Nigeria’s President, Goodluck Jonathan, has assured that there will be an investigation into the circumstances that led to the collapse of a building at the Synagogue Church of All Nations in Lagos.
Jonathan spoke when he visited the site of the collapsed building, which was said to be a guest house, in the church premises in Ikotun, Lagos, in company of the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu and the deputy governor of Lagos State, Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire.
He said measures would be put in place to check the illegal erection of high rise buildings in the country.
The president also used the visit to commiserate with the General Overseer of the church, Prophet Temitope Joshua, members of the church and families of the victims over the disaster.
Confirming the development in a chat with the media, spokesperson of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Mr Ibrahim Farinloye, said “the president came to the church this morning to see things for himself. He met with Prophet T.B. Joshua and expressed his condolences to the bereaved families.”
He also confirmed that President Jonathan promised to investigate the cause of the September 12 collapse of the guest house, which killed no fewer than 86 people and injured about 131 others, mostly South Africans.
Farinloye said the death toll was 86 as against the previous figure of 84, after the various emergency teams involved in the operation had reconciled their figures.
“You are aware that several rescue teams at the state and federal levels were involved in the operations. We sat together and reconciled our figures, which have now brought the death toll to 86. But those rescued still stands at 131,” he said.