The Aare Onakakanfo of Yorubaland, Iba Gani Adams, says his heart bleeds at the number of casualties recorded in the Ita-faji, Lagos building collapse.
The three-storey building, which had a school on one of its floors, caved in on Wednesday morning, leaving no fewer than 20 persons, including children, dead, and many injured.
Adams, in a statement, expressed sadness over the death of children in the building, and sympathised with the families of the victims.
“I feel sad that the lives of many of those promising adults and young pupils could be cut short in such manner. It is sad. My heart bleeds at the number of casualties.
“The sorrow I feel now is overwhelming, seeing the way they were being evacuated from the rubble of the building.
“We cannot continue to experience all these happenings in Lagos state, cases of building collapse should be addressed holistically to forestall future occurrences.
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“At the same time, there is need for the state government to address the issue of building collapse urgently in the state, it is becoming too frequent. There should be standard in what we do as a people.
“That is how it is done in other climes. Many of the buildings in Lagos, particularly, on the island, are old, and dilapidated.
“Meanwhile, those contractors building the new ones, most times, use substandard materials, and nobody blinks an eye,” he said
Adams also expressed concern on the standard of education in the state, saying private schools located in a residential apartments are of no standard.
“Of what standard are schools located in residential apartments?” he queried.
He advised the state government to step up in building of low-cost and affordable houses, so that residents would live comfortably.
“Government must also ensure that private schools in the state are duly registered and that they are located in befitting and conducive environment,” Adams said.