School building collapse: Enforce town planning laws, Akpabio tells Plateau gov

 

The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, has advised the Plateau State Government to ensure that the laws governing town planning are reinforced to forestall a recurrence of the recent tragic incident of a collapsed building in which some students lost their lives.

Akpabio made the remarks when the Governor of Plateau State, Caleb Mutfwang, accompanied by some traditional rulers, paid him a courtesy call in his office on Tuesday.

The Senate President told his guests, “We want to condole you on the building collapse. Such a horrific sight and the building was not even built during your tenure. What it means is that you have to take steps to reinforce the town planning laws and take a lot of interest in the building industry.

“No sentiments attached. No matter whose ox is gored, if somebody does not follow the rules, if somebody erects a building on a passage for stream water, once the foundation is questioned, such building should be brought down.”

He added, “We know what has happened in the past. It is as if the high and mighty in society should construct a building, nobody would want to touch the building out of respect for them.

“We will continue to mourn the demise of those children. The entire country is very sad. So on behalf of the 10th Senate, please accept our condolences. We are with you in this period of mourning.”

In his remarks, Mutfwang said he and his entourage were at that National Assembly to participate in the public hearing on the Nigerian Institute of Mining and Geosciences (Repeal and Enactment) Bill, 2024.

The bill is expected to upgrade the Mining and Geoscience Institute to a full-fledged University and the governor expressed optimism that his state would be the host for the University.

Recall that Saint Academy in Jos, the Plateau State capital, on Friday, July 12, collapsed at about 8:30 am when the students and teachers were in their classrooms.

According to the State Commissioner for Information, Musa Ashoms, the death toll from the tragic incident had risen to 22, while 154 persons suffered various degrees of injuries.

The commissioner said a thorough investigation into the cause of the collapse was underway.