Lagos State Commissioner for Physical Planning, Salako resigns over collapsed buildings.

Lagos State Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Dr. Idris Salako has resigned his appointment following incessant collapse of buildings in the State.

The commissioner has been under serious tension as he sets record in terms of building collapse in the state.

Under him, a 21-storey building in Ikoyi collapsed last year, killing about 50 people, while several others also trapped in.

Source also alleged that Salako was indicted by the committee set up by the Lagos State Government to look into the reason for the collapse of 21-storey building in Ikoyi last year.

The last was the 7-storey building collapsed in the early hours of Sunday on Oba Idowu Oniru Street, near Palace Road in Oniru, killed two people and others are yet to be found.

However, Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso, in a statement on Monday said Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has accepted the resignation of Dr. Idris Salako.

”This is a prelude to the restructuring of the Ministry and its agencies.

”Governor Sanwo-Olu thanks the Commissioner for his services to the State and wishes him success in his future endeavours.

”The Governor warns all players in the sector to respect the law or face the consequences of any indiscretion, no matter who the perpetrators are,” he said.

Addressing the media, Salako suggested that the developer was a powerful man, recalling how he chased state officials away during enforcement.

He also disclosed that the developer broke the seal of the site on three separate occasions, an indictment on the state government.

The same situation occurred before the Ikoyi building collapse, in November 2021, which claimed more than 40 lives.

The developer Femi Osibona, who also lost his life, unsealed the site multiple times and muscled government officials, citing connections with the authorities.

The collapsed building in Oniru again shows the laxity of Lagos government in enforcing the laws governing construction.

Recently, two bodies have been recovered at seven-storey building collapse in the early hours of Sunday along Oba Idowu Oniru street, near Palace road by emergency responders and taken to the morgue; the search for more bodies and possible survivors continues.

Speaking at the scene, Commissioner for Physical Planning, Idris Salako revealed how the developer chased away State officials at different times.

Salako told reporters that the site had been sealed thrice but the owner shunned warnings and resumed work.

He said, “We have a developer that is hostile and who contravenes the law of the Lagos State Urban and Regional Planning, 2019, as amended”.

The commissioner confirmed he did not get the necessary planning permit and the prerequisite authorization before the start of construction.

“Several times, the officers of the Lagos State Building Control Agency visited this site and the attitude of the contractor has been that of hostility,” he added.

Salako further said that the owner has been using his personal security to stop them from carrying performing their job.

“The developer has been dropping names any time our officers visit the place; we have sealed the site three times and he kept breaking the seal,” he added.