Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Lagos State Governor, on Wednesday, inaugurated a four-man panel to review findings of the report submitted by the panel that investigated the collapse of a 21-storey structure in Ikoyi, Lagos.

The new panel, headed by Tayo Bamgbose-Martins, Commissioner for Special Duties, is the “first step to the implementation of the report submitted”.

In a statement titled ‘Ikoyi Collapsed Building: Sanwo-Olu To Implement Panel’s Report,’ the governor named Hakeem Muri-Okunola, Head of Service; Moyosore Onigbanjo (SAN), Commissioner for Justice and Attorney-General; and Abisola Olusanya, architect and Commissioner of Agriculture, as members of the panel.

The statement signed by Gboyega Akosile, Chief Press Secretary to the governor, read, “Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on Wednesday, set up a four-man committee led by the Commissioner for Special Duties, Mr Tayo Bamgbose-Martins, an engineer, as a first step to the implementation of the report submitted by the panel, which investigated the collapse of a 21-storey structure on Gerrard Road in Ikoyi.

“Other members of the committee are Head of Service, Mr. Hakeem Muri-Okunola; Commissioner for Justice and Attorney-General, Mr. Moyosore Onigbanjo (SAN) and his Agriculture counterpart, Ms. Abisola Olusanya, who is an architect.

“The Governor constituted the committee after receiving the report of the panel at Lagos House, Ikeja. It was submitted by the chairman of the panel, Mr. Toyin Ayinde, a town planner. The building collapsed on November 1, 2021.

“The governor said the committee would bring forward a report to be considered by the Lagos State Executive Council. He commended members of the Toyin Ayinde-led panel for their commitment and quick response to the assignment given to them by the state government.

READ ALSO: Southwest Governors Attack Malami Over Humiliation of Sanwo-Olu at Magodo Estate

“Ayinde is the President of the National Institute of Town Planners. Other members of the panel are a structural engineer, Dr. Akintilo Idris; an architect, Yinka Ogundairo; a builder, Mr. Godfrey Godfrey; a real estate lawyer, Mrs. Bunmi Ibrahim and a lawyer, Ekundayo Onajobi, the secretary of the panel.”

Sanwo-Olu told the new panel to submit their findings to the State Executive Council by Friday.

As contained in the statement, Toyin Ayinde, the chairman of the tribunal that investigated the building collapse, said he hoped “the findings and recommendations of the panel’s report would be implemented by the government to bring a lasting solution to incidents of building collapse, not only in Lagos State, but nationally”.

“Ayinde on behalf of the panel members appreciated the governor for giving them the opportunity to serve the Lagos State Government and the people of the State, noting that the panel spent approximately six weeks on the assignment and submitted the report, as well as electronic recordings of all the sections and videos of proceedings, in a hard drive to the Lagos State Attorney-General,” the statement reads.

READ ALSO: ‘You Have No Business Being in My State’ — Sanwo-Olu, Police Officer’s Face-Off at Magodo Estate

“The chairman said the panel visited the project site for a general assessment, coordinated the activities of the consultants who conducted tests on the site, received and reviewed documents from relevant MDAs and conducted 35 interviews. It interrogated 91 persons, requested and received 21 memoranda and accessed the home of the late CEO of Fourscore Heights Limited, Mr. Olufemi Osibono, with a view to gathering useful documents.”

Ayinde was quoted to have said, “The tribunal had the opportunity to access the home of the late CEO of Fourscore Heights Limited in the presence of members of his family, where some documents that were scanned helped in gaining further insights into the case, particularly the processes that led to the construction and eventual collapse.

“The tribunal also hosted the representation of the developer’s company, comprising two legal firms. It is on record that in their first and second appearances, the lawyers expressed the fact that they were external lawyers to the company and had little knowledge about the case in hand.

“Having spent approximately six weeks on this assignment, we now wish to make our submission to the Governor of Lagos State, who constituted the tribunal. We need to note, however, that building collapses are rooted in the collapse of values, morals and ethics, which we need to work on as a nation. We cannot sow the wind and not expect to reap the whirlwind. Therefore, ethics and due diligence need to be restored.”

READ ALSO: Sanwo-Olu Knocks Police for Continued Presence at Magodo Estate

Sanwo-Olu, on Thursday, November 4, 2021, inaugurated the six-member panel of inquiry to investigate the cause of the collapse. The building, a 21-storey building under construction, collapsed on November 1, 2021, killing over 40 people.

Preliminary findings showed that the builders were not certified, and permits were not given for the height they hoped to reach.