The federal government through the Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Arc. Ahmed Musa Dangiwa, has vowed that it will ensure the prosecution of those responsible for building collapses across the country.

Dangiwa made this commitment during a review meeting of the Ministry’s Building Collapse Committee’s recommendations, which was held alongside regulatory bodies within the built environment sector.

To enhance the investigation and prosecution process, the Minister tasked the Committee on Building Collapse with developing a comprehensive checklist of professionals involved in the construction process.

This checklist is intended to simplify the investigation process and help identify those responsible for building failures.

“You must create a checklist of essential elements to observe during inspections or assessments of building collapses, with a dedicated section to assign blame to those found culpable,” Dangiwa directed the committee.

The Minister emphasised that the checklist should ensure quality assurance at every stage of the construction process, including the design, concrete quality, slump and soil tests, and supervision.

The goal is to identify any lapses and hold the responsible parties accountable to prevent further instances of building collapse.

“Once a building collapse occurs, we should promptly deploy the checklist to identify and document the issues. This will allow us to independently pinpoint the responsible parties and back up our findings with solid evidence,” Dangiwa added.

The proposed checklist will be presented to the National Council on Housing to ensure widespread understanding and implementation across the sector.

Dangiwa also requested that the regulatory bodies in the built environment submit their inputs to the Committee for consideration and inclusion in the checklist.

During the meeting, the Building Collapse Committee presented twelve key recommendations, including the reconstitution of the National Building Code Advisory Committee, the review of the Acts establishing ARCON, CORBON, and TOPREC to enhance their effectiveness, and the implementation of punitive measures and sanctions for professional negligence.

Samson Ameh Opaluwah, Chairman of the Council of Registered Builders of Nigeria (CORBON), praised the Minister for his proactive approach and significant achievements during his first year in office.

“In the past, incidents of building collapse often went unaddressed, but this initiative demonstrates the Federal Government’s commitment to tackling this issue and ensuring the safety and security of lives and properties,” Opaluwah said.

Regulatory bodies at the meeting also advocated for strict punitive measures against those found culpable and called for the revival of training schools for artisans and technicians to ensure adherence to building specifications.

Among the regulatory bodies present at the meeting were the Council for the Regulation of Engineers in Nigeria (COREN), the Council of Registered Builders of Nigeria (CORBON), the Town Planners Registration Council (TOPREC), the Architects Registration Council of Nigeria (ARCON), the Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers (NIESV), and the Nigerian Institute of Architects (NIA). (The Nation)

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