… As residents of collapsed building lament losses
By TESSY IGOMU
Adikuru Peter is a very sad man. With bloodshot eyes, he scanned over the ruins, which now occupy where his two-bedroom rented apartment once stood.
"Everything I have is gone. They were not only trapped and destroyed but some were stolen by hoodlums, who pretended to be helping us," were his emotional words as he made another sweeping glance over the mangled iron and concrete of the three-storey building that collapsed on Monday on 353, Agege Motor Road, Mushin, Lagos.
The building caved in at about 3pm during a downpour, killing a nine-month-old baby even as three others sustained injuries. It happened at a time most occupants of the building were not around. Adikuru's pain runs very deep. He not only lost property to the building collapse but equally lost a nine-month old baby, belonging to his wife's niece. "My wife is not aware of the child's death.
In fact, I don't even know how I will break the news to her. This is too much for me to bear." According to him, he moved into the ill-fated building over a year ago and had seen nothing to indicate that the building had structural defect. He noted that the only problem was that the compound lacked good drainage and was always heavily flooded when it rained.
His words: "If there was something like sign that the building was bad, I wouldn't be here. The only thing was that we had to buy a pumping machine to pump water out of the compound any time it rained. We also had a bad sewage system."
Narrating how he received a call while at work about the building collapse, he lamented that since the incident took place, his family has been taking shelter in a church nearby.
For Titilope Odungunle, a student of the Lagos State University, Ojo, Lagos, fate has been both good and cruel. The quest for education and the need to secure a roof over her head apparently blinded her to the fact that safety should always be the watchword when it comes to seeking accommodation.
Though thankful to be alive, she is sad that everything she owned is still trapped. At the moment, the only personal effect she can boast of is the cloth she has on. Titilope was aware of the danger posed by the building but ignored it. Rather, she used her money to carry out repairs in her apartment to make it habitable. "I live on the ground floor and the place was always flooded. I had to put tiles in my apartment for easy cleaning.
There were also cracks on the wall. After getting tired of cementing the cracks, I started using newspapers and clothes to fill the cracks. Several times, we had blocks, falling from the house and each time we informed the landlord, he would tell us to pay for repairs, which he never carried out," she said. Nojim Bello has been an occupant of the collapsed building for over three years.
Just like Titilope, he noted that the three-storey building had given them enough sign to suggest that all was not well but that they felt it did not pose any danger. He noted that his wife and son were rescued by volunteers in the area after they had been trapped for hours.
"I just thank God that I was at work when it happened and that my wife and son are alive. At this point, the state government should help us because we have lost everything," he appealed. S
amson obadara, a resident complained about the slow response of emergency management authorties, stressing that their late arrival led to the death of the baby. He noted that though officers of the Nigeria Police Force arrived immediately the incident took place, there was little they could do. Raphael Odogwu, another resident also expressed concern over the state of houses in the area.
While also lamenting the late arrival of rescue officials to the collapse site, he urged the state government to always be alert and respond urgently to emergencies.
Most residents complained that one of the buildings close to the collapsed structure had been marked for demolition since 2010. They noted that three of the buildings owned by the landlord of the ill-fated structure are really dilapidated and could crumble at any moment.
Speaking on the incident, the General Manager, Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Femi Oke-Osanyintolu, said recovery operation at the site was over. He noted that initial rescue efforts by relevant stakeholders in emergency rescue operations were hampered by limited accessibility to the collapse site. He noted that those rescued were receiving treatment at the hospital.
He informed that those in adjoining houses have been asked to evacuate, so that the state government can carry out solid material testing to ascertain the structural stability of the entire area. The area, he noted has been cordoned off to avoid any injury or looting. He stressed that safety of lives and property of citizens remains the paramount responsibility of the state government.
Original Page: http://sunnewsonline.com/new/trending/tears-in-mushin/
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