Building collapse: NSE calls for integrity test on structures
The Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE) and Association of Professional Bodies of Nigeria (APBN) have called for integrity tests to be conducted on all buildings suspected to be substandard across the country.
This is in order to find a lasting solution to incessant cases of building collapse in the country.
The bodies also canvassed for the enforcement of standards in the building industry, including engagement and training of indigenous, qualified engineers in order to check the menace.
Speaking during the NSE 17th Conference and Annual General Meeting, themed, ‘Overcoming the challenges of housing deficit’, NSE National President, Otis Anyaeji, said most of the buildings that collapsed after construction were handled by quacks.
He said, “Although the Engineering Regulation Monitoring (ERM), Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) and other agencies are tackling the problem, the major solution lies in training and engaging experts who are Nigerians from the onset.
“The problem we have in this country is poor funding of education system in our tertiary institutions and lack of equipped laboratories for Nigerian engineers across the six geo-political zones. People no longer do the right things, experts are not used while quacks have taken over the jobs of trained engineers,” he said.
Also speaking, state Chairman of Association of Professional Bodies of Nigeria (APBN), Dr C. A. Ezeagu, said government has not lived up to expectations by monitoring standard of buildings being erected in the country.
He insisted that every contractor must indicate, through a visual sign, who the clients of every building are, to enable government know who to hold responsible in case of failure.
“We have lost so many lives in this country because contractors have continued to compromise standard and government has failed to supervise them.
“We will soon come out with a stand to this whole problem as a professional body, and we hope that government will implement our recommendations,” he said.