The Nigerian Institute of Town Planners has asked the Imo State Government to domestic the Nigerian Urban and Regional Planning Law to help curb building collapse in the state.
A hotel building under construction on the highbrow Musa Yar Adua Drive in Owerri collapsed on April 30, killing many workers.
The Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria also said the collapse of the six-storey building was a serious embarrassment to engineers.
The President, NITP, Mr Lekwa Ezutah, said the Nigerian Urban and Regional Planning Law, LFN 2004 , CAP N138 remained the backbone of physical planning and development in the country but had not been domesticated as part of laws of Imo State.
Ezutah spoke in reaction to the recent collapse of a building under construction in Owerri, Imo State.
He said, “The law provides for the establishment of an effective administrative structure and preparation of development plans and enforcement instrument to prevent building collapse and enhance sustainable development.
“There is also the imperative need to review the Owerri Capital Development Authority Edict in line with the NURP Law especially as it relates to the composition of the board.”
He said the sad news of the building collapse was one too many and disheartening.
Ezutah urged the Imo State Government to immediately set up a panel of enquiry, the membership of which should comprise major stakeholders in the built environment especially the professional bodies.
He said all found culpable should be made to face the law .
He said, “On behalf of the national council and the entire membership of the institute, I extend our deepest condolences to the families of the workers who lost their lives as well as the government and good people of Imo State.
“We are confident that going forward, the right thing will be done for the people of Imo State as far as physical planning and development is concerned to avoid future occurrence.”
Meanwhile, the COREN President, Ali Rabiu, said the council was saddened by the incident, describing it as unfortunate, considering the huge loss of human and material resources.
He said, “COREN, as the statutory agency of the Federal Government responsible for the regulation and control of engineering practice in Nigeria, feels highly embarrassed by the collapse, considering the number of qualified engineering practitioners the council has licensed to practise in Nigeria.”
He said the council was now working to have a database of all engineering activities across the country through its State Engineering Regulation and Monitoring Committee.
“The council activated the Imo State Engineering Regulation and Monitoring Committee to immediately take up the matter of the collapse in Owerri, lmo State,” Rabiu stated.
It was learnt that the committee led by the Vice President of COREN, Vernatius Igiri, had since visited the site of the collapse for an on the spot assessment and interacted with the representatives of other relevant professional bodies.
“In line with the mandate of COREN, the council will undertake a full scale investigation into the root cause of the collapse,” Rabiu said.
Source: punchng
