Governor Francis Nwifuru of Ebonyi State has outlined the reasons for the incessant collapse of buildings in Nigeria.
Mr Nwifuru made the remarks while reacting to the recent collapse of Pentagon Lodge, a hostel occupied by students in Ebonyi State, according to a statement by his spokesperson, Monday Uzor, on Saturday.
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The collapse
PREMIUM TIMES earlier reported that the lodge, a two-storey building, partially collapsed on Friday.
The lodge was located opposite the front gate of the Alex Ekwueme Federal University, Ndufu-Alike, Ikwo, in Ebonyi State.
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A video showing how the lodge collapsed has been circulating on social media.
No life was lost in the incident.
Why building collapse is rampant in Nigeria
According to the statement, Mr Nwifuru stressed that most buildings collapse in the country due to human error and non-compliance with building codes, which he said posed danger to human lives.
The governor also linked incessant building collapses in Nigeria to poor construction practices and flagrant disregard for building codes.
The governor advised developers to always engage professionals in executing their building projects.
“I have directed the Ministry of Capital City Development to ensure that any developer wishing to embark on building projects (in Ebonyi State) must get approval.
“The lives of our people are precious and cannot be compromised under any guise,” Mr Nwifuru said.
The governor urged the Nigerian Society of Engineers, Nigerian Institute of Building and other regulatory agencies to rise to the occasion and fight frequent building collapse in the country.
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“I urge them to ensure that building collapse becomes a thing of the past in this country,” he said.
Investigation
Mr Nwifuru also remarked that he had ordered an investigation into the building collapse in the state, vowing that anyone culpable in the incident would be prosecuted.
“It is disheartening to learn about building collapse in this era when we have skilled manpower and well-established professional standards,” he lamented.
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