Samuel Bello, Abuja
Against the backdrop of the recent buildings collapse in Oyo and Lagos states, a committee charged to ascertain the root cause of the ugly occurrences, has said some fraudulent businessmen are aiding such incidents.
A three-storey building housing a private school at No. 36, Massey Street, in Lagos Island Local Government Area, collapsed on March 14, where a lot of people, including many pupils, died.
Acting Director General of Nigerian Building and Road Research Institute (NBRRI), Prof. Samson Duna, who chaired the committee, disclosed this, at the weekend, in Abuja, when he presented the report of his committee to the Minister of Science and Technology, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu.
Duna said businessmen, including real estate managers and valuers, allegedly connive with town planning authorities, developers, architects and contractors to flout some laid down laws and standards; with the view to making cheap money from sub-standard structures. He demanded heavy sanctions for staff of town planning authorities, developers, architects as well as contractors illegally conniving with the said businessmen.
“Appropriate sanctions should be imposed by government, on professionals, through their professional bodies, who refuse to abide by their code of conduct; developers who refuse to abide by town planning regulations, by-laws and standards; and staff of town planning authorities as well as contractors whose fraudulent or compromising attitude led to the collapse of a building. The businessmen are perpetrating evil by conniving with the professionals in the building industry in order to make cheap money from sub-standard structures,” he said