Building Collapse: Stakeholders Call For Proactive Measures To Tackle Quackery

The high rate of building collapse in the country is causing sleepless night to the citizenry.

In this special report correspondent Emmanuel Okonkwo who samples people’s opinions on the development reports that buildings, when not properly constructed, especially from the foundation level, are bound to show signs of crack, which could manifest in various ways that is not limited to caving-in, but could also lead to collapse.

Any type of building can collapse, but high rise buildings appear more prone to that.

This identifies the need for soil testing, usage of quality materials by builders, and consideration of the topography of an area before erecting any type of building to avoid collapse.

Baring his mind on the development, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Awka Capital Territory Development Authority, Venerable Amaechi Okwuosa lamented the increasing rate of building collapse in the country, attributing it to poor maintenance culture by building owners, and sharp practices by contractors.

He called on builders to always seek approvals from the government before erecting any structure as well as endeavour to stick to building plans.

Contributing, the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Political Matters, Dr. Vero Okechukwu advocated stronger synergy between the government and persons involved in the building processes, and called for stiffer penalties for half baked Engineers who risk people’s life for selfish gains.

The Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Power, Energy and Water Resources, Mr. Victor Meju who observed that ninety-five percent of building collapse in Nigeria are caused by non-professionals in the building sector, condemned the action of house owners who because of
financial involvements employ quack engineers to handle their building projects.

On his part, the State Chairman of the Nigeria Society of Engineers, Mr Martin Agbili who regretted the existence of non professionals in building industry, said that the professional body will employ stiffer measures to ensure that quackery is flushed out from the profession.