Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Arc. Ahmed Musa Dangiwa has directed Federal Controller of Housing in the State to commence a comprehensive investigation immediately, to ascertain the cause of collapse at Saint Academy School building in Busa Buji area of Jos, Plateau State.
Gatekeepers News reports that the Minister described the collapse as yet another unfortunate tragedy for the nation.
According to him, the incident was due to negligence, especially during the construction process of the building.
The minister said, “Unfortunately, the issue of building collapse has once again reared its ugly head in our nation. This is unacceptable because every time something like this happens, there’s a mother or father who has lost a child, a child who has lost a parent, or an individual who has lost a sibling or friend.”
“The cost of building collapse cannot be quantified because lives are involved. In this case, it was a school with students whose only offense was to leave their homes in search of knowledge. This is totally unacceptable.”
“I have directed an investigation, and we will get to the bottom of this. I want to assure Nigerians that this investigation will not go the same way as others in the past, where nobody is prosecuted for wrongdoing. We will ensure anyone found culpable faces the full weight of the law. I know that prosecution will not bring back those we have lost to this tragedy, but it will serve as a deterrent to others who may be involved in such practices.”
Dangiwa further noted though it may be difficult to right the wrongs of the past, the Ministry was committed to ensuring that the incident is prevented in the future as the Ministry will collaborate with relevant agencies to enforce building standards and regulations in the country.
He added that this was evident in the strong warnings issued to developers of ongoing Renewed Hope Cities and Estates in the nation, as well as control and monitoring mechanisms set up by the Ministry.
