How Engineering Firm Withdrew Further Services From Collapsed 20-storey Lagos Building Due To Concerns Over Project
An engineering firm, Prowess Engineering Limited has since February 2020 withdrawn its services from the construction of the 20-storey building – 360 Degrees – that collapsed in Lagos on Monday, SaharaReporters has learnt.
Documents obtained by SaharaReporters on Monday show the firm had withdrawn its services since early 2020 as stated in a letter in which the company expressed concerns over the way the project was being handled.
LIVE PHOTOS: Scene Of Building Collapse In Ikoyi Area Of Lagos, Rescue Efforts Still Underwayhttps://t.co/d3HJ6CR3g9 pic.twitter.com/ykYDLvDa8h
— Sahara Reporters (@SaharaReporters) November 1, 2021
The letter is dated February 20, 2020, and titled: Re: Proposed Gerrard Terraces For Fourscore Limited.
Addressed to Mr Femi Osibona of Fourscore Heights Limited, 44BCD Gerrard Road, Ikoyi, Lagos, the letter, signed by the Managing Director of Prowess Engineering Limited, Muritala Olawale, formally stated that the firm had withdrawn its services from the project and would not be held liable for any errors in the construction.
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 the 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, kindly note that we are not taking responsibilities for any other construction errors that may have occurred overtime 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.”
SaharaReporters had reported that no fewer than four persons had died and been removed from the debris of a 20-storey building that collapsed on Monday afternoon on Gerrard Road, Ikoyi, a highbrow area in Lagos State.
It had also learnt that four others were rescued from the rubble of the building, identified as 360 Degrees.
Earlier when SaharaReporters contacted the spokesman for the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Mr. Ibrahim Farinloye, he said the number of casualties could not be provided as rescue efforts were still ongoing.
Meanwhile, an advertorial promo of the project tagged ‘Luxury in the Sky’ reveals details of the collapsed structure.
It shows the project was planned for people looking to have a ‘7-star hotel experience living in the heart of Ikoyi’.
It says, “360 degrees offers Luxury high rise 4 bedroom maisonettes, flats, duplex and penthouses on Gerrard Road, Ikoyi, Lagos.
“The 20-floor strictly residential facility is the brain-work of Fourscore Homes, evolving from a desire to build an original masterpiece. The concept is to have serviced flats in the three towers for residents to experience a stress-free lifestyle, complete with a hotel flair with a 360-degree view of Lagos State.”
It notes that the features include open outdoor recreation with outdoor television, gym, and swimming pool.
Also, according to the information provided, the expected delivery date was 2022 while the stage of development before the collapse was put at 80 percent completed.
At the time, 65 percent of the spaces had been sold, with the price starting from $1.2 million (about N688 million at the black market rate of N573 to $1) and the penthouse price starting from $5 million (about N2.9 billion).
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