Apparently worried by the spate of building collapse in Yaba and Ebute Metta areas of Lagos, the Building Collapse Prevention Guild (BCPG) has called on developers to adopt the standard set in the multi-storey building of the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) located in Yaba.
According to the group, which is made up of professionals in the built environment, the tall WAEC building, constructed several years ago, has stood the test of time, while other buildings recently developed in the neighborhood have experienced collapse.
The leadership of the group stated this while recognizing the selfless contribution of the Paramount ruler of Igbobi Sabe, Yaba, Oba Owolabi Adeniyi, to the arduous cause of building collapse’s prevention in his domain.
For this selfless service, the BCPG Yaba Cell leaders presented to the paramount ruler a large portrait of him in a special royal regalia.
During the presentation, the pioneer President of BCPG and the Past President of the Nigerian Institute of Building, Mr Kunle Awobodu, who graduated from Yaba College of Technology and University of Lagos, advised developers to target the standard set in the multi-storey building of the West African Examinations Council in Yaba.
“The tall WAEC building that is as solid as the Rock of Gibraltar has withstood the test of time, “ said Awobodu.
According to the Coordinator of BCPG Yaba Cell, Mr. Bayo Ogunrinde, an engineer, Yaba, which is endowed with institutions that offer building-related courses, should constantly epitomise to the world a high standard of building construction.
“Federal Science and Technical College, Federal College of Education ( Technical), Yaba College of Technology, and University of Lagos are educational and training grounds that were established in Yaba, producing many adept practitioners in building delivery process.
Hence, an incident of building collapse in Yaba would become an irony, a contradiction of the ethos of building practices,” he said.
Speaking, Mr. Wale Karunwi, a builder and one of the leaders of BCPG Yaba Cell, attributed his achievements in the building industry to the knowledge and skills he gained from the higher institution he attended in the 1970s, which was Yaba College of Technology.
A lecturer at the University of Lagos ( Unilag), Dr. David Adio-Moses, an architect, also revealed the depth of training being given to architectural students and those of other allied courses in building project development.
Despite the Yaba ambience of knowledge and skills acquisition in building, they pointed out that the area has recorded a few incidents of building collapse.
Vice-President of BCPG, Engr. Imeh Udoh, whose practice office is situated within Yaba, expressed concern over the recklessness at which solid, heritage buildings were being sold by the descendants of the original owners to developers in Yaba. He emphasised the need to preserve monumental buildings.
In corroboration, the former Coordinator of the neighbouring BCPG Lagos Mainland Cell, Engr. Felix Chi-kwu, cautioned Yaba landlords to learn from the mistake of the developer-infested Ebute-metta that has turned the Lagos Mainland Local Government Area into an epicentre of building collapse.
Past President, American Society of Civil Engineers Nigeria Section, Engr. Ajose Otinwa, drew the attention of all to the importance of giving adequate maintenance to the old exquisite buildings in Yaba.
Responding to the recognition, Oba Owolabi Adeniyi, promised not to relent on his effort nor rest on his oars in the promotion of standard building construction in his domain.
He said that Yaba has always been a cosmopolitan city, mentioning the names of prominent Nigerian elites from diverse regions and notable foreigners who resided in Yaba before Nigeria’s independence
He pointed out that their buildings were still standing firm because there was strict compliance with building regulations in those days.
A high chief, the Lisa of Igbobi-Sabe, Yaba, Chief Adewale Owoyemi, enjoined the youths to embrace technical education that would help develop construction skills rather than focusing on paper qualifications.
He appealed to parents to change the perception that trade centres, that is, technical colleges, were meant for the academically retarded pupils.
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