The acting Director-General, Federal Capital Territory Emergency Management Department (FEMD), Florence Wenegieme, has attributed frequent cases of collapse building in Abuja to noncompliance with building codes by some developers in the territory.
Wenegieme, who stated this in Abuja at the weekend, explained that the this was the observation made by the agency during on the spot assessments after a collapsed building recently.
She explained further that some of the identified violations include, non-use of professionals, non-use of building plans in the construction of buildings and the use of substandard materials, as well as non-adherence by residents to fire codes for buildings.
The acting Director General said the FCT Administration frowns at series of building collapse recorded over the past 20 days in the nation’s capital, even as she declares that it is unacceptable.
According to her, “Non-adherence to building codes has been the major cause of the continuous building collapse in the FCT.
As FEMD monitors activities, it has been able to identify some of the causes of these disasters, but we will embark on sensitization which is one of the best approach to disaster risk reduction.”
Wenegieme, therefore, called for improved multi-agency collaboration, review of existing building laws, and for building regulatory agencies to step up quality assurance, as well as the need for fire safety regulations.
She also called on developers to conduct integrity tests on buildings during renovations to ensure that the buildings conform with the requisite safety measure in place.