A member of the technical committee set up by the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria, COREN, and Building Collapse and Prevention Guild, to investigate the cause of the collapse of Synagogue building has testified before a Lagos State High court sitting in Ikeja.
The representative of the committee, a civil engineer, Dr. Victor Oyenuga maintained that the foundation was supposed to be bigger than what was found at the site and in the structural drawing of the building.
Dr. Oyenuga explained that investigation revealed that the super structure did not have the required proportion of physical size to the quantity of iron rod used for the beams.
He pointed out that the soil bearing capacity of the collapsed site also shows that the load was above the expected size.
Led in examination in chief by prosecuting counsel, Mrs. Idowu Alakija, Dr. Oyenuga told the court that the committee came up with a report that the building lacked super structure after members visited the site and measured the column, beam, slab, foundation and carried out soil tests.
He however stated that the foundation though found to be undersized during investigations on the debris of the collapse by Nigerian Building and Road Research Institute, NIBBRI in conjunction with COREN revealed that it may not have caused the collapse.
While the Director of Public Prosecution , DPP, Mrs. Idowu Alakija asked the witness who was supposed to ensure accuracy, Oyenuga replied that it is a structural engineer and that in the case of the collapsed building, no structural engineer was known to have been involved in the construction to COREN’s knowledge.
The presiding judge, Justice Lateef Lawal-Akapo fixed twentieth of this month for cross examination, shortly after counsel to Synagogue church, Chief Lateef Fagbemi asked the court for time for cross examination.
The proceedings today however experienced some objections and counter-objections from defence counsels’ team and the DPP as the evidence were being given.
After the court session, some police officers and members of the church who seem to be on solidarity with the defendants blocked newsmen fron taking shots of the defendants.
According to engineering terms, super structure means stability of a structure.
The defendants, the Trustees of the Synagogue Church of all Nation, SCOAN , the two engineers, Messrs Oladele Ogundeji and Akinbela Fatiregun and their companies, Hardrock Construction and Engineering Company and Jandy Trust Limited were last month arraigned on 111-count charge for their involvement in the September 12, 2014 collapse six-storey guest house belonging to the church, which led to the death of 116 persons.
The 111 count charges preferred against the defendants by the Lagos State Government borders on criminal negligence, manslaughter and failure to obtain building permit.
The representative of the committee, a civil engineer, Dr. Victor Oyenuga maintained that the foundation was supposed to be bigger than what was found at the site and in the structural drawing of the building.
Dr. Oyenuga explained that investigation revealed that the super structure did not have the required proportion of physical size to the quantity of iron rod used for the beams.
He pointed out that the soil bearing capacity of the collapsed site also shows that the load was above the expected size.
Led in examination in chief by prosecuting counsel, Mrs. Idowu Alakija, Dr. Oyenuga told the court that the committee came up with a report that the building lacked super structure after members visited the site and measured the column, beam, slab, foundation and carried out soil tests.
He however stated that the foundation though found to be undersized during investigations on the debris of the collapse by Nigerian Building and Road Research Institute, NIBBRI in conjunction with COREN revealed that it may not have caused the collapse.
While the Director of Public Prosecution , DPP, Mrs. Idowu Alakija asked the witness who was supposed to ensure accuracy, Oyenuga replied that it is a structural engineer and that in the case of the collapsed building, no structural engineer was known to have been involved in the construction to COREN’s knowledge.
The presiding judge, Justice Lateef Lawal-Akapo fixed twentieth of this month for cross examination, shortly after counsel to Synagogue church, Chief Lateef Fagbemi asked the court for time for cross examination.
The proceedings today however experienced some objections and counter-objections from defence counsels’ team and the DPP as the evidence were being given.
After the court session, some police officers and members of the church who seem to be on solidarity with the defendants blocked newsmen fron taking shots of the defendants.
According to engineering terms, super structure means stability of a structure.
The defendants, the Trustees of the Synagogue Church of all Nation, SCOAN , the two engineers, Messrs Oladele Ogundeji and Akinbela Fatiregun and their companies, Hardrock Construction and Engineering Company and Jandy Trust Limited were last month arraigned on 111-count charge for their involvement in the September 12, 2014 collapse six-storey guest house belonging to the church, which led to the death of 116 persons.
The 111 count charges preferred against the defendants by the Lagos State Government borders on criminal negligence, manslaughter and failure to obtain building permit.
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