Engineers want to join investigation into building collapse

The Council of Nigerian Mining Engineers and Geoscientists (COMEG) and the Nigerian Mining and Geosciences Society, have called on the Lagos State Government to include them in the investigation of the Gerrard Road Building Collapse in Ikoyi, Lagos State.

This is in view of the fact that they are the first point of call for any construction project as the geotechnical properties of soils ultimately determines the type of foundation and structures that can be safely placed on any soil.

In a joint statement, the Head of Publicity and Communication, COMEG, Bunmi Ojo says in the advent of disasters such as this, studies of the subsurface in relation to the phenomenon is of importance and falls strictly in the purview of geologists.

It describes the incident as an avoidable Mishap, stressing that Lagos State is one of the megacities in the world that is expected to be replete with superstructures and reports of structural collapse of a meagre 21 storey structure send a wrong signal to investors.

While condoling with the families of those who lost their lives because of the collapse, the statement also applauds the swift response of the State Government at Rescue and Investigation into the cause of the disaster.

It hopes that the findings and lessons learnt from the exercise will assist Government to formulate a better response to building development and ensure that civil projects serve their full design life in continuous safety.

The Council of Nigerian Mining Engineers and Geoscientists, COMEG is the regulatory body for all professionals and firms in the geosciences, Mining Engineering and Metallurgy in the country and was established through the Act No.40 of 1990 while the Nigerian Mining and Geosciences Society, NMGS is the professional body of all Geologists and Mining Engineers in the country.