ACEN berates engineers for collapsed buildings

Urges synergy for best practices
President, Association for Consulting Engineering in Nigeria (ACEN), George Okoroma, has berated engineers over collapsed buildings in Lagos State, describing their activities as lacking best practice.

Okoroma, who stated this, yesterday, at a press conference in Lagos to mark ACEN’s 50th year anniversary, said that a committee had been set up to investigate the Ikoyi building collapse and that members found guilty would be punished.

He said: “We usually say it to people to patronise registered consultant engineers for any structural project in the country. Most people prefer quacks to handle building constructions where substandard materials would be used. This is the result of such actions. We have set up a committee to investigate the Ikoyi building issue and there is a way we handle it when our members are involved in failed structures. It is either we withdraw their licence temporarily or indefinitely or take them to court.”

He added that engineers should focus on best practices to improve the lives and economy of Nigerians.

However, while lamenting the sour relationship between the Federal Government and indigenous consultant experts, he berated the state government for seeking foreign-made goods and consulting services, which he said, had continued to devalue the practice.

According to him, government’s failure engage the services of experts in major structural projects had become a major challenge facing consulting firms.

The ACEN Past President, Mayen Adetiba, who also spoke at the event, tasked government agencies to be proactive in ensuring that buildings that lack professional standards are pulled down.

MEANWHILE, a consultant expert, Bayo Adeola, has said that building collapse arises from errors in construction, design and others. He said administrative and principal officers must be held accountable.

Bayo said: “A building can collapse if there is construction error, design error and procedural reasons. If it is a design error, the consultant should be held accountable and if it is a construction error, the contractor should be held accountable.”