Building Collapse: NBRRI Advocates Stiffer Sanctions Against Culpable Builders, Contractors
Professor Samson Duna, Director General, NBRRI at the Public Lecture, organized by the Faculty of Engineering and Engineering Technology, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU) Bauchi. Photo: Murtala Muhammad
By Murtala Muhammad
Worried by the recurrence of building failures and collapses in the country, the Nigeria Building and Road Research Institute (NBRRI) has called on the National Assembly to make stiffer sanctions against anyone who is found culpable of any negligence that lead to such incidents.
The Director General of NiBRI, Professor Samson Duna made the call at a public lecture titled: “Building Collapse in Nigeria: A Preventable Human Infliction”, organized by the Faculty of Engineering and Engineering Technology, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU) Bauchi.
The most recent building collapse in the country was that of Saint Academy, in the Busa-Buji community of Jos North Local Government Area, with 22 people dead and 132 others injured.
Radio Nigeria gathered that a preliminary findings of investigation launched by NBRRI under the leadership of Professor Fredrick Job of the University of Jos, reveals that the Saint Academy building was constructed with substandard materials and methods.
Professor Duna who said most of the building collapse and failures in the country were as a result of human error, use of substandard materials, improper design, affirmed that if these were well taken care of, majority of such incidences would not happen.
He also identified non engagement of professionals and skipping of regulatory bodies, and lack of monitoring and evaluation by experts during construction of such buildings as some of the causative factors leading to failures and collapses in Nigeria.
Professor Duna said since 2013 to date Lagos state has the highest number of building collapse and failures, which is enough evidence that contractors there compromised the required standard and procedures.
The Director General of NBRRI who served as Guest Speaker, therefore called for the establishment of one soil assessment laboratory in each state of the federation with a view to ensuring quality buildings and roads.
In a remark, the Acting Vice Chancellor of ATBU Bauchi, Professor Sani Usman Kunya who said building collapse is becoming rampant in the country, called on builders and other construction professionals to sit up and protect the profession from total failure.
Speaking, Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State represented by the Commissioner of Higher Education, Mrs. Lydia Haruna Tsammani who said the lecture was apt in view of the recurrence of such incidents across the country, commended the Guest Speaker for doing justice to the topic and called for its publication as well as making it available to the public.
