… Blames building collapse on greed, corruption
Worried by the incessant cases of building collapse in the country, Onuigbo Ndigbo Gburugburu, Chief Engr Ejike Iwu has threatened to sue the federal government, Standard Organization of Nigeria (SON) and the Consumer Protection Council (CPC) if they fail to checkmate the production and sales of substandard building materials across the nation.
Speaking with newsmen in Owerri, Imo State, Chief Iwu decried the practice where sellers of building materials give a low standard of materials to unsuspecting buyers and construction workers.
According to the traditional spokesperson for Ndigbo, many sellers of building materials have been shortchanging buyers by selling lower measurements of materials in place of higher measurements.
“Why is it that if you ask for 2 by 2 wood, the sellers in the markets will give you 1 by 3? If you are asked to buy 12mm, 10mm or 8mm of rod, sellers will give you a lower one in place of the higher one you asked for.
“The Standard Organization of Nigeria, if they do not stop this I will drag them to court because they have failed in their duties by allowing substandard materials in the market. Putting the lives of the people in danger. That is why we are having collapsed buildings all over in the nation”, he stated.
Chief Iwu said the building materials dealer’s association should be queried to know if the sizes of today are now different from same sizes of many years ago.
He said the federal government, SON and CPC should tell Nigerians why they have failed to do or say something to curb the incessant corrupt practices among building materials dealers.
