….Experts canvass effective housing finance, mortgage systems
Stakeholders in the housing/ construction sector say urgent solutions are required to halt the prevalent cases of building collapse in Lagos and Nigeria as they urge the Lagos State Building Collapse Tribunal to shun rhetoric as it commences sitting. DAYO AYEYEMI, reports.
The spate of building collapse and failures in Lagos State has become an endemic problem that has defied solutions in recent past.
These incidences have resulted in loss of lives and properties, and have caused disabilities to many.
Until government and stakeholders shun rhetoric and look beyond the usually indentified factors for structural failures, experts who spoke during the inaugural sitting of the Lagos State Government Tribunal of Inquiry on Collapsed Buildings at the weekend said the problem would remain.
They want the tribunal to focus on ways to achieve effective housing finance and mortgage systems for the building industry while considering roles of various government institutions in the state, the procurement system and urban renewal strategies.
To nip the prevalent collapse building cases in the bud, government and major stakeholders need to work on the nation's housing finance system, a lecturer at the Department of Estate Management, University of Lagos, Akoka, Professor Timothy Nubi, has said. Nubi stated that apart from encouraging housing finance that is long-term in nature, a virile mortgage system must be put in place to enhance home ownership among Nigerians.
He explained that owing to lack of housing finance and virile mortgage system, most Nigerians bear the burden of building their house which takes them longer period due to paucity of fund.
In his calculations, he said it takes average Nigerian 15 years to build a house.
Within the period of 15 years, the university lecturer pointed out that some components of the building structure such as cement, reinforcement and blocks would have been exposed to weather, affecting their strength and stability, leading to structural failure in the future.
He said, "It takes 15 years for average Nigerian to build a house. He will first construct the foundation, leave it for five years until he gets money before moving to site to lay the blocks and leave it again until he gets money to roof. During these periods, the reinforcement has been exposed to weather condition. So, the house has become weaker before completion.
"But if there is housing fund in place and where he can access mortgage, he does not even need to build. All he needs is to buy a house. Individuals, except the rich don't build abroad because there is mortgage for you to access and buy your house without going through the stress associated with building construction."
Nubi described building collapse as a symptom of a failed system, saying that until government and stakeholders look beyond indentified factors for structural failures, the problem would remain.
The professor of estate management at the University of Lagos said there was need to work on various government institutions, procurement system and urban renewal of old central business districts in Lagos.
He said, "There is need to consider regeneration since city grows and decays. seventy per cent of Lagos built up areas have been described as slum. There is need to empower the Lagos State Urban Renewal Agency (LASURA) to clean these slums the way it was done some years back in Chicago. Nations are consciously built."
He said it has become expedient for the Local Government Planning Authority to be empowered to enforce the Urban and Regional Planning Law of 1992 . Town Planning Decree 88 should be revisited.
"There is no point coming to the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development to seek approval for a building located at Badagry. The local planning authority in Badagry should be able to grant the approval," he said, enjoin town planners to seriously embark on planning advocacy in the state.
Other professionals such as President of the Association of Consulting Architect of Nigeria, Mr. Fred Coker and Chairman, African Planning Association, Mr. Waheed Kadiri, who spoke at the inaugural sitting of the tribunal corroborated earlier speaker, canvassing for vibrant building construction sector They listed some of the causes of frequent building collapses in the state, suggesting urgent steps to be taken to halt the trend.
Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Mr Toyin Ayinde and his counterpart in the Ministry Of Justice, Mr. Ade Ipaye assured the tribunal of their support.
Chairman of Lagos Building Collapse Tribunal, Mrs Abimbola Ajayi, an architect, told the audience that the tribunal would commence sitting as from Monday, July 1, 2013, adding that the task before the tribunal among other things, was to assist the state government to judiciously act on cases that are not in compliance with the existing regulations and standards.
She explained that many Memoranda have been received from key stakeholders, urging them to be part of the public hearing which will commence on Monday, July 1 to Friday, July 12. She said, "You are enjoined to testify in accordance with your Memorandum. Witnesses are free to have legal representatives; evidences have to be given on oath in accordance with the law setting up this Tribunal of Inquiry. Interpreters will be provided when necessary.
Where documents are used as evidence, we expect that original documents will be tendered for viewing. Copies will then be made and originals returned to the owner."
She disclosed that the tribunal has a short time frame of three months to submit its report; hence it would not be able to entertain adjournments and late submissions. Governor Babatunde Fashola had on June 24, 2013 set up a tribunal of enquiry into incessant collapse of buildings in Lagos State.
The tribunal is chaired by Mrs. Abimbola Ajayi, while other members are Mr. Joseph Adewale, Mrs. Roli Craig, Mr. Segun Adedeji, Mr. Moses Ogunleye and Mr. Biodun Rufai. Inaugurating the tribunal, Fashola said he expected the tribunal to diligently inquire into the immediate and remote causes of collapsed buildings in the state, especially those that recently collapsed.
Giving the tribunal three months to submit its report, the governor said the Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development would provide for the panel detailed information on recently collapsed buildings and look into the quality of building materials and building methods employed in the state.
"It is expected that the tribunal will come up with recommendations and measures to avert building collapse in the state; advise on the roles of persons involved in collapsed buildings and recommend appropriate legal actions," he said.
