FCTA Receives Panel Report On Jabi Building Collapse

Speaking when he received a report of the panel of inquiry that investigated the cause of the recent collapsed building in Jabi district, FCT minister, Malam Muhammad Bello, stated that the administration was concerned in tightening its institutional framework to enable it cope with the ever increasing growth in the buildings industry.

Represented by the FCT permanent secretary, Chinyeaka Ohaa, the minister explained that overhauling would make the department function more efficiently, as well as place it in a vantage position to keep with the changing profile of the territory and improve service delivery.

Bello assured that the recommendations contained in the report would be implemented to address the lingering issues of building collapse in the FCT, in particular and Nigeria in general.

“Building collapse, we would all agree, is a universal phenomenon that is also witnessed even in advanced countries. Regardless, the administration is concerned that with the calibre, number and mix of professionals in the building industry in Abuja and indeed Nigeria. The incidence of building collapse can be curtailed to the barest minimum in the country in general and the FCT in particular.”

Presenting the report, the chairman of the panel, Professor Danladi Matawal, recommended massive recruitment of engineers and architects into the department of development control, as well as the use of qualified FCDA field officers to forestall incidences of building collapse.

Matawal, who is alsothe director-general of the Nigerian Building and Road Research Institute (NBRRI),recommended that there should be an investigation of a design and development racketeering group in FCTA, to detect quackery and forging of signatures.

He continued: “We are recommending a biometric report of designers so that nobody is going to deny anything that he didn’t do well. Building inspection site meetings chaired by site officers should be instituted and well qualified engineers or architects should be used as site officers.

Monthly regular site meetings by developer teams should be instituted and this should always be witnessed by the department of development control. Quality control test should be presented constantly at such meetings and should be discussed and this should be directed by the site officer.”

Recall that a three-storey building, located on plot number 711 in Jabi district had collapsed in August this year, killing three persons and injuring others.