos, collapsed around 9.00p.m. on Friday.
Residents say there was nothing to suggest the building would collapse, though they had marveled at the speed of work on the structure.

“As you can see, they were on the third floor when it happened and nothing had suggested this structure could collapse the way it did during what was, in fact, a mild rainfall.
“Though work started here barely six months ago, they were fast and though so much money had been lost, one must be thankful that no life was lost”, a resident, who sought anonymity told The Guardian.
Though he was non-committal, others were more forthcoming, blaming the disaster on too much haste by the owners to complete the building and put it into use as soon as possible.
A man, Mallam Idris, who sells noodles and beverages near the collapsed structure, told The Guardian the owners were in a haste to start making use of the building and so rushed everything.
Speaking in pidgin English, he said: “E never reach six months wey they begin build this building. They just wan do am kpa kpa kpa and begin make use of am.
“ If no be for this thing wey happen now, they for do service for the place on Sunday because they don plaster the ground floor and pack in some of the things they wan use for the service. Na God save the workers—o!”
He said because the owners were in a hurry, people were at work till around 8.00p.m. when some of them came gown to eat noodles and drink tea at his outdoor shop.
He said some of the workers, about 20 of them, were eating outside when the building began to collapse as a result of which those still inside jumped to safety.
“Thank God nobody dey inside am because I no see how the person go take survive”, Idris said.
Another resident, Mr. Obinna Okeke, a civil engineer, blamed the collapse on structural defects.
“The pillars were like electric poles, grossly inadequate for such a big structure, a three-storey building.
“They should have been bigger,” he said.
One of the workers told The Guardian: “When we were working early in the evening, we heard a creaking noise on the second floor but when nothing happened, we thought may be, the building was setting or may be. there was some work going on there.
“We didn’t know that a huge catastrophe like this was about to happen and God also was waiting for us to move out before it happened.
“I am very grateful to God that He spared our lives. What would have happened to us if this had happened in the afternoon when all of us were still in the building? ” he asked.
But some members of the church blame the collapse on ‘spiritual attack’
One such member, Mr. Collins, said it was difficult to accept that the building collapsed.
“Everything needed for the building of this church was provided in excess and were also of good quality. How can the building just collapse like that? I believe this must be a spiritual attack.”
Another sympathizer lamented the huge loss to the church due to inexperience of those “who call themselves building engineers.’
“Part of the problem we have in this country is the influx of half-baked personnel in professional fields. “Everybody claims what he is not just to make money.  “Others that go for the training don’t assimilate what they are thought and come out to be a nuisance.
“You cannot give what you don’t have.
“For as long as this kind of people remains in the service industry, we will continue getting the same result.”
Meanwhile, officials of the Lagos State Physical Planning and Development Authority (LASPPDA) have already sealed off the site.
Dump trucks on Saturdaybegan carting away sand and stone, which were supposed to be used for even more work on the now collapsed building.
According to a Lagos State law, any building, whether  under construction or already in use, that collapses will be taken over by the government and those responsible prosecuted.
The Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development ,  Mr. Toyin Ayinde, has  said that most of the collapsed buildings witnessed in recent times were as a result of inadequate and low quality building materials used during construction.
He said any visibly distressed building in Lagos State would be thoroughly examined and based on the result of the test, evacuation of lives and property would be effected before eventual removal of any such building, while the developer would also be prosecuted according to the law.
The immediate past Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development,  Mr. Fransisco Abosede, had said in May that over 1,923 buildings had been marked for demolition but that the government could not act because the occupants refused to leave the buildings.