Oyo State government on Thursday in Ibadan urged block moulders to comply with stipulations of the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) as a way of curbing building collapse.
Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, Dr Wasiu Olatunbosun, gave the charge at the inauguration of newly-elected officers of the Oyo State branch of the National Association of Block Moulders of Nigeria (NABMON).
He noted that block moulders are critical stakeholders in the construction sector.
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Olatunbosun also appealed to members of the association to ensure that their activities were properly regulated as stipulated in the Building and Civil Engineering (Construction) Materials Law of the state government.
The commissioner also called on the Federal Government to intervene in the high cost of building materials, especially cement.
The commissioner stressed that the state government had zero tolerance for building collapse and enjoined the association to strengthen the already existing relationship between it and the state government.
He said the cordial relationship would give way to identifying challenges facing the association “in the interest of the safety of lives and properties of residents in the state.
“We identify with you because we are aware that blocks are essential components in building which, if not professionally produced to standard, could cause great havoc like building collapse.’’
In his remarks, the National President of NABMON, Mr Adesegun Banjoko, bemoaned the rate at which building owners engaged the services of quacks to mould blocks.
According to Banjoko, such practice cannot guarantee quality as the quacks do not adhere to basic professional processes.
