Newsfront Online …Telling the Public as it is
The Building Collapse Prevention Guild has stated that the planned cement price hike will worsen the country’s economy.
The guild disclosed this on Sunday in a statement, it called on President Bola Tinubu to invite cement manufacturers for an urgent discussion to forestall the proposed increase in the price of cement. It stated that there were feelers that cement manufacturers were planning an upward review of cement prices in early January.
It noted, “The price of ready-mix concrete will also be increased while the cost of in-situ production of concrete will rise significantly. Such an increment, if allowed to take place, will worsen the economic situation of the nation.
“Cement is an essential ingredient in the production of buildings. Frequency in the increase of its price has negatively impacted the nation’s housing sector. Experience has shown that high prices of cement tend to encourage a reduction in the quality of building production.
“The consequence of this is the emergence of weak buildings that intensify the occurrence of building collapse. Prioritising safety in the Nigerian built environment and the general interest of the public, the BCPG passionately appeals to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to invite cement manufacturers for an urgent discussion to forestall the impending increase in the price of cement. “
The Cement Producers Association of Nigeria had earlier warned that the plan by the Federal Government to introduce concrete roads would raise the price of cement to N9,000 per bag from the current price of N5,000.
It also called on the government to permanently address the perennial cement price hike by facilitating larger participation in the cement industry, noting that Nigerians had no business buying cement for more than N5,600 per bag.
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The guild noted that the President should investigate why the current price of a 50kg bag of cement was N5,700 despite a cement manufacturer recently promising a price of N3,500 for the product.
The President of the Building Collapse Prevention Guild, Sulaimon Yusuf, said any further increase in the price of cement would be a direct threat to the ‘Renewed Hope’ housing programme of the Federal Government.
He said, “The completion of ongoing building projects might be jeopardised by the impending hike in the price of cement. Buildings abandoned during the process of construction aggravate the risk of building collapse. With the dwindling purchasing power, new buildings might lack patronage and occupants due to high rental value.
“Efforts made by President Tinubu while he was Governor of Lagos State at attenuating building collapse syndrome were well documented in the BCPG records. As at the time he was crowned as the Governor of Lagos State in 2007, the market price of cement was N1,300.”
He urged the President to curb the incessant collapse of buildings through his wealth of experience gained from being a past governor of Lagos State.
He added, “We, hereby, challenge the president not to relent in his past efforts at tackling the incessant collapse of buildings. His wealth of experience gained from Lagos on solutions to building collapse should be brought to bear on the national level to save Nigeria from the unenviable position of a nation that records frequent incidences of building collapse in the whole world.
“It is high time our President paid serious attention to resolving the challenges of building collapse. Frequent increases in the price of cement is one of these challenges.”
(punchng.com)
