Ikoyi Collapsed Skyscraper: Why Firm Withdrew Consultancy Service

By Adesina Soyooye

An inkling has been given into why a 20-floor storey building collapsed in the afternoon of Monday, November 1, 2021, killing and injuring yet to be ascertained number of people.

The building, located on Gerard Street, Ikoyi, meant to add more beauty to the Lagos skyline apparently collapsed because its structure was defective.

Perhaps, it couldn’t have been so if the developer, Fourscore Height Limited, had adhered to the professional advice of Structural Consultants, Prowess Engineering Ltd.

In a letter dated 20th February, 2020, the Structural Consultants withdrew their services from the project because they were no longer comfortable with how it was being executed. “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.”

They said they guarantee the integrity of the first two towers, but could not guarantee that of the third one, from the fifth floor up.

It is the third tower that eventually collapsed.

The letter, addressed to Mr Femi Osibona of Fourscore Heights Limited, and signed by Muritala Olawale for Prowess Engineering Ltd, was titled: Re: Proposed Gerrard Terreces For Fourscore Limited It reads:

“This letter is to formally inform you of the withdrawal of our structural consultancy service 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 works 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, note that we are not taking responsibility 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.

At the time of writing this, we were not able to confirm the new Structural Consultants, but unconfirmed reports say the Lagos State Government had, sometime, a year ago, sealed the project. Apparently, somebody unsealed it.

So far, according to the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, four bodies have been recovered. Three injured persons have been rescued, and the speculation is that many are still trapped.

The Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has ordered a probe into the tragic incident.