By PROVIDENCE OBUH

The Building Collapse Prevention Guild (BCPG) has called on block makers and other professionals in the sector to ensure quality in block and concrete business.

Speaking at a forum, President, BCPG, Builder Kunle Awobodu, said that the need to control quality in the block and concrete business is a task that must be achieved if failure in building is to be minimised.

He said that the sandcrete blocks and concrete production should not remain an all-comers’ business, just as he pointed out that the essence of forming an association for the block moulders is to make producers of sub standard blocks traceable.

According to him, “The association must have criteria for membership restriction and able to separate the chaff from the grains. National Association of Block Moulders of Nigeria (NABMON) is very relevant in the quality drive. This process is also applicable to the concrete casters and other artisans in the Nigerian building industry.

“The BCPG, which is majorly constituted of professionals and artisans in the building industry will continue to play an important role in this quality crusade, especially by rejecting the use of low quality blocks and poor concrete mix on site.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           To ensure safety, quality service and project delivery in the construction industry, Awobodu recommended that: Buyers and users of cement should know what they are buying.

As such the grade of cement, manufacturers details, date of manufacture, batch number, recommended use areas and colour coding be enforced; To forestall sharp practices, periodic tests of cement made available to the public should be done to ensure that what is contained in the bag tallies with what is written; Manufacturers of various grade of cement should not subject Nigerians to astronomically unfair prices that will encourage untoward practices.