By Mimidoo Patrick
As part of its commitment to find a permanent solution to the menace of collapsed buildings bedevilling the nation, the Nigerian Building and Road Research Institute (NBRRI) has constituted a panel to investigate the Ebonyi State Metro View Hotel building collapsed.
The Acting Director General of the institute, Prof. Samson Duna who disclosed this in a telephone chat with Viewpoint Housing News in Abuja, noted that the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari was determined to do everything that is humanly possible to stop building collapse because of its toll on human life.
Duna said, “a team have been constituted by the institute to investigate and prepare a technical report of a collapsed building at Presco ,Abakaliki Ebonyi stat.
He said Engr Akinmade O.Daniel will serve as the chairman of the term while Ezirim Sunny serves as the secretary.
Others includes, Engr Obiora Chukwuman Gerald, Engr Chidi Amiara, Igwechkwu Kingsley while director general oversee the investigation.
He said that the committee have being charged with the responsibility of investigating the immediate and remote causes of the incident.
He recalled many painful stories of building collapse, noting that no parent ever wished to have the dead body of his or her children and that the government was taking necessary steps to find a permanent solution to the recurring disaster.
According to him, it is important that every building collapse should be investigated to secure human life and protect the environment.
Representatives of all regulatory agencies in the management of construction industries were in the committee, and the committee has two weeks to submit its report.
Duna said the impact of collapse building affected entire human fabrics, causing psychological trauma, loss of lives and properties, loss of government revenue, with victims being rendered homeless apart from suffering permanent disabilities
According to him, most of the building collapsed has been linked to man-made mistakes which can be avoided and eradicated completely. There is an urgent need to stop this ugly trend by investigating the root causes of the problems and make an appropriate recommendation.
He promised, on behalf of the committee, to get to the root causes of the problems and proffer practical and implementable solutions that would go a long way to forestall future occurrence.
It would be recalled that the hotel, which is located close to Presco Campus of Ebonyi State University Abakaliki in the heart of the city, collapsed on Wednesday evening around 7pm.
However, the Ebonyi State Police Command has confirmed that so far, there has been no casualty in the collapsed.
The scene of the collapse was visited, a management staff of the hotel revealed that part of the building had cracked and they had started renovation work when the building collapsed.
It further said that the state Capital Territory Board had already sealed the property.
“We have confirmed the incident which occurred on Wednesday evening by 7:00 p.m.
“The management told the police that they noticed cracks and commenced renovation when the collapse occurred.
The hotel, it was gathered was commissioned on the 28th May 2005 by former governor Martin Elechi .
The report said the guess who lodged in the hotel were outside the building for a seminar when the incident happened, stressing that no life was lost.
The Hotel was completed and opened in May 2005.
