A group, the Building Collapse
Prevention Guild (BCPG) has alerted president Bola Ahmed Tinubu on the planned
increase of cement price by some manufacturers and importers. In a statement
signed by its National President, Sulaimon Yusuf and General Secretary, Adenike Ayanda alleged that cement
manufacturers are planning an upward review of cement prices by early January.
The Group with membership across
the 7 Built-Environment platforms stated further that plans are also on the way
to increase the price of ready-mix concrete in addition to jacking up the cost
of in-situ production of concrete.
They warned that if the increment is allowed
to take place the economic situation of the nation will worsen.
The statements read: “Cement is
an essential ingredient in the production of buildings. Frequency in the
increase of its price has impacted negatively on the nation's housing sector.
Experience has shown that high price of cement tend to encourage reduction in
the quality of building production. The consequence of this is the emergence of
weak buildings that intensifies the occurrence of building collapse.
The group appealed to President
Bola Ahmed Tinubu to invite cement manufacturers for an urgent discussion in
order to forestall the impending price increase.
BCPG asked the president to
interrogate the current N5, 700 market price of a 50kg bag of cement despite
the N3, 500 price of the product recently promised by one of the cement
manufacturers.
According to them, any further
increase in the price of cement will be a direct threat to the 'Renewed Hope'
Housing Programme of the Federal Government.
“The completion of ongoing
building projects might be jeopardised by this impending hike, buildings
abandoned during the process of construction aggravate the risk of building
collapse, with the dwindling purchasing power; new buildings might lack
patronage and occupants due to high rental value”.
“Efforts made by President Tinubu
while he was Governor of Lagos State at attenuating building collapse syndrome
were well documented in the BCPG records. As at the time he rounded up as the
Governor of Lagos State in 2007, the market price of cement was N1, 300”.
They challenged the president not
to relent in his past efforts at tackling the incessant collapse of buildings
adding that his wealth of experience from Lagos on solution to building
collapse should be brought to bear on the national level in order to save
Nigeria from the unenviable position of a nation that records frequent
incidence of building collapse in the whole world.
They urged president Tinubu to
pay serious attention to resolving the challenges of building collapse adding
that frequent increase in the price of cement is one of the challenges.
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