In the wake of the Lekki Gardens building collapse, the Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, on Monday approved the dismissal of the General Manager of the Lagos State Building Control Agency, Engineer Adeigbe Olushola.
The Governor also approved the dismissal of the Head of Inspection and Quality Control in the Agency, Adeoye Thomas Adeyemi; the Zonal District Officer in the Agency, Dosunmu Gbadebo; while the Zonal Head of Eti-Osa West of the Agency, Akinde Adenike Sherifat, was compulsorily retired from the Civil Service.
Governor Ambode in a statement signed by the State Head of Service, Olabowale Ademola, said the affected officers were dismissed having been indicted of negligence.
According to him, negligence is an act of misconduct under the Public Service Rule 040401.
Rule 040401 of the Public Service act of misconduct has it that “a willful act of omission or general misconduct to the scandal of the pubic or to the prejudice of discipline and proper administration of the State Government” should be visited with dismissal from the Public Service in line with the Public Service Rule 040503.
The Head of Service said the disciplinary measure was the outcome of the recommendations of the Personnel Management Board to Ambode, who was personally grieved by the high number of fatalities that occurred as a result of the building collapse.
Ademola also warned public officials, private building owners or contractors who violate or subvert building regulations that it would no longer be business as usual, saying that the dismissal of the officers will serve as a wake-up call to public servants.
“It is also a clarion call to them to be alive to their responsibilities as any act of negligence will face sanctions, while hardworking officers will be rewarded appropriately,” the Head of Service said.
It would be recalled that on March 8, 2016, a building under construction at Lekki Gardens, Ikusenla Road, Ikate Elegushi, collapsed as a result of which many people died.
The State Government immediately mobilised all its rescue team comprising the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, Lagos State Ambulance Service, Rapid Response Squad, Kick Against Indiscipline, among others, which led to the successful rescue of over 15 persons alive.
Thirty-five persons were confirmed dead in the building collapse.
Most of them were foreign site workers from Benin Republic and Togo.
