Expert Hails Ban On Foreign Building Materials

An expert in building
and construction Dr Atagume Peters, has commended atated the Federal Government for the ban on the importation of foreign building materials.
Peters who is also the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Property and Estate Managers, a Port Harcourt-based firm, stated that the ban was a welcome development.
He stated this in a chat with The Tide during the company’s end of year party that most of these materials are substandard.
According to the property and estate manager, the influx and high patronage of these substandard building materials into the country was worrisome, stressing that they were the cause of most building collapse.
He expressed regrets that Nigeria had been a dumping ground for substandard products especially from Asia, adding that the unsuspecting public always bore the brunt.
This irresponsible behavour of importers he said, their selfishness has put lives and property at risk and brought untold hardship to victims and their families.
Furthermore, he said, “that many buildings in the coutry, especially in big cities, are high risk buildings, which may collapse at any time, adding that some of them are tilting sideways or bending forward where some tremble each time a heavy duty vehicle passes nearby”
He also said, “a situation where a newly constructed building is subjected to repairs, is worrisome and called for urgent steps to be taken against the patronage of these substandard building materials”.
Igive kudos to the Federal Government for the political will power to put a ban on the importation of these substandard building materials.
He also expressed the hope that the ban would sanitisethe industry and put local products on the front burner.

Tonye Nria-Dappa