The Lagos State Government has indicted Prophet Temitope Joshua, General Overseer, Synagogue Church of All Nations, over the collapse of a 6-storey guest house in his church.

Death toll in the tragedy which occurred last Friday has hit 80 as rescue workers intensify efforts to evacuate the remaining victims trapped under the rubble. There is likely no hope of any more survivors.

•Prophet T.B. Joshua: Indicted

In a statement issued on Wednesday, the Lagos State Government insisted that Joshua did not have approval for the building, therefore the addition of more floors to the existing two-storey building was illegal.

Source: http://naija247news.com/2014/09/lagos-implicates-t-b-joshua-as-death-toll-hits-80/#.VBvKs6Oh-XU

The government, however, said investigations were still on as to why the building collapsed.

Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Olutoyin Ayinde said government would not shut down the church until investigations were concluded.

Ayinde expressed sincere condolences and sympathy with those that lost their loved ones and those that were injured in the unfortunate incident.

He said the Government and indeed the Ministry was particularly saddened that innocent lives were lost.

The Commissioner clarified that no plans were in the offing to take over the collapsed structure site until thorough and detailed investigation as to the cause(s) of the collapse had been concluded.

According to him, government is conducting a preliminary investigation into the cause(s) of the collapse and would leave nothing to chance to unravel what cause the building to collapse.

He added that if there was any violation of relevant planning laws, government would take appropriate action.

To this end, Ayinde said a team of engineers from the Ministry and other state government agencies were taking samples from the foundation and materials from the wreckage of the building for detailed analysis.

He stressed that government does not arbitrarily take over properties when testing to ascertain the structural integrity of any building that collapses.

On the veracity of the “Strange Plane Theory,” alleged to have dangerously flown low over the building 50 minutes before the collapse, he said the Ministry had submitted the video clips, as provided by the Church to the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) with the coordinate of the collapsed site for investigation and professional comment.

Meanwhile, the Chairman of the Lagos State House of Assembly Committee on the Environment, Tobun Abiodun, has expressed belief that some government officials may have allowed themselves to be compromised and influenced to allow the church construct the collapsed building illegally.

Ordinarily, officers in-charge of physical planning in the state are supposed to act where buildings become defective or where they do not follow laid-down procedures, he argued.

Tobun, who described the incident as a major disaster and a great loss, however, condoled with the families of the deceased and said the government needed to be more careful and pro-active to prevent a similar incident from happening again.

Quoting a report by the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, Tobun said that the building ought to have only four floors instead of six, according to the foundation of the house.

“But my concern is that we have town planning officers that should supervise buildings in the state, they are accomplices. There is no way someone would build a six-storey building instead of four and they would say they were not aware. I believe that they compromised standard.

“Until they know that if they compromise in any way they are risking people’s lives, there would be problem. They should be more pro-active in the discharge of their duties,” he said.

But the Chairman of the Physical Planning Committee of the House, Mufutau Egberongbe, while defending the officials of the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development, urged Nigerians to adopt voluntary compliance to laws as enforcement of the laws is supposed to be a last resort.

One of the challenges facing the ministry, according to Egberongbe, is the lack of adequate staff.

“How many are the staff of the ministry to go round Lagos when buildings are springing up on a daily basis? Voluntary compliance to laws should be our primary responsibility,” he said.

He said the government officials would have faced heavy criticisms from people if they had decided to implement the law to the letter in relation to the building, adding that it even costs the government money to carry out demolition of structures.

To him, if the church had done what it should do, the incident would have been averted.

Poster: www.loadedvilla.com

None of my business

Really ?

.

an ironic moment when the "great diviner "couldn't see this happen right under his nose.







RIP to the dead though

This is totally unacceptable.
Jugdement must prevail even if heaven will fall. Just that we will soon forget this news as nothing will happen cos even as all men should be equal, some are more equal than others!

Na nw una sab?

ok

too bad...

[size=18pt]WE MUST RETURN TO THE RELIGION OF OVA ANCESTORS!

HOW CAN WE AFFORD TO CONTINUE WITH THIS FOREIGN SCAM RELIGION[/size]

#Nigeria4PAGANISM

They should have listen to the government, I know they did it for business reason, the same church sold healing water for 5k to a cousin because she is non member, I just laugh them with all teeth open. I kukuma bi original sinner, their members should know what I am saying except they pretend to ignored the truth, I don go through the entire bible before, people no fit called monkey,a dog for me again.

Christian leaders should change their ways from using church as business centre

Abbey2sam: .

datguru: Really ?

LEOSIRSIR: FTP

ericgold: .

kurajordan: .

natureblack: Really

kurajordan: .

You are hereby sentenced to...

.

Really?

And what are you doing about arresting the Pastor

Abbey2sam: .

why u dey chase first to comment on every thread.

Okay .RIP to the dead

Will this bring back the dead?

























Just asking sha!!!

Where they adding more floors with people inside?

01mcfadden: This is totally unacceptable.
Jugdement should prevail.

Justice must prevail. The Law is no respecter of individual. No mater whose ox is gored, defaulters must pay the price. The Law is for both the rich and poor.

Useless government. If na me build without approval una go com show una self.

Then why wasn't it stopped when it was on-going? Medicine after death

It has begun . By the what sealed his mouth not to tender his prophecy and possibly pray to avert the calamity. Harder times on its way.

adeoladrg:
You are hereby sentenced to...

To three days ban with Hard Labour

Where was LASG when the floors where being increased?

ok

We don hear jor.. Lies

I see this as medicine after death.
Lagos State town planning knew that Synagogue was adding to the 6 storey building but nobody talked.
Some might v been bribed, some might do the usual ignore!
So many illegal buildings in Lagos, other parts of the country.
Last Bullet
We only hear these kinda news after a building has collapsed & killed several people.
You go to Idumota & see those buildings leaning against one another, waiting to collapse. Yet some people ll be selling cloths in them with their costumers.