FG, states urged to involve technical consultants in construction projects
The Federal and State Governments have been enjoined to always involve technical consultants in all construction projects in the country. The Chairman of Failed Structure Investigation Penal in Imo State, Mr Kingsley Onwubiko, gave the advice while speaking with newsmen in Enugu on Sunday. According to the civil engineer, involving technical consultant would ensure that […]
The Federal and State Governments have been enjoined to always involve technical consultants in all construction projects in the country.
The Chairman of Failed Structure Investigation Penal in Imo State, Mr Kingsley Onwubiko, gave the advice while speaking with newsmen in Enugu on Sunday.
According to the civil engineer, involving technical consultant would ensure that quality and quantity specifications would be maintained in a construction project for it to deliver on its sets mandate.
He said that it was wrong of the government to always involve financial consultants while neglecting technical consultants, who would ensure professional standard in the job from the beginning to the end.
He said: “Why most buildings even government buildings collapse is that no professional is engaged to see to the day-to-day inputting of materials at specific quantity and quality into the structure.
“For a structure to stand the test of time, every specification must be scientifically and methodically followed.”
Onwubiko, who investigated six collapsed building in Imo State between February and September 2017, said that it had been observed from investigation that non-professionals supervised construction of most buildings without conducting basic soil test from the on-set.
According to him, “In some places in the country especially in the South-East, without conducting basic soil test; you build a simple bungalow and the building would have crack or division seen before you finish it.
“You can then imagine if that building is a storey or high-rise building on the same soil; it means the building will definitely collapse with time whether completed or uncompleted.’’
Onwubiko also appealed to the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) and building materials manufacturers to collaborate in establishing material testing laboratories in major building material markets in the country.
“This market laboratories will ensure that quality and quantity specification is maintained and check unscrupulous traders that tamper with quality or quantity of building materials in their shops,’’ Onwubiko, who is a member of Nigeria Society of Engineers (NSE), said.
Daily Trust recalls that building collapse had been a source of worry for the government, NSE, SON, building materials dealers and Nigerians for over a decade in the country.