The FCT Emergency Management Department has expressed concern over increased cases of building collapse, fire outbreak and flood in the territory.
The acting Director-General of the department, Florence Wenegieme, who raised the alarm during a press conference in Abuja said her officials had responded to seven emergencies between June 24 and July 13, out of which four were building collapses, flood incident, fire outbreak and attempted suicide.
Wenegieme attributed the developments to dumping waste on water ways, non-adherence to Fire Safety and Building Codes, use of substandard electrical materials, illegal electrical connections, violation of building approval, carrying out maintenance work without regulatory approvals, and non-conduct of Environmental Impact Assessment before building construction among others.
She, therefore, called for the review of existing laws in the building industry to tackle the rising trend of building collapse like stiffer punishment for violators, especially when lives were lost, as well as the review of the Fire Safety Code to mandate the use of non-combustible materials in building construction to reduce risk of fire outbreaks.
The FEMD boss urged the National Orientation Agency to intensify campaign on civic responsibility to stimulate positive behaviour and sense of patriotism among citizens to discourage citizens against suicide.
Speaking on disaster risk reduction, Wenegieme said the department had been going round the city to ensure that structures removed for standing on waterways were not rebuilt.
She said multi-disaster risk sensitisation and awareness campaigns were also ongoing, including jingles in TV and radio stations in different languages on issues of flood, fire outbreaks, building collapse and other potential emergencies.
