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Legislative Gap Hinders Prosecution of Building Collapse Owners – COREN

The Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN) has highlighted a legislative shortfall in its current Act as a significant barrier to prosecuting owners of collapsed buildings.
In an exclusive interview, Engr. Dominic Akuboh, a member of the COREN Council Committee on Engineering Regulation, Monitoring, and Enforcement, explained, "Even when investigations identify building owners as culpable, COREN's enabling Act lacks the provision to take action against them."
 
 
Akuboh noted that COREN has collaborated with the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission to mitigate this legislative gap in certain cases. On July 17, 2024, The PUNCH reported that COREN expressed concern over the frequent building collapses in Nigeria, citing its limited capacity to investigate and prosecute those responsible. Akuboh emphasized the need for clear legislation to close this gap, ensuring that all liable parties can be prosecuted without hindrance.
While COREN has conducted numerous investigations into building collapses, Akuboh stressed the importance of further technical investigations to confirm findings, especially when evidence has been compromised during rescue efforts.
 
He pointed out that saving lives is the priority when buildings collapse, and most investigations do not directly blame engineers. Instead, they reveal issues such as quackery, use of substandard materials, and economic pressures leading to corrupt practices and corner-cutting. "The primary issues are quackery, substandard materials, and economic factors pushing people to cut corners," Akuboh explained. He also warned that professional negligence, such as engineers carelessly allowing their seals to be misused, could lead to indirect blame. COREN has also urged the Minister of the FCT to establish an FCT Technical Committee, complementing State Technical Committees, to tackle infrastructure failures across the country.
 
COREN President, Engr. Sadiq Abubakar, stated, "This committee will enhance Engineering Regulations Monitoring at the national level, akin to existing practices at the Regional and State levels. It will ensure effective monitoring and enforcement of engineering regulations to prevent infrastructure failures." With at least 22 building collapse incidents reported in Nigeria in 2024 by mid-July, resulting in over 354 deaths in Lagos since 2012, COREN is working to build the capacity of professionals to effectively address this ongoing crisis.
 
Source: PunchNG

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