WRITTEN BY NEHEMIAH ANINI – Correspondent, The Chronicles of Construction
The Council of Registered Builders of Nigeria (CORBON) and the Nigerian Institute of Building (NIOB), Abia State Chapter, have made a bold and controversial call — the arrest and imprisonment of anyone claiming the title “Site Engineer” on building projects in the state.
This strong stance came during a media briefing in Umuahia, where the groups addressed the recurring tragedy of building collapses in Abia.
Only Builders Should Manage Construction Sites
According to Mr. Wisdom Okoro, Chairman of the State Practice Committee of CORBON, the alarming rate of structural failures in the state is largely due to poor enforcement of existing laws.
Okoro emphasized that Nigerian building codes and the law clearly designate the Builder as the professional authorized to handle the building process from start to finish.
“Anybody who is on site and says he is a site engineer doesn’t have the authority to do building works,” he said.
“According to the statutes, codes and regulations that established the building profession, building works are the sole responsibility of a Builder — not a shared duty.”
He further explained that while other professionals such as structural, civil, or electrical engineers may visit, inspect, or supervise specific aspects of a project, they are not the managers of the construction process.
Okoro’s conclusion was blunt:
“Any person who claims to be the engineer on site should be arrested and imprisoned.”
Negligence and Quackery – A Deadly Mix
Supporting this position, Mr. Chinedu Nwanosike, Chairman of NIOB Abia State Chapter, pointed to negligence by government authorities and developers as a root cause of persistent collapses.
He stressed that being a Builder is not a title anyone can assume — it requires formal academic training and a professional license to practice.
“The challenge is that those in authority neglect the right people for the job and give it to quacks,” Nwanosike said.
“If you count 100 buildings, you will see that those handled by trained builders are not even up to 10%.”
He urged the Abia State Government to fully implement the National Building Code, which was passed in 2006, to restore order and accountability.
“Arrest quacks and allow professionals to come in, then building collapse will become a thing of the past,” he concluded.
A Growing Concern in Abia
The Chronicles of Construction notes that Abia State has witnessed a troubling string of building collapse incidents in recent times, including recent cases in Umuahia and Aba.
With professional bodies now calling for arrests, the debate over who truly belongs on-site is likely to intensify — but for many in the industry, the priority remains the same: protect lives, uphold standards, and restore public trust in the built environment.
