By Naomi Sharang
Abuja – The Senate has blamed increased cases of building collapse in the country on lack of enforcement of the building laws and deliberate violation by builders.
The President of the Senate, Dr Bukola Saraki, made the observation at a Public Hearing on Wednesday in Abuja with theme, ‘’The need to prosecute building laws violators.’’
Saraki, who was represented by the Senate Leader, Ahmed Lawan, at the occasion called on stakeholders to adhere to professional ethics in the housing sector to check building collapse in the country.
“Building construction is a delicate, sophisticated and complex process, where failure to adhere strictly to laid down procedures can only amount to unavoidable huge damage and loss of lives.”
He also called on stakeholders to ensure that they acquire adequate training to understand the techniques in the sector to reduce and subsequently eliminate housing disasters.
Saraki, however, promised that the Senate would ensure speedy passage of the National Building Laws and make sure that certain and necessary legal frameworks were passed.
He identified principal causes of building collapse in the country to include; non-compliance to building laws, use of unskilled artisans, poor supervision, inferior materials, lack of maintenance and corruption.
“Our people have in recent time endured unacceptable incidences of building collapse which have sadly claimed lives,” he said.
He called for a modernised, efficient and user friendly statutory building control regime, especially now that the country`s housing need had on the increase.
Such control regime he said also became critical to meet the housing development needs of Nigerians.
The Senate President, however, said that the desired political will was necessary to allow town planning authorities perform their functions effectively.
In a remark, Sen. Barnabas Gemade, Chairman, Senate Committee on Lands, Housing and Urban Development, said that buildings once properly constructed was expected to be used for a long time.
“The very recent incessant building collapse in various parts of the country, has been giving the various arms of government and Nigerians sleepless nights.
“This is because during such incidences, huge investments in housing are not only destroyed but innocent lives are also lost,” he said.
He noted that in spite calls by Nigerians for safety in building and construction, there seemed to be no end to the lack of sanctions and punishment for those responsible for building collapse.
Gemade further said that law makers as elected representatives of the people, would not watch the lives of innocent Nigerians being endangered as a result of recklessness.
Mr Babatunde Fashola, Minister of Power, Works and Housing, who also spoke at the occasion said that building collapse in the country was caused by faulty and inadequate housing designs among others.
Fashola, who was represented by the Director, Public Buildings and Housing Development in the ministry, Mr Sani Gidado, recommended that building control departments must be staffed by competent and relevant professionals.
He also recommended that the National Assembly enact the enforcement of the provision of the building court in the FCT.
The President, Architects Registration Council of Nigeria, Umaru Aliyu, called for more funding for the council.
He appealed to the committee to address non enforcement of the laws of regulatory bodies in the building sector.