The House of Representatives has mandated its Committees on Works, Environment, Housing and Safety Standards to probe the incessant collapse of buildings in the country.
The committees are to ascertain the causes of the incessant building collapse and proffer lasting solutions to curb the menace and report back within four weeks for further legislative action.
The resolutions followed the adoption of a motion titled, “Need to Investigate the Menace of Incessant Building Collapse in Nigeria” sponsored by Hon. Aderemi Oseni.
The House noted that the government’s primary responsibility is to protect citizens’ lives and properties, but the recurring building collapse cases in major Nigerian cities have become a significant concern.
It also noted that on July 12, 154 people were trapped under debris in Saint Academy’s two-story building in Busa Buji community, Jos, Plateau State, with 22 deaths reported.
The House was concerned that the Punch Newspaper of July 15, 2024, reported that Nigeria experienced 135 building collapse incidents between 2022 and July 2024, thereby causing concern and highlighting the need for urgent action.
Read Also: Reps task NOA on effective marketing of government policies
It said if nothing is done to urgently combat this emergency, more lives and properties will be lost and destroyed, leading to a devastating impact on communities and the economy.
The House said it was conscious of the fact that the Council of Registered Engineers of Nigeria (COREN) and other professional associations involved in building-related issues are tasked with enforcing regulations and controlling the engineering profession in order to prevent established industry best practices from being compromised.