It emerged yesterday following President Goodluck Jonathan’s visit to the site of the collapsed building at Synagogue Church of All Nation (SCOAN) that he would summon a meeting with 36 state governors at a yet-to-be fixed date with a view to making a policy decision in respect of erecting high-rise buildings across the country.
Jonathan made the visit eighth days after the building, which was the guest house section of the SCOAN in Ikotun, Lagos, collapsed and killed 86 persons.
At the impending meeting with the governors, high on the table for discussion, is a policy decision designed to prevent use of defective structures in buildings, strengthening regulations concerning high-rise buildings.
The President, who dropped the hint of the meeting, said the collapsed structure was “very sad story and very sad incident.”
He expressed condolences to the church members, the Head of the Church, Prophet Temitope B. Joshua and those who lost their dear ones in the incident.
He also condoled with the South African people and President, Jacob Zuma, whom he said, he had already spoken with to extend Nigeria’s condolences.
“Today, when I arrived 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 collapsed building were not Nigerians, in fact majority of them are South Africans.
“I spoke with the President of South Africa, Jacob Zuma, to first express our own sentiments and condolences to the President and people of that country” Jonathan said
It would be recalled that the building collapsed about 12.45 pm Friday, 12th September.
Joshua, alleged that the collapse of the building was caused by an attack on the Church, arguing that it was beyond the allegation of structural defects.
He alleged that a plane circulated four times before the building suddenly collapsed at exactly 12.44 pm.
Jonathan after a closed-door meeting with Joshua, however, promised to investigate the cause of the tragedy.
The South African High Commissioner to Nigeria, Lulu Mnguni, was reported to have said that there could be more than 84 South Africans who died in the incident.
“The number has risen from 67 to 84, with more bodies discovered on Thursday. The number of South Africans who were in the church might be higher, as we believe that some people organised the trip themselves without using travel agents,” he added.
The team of experts from South Africa who were flown in on Wednesday were part of those involved in the identification process to identify their compatriots, both dead and alive.
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