Recommend speedy passage of National Building Code Bill

By Levinus Nwabughiogu

ABUJA—Following cases of collapsed buildings in the country, the House of Representatives, yesterday, opted for the use of 42.5mpa grade cement for construction works.

The recommendation of the House, which will prompt a ban on the use of 32.5mpa grade cement, was sequel to the adoption of the report of Yakubu Dogara (APC, Bauchi State) who conducted an expanded investigation into the incidences of collapsed buildings.

Subsidy Probe: Deputy Speaker House of Representatives, Hon. Emeka Ihedioha returning to his office after presiding over Investigation on Subsidy regime’s report at National Assembly, Abuja yesterday. Photo: Gbemiga Olamikan.

The House also mandated the governing council of the Standard Organisation of Nigeria, SON, to compel all cement manufacturers in Nigeria to upgrade their production lines to start producing the 42.5mpa grade.

The House further called for a creation of cement fund from contributions of N10 per 50kg bag of cement produced in Nigeria and N20 per 50kg of imported cement for the establishment of state-of-the-art laboratories in all the geo political zones within three years.

The fund, according the House, shall be managed by a task force to be set up by SON, Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria, COREN; Council of Registered Builders of Nigeria, CORBON, and Nigerian Institute of Building, NIOB.

Similarly, lawmakers also recommended the speedy passage of the National Building Code Bill, which they said should be strictly enforced when passed into law to check quackery and the use of substandard building materials.

Other recommendations are that “all cement packages must clearly and boldly indicate their grades, uses and expiry dates with tamper proofing on the packages to guard against repackaging by middlemen;
“Standard Organisation of Nigeria, SON, should ensure that all cement distributors withdraw expired cement from their warehouses and markets and destroy them.”