Senate demands FG action on nationwide building collapse

The Senate on Wednesday asked the Federal Government and all relevant government agencies to urgently put the necessary structures in place to handle construction failures and bring to book all those violating laid-down procedures for construction activities.

Adopting a motion by Senator Dikwet Plang (PDP, Plateau North) on the recent building collapse that claimed the lives of 22 students in Jos, the Senate noted with sadness that it was a depressing sight to see healthy and agile children who left home to write their examinations unfortunately return to their parents as dead bodies.

Senator Abdul Ningi (PDP, Bauchi Central), who seconded the motion, said the tragedies in Jos North have become too many.

He said it was painful to send a child to school only for such parents to hear that the child was no more.

“This ugly incidence of building collapse has been a recurring decimal in Nigeria as a result of poor workmanship, substandard building materials and constructional standards leading to the wanton destruction of precious lives and various properties valued at hundreds of millions of naira,” he said.

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The Senate noted that despite such incidences, the investigation and research to identify the poor and unprofessional work never resulted in any meaningful punitive measures against defaulters.

Senators who contributed to the motion, including Adams Oshiomole (APC, Edo North), Adamu Aliero (PDP, Kebbi Central) and Zam Titus (APC, Benue North-West), urged the Federal Government to investigate the incident and bring to book anyone connected with putting up a shabby structure that collapsed in the school.

The Senate also urged the National Emergency Agency, NEMA, and all other agencies to mobilise relief materials for victims and their families.

It further urged the Federal Ministry of Health and other relevant government agencies to immediately move to Plateau North to give medical aid to the survival of the building collapse to aid speedy recovery and cushion the devastating effect on the affected families.

The Senate then observed a minute of silence in honour of the deceased victims.