BY VICTOR AHIUMA-YOUNG
LAGOS — WORKERS in the nation’s construction industry have called on the Federal Government to establish a specification board to set standards for all construction works in the country as a way of arresting incessant cases of buildings and construction projects’ collapse.

Under the aegis of the National Union of Civil Engineering, Construction, Furniture and Wood Workers, NUCECFWW, the workers suggested that the board should be made up of stakeholders in the industry including to set standards for all construction projects, especially building and road projects.

General Secretary of NUCECFWW, Comrade Babatunde Liadi, blamed building collapse and projects’ failure in the country on inability of the builders and contractors to use standard materials for the jobs.

He said:“The falling standard in projects and collapse of buildings is as a result of substandard materials.”

Most roads failed within a short period not due to the incompetence of the contractors and their engineers but as a result of using substandard raw materials for such roads.”

Most times, these materials don’t meet specification for the jobs or at times the quantity specification for such jobs.”

“Greed and corruption are the main reasons why contractors and engineers use substandard raw materials and refuse to use specified quantity for projects. The contractors and engineers want to maximise profit at the expense of doing a good job. We know that some public sector officers are already charged with the responsibility of ensuring that building and other construction projects are in conformity with laid down specifications.

The failure of site engineers to discharge their responsibilities as expected, make the establishment of a Specification Board imperative.”

He said “Some of the responsibilities and functions of the board are setting specification standard for raw materials used for construction projects, setting specification standard for quantity of material used in any construction project and inspection of project site (either private or public).