The FCT Administration has vowed to prosecute the contractor of the ill-fated four storied building which collapsed and injured nine labourers, last week.
Permanent Secretary, FCTA, Mr. Adesola Olusade, who made the vow when he visited the site of the collapsed building, also pledged to deal decisively with any staff of the administration found to have compromised in the process.
Adesola, while making clarification on the unfortunate incident, said contrary to reports that 20 persons were trapped in the rubbles of the collapse building in Dape, life Camp, the nine persons who were trapped have all been rescued.
While noting that no life was lost to the incident, Olusade expressed disappointment with the project handlers for sneaking back to the site during the last Sallah holidays to continue the construction despite having been advised and served notice of stop work by the project consultant and FCDA, respectively.
He added that the building collapse was the repercussion of ignoring the professional advice of the consultant as well as that of the administration.
According to the permanent secretary, “The collapse of this building affirms the fact that when you ignore professional advice, it has a repercussion and this is what is evident. We were just informed that instructions and notices were served to stop work. Even the consultant on site advised that no further work should be done on this site, but it was ignored.
“These are preliminary information being provided to us. Going forward, we have to really go to the root of it to know what happened. Until further investigation is concluded, the site is permanently closed.
“A caveat will be placed on the plot so that some efforts are not made, either by way of sale or any other transactions.”
The permanent secretary mandated the executive secretary of the FCDA to chair a committee that will investigate the structural engineering work, allocation approval and site developer to eventually unravel the cause of the collapse.
“The Executive Secretary, FCDA, will chair a technical committee that will evaluate the immediate and remote causes of the collapse. We will also establish culpability, whether from officials of the Administration or by external persons.
“The operation practice for the profession of engineering is very clear. It has codes for all offences and we will invoke all these penalties and sanctions when the report is done”, he said.
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