As part of efforts to forestall cases of collapsed buildings in Ekiti State, local government chairmen have been directed to work with the Town Planning Area Officers to identify all dilapidated buildings in their councils and submit reports of their findings to the State Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development within a week.

The Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Oladapo Karounwi, who gave the directive during a visit to the site of the collapsed building at Odo Uri Street in Igede Ekiti, directed the chairmen to immediately evacuate the occupants of any identified dilapidated buildings in their council areas.

The commissioner noted that, after evacuation, the buildings should be demolished latest by December for the owners to retain ownership of the landed properties, adding that, if by January the demolition has not been done, either by the owners or the local councils, the Ministry will demolish them and the government will take over the land.

Karounwi, who asserted that Ekiti State Government would not compromise the life and safety of the people, commiserated with the family of the victims.

The commissioner stressed the commitment of the Biodun Oyebanji administration to provision of conducive environment for citizens.

The Chairman of Irepodun/Ifelodun LGA, Babatola Ogundana, who said efforts were in the pipeline to demolish dilapidated buildings across the LGAs, assured that the local council bosses would do their possible best to prevent such ugly occurrence in future.

Responding on behalf of the Akinyele family, owners of the collapsed building, Mr Sunday Akinyele called on the state government and well-meaning Nigerians to assist in rebuilding the house.