Lagos abandons school, library over structural defects
The abandoned school
Two
edifices that should ordinarily elicit pride in the residents of Ebute
Meta, in Lagos Mainland Local Government, Lagos State, are now causing
them fear and embarrassment.
The buildings – Nawair-Ud-Deen Senior
Secondary School complex and Lagos Mainland Local Government Library-
located at Kadara and Herbert Macaulay streets respectively, are
desolate, dilapidated and in a state of disrepair.
When our correspondent visited the
buildings, he reported that they had been closed down by the government.
They also showed signs of long period of abandonment.
It was observed that the foundations of
the buildings in both places had sunk into the ground, while their walls
had visible cracks.
It was also noticed that grasses had
been left to grow without control at the NUD school, while the pillars
of the library building were gradually tearing apart.
It was gathered that the library, which
was inaugurated in 2002 by a former Governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju
Bola Tinubu, was closed down in 2012 because it was showing signs of
structural decay. The school was also shut at the same period.
Some residents of the area wondered why
the buildings could be defective just after 11 years of construction.
They urged the government to demolish the dilapidated buildings instead
of leaving it to become dens of criminals.
Our correspondent gathered that the
pupils of the school had been moved to other secondary schools in Yaba
Local Development Council.
It was also learnt that the library was
closed down with its books inside it and since then, no alternative
arrangement had been made for pupils in the area.
Occupants of houses surrounding one of the defective buildings, however, urged the government to come to their aid.
One of them, who pleaded anonymity,
said, “Our fear is that grasses have taken over the school. Before you
know it, some dangerous animals like snakes will found abode there.
Government should not wait till we have a tragedy before acting.”
Another resident, Rasheed Ajenifuja, advised the government to demolish the structures and build more befitting ones.
An elder in the community, identified
simply as Pa Joe, explained that the frequent rate of building collapse
in the area had made residents apprehensive about the two structures.
“The best thing to do now is for government to demolish them and give us a new school and a new library,” he said.
Another resident, Ganiyu Adeniyi, said
he was surprised that the state government would abandon two
institutions which could boost the future of the youth in the area.
But a councillor in LMLG, who preferred
not to be mentioned, said the legislature and the executive of the
council had agreed that experts should be taken to the buildings to
examine them for repairs.
He said, “We are worried that we don’t
have any library in this area again and the only senior secondary school
we have has also been locked up.”
The General Manager, Lagos State
Building and Control Agency, Mrs. Abimbola Animashaun, however said the
government would conduct integrity test on the buildings to know their
level of damage.
She said, “It depends on the level of
damage. It is not enough to say a building is defective. If it is
something that can be amended or needs to be demolished, that will be
known after integrity test have been conducted.”
CULLED FROM: PUNCH NEWSPAPERS
August 21, 2013 by Sodiq Oyeleke
http://www.punchng.com/metro/lagos-abandons-school-library-over-structural-defects/
Written by NEWSTRAWL ONLINE UPDATE
Sodiq Oyeleke is a Media, Human Resources, Project Management and Public Relations Practitioner
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