By Priscilla Campbell,
Minna
The Niger State Commissioner for Tertiary Education, Science, and Technology, Abubakar Baba Aliyu has hinged the persistent collapse of buildings to lack of use of qualified engineers in the country.
He spoke after a road walk organized by the Niger state chapter of the Nigerian Society of Engineers to mark the first World Engineering Day in Minna.
He said that if they were consulted (engineers) building collapse would not be rampant as witnessed in recent days.
“I encourage Nigerians to use engineers and they would not have any problems. And If you use any engineers for the design, and there is any collapse, we punish them or even withdraw their practicing licenses. That is what we do. And sadly, despite the fact that engineering is the centre of the lives of the people, the services of its professionals are rarely utilized,” he said.
Also, the Chairperson of the Niger State Chapter of the Nigerian Society of Engineers, Elizabeth Jumoke Eterigho, noted that the association was working on a policy in conjunction with the state government to make sure that houses were built according to specification. She said, “At the end of putting the document together, some houses in the state will have to be demolished to make room for space. Engineering deals with every aspect of life and has contributed sustainably to clean water, affordable accommodation, infrastructure, education, housing, and many others. ”