Plateau State Government has vowed to wage war against developers who fail to comply with approved building code in the state.
It will be recalled that a section of a four Storey shopping mall under construction in the Terminus area of Jos collapsed Sunday night for non-compliance with approved building standards.
I observed that part of the 180-shop mall collapsed because the structure had no approved plan and had several defects.
The Plateau State commissioner of Housing and Urban Development Dr. Ubandoma Joshua Laven, who led other professionals and stakeholders to the site of the collapsed building, said the state government will not condone quackery.
According to him, the administration of Barr. Caleb Mutfwang would not risk the lives of thousands of it’s citizens, who will come to engage in their visual activities here.
“I can assure you that this building will not be allowed to stand because it contravenes even the law of the land and we have served them notices not once, not twice.”
In the same vein, the general manager, Jos Metropolitan Board (JMDB), Mr. Hart Bankat said that the board had issued a demolition notice for work to stop, but the owner refused to stop work on the site.
“We had put this structure as one of the buildings we are going to demolish and we are not mincing words with this.
“This is going to be a testament to the readiness of JMDB, which is now a renewed organization, to make sure that quacks do not take over building sites in the state.
Besides, building collapse prevention experts and stakeholders highlighted deficiencies in foundation and approval processes.
READ ALSO: Insecurity: Shock, protests greet FCT’s approval of motorparks in housing estates
Also the chairman Plateau State chapter of the Nigerian Society of Engineer (NSE) Engr. Yakubu Ashoms said the site engineer was not a member of the society.
Similarly, the North Central Zonal Coordinator of the Nigerian Building and Road Research Institute, (NBRRI) Engr. Terver Tyosar, said that they would collect samples and conduct research to know why the building collapsed.
But El-Zak’s Concepts Construction Company, the owner of the shopping complex, in his reaction through the site Engineer, Yasir Adams, said approval for the construction was given in April 2023 by the Jos Metropolitan Development Board (JMDB).
According to him, ” We didn’t compromise standard approved to us, we had submitted our drawings to them, they are still with the JMDB,” Engr Adams revealed”.