Business
FG Blacklists Firm Over Collapse Of Naval Quarters
The Federal Government has
blacklisted a construction company, EC Oba Industrial Company Limited, over the
collapsed Naval Quarters at Gwarinpa, Abuja.
The Minister
of Housing, Land and Urban Development, Ms Ama Pepple, announced this in Abuja
while briefing State House Correspondents on the outcome of the weekly Federal
Executive Council (FEC) meeting.
She said that
the ban followed the approval of the recommendations of the committee set up by
the government to investigate the collapsed three-storey building which killed
two persons in January 2012.
Pepple said
that all buildings constructed by the contractor would be subjected to
‘integrity tests’.
She said that
all the Federal Housing Authority (FHA) and Engineers involved in the
construction work were also recommended for various disciplinary measures to
serve as deterrent to others.
“Those hired
to demolish the building were not professionals and the engineers were fake.
The committee recommended that they should be prosecuted for false dignity.
“Staff of the
Federal Housing Authority implicated should be disciplined for their
complicity,” she added.
The minister
said that already her ministry had set up a committee to review the country’s
building code.
According to
her, a stakeholders’ conference is to be held by the ministry in order to
dialogue and seek support of stakeholders on the building code.
She said that State Governments would also be invited to key
into the new building code.