WOJ Editing…Utomi, Others Task NIOB On Building Collapse Prevention, Affordable Housing

WOJ Editing…Utomi, Others Task NIOB On Building Collapse Prevention, Affordable Housing—Prof. Pat Utomi, founder, Centre for Values in Leadership on Friday advised the Nigerian Institute of Building (NIOB) to confront construction industry corruption and dearth of artisans to prevent building collapses in Nigeria.

Utomi made the call in Ikeja at the inaugural annual memorial lecture organised by Lagos Chapter of NIOB to honour late Pa Fatai Osikoya, its first President who was Nigeria’s first registered builder.

Giving a keynote address tagged “Building collapse as metaphor’’ Utomi said the issue of housing was too important to be neglected, as such all hands must be on deck towards bridging shelter gap.

He blamed building collapse of moral decadence, corruption, regulatory agencies negligence, dearth of skilled artisans, among others while urging NIOB to tackle the issues to save lives and investments.

He urged NIOB to always engage the building regulatory agencies to ensure they were rightly enforcing laws to eliminate quacks in the industry to guarantee quality assurance in building production and management.

He listed efforts of advanced economies towards housing development and delivery which Nigeria must emulate to bridge shelter gap and transform the nation’s economic fortunes.

Utomi insisted that the Alhaji Shehu Shagari mass housing model was the best the nation had ever adopted because it tackled issues of affordability and availability while capturing all segments of the society.

He urged NIOB to take charge in correcting anomalies including the dearth of skilled artisans to tackle Nigeria’s housing deficit and housing needs.

“Our country is sadly the terrain off quackery in many areas of endeavour. Why is this so much more pronounced in the building space?

“This association (NIOB) must do what it takes to reassure Nigerians that buildings can and will be safe. Excuses are not part of the social contract, buck-passing and finger-pointing do not within the professional,’’ he said.

Utomi said the endemic culture of corruption affecting the building and other sectors could end if Nigeria can learn from countries like Hong Kong, Singapore, and others who have reversed disposition to corruption.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Miss Taiwo and Kehinde Oluyale, twin sisters who graduated with first class from the department of Building, Federal University of Technology, Akure were celebrated and received cash donations and scholarships.

The Vice Chancellor of Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria Prof. Kabir Bala who led the fund raising for the twins emphasized importance of professionalism in taming the ugly trend of building collapse.

President NIOB, Prof. Yohana Izam represented by Mr Bimbo Kolade a fellow of the NIOB described late Pa Osikoya who died on June 6, 2021 as an icon whose contribution were immeasurable.

He reeled out achievements of the late icon and several other professional bodies where left indelible marks, adding that, the annual lecture series would always bring together policy makers, economists and building experts.

Dr Samson Opaluwah, immediate past Vice Chairman, Council of Registered Builders of Nigeria (CORBON) urged governments at all levels to see mass housing as a must to eradicate poverty in the nation.

President, Association of Professional Bodies of Nigeria, Mr Akinloye Oyegbola who was chairman of the occasion, eulogized the virtues of the late Osikoya.

He prayed that the essence of the lectures which included Osikoya’s times and all he represented were upheld while calling for expansion of the annual event to become a public lecture.

Prof. Kunle Wahab who was Osikoya’s closest ally and other speakers took turns to proffer solutions to housing needs while eulogizing virtues of the man of many qualities and competencies.