Details have emerged of how a structural consultancy firm, Prowess Engineering Limited, consulting for owner and project supervisor of the collapsed 16-storey building in Lagos withdrew its services over poor project execution standard of the property.
As gathered, Prowess Engineering Limited, pull out from the project after the owner allegedly renege on agreement and resort to using substandard products which failed to meet up with approved specifications of materials and others requirements set by relevant building agencies across the state.
The Guild learnt that the incident which happened on Monday was coming 20 months after the consulting firm withdrew it services with warning that the structures being developed lacked necessary credibility and integrity result and could endanger workers and the surrounding community if it was not corrected.
The company which announced its service withdrawal through a letter addressed to property owner, Femi Osibona of Fourscore Heights Limited, and dated February 20, 2020, said that the action became imperative after both companies vision were no longer aligning on the project execution style.
READ ALSO: UPDATED: four die, 3 recuse, more bodies trapped under Ikoyi collapsed skyscraper
In the letter signed the Managing Director, Prowess Engineering Limited, Muritala Olawale, the company argued that while it can guarantee the integrity of the first two buildings constructed to the fourth floor of third building which it supervised, others after that lacked necessary integrity, hence its decision to end their contract.
The letter titled: Re: ‘Proposed Gerrard Terraces For Fourscore Limited’, read “This letter is to formally inform you of the withdrawal of our structural consultancy services from the above named project. We arrived at this decision due to the fact that we no longer share same vision with you as our client in terms of how the project is being executed
“We can guarantee the integrity of the first two buildings and also work done up to the fourth floor of the third building supervised by us provided specifications have been met in terms of the required concrete strength. This We do not have control over as we do not have the concrete cube test results for each stage of the building till date. Also, kindly noted that we are not taking responsibilities for any other construction errors that may have occurred over time on the project.
“Furthermore, we request that our company’s name and logo be removed from the project board and also kindly notify all necessary approving authorities of our withdrawal from the project
“We regret this decision and the lost opportunity to do business together. We look forward to future cooperation in other projects.”
The Guild had earlier reported that the owner of a 16 floors building and about 20 artisans were reported to have been trapped under the rubbles after the structure under construction around Ikoyi axis of Lagos State collapsed.
As gathered, the property owner was at the site inspecting the structure along Gerard road at Musiliu junction, when the building caved in at about 2:30 pm, with many trapped under the structure.
Sources told The Guild correspondent that before the structure caved in on Monday, the property owner had been preventing officials of the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) and other building regulatory agencies from gaining access into the structure
Confirming the incident, the General Manager, Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Dr. Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, disclosed that he has activated the agency’s emergency response plan to the above incident.
Also, three people trapped under the rubbles have been rescued while emergency responders have intensified rescue efforts at the scene of the incident.
