July 12, (THEWILL) – The Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Architect Ahmed Musa Dangiwa, has directed the Plateau State Controller of the Ministry to embark on an immediate and comprehensive investigation into the collapse of a two-storey building housing Saints Academy School in the Busa Buji area of Plateau State on Friday.
THEWILL recalls that the tragic incident led to the death of 22 pupils, while 132 were severely injured.
The Minister, in a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Strategy, Mark Chieshe, described the collapse as yet another unfortunate tragedy for the nation due to the negligence and unscrupulous behaviour of certain individuals during the construction process.
“Unfortunately, the issue of building collapse has once again reared its ugly head in our nation. This is unacceptable because every time something like this happens, there’s a mother or father who has lost a child, a child who has lost a parent, or an individual who has lost a sibling or friend.
“The cost of building collapse cannot be quantified because lives are involved. In this case, it was a school with students whose only offence was to leave their homes in search of knowledge. This is totally unacceptable.
“I have directed an investigation, and we will get to the bottom of this. I want to assure Nigerians that this investigation will not go the same way as others in the past where nobody is prosecuted for wrongdoing. We will ensure anyone found culpable faces the full weight of the law. I know that prosecution will not bring back those we have lost to this tragedy, but it will serve as a deterrent to others who may be involved in such practices,” he noted.
“I want to express my deepest condolences to the families of those whose lives were cut short by this unfortunate and preventable tragedy. It is a national loss, and we share in their grief. For those in the hospital, our prayers and thoughts are with them, and we wish them a good recovery, while we charge the health personnel to rise to the occasion and save these precious lives,” he added.
Dangiwa further noted that while it may be difficult to rewrite the wrongs of the past, the Ministry is committed to ensuring that the incidence of building collapse is prevented in the future by collaborating with relevant agencies to enforce building standards and regulations in the country.
“This is evident in the strong warnings issued to developers of ongoing Renewed Hope Cities and Estates projects in the country, as well as control and monitoring mechanisms set up by the Ministry.
“As a result of the complexity of the housing sector, the Ministry has to collaborate with agencies of government to promote the enforcement of building codes. We will not relent in this commitment to ensure that Nigerians can sleep in their homes, work at their various places of business, or even learn in their schools with peace of mind knowing that the building will not collapse on them,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Plateau State Government has ordered immediate closure of the school.
The State Commissioner for Information, Musa Ashoms, who disclosed this in a statement on Saturday, said Governor Caleb Mutfwang gave the order during a visit to the site of the collapsed building at the Busa Buji community as well as hospitals where the injured were receiving treatment on Saturday.
Ashoms said the State Government has declared a three-day mourning period following the sad incident.
Muftwang, who commiserated with the families of the deceased children, said the State Government would bear the cost of the treatment of the injured students
“In response to the tragic loss of lives and injuries sustained by teachers and students of Saints Academy Jos, the Executive Governor of Plateau State, Caleb Mutfwang, has declared a three-day period of mourning from July 13 to July 15, 2024. During this time, all flags will be flown at half-mast to honour the victims of the school building collapse in Jos,” the statement read in part.
