The Nigeria Institution of Safety Engineers, a division of the Nigerian Society of Engineers, has inaugurated John Chinedu Onyemenam as the 2nd chairman of the Rivers State Chapter of its organisation.
The group also condemned the rate of building collapse in Nigeria.
The event, which took place in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, was attended by important personalities in the engineering profession.
Earlier, the Royal Father at the occasion, HRH Eze Temple Ejekwu, the Paramount Ruler/Nyewe-Eli Rumuogba Kingdom, emphasised the need for safety rules and regulation particularly now when there are too many incidences of building collapse, especially in Lagos State and other parts of Nigeria.
Ejekwu maintained that as a Paramount ruler he would do everything possible to propagate the need to keep to safety rules and regulation in his domain.
He further expressed the optimism that if members of the public can discipline themselves and follow proper building regulations, the issue of building collapse would be a thing of the past.
He lamented the incessant loss of lives due to corruption and lack of due diligence.
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In an interview shortly after the event, the newly inaugurated state Chairman of Nigeria Institution of Safety Engineers, Onyemenam said any company that neglected safety rules and standard, would be doing so at their own peril, noting that without observing all safety rules either at home or place of work the situation will end in jeopardy.
He promised that his tenure would witness massive safety campaigns and seminar across the state.
Onyemenam further noted that due to corruption and negligence of safety rules and standard, many people have lost their lives in the numerous building collapses across the country, a situation that have brought sadness to many families.
The new Chairman used the occasion to express his readiness to work with the Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike in making sure all safety guidelines are judiciously obeyed to reduce death rate.
On how to achieve his safety projection during his tenure, he expressed the optimism that he would collaborate with the media to deliver his mandate, but noted that he had trained many secondary school students on safety measures such as fire outbreak, among others.
“Every building should have a safety standard both in quality, quantity of cement and iron rod,” he said.
John Ugbebor, acting director of Safety and Environment Centre, University of Port Harcourt, in his remarks, tasked politicians and government agencies to develop the political will to enforce laws, sanction and punish offenders.
