The Abia government in a bid to forestall cases of building collapse, has approved the establishment of a standard material testing laboratory in Umuahia.

The general manager of Umuahia Capital Development Authority(UCDA), Kingsley Agomoh, said this in Umuahia while addressing journalists.

He described the initiative as one of  government’s proactive measures towards preventing the use of substandard building materials.

Mr Agomoh said the initiative would assist the government in ensuring that every building, road and bridges constructed in the state meets the required standards.

“So, with this it is going to be difficult to start any construction work and get approval at each stage of the building without getting the materials tested through this lab.

“We are going to build the best in Umuahia, then other parts of the state like Aba, Ohafia will have their own as time goes on,” Mr Agomoh said.

Mr Agomoh explained that the facility would be used to conduct soil test, check rod reinforcement, aggregate materials and asphalt.

Mr Agomoh further said that the government was working assiduously to  ensure that building permit would be issued within 30 days of submission of building permit.

He added that efforts were being made to digitalise the operations involved in issuance of building permit.

Information commissioner Okey Kanu said the decision to build the laboratory was informed by the instances of buildings collapse in the country.

“We know the attendant human and material resources loss when a building colapses, so this government is poised to ensure that such instances do not occur in our state,” Mr Kanu said.

He also mentioned that the facility would be used serve as a platform for research.

Mr Kanu said the government issues a directive for the removal of illegal gates and structures obstructing the free flow of traffic in Umuahia.

“We want buildings to serve the purpose for which it was built, UCDA has been interfacing with landlords to see that this does not continue,” he added.

Mr Kanu expressed the government’s resolve to stop ‘agbero’, adding that a task force was set up to tackle the menace.

(NAN)