PRESSURE group under the auspices of the Building Collapse Prevention Guild (BCPG) has raised the alarm over the increasing number of developers in the country, saying 90 per cent of them did not belong to the association.
The alarm was hinged on the rising incidents of building collapse, in which the country recorded four incidents in two weeks.
In addition, the group pointed out that the huge number of developers has overwhelmed the government’s monitoring apparatus, alleging that the culture of inducement being promoted by many developers had encouraged compromise in the circles of government’s officials.
“The size of developers has become enormous, thereby overwhelming the government monitoring apparatus.
“90 per cent of developers do not belong to the association and quite a number of them are very influential,” the group said in the latest statement signed by its President and the Honorary General Secretary, Sulaimon Yusuf and AdenikeAyanda, respectively.
In the light of the foregoing, the group appealed to developers to abide by the building regulations and engage the appropriate professionals in the pre-construction, construction and post- construction stages of building.
“They should consider the risk involved in building construction more than the gains,” the statement read.
To avert building collapse, the group called on developers embarking on multi storey building construction to desist from direct labour method.
Rather, it urged such developers to engage the services of reputable construction companies in order to prevent frequent building collapse’s incidents in the country.
Engagement of reputable construction companies, the group said remained a clever way of mortgaging risk.
“Saving cost at the expense of human life could result in huge financial losses, chorusing the foolhardiness of penny wise pound foolish,” the statement read
The group also appealed to government to lessen the burden on developers by reducing the high development fees and taxation.
It pointed out that expensive preliminary costs incurred in building plan approval and other processes always tempt developers to cut corners.
The group explained that investment in the housing sector is a pertinent developmental contribution that provides appreciable returns, but warned that investment in buildings that would not stand the test of time, endangering the life of occupants remained an investment in futility
“We equally appeal to the government to lessen the burden on developers by reducing the high development fees and taxation. Expensive preliminary costs incurred in building plan approval etc tempt developers to cut corners / cheat.
“Greed is the major weakness of most developers. We pray to God to help them overcome this evil spirit.
“Every developer should endeavour to deliver a building with the heart and intention of occupying it by himself or herself,” the statement read.
According to the president and general secretary of BCPG, any developer in doubt of the stability or quality of building(s) already constructed by him or her should have the courage to contact the group for remedy, warming that keeping quiet might spell imponderable disaster for many.
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