Former president of NIOB seeks passage of National Building Code

By Uwana Akpan

Former president of Nigerian Institute of Building (NIOB) Chuks Omeife has appealed to the federal government to take the National Building Code as an Executive bill and expedite an action on its passage at the National Assembly.

He said the executive bill would provide laws and punishment measures for non- compliances with the building code.

He added that, the development would put in check quacks and prevent building collapse.

Omeife, in a statement said that, “building collapse is an accident expected to happen and it is a product of quacks.”

While he recalled that, the issue of building code has been on a front burner of national discussion with the federal government since 2006, adding that nothing has changed so far.

He maintained that, despite all the advocacies by the institute, government has still not come up with a firm policy to help fix the sector.

“I strongly believe that the basic function of a government is to protect lives and property he said.”

He also said that, the National Building Code has made extensive provision to put in place building collapse but government has not been taking  the issue seriously.

However, Omeife made a plea to other states to imitate Lagos government and domesticate their building code to reduce building collapse.

“Lagos has taken the issue of builders’ documents as a condition for giving building plan approval aside submitting the structural design safety plan of work.

“I am very optimistic that if other states are enthusiastic about the building code issue, the incidence of building collapse would be greatly minimized, if not totally eradicated,” he said.