The Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Ahmed Dangiwa, has directed an immediate and comprehensive investigation into the collapse of the Saint Academy School building in Jos, Plateau State, which occurred on Friday, July 12, 2024.
The minister described the incident as “unacceptable” and “totally unacceptable” and promised that anyone found culpable will face the full weight of the law.
He noted this in a statement shared with journalists on Saturday in Abuja.
Over 40 students have been rescued from the rubble, with many still hospitalised.
The minister expressed his condolences to the families of those who lost their lives and wished those in the hospital a speedy recovery.
The minister noted that building collapse is preventable and that the ministry is committed to ensuring that building standards and regulations are enforced in the country.
He highlighted the strong warnings issued to developers of ongoing projects and the control and monitoring mechanisms set up by the ministry.
“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.
The minister assured all that the probe would not go the same way as others in the past, where nobody was prosecuted for wrongdoing.
He vowed that anyone found culpable would face the full weight of the law.
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