Building collapse: Oyebanji mandates tight oversight and certification of public structures

To prevent further building collapse in the state, Ekiti Governor Biodun Oyebanji has mandated stringent oversight and certification of building construction by the appropriate government institutions.

When Oyebanji visited the scene of a building collapse in Ijero-Ekiti on Sunday, he gave the order in the person of Dep. Gov. Monisade Afuye.

He also paid a visit to the accident victims who were being treated at the Ijero General Hospital in Ijero, Ekiti, and expressed his sympathy to them.

According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), on September 2, an Event Centre structure collapsed in Ijero-Ekiti, Ijero Local Government Area, injuring six people to varied degrees.

In order to prevent unjustified fatalities, the governor instructed all government authorities to make sure that every building of that type was properly supervised and certified at every level.

He expressed extreme concern over the serious damage the victims had suffered.

According to Oyebanji, the event may have been avoided “if proper building scrutinies and compliance with specifications were carried out by government agencies”.

Therefore, he issued a warning that incidents like that shouldn’t be permitted to happen again in the state.

In order to respond to any emergency crisis, he assured that his government will take action to make Emergency Management Equipment available in all local government regions.

“Let me express my sympathy to the victims of this terrible incident.

“No one wishes for bad things to happen, but we must take preventive action rather than wait for them to happen.

“I am aware that this event could have been avoided if the building had been carefully supervised and certified fit at every stage of the erection.

“Monitoring all public buildings to make sure they are constructed according to plans and using standard materials is just regular and procedure.

“This is because the use of subpar materials by the building contractors is now a regular factor in building collapse.

“We praise God that nobody was killed.

But as a responsible administration, we won’t put off taking measures to save people’s lives until they pass away.

Therefore, it is imperative that all government entities always respond to their responsibilities, according to Oyebanji.

The men from the Fire Services were promptly deployed in the area for the rescue mission as soon as he received a distress call, according to Mr. Olajide Borode, who is also in the entourage and the Permanent Secretary of the Ekiti State Emergency Management Agency.

“We wish to thank our staff for starting the rescue effort by removing the building’s residents before the Fire Service men arrived to assist.

“The Ekiti State Bureau of Special Project will be here to do Integrity Test on the building to ascertain whether it can be salvaged or demolished outright,” he said.

Speaking, Mr. Ademola Ojo, a lawmaker from the Ijero Constituency in the Ekiti State House of Assembly, praised the governor for placing the safety of the populace first.

Ojo explained what happened, saying: “A reception for a funeral ritual was in progress when a large split appeared in the wall.

“Suddenly, the auditorium’s roofs and plaster of Paris collapsed, falling on the people sat within.

The result was a stampede. Many people were hurt during the incident, while some others had grave physical injuries.

“I came here to help pull victims out of the rubble along with the council chairman and firefighters.

“Those who had suffered serious injuries were taken right away to a hospital for care.”

On September 2, at around 4 p.m., the roof and walls of the structure known as the “F and G Event Centre” on the Ijero-Ido-Ekiti Road, which was home to around 250 people, began to recede.

According to NAN, the incident area was covered in spilled food that had been served at the event, shattered bottles, shoes, male caps, female wigs, and other stuff. (NAN)