Anambra State Governor, Chief Willie Obiano, has expressed concern over the frequency of building collapse in the famed commercial town of Onitsha and consequently thrown his weight behind recent efforts by Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) to curb the menace through cement classification.

Obiano made his position known while receiving SON Director General, Dr. Joseph Odumodu, who paid him a visit in the Government House, Awka, after inspecting some collapsed buildings within the Onitsha metropolis. He described as timely, SON’s public enlightenment on cement grade and their various uses, saying that it is capable of arresting the troubling trend of building collapse that has plagued the nation in recent years.

The SON DG was in Anambra State on fact-finding visit to three buildings under construction that collapsed within the month.

Governor Obiano said that prior to SON’s enlightenment campaign, he had thought just as most Nigerians that “cement is cement,” not knowing that there are grades of cement meant for different uses or that cement has a shelf life.

Commending SON on the cement specification which restricted 32.5 to plastering only, while 42.5 is certified for all purposes and 52.5 for specialised construction, Obiano said his government would collaborate with the agency to ensure that all standards are adhered to and his people enlightened accordingly.

The enlightenment campaign, according to the governor, is very vital as it will enable people to know the right materials to buy when building their houses adding that people build houses to live in safely and not for the house to collapse on them and kill them while those renting their houses out expect returns.

He expressed dismay that three houses under construction came down in Onitsha within a period of one month.

Odumodu had informed Obiano that prior to cement specification, the regulatory agency sanitised the re-enforcement bar sub-sector, as a result of which, big construction firms now source their re-enforcement bars locally as confidence has grown in the sector.

At the collapsed buildings, the SON Director General expressed worry that majority of the buildings collapsing are new ones with few old ones involved.

He said SON would focus on public enlightenment to enable people know the type of materials to be used for different types of building adding that cement bags are to carry specifications on grade and usage as wrong application of cement has been found to be a key cause of building collapse.