By Odo Ogenyi,Uyo
The Chairman of the Nigeria Society of Engineers (NSE) in Akwa Ibom, Engr Uwem Akpan has said that the society has set up a committee to monitor construction sites in Uyo city and across the State as a measure to check quackery and eliminate further incident of collapsed structures in the state.
Akpan told newsmen in Uyo yesterday that the society in Akwa Ibom decided to set up the committee in the wake of the collapsed four storey building in Uyo last September, an incident which occurred one month after his inauguration..
The chairman said it was a challenge for him to take up the responsibility of ensuring that quacks are completely eliminated in Engineering profession to avoid such carnage in future .
” I was sworn- in on August 2022 as the state Chairman of Nigeria Society of Engineers (NSE) . The unfortunate incident happened in first week of September .When we hear about building collapse , it shows that there is a failure somewhere either structurally or otherwise.
” When I heard about the collapse , I rushed to the scene . The first we did was rescue mission to save the victims. Later we picked samples of the collapsed building from inside and analysed to see what was the cause of the collapse , was it because of the columns , beams, foundation or whatever?
“Once we finished with the analysis, we now came up with the report . I informed the National President of NSE and he arrived Uyo the following day.”
Akpan lamented that some buildings in the state are supervised by quacks without Engineering qualifications but handle high rise building in various parts of the state .
” I saw a highrise building under construction along oron road and when I stopped and asked for the engineer in charge , a man surfaced but once I introduced myself, he escaped.” He said.
He said the committee would ensure that these quacks are fished out and made to face the wrath of the law.
Akpan lauded the quality of projects currently executed by the incumbent governor, stressing that from assessment they are of high quality and durable, adding that, “most of the issues of substandard projects are seen in the private sectors where owners are cutting corners owing to the high cost of materials in the market.”
