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Samuel Bello, Abuja
Following the recent building collapses in Oyo and Lagos states, a committee charged to find the root cause of the ugly occurrences, has said some fraudulent businessmen are aiding such incidents.
A three-storey building believed to be housing a private school at No 36, Massey Street in Lagos Island Local Government Area, collapsed on March 14, where a lot of persons, including many pupils whose school is believed to be on the third floor of the building were trapped and some killed.
The acting Director-General of Nigerian Building and Road Research Institute (NBRRI), Prof. Samson Duna, who chaired the committee disclosed this at the weekend in Abuja while presenting the report of his committee to the Minister of Science and Technology, Ogbonnaya Onu.
Duna made mention of businessmen like real estate managers and valuers, alleging that they connive with town planning authorities, developers, architects and contractors to flout some laid-down laws and standards with a view to making cheap money from sub-standard structures.
He demanded heavy sanctions on staff of town planning authorities, developers, architects as well as contractors illegally conniving with the said businessmen.
“Appropriate sanctions should be imposed by the government on professionals through their professionals bodies, who refuse to abide by their codes of conduct; developers who refuse to abide by town planning regulations, by-laws and standards, and staff of town planning authorities as well as contractors whose fraudulent or compromising attitude lead to the collapse of buildings.
“The businessmen are perpetrating evils by conniving with the professionals in the building industry in order to make cheap money from sub-standard structures,” he said
