Building Collapse: Ensure Only Qualified Professionals are Involved in Construction, Senate Charges COREN

Emameh Gabriel in Abuja

The Senate has called on the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN) to ensure that only competent and qualified professionals are henceforth involved in building construction in the country.

The call was sequel to the adoption of a motion titled, ’21-storey building collapse in Ikoyi, Lagos’, sponsored by Senator Oluremi Tinubu during plenary.

The ranking senator had raised a point of order on the issue before the upper legislative chamber.

Raising the point of order, Tinubu said that in the search and rescue efforts that had since ensued, 15 survivors were rescued from the rubble and 44 persons, including the owner of the building, were confirmed dead.

She described the incident as “a disaster of epic proportion, the magnitude of which cannot be overlooked”.

In his remarks, the President of the Senate, Dr Ahmad Lawan, stressed that professional bodies, civil engineers, structural engineers, their bodies, their institute, COREN, must ensure that only certified, competent and qualified professionals are involved in putting up structures.

“We believe that this kind of situation is one too many because this is not the first time this is happening not only in Lagos but in other parts of the country,” he said.

Lawan also commiserated with the people and the government of Lagos and particularly, the family of those who lost relatives or were affected in one way or the other.

He also directed the Nigerian Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to work with the state government to provide necessary assistance to survivors.

The Senate President thereafter moved that a minute silence be observed in honour of the deceased.