Nigeria, July 12, 2016 – Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola has relieved his fears bringing down the multi-storey NIDB Building using 5000 explosives when he was in power.
Fashola made the revelation while speaking at the at the National Insurance conference in Abuja.
“I can also recall and share with you the risk associated with pulling down the partially collapsed Multi-storey NIDB building under a controlled explosion program. There was an old and historic church next to the building, about 3 metres or thereabouts, and there was the equally close newly built multi-storey Afribank headquarters.
“It was possible that a force of the over 5000 explosives necessary to bring down the partially collapsed building would damage the historic church or the Afribank building or even bring them down completely. Everybody, including me, was afraid of the risk, but the risk of a partially collapsed building suddenly collapsing without warning and its consequences meant that we had to proceed in spite of our fear.
Insurance provided the answer.
“On advice by Nigerian and foreign engineers, we took out a block insurance policy with AIG for every building within a one kilometer radius of the demolition site. In the event, no building was damaged, no claim was made and no compensation was payable”, he said.
He explained that in the area of construction of buildings, the Lagos State Government, through an Executive Bill, championed the passage of Lagos State Urban Planning and Development Law of 2010.
