21-storey Building Collapse: Senate Tasks COREN On Competence

Senate on Tuesday tasked the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN) to ensure that only competent and qualified professionals are involved in building construction.

President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, gave the charge sequel to a motion raised by Sen. Oluremi Tinubu (APC-Lagos) during plenary, on the 21-storey building which collapsed in Ikoyi, Lagos.

Lawan called on all relevant professional bodies, including COREN as well as civil engineers, structural engineers to ensure that only certified, competent and qualified professionals were involved in putting up structures.

“We believe that this kind of situation is one too many because this is not the first time this is happening in Lagos and other parts of the country,” he said.

The senate president commiserated the Lagos State Government, the people and particularly the families of those who lost their lives or were affected in one way or the other.

He also called on the Nigerian Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to work with the state government to provide necessary assistance to the survivors.

The senate thereafter observed a minute silence in honour of the deceased.

Earlier while raising the motion, Tinubu said that in the search and rescue efforts at the scene, 15 survivors were rescued from the rubble and 44 persons, including the owner of the building were confirmed dead.

She described the incident as “a disaster of epic proportion, the magnitude of which cannot be overlooked”.