“If you are really experts, why do buildings fall down?” said Babatunde Fashola, works and housing minister, as he blamed the Council of Registered Builders of Nigeria (CORBON) for building collapse in the country. 

Mr Fashola stated this on Tuesday in Abuja while inaugurating the seventh council of CORBON, urging the builders to imbibe professionalism and ensure that the ethics guiding the profession were upheld.

He explained that the need for professionalism necessitated the mandate by President Muhammadu Buhari to inaugurate the board, therefore advising them not to let down their guard.

“The first thing you need to note and desire is expertise. Are you an expert indeed or by title alone? If you are really experts, why do buildings fall down?” he told the body. “I know you are not the only players in the building sector so I am not putting the blame on you alone. But you have a role to play.”

Mr Fashola added, “As a professional body, you should know every subject in your area, be masters of the game and a controller of the skills. If you use your skills well you will not have unusual results.”

The minister further said, “Is that happening, is it happening consistently? Even if it is, can we improve, why should we be contented with the low bar, are you raising the bar? Being a professional means that you are moral and we are ethical, so a professional always does the right thing. Will you do the right thing no matter the circumstances you find yourself in?”

The minister urged the builders not to compromise ethics and allow religion or any factor to influence them to lower the standards.

Council’s chairman, Samson Opaluwa, pledged the builders’ commitment to uphold the ethics guiding the profession. He said the council was established to regulate building construction, maintenance, and management, regulate and “control the practice of building profession.”

Mr Opaluwa added that in line with its mandate the council would end the incessant cases of building collapse, especially in the urban areas.

“The seventh council shall address this ugly incident as a matter of national priority. This will include but not limited to a. a robust plan for the monitoring of building project sites to ensure compliance with standards, regulations, and good practice,” the council chairman stated.

He also mentioned that the council would step up measures on the need to upskill and re-skill builders, building technologists, technicians and artisans in the building industry on the emerging technologies.

(NAN)