Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, on Monday ordered the arrest of a developer and an engineer linked to a collapsed building in Abuja which reportedly claimed four lives.
Wike also directed that the premises be sealed off immediately, while a full-scale investigation is launched into the tragedy.
The visibly disturbed minister, who visited the scene of the collapse, described the incident as “very pathetic,” insisting that the government would not tolerate negligence that puts lives at risk.
“From the report I got, we lost four people and some lives were saved. It’s very pathetic. Nobody is happy when you lose somebody,” Wike said.
“The Department of Development Control has sealed off the premises. We are going to set up a panel to really look at what happened. One of the engineers has been arrested already. From there, we’ll get to the developer, and the developer will also be arrested.”
He said the FCT Administration had taken over the matter, while officials of the Department of Development Control would begin preliminary investigations to determine the cause of the collapse.
Wike blamed some developers for frustrating government officials from carrying out proper supervision of construction sites, warning that the era of ignoring building regulations was over.
According to him, some developers resort to blackmail whenever enforcement agencies move in to ensure compliance.
“Sometimes when we come to a site like this, the press has not been kind to us. Instead of finding out why government is taking that decision, some people will go to blackmail government officials,” he stated.
The minister stressed that proper soil testing, quality materials and adherence to approved building standards were critical to preventing future disasters.
“In construction of buildings, we must know the quality. What materials are they using? Are they doing the soil test? What is the result of the soil test? Can it allow for two floors or three floors? All these are very key,” he said.
Wike lamented that the lives lost in the incident could never be replaced, adding that the protection of lives and property remained the government’s foremost responsibility.
“How can you buy back these lives? They are gone. That is the responsibility of government: to protect life and property,” he added.
