Builder In Nigeria’s Black Book

The Federal Government on Wednesday blacklisted a construction company, EC Oba Industrial Company Limited, over the collapsed Naval Quarters at Gwarinpa, Abuja.

The Minister of Housing, Land and Urban Development, Ms Ama Pepple, announced this in Abuja while briefing State House Correspondents on the outcome of the weekly Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting.

She said that the ban followed the approval of the recommendations of the committee set up by the government to investigate the collapsed three-storey building which killed two persons in January 2012.

Pepple said that all buildings constructed by the contractor would be subjected to ‘integrity tests’.

She said that all the Federal Housing Authority (FHA) and Engineers in involved in the construction work were also recommended for various disciplinary measures to serve as deterrent to others.

“Those hired to demolish the building were not professionals and the engineers were fake. The committee recommended that they should be prosecuted for false dignity.

“Staff of the Federal Housing Authority implicated should be disciplined for their complicity,” she added.

The minister said that already her ministry had set up a committee to review the country’s building code.

According to her, a stakeholders’ conference is to be held by the ministry in order to dialogue and seek support of stakeholders on the building code.

She said that state governments would also be invited to key into the new building code.