Building collapse: COREN calls on authorities, Nigerians to hold building approving officers responsible

As the spate of building collapse in Nigeria continues to grow thereby generating concern among citizens and critical stakeholders, the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria, COREN, has called on relevant authorities and Nigerians to holder corrupt officers of the Department of Development Control at both the federal and state levels responsible for most of the cases of building collapse in the country.

Addressing newsmen on the position of COREN on the state of building collapse in the country after the Council’s review meeting in Abuja on Tuesday, President of the Council, Engineer Ali Raabeeu, said officers of the department of development control are a major contributor to the cases of building collapse.

He urged the department at all levels to engaged only qualified professionals as building approving officers, adding that the services of qualified consultants should also be used to complement the work of the department.

In addition to the unethical conduct of officers of department, the communique presented by Engineer Raabeeu also identify eleven other causes of building collapse in the country. Some of the causes identified include, the use of nonprofessionals in building construction, non-verification of building designs, violation of construction procedures, the availability and use of substandard materials, lack of legislation and enforcement of the national building code and non-domestication of the national building code among others.

Proffering solution, the Council recommended 10 possible actions that should be taken in order to minimize the case of build collapse in the country. Among the recommendation is the urgent need for the government to establish a special court to prosecute violators of building regulations in the country.

He said as regulatory bodies and association in the building sector the onus is on them to sanitize the sector.

The rising cases of building collapse in the country has not only result in the damage of property but it has also cause avoidable loss of lives. Hence, Nigerians are eager to know how far these recommendations by COREN will change the current state of things.