FCTA Inaugurates Committee On Building Collapse Prevention

By Remi Johnson

Worried by the increasing cases of building collapse, the FCT Department of Development Control has inaugurated a 7-man committee to brain storm and come up with strategies on prevention of building collapse.

At the inauguration in Abuja, Director, Department of Development Control, Mukhtar Galadima called on members of the committee to identify and provide measures that would help in forestalling building collapse.

He explained that the committee which has two months to deliver on what he described as a national assignment, would among other terms of reference look out for weak structures and recommend them for integrity test, with a view to mitigating avoidable collapse in the territory.

“We have to be proactive, Constituting the committee will help us to investigate buildings that are not structurally stable to be used for human habitation. It is good to go round and identify such structures and conduct integrity test where necessary.The Committee members are drawn from experienced professional bodies in the building sector” Galadima said.

The Development Control boss warned that any staff found wanting or compromising standards would be sanctioned as stipulated in the civil service rules.

Speaking on behalf of other members, the Chairman of the committee and former President of the Town Planners Registration Council of Nigeria, Allabeh Ndirmbula identified quackery, use of substandard structures and ageing as some of the factors responsible for building collapse.

Ndirmbula who pledged the readiness of the committee members to carry out the task diligently, said the exercise would commence in Phase 1 area of the FCT namely Wuse 1 and 2, Garki and Asokoro.

“The committee is also saddled with the responsibility of recommending things that will work to forestall building collapse. What had happened we can’t help it, but the future is what we are looking on”.

“We will recommend those to be used as consultants to carry out the test and other things that could help us prevent building collapse in Abuja.We want to, from now forward have a system that will check and ensure that the issue of building collapse that has been rampant is stopped” Ndirmbula said.

The Deputy Director Development Control and Secretary of the committee, Ajibade Adeyinka described the building industry as a “complex industry” that has many field professionals with interrelated processes and procedures in their day to day activities.

“However, there have been a lot of compromises along the way, from the developer to the owner of the building, to the professionals on site, issue of quackery and poor supervision and monitoring.This committee intends to look at existing structures, within 30-35 years old, processes and procedures and look at how to rejig it if there are issues”.

Edited By Grace Namiji