Tinubu Speaks On Collapsed 21-Storey Building, Death Toll Rises To 36

Former governor Bola Tinubu has said there are many questions to ask about the collapse of a 21-storey building on Gerald Road, Ikoyi, Lagos.

Tinubu, a former governor of Lagos State said this while endorsing the decision of Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu to probe the building collapse.

The Lagos State Government has initiated an internal probe into the collapse of the building which went down on Monday.

It has also set up an independent panel made up of professionals in the building industry to probe the building collapse.

Tinubu who described the collapse of a 21-story building as a sad and painful incident decried the loss of lives, adding that the tragic incident should never have occurred.

He added that the probes are necessary to uncover the facts behind the building collapse, so as to prevent a future occurrence.

“I endorse Gov. Babajide Sanwo-olu’s order for an investigation into this tragedy. There are many questions to ask, and all those questions deserve full and public answers.

“The collapse of a 21-storey building in Ikoyi, Lagos, is a sad and painful incident. Once more and all too often, we have suffered the loss of lives for no defensible reason. This tragedy should never have occurred.

“It is obvious to us that something went terribly wrong. If indeed intentional or reckless wrongdoing has been committed, appropriate sanctions should find those who have been found to have shirked their fundamental responsibilities.

“The departed, their grieving families and the people of Lagos State deserve no less and should perhaps demand even more.

“The collapse of a 21-storey building in Ikoyi, Lagos, is a sad and painful incident. Once more and all too often, we have suffered the loss of lives for no defensible reason. This tragedy should never have occurred.

“Workers at the site and, for that matter no one who is simply trying to work in order to care for their loved ones, should have their lives abbreviated in such a manner.

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“No-one should suffer what these people suffered.

“Families should not have to hear such news and bear such burden,’’ Tinubu, National Leader of the All Progressives Congress, (APC), stated in a commiseration message issued in Lagos on Tuesday.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that at least 14 persons have been confirmed killed after the 21-storey building collapsed on Monday.

Nine persons have also been rescued alive as rescue operations intensified into Tuesday night.

The APC leader said government must get to the bottom of the ghastly occurrence, adding that he sought “not to prejudge anything or anyone’’.

“Search-and-rescue efforts must continue non-stop until they were able to bring out whoever is still trapped in the rubble.

“As much as we are in collective pain and grief, we must also be clear and focused. Let us use this tragedy to serve as a strong warning and deterrent to end any misconduct that might in any way contribute to such an incident.

“We must never become numb to the tragedies that befall others; we must work and strive to put an end to these frightening events and the brutal, but avoidable deaths that go with them,’’ Tinubu stated.

The former governor noted that some tragedies were unavoidable while most were not, adding that government needed to understand what happened so that it could work harder to prevent a recurrence.

The former governor prayed that the souls of the deceased rest in peace, noting that human compassion required them to do more.

He added that government and residents must reach out to the bereaved families with both prayer and practical support and assistance during this terrible moment.

“I sympathise with those injured and commend the state government knowing that it would provide immediate medical needs and provide whatever other assistance required for victims to survive the episode and return to a semblance of normalcy.

“I also commend the emergency responders who are doing well and they require our support and encouragement because their task is hard and not without significant physical danger,’’ he also stated.

Tinubu prayed that others would be found alive and without significant injury.

He said Lagos State was and must forever be a place of light and life where the best of human endeavour was their currency and their calling card.

Meanwhile, at the time of filing this report, Oasis Magazine learnt that the death toll has risen to 36, although a government official at the scene of the incident said 33 persons have so far been reported dead.

Also, a total of 9 survivors have been reported. Of these, eight are men and one a woman.