A call has gone to the Lagos State government to ensure that the panel of enquiry set up by it to unravel the circumstances surrounding the collapse of the 21-storey building on Gerrard Avenue in Ikoyi, Lagos, must conduct it’s affairs in the open.
Former Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, South, and the Atona Oodua of Yorubaland, Chief Olabode Ibiyinka George,made the call in Lagos yesterday while addressing a press conference.
George called on the Lagos State governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu to ensure that, for probity and fairness, the government panel must not sit in camera.
Recall that the 21-storey building under construction by Fourscores Heights Limited, owned by Femi Osibona, who also perished in the tragedy, came tumbling down on November 1, killing 45 people.
Addressing journalists in Lagos Tuesday, George said the panel sitting in the open will ensure fairness and probity.
He said “The Gerrard disaster was avoidable only if the tools of power had been sincere, honest and discerning in their obligations to Lagos people. But greed, indifference and deliberate complicity on the part of the authorities contributed to the tragedy.
“It is not enough to set up just any panel to probe the needless tragedy. We need comprehensive answers to all that appear presently veiled. The guilty must never be spared the full weight of the law. In this wise there is a need for a full competent team of technical and judicial officers to unravel this disaster.
“The panel must conduct its sittings in an open, unfettered forum, to ensure probity and fairness. The panel must be truly independent with the powers to subpoena anyone, no matter the position the person occupies in the society.”
Insisting that the panel must not only be seen to be just and fair in its deliberations, George added that “it must show a total resolve on equity and justice. It must be composed of people of legendary excellence and high integrity.”
The Atona Oodua said that he strongly believes that to unravel the truth and ensure that the innocent did not perish in vain, some possible lines of enquiries that must be carried out, especially against the background that the land upon which the collapsed building was erected belonged to NITEL.
He asked, “Who bought this land? If the land was resold, who is the final beneficiary? If the Fourscore management was given approval for eight-storey structure, who changed it to 15 and then to 21? Who are the structural engineers? Which engineers conducted the soil test? What kind of foundation was the structure erected upon? Is it shallow foundation or strip footing, raft or mat footing? Is it deep foundation that will involve piling and drift shaft? What kind of experts were assembled for this project?
“Who ordered the sealing up of the building earlier? And who ordered its reopening and why?
“These and more are the issues that must be probed vigorously by a technical committee of builders, engineers, architects and jurists of impeccable distinctions.
The six-man committee hurriedly set up by the Lagos state government does not fit the billing. It is at best a gestural, patch-up, calm-them-down affair. It will not work. It lacks the necessary tools of effectiveness that will bring answers to the festering questions that disturb us all.
“This is one disaster too many. It cannot be swept under the carpet. Those who compromised their offices and abetted this monumental loss of lives must face the full wrath of the law, no matter their positions. It is only then that some kind of sanity will be brought to bear on the damaged profile of our increasingly distorted environment; and that the innocent who perished in the tragic incident would not have died in vain.”
The former National Deputy Chairman of the PDP, South said that there is the need to establish the structural integrity of the two subsisting storey buildings in the compound to avoid another disaster.
Commenting on the report of the #EndSARS panel which is in the public domain, George called on Sanwo-Olu to preserve his family name by ensuring that genuine apologies are tendered where necessary, adding that he must ensure that the right thing is done.
Congratulating members of the panel for speaking the truth, George insisted that the fact that despite being handpicked by government, members of the panel were bold enough to say the truth.
He said, “I want to advise Sanwo-Olu, because this happened under his watch; Sanwo-Olu is a big name in Omi Didun area of Lagos Island, he can not cover up the recommendation.
“Even if he is been pushed to open the Lrkki Toll Gate, he should tread carefully.
“He should think that he has a family name on his side and the truth has been told. He should study the report, be straight with himself and God and take appropriate action.
“He should read that document cover to cover and make amends and apologise to the people of this state where necessary.
“He should look at it from the angle of the fact that Lagos is a mini-Nigeria, he should be bold enough as a child of God and apologise to Lagosians and do something for those who lost their lives.
“The military should also learn from this episode. People wanted to know how the military get involved, because the military only take order from the Commander-in-Chief.”
