16th September, 2015
The two-storey Islamic School structure that collapsed in Jos on Sunday was originally a bungalow that was “forcefully” converted into a two-storey building, according to the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).
“The foundation and all the materials were for a small bungalow, but the building structure was suddenly converted into a two-storey structure, forcing it to cave in as the foundation materials could not cope with the new weight,” NEMA Zonal Co-ordinator (North-Central), Abdulsalam Mohammed, said in Jos on Wednesday.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) quotes NEMA as saying that six pupils were killed while at least 30 others were injured in the incident.
Mohammed, who spoke to NAN on the incident, blamed the collapse of the building on “carelessness”.
“The materials used were even very poor.
“If you check the blocks, you will find that they did not have enough cement in them.
“If you check the rods, you will find that they were even too light for a buiding of that weight and magnitude,” he said.
He wondered why a bungalow could be converted into a storey building without first seeking a technical advice from engineers, and suggested stiff penalties for such attitude.
Mohammed regretted that lives were lost in the incident, but added that the casualty figure could have been worse.
“The casualty figure could have been worse, but God intervened.
“The school was in full session when the building collapsed, but it was raining and some pupils could not make it to school.
“Some other pupils were also yet to pay their fees and had been sent home,” he said.
He cautioned Nigerians against seeking short cuts.
“We must always remember the popular saying that short cuts will always cut one short. That saying is not for fun,” he said.