SYNAGOGUE GUESTHOUSE COLLAPSE: AMBODE ORDERS PROSECUTION OF T.B JOSHUA, BUILDING CONTRACTOR

Notwithstanding the several ploys adopted by Synagogue Church Of All Nations frontman, Prophet T.B Joshua to whip up public sympathy and sentiment discredit coroners verdict regarding being culpable in the collapse of the church guest house that killed several people, the Governor of Lagos, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode has ordered the enforcement of the verdict of the Coroner’s inquest in consonance with the rule of law.
 
The governor made this know in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Habib Aruna, said his government would uphold and enforce the sanctity of the law in the state. “His Excellency hereby reiterates his government’s commitment to uphold and enforce the sanctity of the law in the state and calls on all Lagos resident to respect the rule of law”, the statement read. Ambode explained that the step became necessary as Coroner’s verdict of 7th July, 2015 made a number of recommendations which the state government would act upon accordingly.

The governor said that one of the provisions of the Coroner Law 2007 is the provision that empowers a Coroner to commence an inquest to find out the cause and manner of death which occur in an unusual manner. “Consequent upon the collapse at the premises of Synagogue Church building, the state government applied that a coroner’s inquest be commenced into the cause of the tragic deaths.

“The state government will cause the prosecution of the contractor, Engineer Akinbela Fatiregun of Hardrock Engineering Company Limited and Structural Engineer, Oladele Ogundeji who constructed and supervised the collapsed building respectively at the Synagogue Church of All Nations for professional negligence,” the governor affirmed.

Ambode also said the state government would prosecute the SCOAN for neglecting to obtain building approval before commencing the building, contrary to the provisions of the Urban and Regional Planning and Development Law 2010. The building which mysteriously collapsed on September 12, 2014, amidst controversy has continued to generate public interest.