Sikirat Shehu
The Kwara State government has tasked professionals and stakeholders in the building sector to evolve new safety techniques in order to avert incessant building collapse in the country.
The state governor, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq gave the charge at a one day symposium organized by the Kwara State ministry of housing and urban development, themed: “Building control in Kwara State: A synergy between Kwara Government and Stakeholders”.
Represented by the state commissioner for communications, Olabode Towoju, the governor lamented that the issue of building collapse in the country “has reached an alarming crescendo. On several occasions, it led to unnecessary loss of lives and properties, thus becoming an issue of major concern since it poses threat to the nation’s development”.
Abdulrazaq, however, said his government in it’s determination to ensure sanity in the building sector, has created new ministry of housing and urban development.
The government through the ministry he explained that ” is set to initiate the creation of a functioning building control agency that will inspect, approve and certify every stage of building construction in the state.
“This agency is expected to sanitize the building sector and encourage sustainable housing development in the state.
“Part of the key roles of the stakeholders in this move, particularly the professional bodies is to determine the standard of educational qualification of their members and regulate their activities in the building and construction industry”, he said..
In his address, the state commissioner for housing and urban development, Ibrahim Akaje asked participants at the workshop to “take advantage of the symposium to learn new ideas toward world class building techniques that will help in putting an end to building collapse in the country”.
Akaje said the essence of the symposium was to expose them to new techniques and tap from experiences of professionals and stakeholders to develop the sector.
Speaker, Kwara State House of assembly who was represented by his deputy Felixe Awodiji assured that the government will get legislative support to drive its policies on sustainable housing projects.