By EZEKIEL DONTINNA
The collapse of The Saints Academy in the early hours of Friday, which has so far claimed 22 lives and injured another 134 persons, has been blamed on the use of substandard materials in the construction of the two-storey building.
THE NIGERIA STANDARD correspondent who was at the scene of the tragedy gathered that the first base of the building was constructed six years ago before the other two storey structures were completed recently.
Sampling the opinion of some persons who came to rescue victims and were familiar with the affairs of the school, revealed that the structure was built using substandard materials.
One of them, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said: “As you can see, the building was built on waterways and there are mining activities ongoing around the building.
“There were also no concrete or iron rods used. As we were evacuating the victims, all we met was pure laterite and no concrete at all.”
This was corroborated by other individuals who spoke with our correspondent.
Efforts to meet staff of Jos Metropolitan Development Board (JMDB) to know whether the school authorities followed due process in building the structures proved abortive as they were seen busy evacuating victims.
A statement by the Plateau State Commissioner of Information, Ibrahim Musa Ashoms, expressed government’s condolences to victims and their families, saying the state had since dispatched emergency responders to the scene who were conducting search and rescue operations, including the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA).
Others were the Red Cross, security agencies and health care professionals.
According to the statement, to also ensure prompt medical attention to victims, government had directed all major hospitals in Jos to prioritise treatment of the victims, regardless of documentation or payment of fees.
Meanwhile, Governor Caleb Mutfwang, while sympathising with the citizens of the state, also instructed hospitals to accommodate victims of the incident.
In a statement issued in Jos by the Director of Press to the Governor, Gyang Bere, the governor also stressed the importance of adhering to established safety standards in building construction.
Citing Executive Order 003, the statement urged schools and other facilities owners with structural defects to close them with immediate effect and assured that the JMDB) would conduct inspections to prevent similar incidents in the future.
A thorough investigation into the cause of the collapsed was already underway, the government noted.
