The Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Ahmed Dangiwa, has called for immediate investigation into the Saint Academy School building collapse in the Busa Buji area of Plateau State.
Dangiwa, who made the call on Saturday in Abuja, while reacting to the school building collapse.
He directed the Plateau State Controller of the Ministry to spearhead a comprehensive investigation to ascertain the cause of the collapse and bring to justice anyone found culpable.
He described the collapse as yet another unfortunate tragedy for the nation due to the negligence and unscrupulous behaviour of certain individuals during the construction process.
According to him, it is unfortunate that the issue of building collapse has once again reared its ugly head in the nation.
“This is unacceptable because every time something like this happens, there is a mother or father who has lost a child, a child who has lost a parent, or an individual who has lost a sibling or friend.
“The cost of building collapse cannot be quantified because lives are involved.
“In this case, it was a school with students whose only offense was to leave their homes in search of knowledge. This is totally unacceptable.
“I have directed an investigation and we will get to the bottom of this,” he said.
Dangiwa assured Nigerians that the investigation would not go the same way as others in the past, where nobody was prosecuted for wrongdoing.
“We will ensure anyone found culpable faces the full weight of the law.
“I know that prosecution will not bring back those we have lost to this tragedy, but it will serve as a deterrent to others who may be involved in such practices,” he said
Dangiwa said that a statement by the National Emergency Management Authority revealed that more than 40 students have been rescued from the rubble with many of them still hospitalised in various health facilities in Jos.
He expressed his deepest condolences to the families of those whose lives were cut short by the unfortunate and preventable tragedy.
He said that the loss was a national one and “We share in their grief.
“For those in the hospital, our prayers and thoughts are with them and we wish them a quick recovery while we charge the health personnel to rise to the occasion and save these precious lives,” he added.
Dangiwa further noted that while it might be difficult to rewrite the wrongs of the past, the ministry was committed to ensure that the incidence of building collapse was prevented in the future.
He said that this would be done by collaborating with relevant agencies to enforce building standards and regulations in the country.
“This is evident in the strong warnings issued to developers of ongoing Renewed Hope Cities and Estates projects in the country as well as control and monitoring mechanisms set up by the ministry.
“As a result of the complexity of the housing sector, the ministry has to collaborate with agencies of government to promote the enforcement of building codes,” he said.
