The Vice-Chancellor of Alex Ekwueme Federal University, Ndufu-Alike, Ebonyi State, Sunday Elom, has called on relevant government agencies to ensure strict enforcement of the construction standards of buildings to ensure that they are properly designed and constructed to avoid indiscriminate collapse, which may lead to injury or loss of lives and property.
The University’s Spokesperson, Iyke Ubochi, shared this via his social media accounts, saying the Vice-Chancellor made the call in reaction to the unfortunate collapse of a 3-storey building called Pentagon lodge which served as a private hostel for some students of the university.
He called on the Ebonyi state government to institute a full investigation into the hostel collapse to ascertain the probable cause and to punish anyone found culpable, which he says will serve as a deterrent to corrupt regulators, contractors, engineers, and others who may have cut corners, leading to the disaster.
The Vice-Chancellor further used the opportunity to sympathize with students who might have lost or had their property trapped in the rubble, and thanked God for preserving them, as there was no loss of life.
Our Correspondent in Ebonyi State Emmanuel Nnaji reports that the Ebonyi State Government has ordered full-scale investigations into the circumstances that led to the collapse of the hostel assuring that anyone found culpable will be made to face the law