Builders Council, Lawmaker Move to Address Incessant Building Collapse

Udora Orizu in Abuja

The Builders Registration Council of Nigeria and the member representing Gwer East and West Federal Constituency of Benue State in the House of Representatives, Hon. Mark Gbillah has assured that the frequent collapse of buildings in the country will be soon addressed through laws.

The Council and the lawmaker also harped on the need for a very strong adherence to the building code by all professional builders in the building sector as well as proper registration of all building professionals by the body.

They made this known on Tuesday during a working visit by the professional body to the lawmaker wherein the professional body called for a review of the legal and regulatory framework for the nation’s building industry in order to address the issue of incessant collapse of buildings.

The Council called for a formal  enactment of the Builders Restoration Act Amendment Bill by the House of Representatives in order to address the issue of quackery in the industry.

Chairman of the Council, Samson Ameh Opaluwah in a remark at the formal presentation of the proposed law the lawmaker said that the Council ‘ll be undertakings national launch of its Project Evaluation and Monitoring Unit as a vehicle for advocacy, monitoring and enforcement of the various physical development laws of the states and the Federal Capital Territory FCT aimed at halting building collapse.

He also called for a very strong regulation of the industry in terms of material, regulation of personnel, developments and planning approval processes.

The Council he further said is alarmed at the frequent building collapses in the country and the professional body had been able to complete work on the review of the Builders Registration Act for enactment of the New Building Code.

He added that professional builders must have to be professionally registered adding that the building code should be adopted by all builders to address the issue of building collapse.

In his response, Hon.Gbillah said that he would push for the enactment of the this proposed law because he is also worried over incidences of building collapse as a professional builder.

He pledged the builders to impress on other members of the House who are professional builders to ensure a very speedy passage of the amendment Bill into law.