The recent building collapse that happened in Lagos State and Ibadan, Oyo State calls for worry and needs urgent attention so as to cub further incidence of building collapse in the country.
To this effect, the Hon. Minister of Science and Technology, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu swung in to action as he immediately set up and inaugurated an inter-ministerial committee with the Acting Director General /CEO of the Nigerian Building and Road Research Institute, Engr. Prof. Samson Duna as the chairman.
The committee was inaugurated by the Hon. Minister on Tuesday 26th of March 2019. In his speech, the Hon. Minister urged the members of the committee to be professional in their investigations so as to find a lasting solution to building collapse incidence in Nigeria.
He also let the committee members to bear in mind that their function is not just to find the root causes of the collapsed buildings in Lagos and Ibadan, but to proffer a comprehensive technical report on how to eradicate the incidence of building collapse in the country.
Responding on behalf of the Committee, Prof. Duna appreciated the efforts of the Honourable Minister of Science and Technology, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, for impacting positively in the areas of Research and Development, particularly as it concerns Science, Innovation and Technology. Sir, your contributions are so numerous to the extent that we have an adage associated to you and I quote “No Nation can develop without R&D”.
Prof. Duna noted that the incidences of building collapse is an issue of worry to Nigerians, most importantly, the professionals in the construction industry. He added that the impact of building collapse has affected entire human fabrics, causing psychological trauma, lost of lives and properties, lost of Government revenue, citizens had been rendered homeless and victims suffered permanent disabilities. For us professionals in the construction industry, it is shameful and humiliating. Most of the building collapses have been linked to man-made mistakes which can be avoided and eradicated completely.
He further noted that the inauguration therefore, brings to the fore once again, the urgent need to stop this ugly trend by investigating the root causes of the problems and make appropriate recommendations.
The Committee chairman assured the Hon. Minister that with the caliber of professionals in the Committee, it will do a thorough job by ensuring that will get to the root causes of the problems and proffer practical and implementable solutions that will go a long way to forestall future occurrence.