The Rivers State Government has established a special task force to address the ongoing issue of building collapses in the state.
This follows the collapse of another building, a three-storey structure under construction, on Friday evening in the Abacha Road area of the new Government Reservation Area in Port Harcourt.
The collapse occurred just five days after another three-storey building collapsed in the Ogbogoro Community, Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, resulting in one fatality and two injuries.
News About Nigeria reports that fortunately, no lives were lost in the most recent collapse on Friday.
The state government has condemned the repeated occurrences of building collapses and has responded by setting up a task force to address the growing issue and the potential risks posed to public safety.
Evans Bipi, the State Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, made this announcement during an on-site inspection of the recent collapse and ordered the site to be sealed.
Bipi emphasized that the task force would monitor all construction sites in the state to ensure that developers strictly adhere to the state’s building laws and regulations, with the goal of preventing further incidents.
The Commissioner also attributed the collapse to gross violations of the government-approved building plan by the developer, who he accused of using substandard materials in the construction of the three-storey building in a waterlogged area.
He stated, “I would advise all Rivers State residents who intend to build to visit the State Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development to process their building plans and obtain the necessary approvals.
“The ministry will, of course, guide you on whether a three-storey or two-storey building is feasible. We have decided to establish a task force to ensure compliance with government laws and regulations concerning buildings.
“Those who fail to comply will, of course, be made examples of. We have sealed off this building.”
