Saheed Akeredolu, a relative of the owner of the collapsed building in Ota-Ona, Ikorodu, has talked about the incident.
In this interview, the man shares with Grace Edema the heartbreaking story of losing his two children and an uncle in the tragic incident.
How old are you, and what is your occupation?
I’m 49 years old. I work as a bus driver for a private school.
How did your building collapse?
It was a normal day; all my three children and their mum were home. It was my son and my youngest daughter who were inside the new building. There is a small space inside the compound, and that is where we stayed to get the main building completed.So, I called my son to help me with some things, and he promised to come soon. I eventually fell asleep inside that small building. Later, he came and saw that I was already asleep, quietly took his phone, and called his younger sister so they could spend some time together in the unfinished building. Their mum, sister, and I were in the small building.
When the building collapsed it was the sound that woke the three of us up; we were in the old building. When we realised what had happened, we started looking for them. That was it.
What were the children doing in the building?
They had gone there to pray. Yes, they were praying at about 1 p.m. on that fateful day. It was while they were praying that the building collapsed. They went to pray in the uncompleted building because of how things are in the community. They usually preferred to go and pray at the mosque, but there is a curfew in our area. My son didn’t want to leave his younger sister behind. So, they all stayed there to pray together.
You talked about curfew; did you mean there was a traditional curfew in your area?
Yes. In our area, we call it Igemo; it is a traditional curfew where women are not allowed to go out. Women are expected to stay indoors.
How old were they?
My youngest daughter, Amira, was 13 and her elder brother was 18.
How many children do you have?
I had three. But now, I’m left with just one; she is 16 years old now.
Why were those two not rescued while all the other workers survived?
From what I’ve learnt, all the workers there survived the accident—about seven of them—because they were mostly on the top floor. The top floor, which is actually the second floor, was where the workers were stationed.
What about your children?
They were on the middle floor, the first floor. That’s where they were trapped, along with my elder brother. My elder brother was there too. My uncle, who also went there to pray, was the one supervising the building.
How old was he?
He was an elderly man; he was 78 years old.
What do you think caused the collapse?
From the beginning, we used solid, high-quality materials. To be clear, every material we used was certified as standard.
Did the government inspect and approve the building?
Yes, both the state and local governments inspected the building at various stages. We have official certificates to prove that. The government gave approvals at every stage before construction moved forward.
If you are asked to provide every document, can the government still access them?
Yes. If the government asks for every single document, we can provide them. Everything is available. They were involved throughout the process.
But what would you say caused your building to suddenly cave in?
I’ll keep saying this: only God knows what happened. Honestly. Even people who used to pass by or live around us often said, ‘Is it the government that owns this house?’ The structure looked very solid. We didn’t use substandard materials.
For example, some people said we used too many iron rods. Others might have reduced the quantity to save cost, but we didn’t. My wife and I were involved in everything right from the start—from when we first secured the land.
At what stage was the work before the building collapsed?
Just before it happened, they were doing the final touches. Two days ago, they finished the external plastering. After that, they started working inside—internal plastering. They began from the last floor to the top and were working their way to the upper floors. They hadn’t even finished before the incident happened.
How would you describe your children?
My son, Abdulmalik, was my firstborn. I worked closely with him. There are many reasons why I’m proud of them. For example, he did very well in his UTME. He scored 320. It was a big achievement. He was an electrician by training and planned to study Electrical Electronics at university, but it’s sad he is dead.
Which university did he get admitted to?
He was accepted into his first choice last year, which is the University of Lagos. The university accepted him because of his performance. Lagos State University was his second choice, and both schools sent congratulatory messages to him.
What about your uncle?
He was about 78 years old; he was my mother’s younger brother. He lived in Egbeda but came here to supervise the building project. He came to support us and helped with the construction.
How about his wife and children?
They are not in Nigeria; they live abroad.
Is there any message you have for the Lagos State Government on your collapsed building?
Well, since the government approved the building, I am really hoping for their support now. Nothing is left with me, nothing at all, except for my wife and my other daughter. That’s all I have now.
How did you fund the building that collapsed?
My mother owned the land. The building was on her land, and her grave is on the land as well. They were six in their family, and it’s the last born who is abroad that has been sending the money we are using to build the house.
***
Source: The PUNCH
