Controversy as Oyo State Govt. Demolishes 69-year-old Building (Photo)

Posted by Odinaka on Tue 27th Sep, 2016 - tori.ng

The Oyo State Government has demolished a 69-year-old house in the Ososami area of Ibadan, saying it has become a threat to houses around it.

The building

A 69-year-old house in the Ososami area of Ibadan, has been demolished by the Oyo State Government on Saturday, saying that the house has become a threat to houses around it.

Toye Arulogun, who is the state Commissioner for Information, Culture and Strategy, disclosed that the demolition was a proactive step to prevent damage to neighbouring structures and loss of lives.

Arulogun who said it was a controlled demolition that became necessary after the 69-year-old one-storeyed structure lost its firmness due to age and its state of disrepair, added that the state government received distress calls from the residents of the area who expressed fears on the possibility of a calamity that could befall them if the house collapsed suddenly.

“We got a distress calls from residents of the Ososami area and upon an instruction from Governor Abiola Ajimobi, we immediately swung into action by mobilising all relevant machinery of government and agencies such as the fire service, the police, the Nigerian Securty and Civil Defence Corps, authorities of the local government area and building and physical planning experts.

“When we got there, the building was already tilted to one side. We explained the imminent danger posed by the dilapidated building to the occupants of the house and told them to leave immediately.

“Some of them were reluctant and they insisted on going back inside to the house to pick their belongings.

“However, based on expert advice, the security agents on ground prevented them from going in to shield them from danger. When it became clear that the house had to be demolished in a controlled manner, we put a call to the owner of the house, one Mr. Osunseyi in the United States, who consented to the demolition after he was told about the status of the building,” he said.

The commissioner urged property owners, building professionals and contractors in the state to adhere to standard building procedures, avoid cutting corners and uphold ethics when erecting structures.