Reports have it that the federal government on Tuesday inaugurated an inter-ministerial committee to investigate the causes of building collapse in the country with a view to arresting it. 
The Minister of Science and Technology, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, who inaugurated the committee, said the Federal Government was deeply concerned about the incessant cases of building collapse in the country and its attendant implications. He recalled many painful stories of building collapse across the country, and assured that the administration would do everything possible to stop building collapse because of its toll on human life.
  How thoughtful of the government to want to put an end to the calamity that incessantly befalls the nation. I mean, cases of building collapse in different parts of the country in the past years have become so rampant that some people are becoming apprehensive that Nigeria will soon add “building collapse capital of the world” to her numerous shameful and embarrassing “achievements”.
  What is not clear, however, is how the report to be submitted by this new committee will be so different from those of previous committees that it will be a panacea to the issue of building collapse in the nation. One can hardly recall any building collapse in the past that did not generate an investigative committee.
In 2014 after the collapse of a building at the Synagogue Church of All Nations, Lagos State, which killed over 100 persons, mostly South Africans, a Coroner’s inquest was instituted which  indicted the church and the contractors of the building. Subsequently, the Lagos State Government filed 111 counts against the Registered Trustees of the church and four others, including Hardrock Construction and Engineering Company; Jandy Trust Limited; and Engineers Oladele Ogundeji and Akinbela Fatiregun, who built the collapsed building. Till today, the case is still ongoing.
Similarly, the Lekki building collapse of 2016, the Umuahia building collapse of 2013, the Ikoli Street, Garki, Abuja building collapse of 2010, those that happened in Port Harcourt, Kaduna, Jos and other parts of the country attracted the condemnation of those in authority who most of time set up committees to ascertain causes of the collapse, promising to sanction those found guilty. Hardly do we hear the outcome of the investigation or see anyone punished for that offence.
  So the inter-ministerial committee should first all beam its searchlight on government to find out how those in government have contributed towards the reoccurring tragedy. To what extent have they compromised or delayed in taking action that could have prevented the series of building collapse that had sent many Nigerians to their early grave?  Preliminary reports on some of the building collapses had always pointed at structural defect, substandard building materials, non adherence to international building rules, and lack of adequate supervision as some of the reasons for the collapse. Can those in government exonerate themselves from these?
So, instead of probably focusing on the contractors, the site engineers and other site workers or even the property owners who wouldn’t pull down the marked structures as at when due, we should also look at those in authority who take bribe and other forms of gratification and fail to do their jobs diligently.
So, one will align with the school of thought that says corruption is the root cause of the calamity that has befallen the nation for over four decades. However, the contractors, masons, engineers and others directly involved in building construction do not live in isolation. They exist in the same country where the members of the judiciary, the legislature and the executive arm of government are corrupt, where unprecedented corruption goes on in the health, education and other sectors. They are in public service for themselves not for country. Public servants and those in the private sector loot; even the Nigerian police in charge of internal security are adjudged the worst in the globe due to corruption and other factors.  The love of money is the in-thing and you can acquire it however you want. Corruption pays handsomely in the country at no cost to the perpetrators.
The worst is that we keep paying lip service to the fight against corruption. Recently the National Chairman of the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC),  Adams Oshiomhole, told members of the opposition party to join APC so that their sins will be forgiven. That invariably means that if you belong to the ruling party you are a saint if not you are a sinner. How can we eliminate corruption in the country with this type of notion?
So, to rid the nation of building collapse and other problems hindering development and progress of the nation, concrete action must be taken by all to fight the monster called corruption. The fight must be holistic and sincere, otherwise we will keep beating around the bush.

Calista Ezeaku