President Goodluck Jonathan on Saturday visited the Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCAN), situated in Ikotu, a suburb in Lagos state, to commiserate with both the General Overseer of the church, Prophet Temitope Joshua and victims’ families over the collapse of a building in the church where about 84 persons were said to have died and over 100 others were rescued.
Jonathan described the incident as “very sad story and very sad incident”, he particularly condoled with the South African people and the President, Jacob Zuma, whom he said, he had already spoken with, to extend the nation’s condolences.
“Today when I arrive Lagos, my first port of call was where a six storey building collapsed and 80 people confirmed dead, about 131 people were injured.
“It is a very sad story, very sad incident to us and the international community because most of the people that died in that building collapse were not Nigerians, in fact about majority of them are South Africans.
“I spoke to the President of South Africa, Jacob Zuma to first express our own sentiments and condolences to the President and people of that country,” he said.
President Jonathan also hinted that has summoned a meeting of all the 36 state Governors to take policy decisions in respect of erecting high rise buildings anywhere in the country in order to avert future collapse of buildings.
Though, he did not say when the meeting will hold, he said it will take policy decisions that will prevent use of defective structures in buildings, strengthening regulations concerning high rise buildings, among others.
